Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation
Abstract Arctic plant growth is predominantly nitrogen (N) limited. This limitation is generally attributed to slow soil microbial processes due to low temperatures. Here, we show that arctic plant-soil N cycling is also substantially constrained by the lack of larger detritivores (earthworms) able...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15568-3 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15568-3.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15568-3 |
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crspringernat:10.1038/s41467-020-15568-3 2023-05-15T14:34:51+02:00 Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation Blume-Werry, Gesche Krab, Eveline J. Olofsson, Johan Sundqvist, Maja K. Väisänen, Maria Klaminder, Jonatan Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas Vetenskapsrådet 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15568-3 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15568-3.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15568-3 en eng Springer Science and Business Media LLC https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 CC-BY Nature Communications volume 11, issue 1 ISSN 2041-1723 General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry journal-article 2020 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15568-3 2022-01-14T15:39:42Z Abstract Arctic plant growth is predominantly nitrogen (N) limited. This limitation is generally attributed to slow soil microbial processes due to low temperatures. Here, we show that arctic plant-soil N cycling is also substantially constrained by the lack of larger detritivores (earthworms) able to mineralize and physically translocate litter and soil organic matter. These new functions provided by earthworms increased shrub and grass N concentration in our common garden experiment. Earthworm activity also increased either the height or number of floral shoots, while enhancing fine root production and vegetation greenness in heath and meadow communities to a level that exceeded the inherent differences between these two common arctic plant communities. Moreover, these worming effects on plant N and greening exceeded reported effects of warming, herbivory and nutrient addition, suggesting that human spreading of earthworms may lead to substantial changes in the structure and function of arctic ecosystems. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Springer Nature (via Crossref) Arctic Nature Communications 11 1 |
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Springer Nature (via Crossref) |
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English |
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General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry |
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General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry Blume-Werry, Gesche Krab, Eveline J. Olofsson, Johan Sundqvist, Maja K. Väisänen, Maria Klaminder, Jonatan Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
topic_facet |
General Physics and Astronomy General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology General Chemistry |
description |
Abstract Arctic plant growth is predominantly nitrogen (N) limited. This limitation is generally attributed to slow soil microbial processes due to low temperatures. Here, we show that arctic plant-soil N cycling is also substantially constrained by the lack of larger detritivores (earthworms) able to mineralize and physically translocate litter and soil organic matter. These new functions provided by earthworms increased shrub and grass N concentration in our common garden experiment. Earthworm activity also increased either the height or number of floral shoots, while enhancing fine root production and vegetation greenness in heath and meadow communities to a level that exceeded the inherent differences between these two common arctic plant communities. Moreover, these worming effects on plant N and greening exceeded reported effects of warming, herbivory and nutrient addition, suggesting that human spreading of earthworms may lead to substantial changes in the structure and function of arctic ecosystems. |
author2 |
Svenska Forskningsrådet Formas Vetenskapsrådet |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Blume-Werry, Gesche Krab, Eveline J. Olofsson, Johan Sundqvist, Maja K. Väisänen, Maria Klaminder, Jonatan |
author_facet |
Blume-Werry, Gesche Krab, Eveline J. Olofsson, Johan Sundqvist, Maja K. Väisänen, Maria Klaminder, Jonatan |
author_sort |
Blume-Werry, Gesche |
title |
Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
title_short |
Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
title_full |
Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
title_fullStr |
Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
title_full_unstemmed |
Invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
title_sort |
invasive earthworms unlock arctic plant nitrogen limitation |
publisher |
Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15568-3 http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15568-3.pdf http://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-15568-3 |
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Arctic |
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Arctic |
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Arctic |
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Arctic |
op_source |
Nature Communications volume 11, issue 1 ISSN 2041-1723 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15568-3 |
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Nature Communications |
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11 |
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1 |
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1766307802963247104 |