Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning
Arctic extreme winter warming events (WW events) have increased in frequency with climate change. WW events have been linked to damaged tundra vegetation (“Arctic browning”), but the mechanisms that link episodic winter thaw to plant damage in summer are not fully understood. We suggest that one mec...
Published in: | Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
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2024
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Online Access: | https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/nitrogen-immobilization-could-link-extreme-winter-warming-events-to-arctic-browning(7cd8ccfc-e99d-4217-b7c1-d9e908776728).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/382436649/Nitrogen_immobilization.pdf |
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ftcopenhagenunip:oai:pure.atira.dk:publications/7cd8ccfc-e99d-4217-b7c1-d9e908776728 2024-06-09T07:42:23+00:00 Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning Rasmussen, Laura Helene Danielsen, Birgitte Kortegaard Elberling, Bo Ambus, Per Björkman, Mats P. Rinnan, Riikka Andresen, Louise C. 2024 application/pdf https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/nitrogen-immobilization-could-link-extreme-winter-warming-events-to-arctic-browning(7cd8ccfc-e99d-4217-b7c1-d9e908776728).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/382436649/Nitrogen_immobilization.pdf eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Rasmussen , L H , Danielsen , B K , Elberling , B , Ambus , P , Björkman , M P , Rinnan , R & Andresen , L C 2024 , ' Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning ' , Soil Biology and Biochemistry , vol. 191 , 109319 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 Climate change Evergreen shrub Greenland Mesic tundra Nitrogen cycling article 2024 ftcopenhagenunip https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 2024-05-16T11:29:31Z Arctic extreme winter warming events (WW events) have increased in frequency with climate change. WW events have been linked to damaged tundra vegetation (“Arctic browning”), but the mechanisms that link episodic winter thaw to plant damage in summer are not fully understood. We suggest that one mechanism is microbial N immobilization during the WW event, which leads to a smaller release of winter-mineralized N in spring and therefore more N limitation for vegetation in summer. We tested this hypothesis in a Western Greenlandic Low arctic tundra, where we experimentally simulated a 6 day field-scale extreme WW event and 1) used stable isotopes to trace the movement of N as a consequence of the WW event, 2) measured the effect of a WW event on spring N release in top soils in the laboratory, and 3) measured the carry-over effect on summer aboveground vegetation C/N ratio in tundra subject to a WW event. Our results show that soil mineral N released by a WW event followed by soil thaw is taken up by microbes and stored in the soil, whereas vascular plants acquired almost none, and significant amounts were lost to leaching and gaseous emissions. As soils thawed in spring, we saw weak but not significant evidence (P = 0.067) for a larger N release over the first month of spring thaw in Control soils compared to WW event soils, although not significantly. A weak signal (P = 0.07) linked WW event treatment to higher summer C/N ratios in evergreen shrubs, whereas deciduous shrubs were not affected. We conclude that our results did not show significant evidence for WW events causing Arctic browning via N immobilization and summer N limitation, but that we had indications (P < 0.1) which merits further testing of the theory in various tundra types and with repeated WW events. Evergreen shrubs could be especially sensitive to winter N immobilization, with implications for future vegetation community composition and tundra C storage. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Climate change Greenland greenlandic Tundra University of Copenhagen: Research Arctic Browning ENVELOPE(164.050,164.050,-74.617,-74.617) Greenland Soil Biology and Biochemistry 191 109319 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Copenhagen: Research |
op_collection_id |
ftcopenhagenunip |
language |
English |
topic |
Climate change Evergreen shrub Greenland Mesic tundra Nitrogen cycling |
spellingShingle |
Climate change Evergreen shrub Greenland Mesic tundra Nitrogen cycling Rasmussen, Laura Helene Danielsen, Birgitte Kortegaard Elberling, Bo Ambus, Per Björkman, Mats P. Rinnan, Riikka Andresen, Louise C. Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning |
topic_facet |
Climate change Evergreen shrub Greenland Mesic tundra Nitrogen cycling |
description |
Arctic extreme winter warming events (WW events) have increased in frequency with climate change. WW events have been linked to damaged tundra vegetation (“Arctic browning”), but the mechanisms that link episodic winter thaw to plant damage in summer are not fully understood. We suggest that one mechanism is microbial N immobilization during the WW event, which leads to a smaller release of winter-mineralized N in spring and therefore more N limitation for vegetation in summer. We tested this hypothesis in a Western Greenlandic Low arctic tundra, where we experimentally simulated a 6 day field-scale extreme WW event and 1) used stable isotopes to trace the movement of N as a consequence of the WW event, 2) measured the effect of a WW event on spring N release in top soils in the laboratory, and 3) measured the carry-over effect on summer aboveground vegetation C/N ratio in tundra subject to a WW event. Our results show that soil mineral N released by a WW event followed by soil thaw is taken up by microbes and stored in the soil, whereas vascular plants acquired almost none, and significant amounts were lost to leaching and gaseous emissions. As soils thawed in spring, we saw weak but not significant evidence (P = 0.067) for a larger N release over the first month of spring thaw in Control soils compared to WW event soils, although not significantly. A weak signal (P = 0.07) linked WW event treatment to higher summer C/N ratios in evergreen shrubs, whereas deciduous shrubs were not affected. We conclude that our results did not show significant evidence for WW events causing Arctic browning via N immobilization and summer N limitation, but that we had indications (P < 0.1) which merits further testing of the theory in various tundra types and with repeated WW events. Evergreen shrubs could be especially sensitive to winter N immobilization, with implications for future vegetation community composition and tundra C storage. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Rasmussen, Laura Helene Danielsen, Birgitte Kortegaard Elberling, Bo Ambus, Per Björkman, Mats P. Rinnan, Riikka Andresen, Louise C. |
author_facet |
Rasmussen, Laura Helene Danielsen, Birgitte Kortegaard Elberling, Bo Ambus, Per Björkman, Mats P. Rinnan, Riikka Andresen, Louise C. |
author_sort |
Rasmussen, Laura Helene |
title |
Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning |
title_short |
Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning |
title_full |
Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning |
title_fullStr |
Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning |
title_full_unstemmed |
Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning |
title_sort |
nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to arctic browning |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://curis.ku.dk/portal/da/publications/nitrogen-immobilization-could-link-extreme-winter-warming-events-to-arctic-browning(7cd8ccfc-e99d-4217-b7c1-d9e908776728).html https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 https://curis.ku.dk/ws/files/382436649/Nitrogen_immobilization.pdf |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(164.050,164.050,-74.617,-74.617) |
geographic |
Arctic Browning Greenland |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Browning Greenland |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Climate change Greenland greenlandic Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Climate change Greenland greenlandic Tundra |
op_source |
Rasmussen , L H , Danielsen , B K , Elberling , B , Ambus , P , Björkman , M P , Rinnan , R & Andresen , L C 2024 , ' Nitrogen immobilization could link extreme winter warming events to Arctic browning ' , Soil Biology and Biochemistry , vol. 191 , 109319 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109319 |
container_title |
Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
container_volume |
191 |
container_start_page |
109319 |
_version_ |
1801371281432510464 |