Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems
Abstract As tall shrubs increase in extent and abundance in response to a changing climate, they have the potential to substantially alter Arctic and boreal ecosystem nutrient cycling and carbon (C) balance. Siberian alder (Alnus viridis ssp. fruticosa), a nitrogen (N) fixing shrub, is among the spe...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/article/73805857e09349e6af9a7a6d5e4f2ef3 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:73805857e09349e6af9a7a6d5e4f2ef3 2023-05-15T14:38:44+02:00 Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems Calvin B. Heslop Roger W. Ruess Knut Kielland M. Syndonia Bret‐Harte 2021-11-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/article/73805857e09349e6af9a7a6d5e4f2ef3 EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/article/73805857e09349e6af9a7a6d5e4f2ef3 Ecosphere, Vol 12, Iss 11, Pp n/a-n/a (2021) Alaska alder Alnus viridis arctic boreal forest decomposition Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2021 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 2022-12-31T11:08:51Z Abstract As tall shrubs increase in extent and abundance in response to a changing climate, they have the potential to substantially alter Arctic and boreal ecosystem nutrient cycling and carbon (C) balance. Siberian alder (Alnus viridis ssp. fruticosa), a nitrogen (N) fixing shrub, is among the species responding to climate warming in both the Arctic and boreal forests. By relieving N limitation of microbial activity, alder‐fixed N has the potential to increase decomposition of labile soil C. Simultaneously, it may also decrease decomposition of recalcitrant soil C by downregulating microbial N mining. The microbial response to N additions is influenced by differences in the soil organic matter (SOM) chemistry and could ultimately determine whether alder N additions result in a net sink or source of C to the atmosphere. We measured the activities of three extracellular enzymes in bulk organic soils under and away from alder canopies in stands differing in SOM chemistry in both the arctic and boreal forest regions of Alaska, USA. In the Arctic, samples taken from under alder had higher activities of both recalcitrant and labile C‐degrading enzymes than samples taken away, regardless of SOM chemistry. In the boreal forest, enzyme activities did not differ with alder proximity nor stand SOM chemistry, possibly due to long legacies of alder N inputs in these stands. As arctic and boreal forest ecosystems experience shifts in the distribution and abundance of this N‐fixing shrub, alders' influence on soil decomposition could have significant consequences for high latitude soil C budgets. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Alaska Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Ecosphere 12 11 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Alaska alder Alnus viridis arctic boreal forest decomposition Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
Alaska alder Alnus viridis arctic boreal forest decomposition Ecology QH540-549.5 Calvin B. Heslop Roger W. Ruess Knut Kielland M. Syndonia Bret‐Harte Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
topic_facet |
Alaska alder Alnus viridis arctic boreal forest decomposition Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract As tall shrubs increase in extent and abundance in response to a changing climate, they have the potential to substantially alter Arctic and boreal ecosystem nutrient cycling and carbon (C) balance. Siberian alder (Alnus viridis ssp. fruticosa), a nitrogen (N) fixing shrub, is among the species responding to climate warming in both the Arctic and boreal forests. By relieving N limitation of microbial activity, alder‐fixed N has the potential to increase decomposition of labile soil C. Simultaneously, it may also decrease decomposition of recalcitrant soil C by downregulating microbial N mining. The microbial response to N additions is influenced by differences in the soil organic matter (SOM) chemistry and could ultimately determine whether alder N additions result in a net sink or source of C to the atmosphere. We measured the activities of three extracellular enzymes in bulk organic soils under and away from alder canopies in stands differing in SOM chemistry in both the arctic and boreal forest regions of Alaska, USA. In the Arctic, samples taken from under alder had higher activities of both recalcitrant and labile C‐degrading enzymes than samples taken away, regardless of SOM chemistry. In the boreal forest, enzyme activities did not differ with alder proximity nor stand SOM chemistry, possibly due to long legacies of alder N inputs in these stands. As arctic and boreal forest ecosystems experience shifts in the distribution and abundance of this N‐fixing shrub, alders' influence on soil decomposition could have significant consequences for high latitude soil C budgets. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Calvin B. Heslop Roger W. Ruess Knut Kielland M. Syndonia Bret‐Harte |
author_facet |
Calvin B. Heslop Roger W. Ruess Knut Kielland M. Syndonia Bret‐Harte |
author_sort |
Calvin B. Heslop |
title |
Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
title_short |
Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
title_full |
Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
title_sort |
soil enzymes illustrate the effects of alder nitrogen fixation on soil carbon processes in arctic and boreal ecosystems |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/article/73805857e09349e6af9a7a6d5e4f2ef3 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Alaska |
op_source |
Ecosphere, Vol 12, Iss 11, Pp n/a-n/a (2021) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.3818 https://doaj.org/article/73805857e09349e6af9a7a6d5e4f2ef3 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3818 |
container_title |
Ecosphere |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
11 |
_version_ |
1766310769322885120 |