Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems
Climate change is shifting species distributions and altering plant community composition worldwide. For instance, with rising temperatures shrubs are encroaching into alpine ecosystems, resulting in important implications for ecosystem functioning. In particular, woody-plant encroachment could slow...
Published in: | Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:7ce315b561724bd5b3604534b2b49b05 2023-05-15T14:14:29+02:00 Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems Laurel M. Brigham Ellen H. Esch Christopher W. Kopp Elsa E. Cleland 2018-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 https://doaj.org/article/7ce315b561724bd5b3604534b2b49b05 EN eng Taylor & Francis Group http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 https://doaj.org/toc/1523-0430 https://doaj.org/toc/1938-4246 1523-0430 1938-4246 doi:10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 https://doaj.org/article/7ce315b561724bd5b3604534b2b49b05 Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol 50, Iss 1 (2018) artemisia rothrockii climate change passive warming sagebrush trifolium andersonii white mountains Environmental sciences GE1-350 Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2018 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 2022-12-31T09:47:16Z Climate change is shifting species distributions and altering plant community composition worldwide. For instance, with rising temperatures shrubs are encroaching into alpine ecosystems, resulting in important implications for ecosystem functioning. In particular, woody-plant encroachment could slow decomposition in systems traditionally dominated by herbaceous species. To evaluate how litter decomposition responded jointly to warming and shrub presence, we conducted a passive warming chamber experiment in subalpine and alpine plant communities in the White Mountains of California. Passive warming chambers were placed over plots with and without the range-expanding sagebrush Artemisia rothrockii at two elevations. Litter from A. rothrockii and the common perennial herb Trifolium andersonii decomposed for two years under the experimental treatments. Nitrate availability was measured with ion-exchange resins during the same time period. Warming decreased decomposition rates overall, associated with decreased soil moisture, but did not influence soil nitrate availability. Sagebrush presence decreased both decomposition rates and nitrate availability. Hence, future warming in this system will likely reduce decomposition rates, both directly and indirectly, via shrub encroachment. However, impacts on nutrient mineralization are less clear. These findings highlight how shifting species composition, through processes such as range expansions, can influence ecosystem responses to climate change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research 50 1 e1494941 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
artemisia rothrockii climate change passive warming sagebrush trifolium andersonii white mountains Environmental sciences GE1-350 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
artemisia rothrockii climate change passive warming sagebrush trifolium andersonii white mountains Environmental sciences GE1-350 Ecology QH540-549.5 Laurel M. Brigham Ellen H. Esch Christopher W. Kopp Elsa E. Cleland Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
topic_facet |
artemisia rothrockii climate change passive warming sagebrush trifolium andersonii white mountains Environmental sciences GE1-350 Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Climate change is shifting species distributions and altering plant community composition worldwide. For instance, with rising temperatures shrubs are encroaching into alpine ecosystems, resulting in important implications for ecosystem functioning. In particular, woody-plant encroachment could slow decomposition in systems traditionally dominated by herbaceous species. To evaluate how litter decomposition responded jointly to warming and shrub presence, we conducted a passive warming chamber experiment in subalpine and alpine plant communities in the White Mountains of California. Passive warming chambers were placed over plots with and without the range-expanding sagebrush Artemisia rothrockii at two elevations. Litter from A. rothrockii and the common perennial herb Trifolium andersonii decomposed for two years under the experimental treatments. Nitrate availability was measured with ion-exchange resins during the same time period. Warming decreased decomposition rates overall, associated with decreased soil moisture, but did not influence soil nitrate availability. Sagebrush presence decreased both decomposition rates and nitrate availability. Hence, future warming in this system will likely reduce decomposition rates, both directly and indirectly, via shrub encroachment. However, impacts on nutrient mineralization are less clear. These findings highlight how shifting species composition, through processes such as range expansions, can influence ecosystem responses to climate change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Laurel M. Brigham Ellen H. Esch Christopher W. Kopp Elsa E. Cleland |
author_facet |
Laurel M. Brigham Ellen H. Esch Christopher W. Kopp Elsa E. Cleland |
author_sort |
Laurel M. Brigham |
title |
Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
title_short |
Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
title_full |
Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
title_fullStr |
Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
title_sort |
warming and shrub encroachment decrease decomposition in arid alpine and subalpine ecosystems |
publisher |
Taylor & Francis Group |
publishDate |
2018 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 https://doaj.org/article/7ce315b561724bd5b3604534b2b49b05 |
genre |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic |
genre_facet |
Antarctic and Alpine Research Arctic |
op_source |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research, Vol 50, Iss 1 (2018) |
op_relation |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 https://doaj.org/toc/1523-0430 https://doaj.org/toc/1938-4246 1523-0430 1938-4246 doi:10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 https://doaj.org/article/7ce315b561724bd5b3604534b2b49b05 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2018.1494941 |
container_title |
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research |
container_volume |
50 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
e1494941 |
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1766286919711326208 |