Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland
Permafrost thaw is a major potential feedback source to climate change as it can drive the increased release of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). This carbon release from the decomposition of thawing soil organic material can be mitigated by increased net primary productivity...
Published in: | Global Change Biology |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
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Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap
2022
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Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-191612 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15970 |
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ftumeauniv:oai:DiVA.org:umu-191612 2023-10-09T21:49:33+02:00 Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland Hough, Moira McCabe, Samantha Vining, S. Rose Pickering Pedersen, Emily Wilson, Rachel M. Lawrence, Ryan Chang, Kuang-Yu Bohrer, Gil Riley, William J. Crill, Patrick M. Varner, Ruth K. Blazewicz, Steven J. Dorrepaal, Ellen Tfaily, Malak M. Saleska, Scott R. Rich, Virginia, I 2022 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-191612 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15970 eng eng Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap Global Change Biology, 1354-1013, 2022, 28:3, s. 950-968 orcid:0000-0002-7976-4251 orcid:0000-0002-4615-2304 orcid:0000-0002-0523-2471 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-191612 doi:10.1111/gcb.15970 PMID 34727401 ISI:000719416100001 Scopus 2-s2.0-85123389539 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess C storage decomposition litter chemistry NOSC peat permafrost thaw plant community change Stordalen Mire Climate Research Klimatforskning Ecology Ekologi Physical Geography Naturgeografi Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2022 ftumeauniv https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15970 2023-09-22T13:59:02Z Permafrost thaw is a major potential feedback source to climate change as it can drive the increased release of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). This carbon release from the decomposition of thawing soil organic material can be mitigated by increased net primary productivity (NPP) caused by warming, increasing atmospheric CO2, and plant community transition. However, the net effect on C storage also depends on how these plant community changes alter plant litter quantity, quality, and decomposition rates. Predicting decomposition rates based on litter quality remains challenging, but a promising new way forward is to incorporate measures of the energetic favorability to soil microbes of plant biomass decomposition. We asked how the variation in one such measure, the nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSC), interacts with changing quantities of plant material inputs to influence the net C balance of a thawing permafrost peatland. We found: (1) Plant productivity (NPP) increased post-thaw, but instead of contributing to increased standing biomass, it increased plant biomass turnover via increased litter inputs to soil; (2) Plant litter thermodynamic favorability (NOSC) and decomposition rate both increased post-thaw, despite limited changes in bulk C:N ratios; (3) these increases caused the higher NPP to cycle more rapidly through both plants and soil, contributing to higher CO2 and CH4 fluxes from decomposition. Thus, the increased C-storage expected from higher productivity was limited and the high global warming potential of CH4 contributed a net positive warming effect. Although post-thaw peatlands are currently C sinks due to high NPP offsetting high CO2 release, this status is very sensitive to the plant community's litter input rate and quality. Integration of novel bioavailability metrics based on litter chemistry, including NOSC, into studies of ecosystem dynamics, is needed to improve the understanding of controls on arctic C stocks under continued ecosystem transition. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Global warming permafrost Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) Arctic Stordalen ENVELOPE(7.337,7.337,62.510,62.510) Global Change Biology 28 3 950 968 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftumeauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
C storage decomposition litter chemistry NOSC peat permafrost thaw plant community change Stordalen Mire Climate Research Klimatforskning Ecology Ekologi Physical Geography Naturgeografi |
spellingShingle |
C storage decomposition litter chemistry NOSC peat permafrost thaw plant community change Stordalen Mire Climate Research Klimatforskning Ecology Ekologi Physical Geography Naturgeografi Hough, Moira McCabe, Samantha Vining, S. Rose Pickering Pedersen, Emily Wilson, Rachel M. Lawrence, Ryan Chang, Kuang-Yu Bohrer, Gil Riley, William J. Crill, Patrick M. Varner, Ruth K. Blazewicz, Steven J. Dorrepaal, Ellen Tfaily, Malak M. Saleska, Scott R. Rich, Virginia, I Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
topic_facet |
C storage decomposition litter chemistry NOSC peat permafrost thaw plant community change Stordalen Mire Climate Research Klimatforskning Ecology Ekologi Physical Geography Naturgeografi |
description |
Permafrost thaw is a major potential feedback source to climate change as it can drive the increased release of greenhouse gases carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4). This carbon release from the decomposition of thawing soil organic material can be mitigated by increased net primary productivity (NPP) caused by warming, increasing atmospheric CO2, and plant community transition. However, the net effect on C storage also depends on how these plant community changes alter plant litter quantity, quality, and decomposition rates. Predicting decomposition rates based on litter quality remains challenging, but a promising new way forward is to incorporate measures of the energetic favorability to soil microbes of plant biomass decomposition. We asked how the variation in one such measure, the nominal oxidation state of carbon (NOSC), interacts with changing quantities of plant material inputs to influence the net C balance of a thawing permafrost peatland. We found: (1) Plant productivity (NPP) increased post-thaw, but instead of contributing to increased standing biomass, it increased plant biomass turnover via increased litter inputs to soil; (2) Plant litter thermodynamic favorability (NOSC) and decomposition rate both increased post-thaw, despite limited changes in bulk C:N ratios; (3) these increases caused the higher NPP to cycle more rapidly through both plants and soil, contributing to higher CO2 and CH4 fluxes from decomposition. Thus, the increased C-storage expected from higher productivity was limited and the high global warming potential of CH4 contributed a net positive warming effect. Although post-thaw peatlands are currently C sinks due to high NPP offsetting high CO2 release, this status is very sensitive to the plant community's litter input rate and quality. Integration of novel bioavailability metrics based on litter chemistry, including NOSC, into studies of ecosystem dynamics, is needed to improve the understanding of controls on arctic C stocks under continued ecosystem transition. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hough, Moira McCabe, Samantha Vining, S. Rose Pickering Pedersen, Emily Wilson, Rachel M. Lawrence, Ryan Chang, Kuang-Yu Bohrer, Gil Riley, William J. Crill, Patrick M. Varner, Ruth K. Blazewicz, Steven J. Dorrepaal, Ellen Tfaily, Malak M. Saleska, Scott R. Rich, Virginia, I |
author_facet |
Hough, Moira McCabe, Samantha Vining, S. Rose Pickering Pedersen, Emily Wilson, Rachel M. Lawrence, Ryan Chang, Kuang-Yu Bohrer, Gil Riley, William J. Crill, Patrick M. Varner, Ruth K. Blazewicz, Steven J. Dorrepaal, Ellen Tfaily, Malak M. Saleska, Scott R. Rich, Virginia, I |
author_sort |
Hough, Moira |
title |
Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
title_short |
Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
title_full |
Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
title_fullStr |
Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
title_full_unstemmed |
Coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains C storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
title_sort |
coupling plant litter quantity to a novel metric for litter quality explains c storage changes in a thawing permafrost peatland |
publisher |
Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-191612 https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15970 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(7.337,7.337,62.510,62.510) |
geographic |
Arctic Stordalen |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Stordalen |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Global warming permafrost |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Global warming permafrost |
op_relation |
Global Change Biology, 1354-1013, 2022, 28:3, s. 950-968 orcid:0000-0002-7976-4251 orcid:0000-0002-4615-2304 orcid:0000-0002-0523-2471 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-191612 doi:10.1111/gcb.15970 PMID 34727401 ISI:000719416100001 Scopus 2-s2.0-85123389539 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15970 |
container_title |
Global Change Biology |
container_volume |
28 |
container_issue |
3 |
container_start_page |
950 |
op_container_end_page |
968 |
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1779312569996017664 |