Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal?
Long-term warming experiments in arctic tundra have resulted in reduced moss cover and increased vascular plant cover. As mosses have a major impact on microclimatic conditions, changes in community composition can potentially alter direct and indirect drivers of productivity and decomposition, whic...
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Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap
2023
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ftumeauniv:oai:DiVA.org:umu-209753 2023-10-09T21:48:44+02:00 Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? Brännlund, Alexina 2023 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-209753 eng eng Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-209753 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Experimental warming Subarctic tundra mosses Productivity Ecosystem respiration Decomposition Biological Sciences Biologiska vetenskaper Ecology Ekologi Student thesis info:eu-repo/semantics/bachelorThesis text 2023 ftumeauniv 2023-09-22T14:00:14Z Long-term warming experiments in arctic tundra have resulted in reduced moss cover and increased vascular plant cover. As mosses have a major impact on microclimatic conditions, changes in community composition can potentially alter direct and indirect drivers of productivity and decomposition, which are low in arctic ecosystems. This can potentially change the carbon balance. Therefore, it is of importance to investigate how the effects of warming on ecosystem processes depend on the identity of the moss species dominating the vegetation. Furthermore, because subarctic climate is expected to get warmer and wetter, it is essential to examine how warming effects depend on variation in precipitation as well. Thus, Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (Reco) fluxes, moss growth, and decomposition rate, were measured in plot pairs along a natural precipitation gradient in subarctic tundra Sweden. Each pair was dominated by one of three common moss species (Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi and Sphagnum spp.), and were subjected to moss removal and Open Top Chamber (OTC) warming treatment combinations. Moss growth measurements were taken as a measure of productivity and Tea Bag Index was used as a measure of decomposition rate. Warming effects on GPP depended on both species and precipitation; Hylocomium and Sphagnum had highest productivity in warmed high-precipitation plots, whereas the effect was negative in all cases for Pleurozium. No significant interactions were found for the other response variables, but there was a positive effect of warming on Reco across all treatments, as well as a negative effect on decomposition. Warming induced increases in GPP and respiration, and decrease in decomposition rate, could imply that the increase in CO2 emissions from arctic ecosystems will be smaller than predicted, as the sequestration of CO2 in that case would exceed what is being emitted. Still, it is a complex matter and therefore crucial to further investigate the role of moss species in ... Bachelor Thesis Arctic Subarctic Tundra Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) Arctic |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Umeå University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftumeauniv |
language |
English |
topic |
Experimental warming Subarctic tundra mosses Productivity Ecosystem respiration Decomposition Biological Sciences Biologiska vetenskaper Ecology Ekologi |
spellingShingle |
Experimental warming Subarctic tundra mosses Productivity Ecosystem respiration Decomposition Biological Sciences Biologiska vetenskaper Ecology Ekologi Brännlund, Alexina Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
topic_facet |
Experimental warming Subarctic tundra mosses Productivity Ecosystem respiration Decomposition Biological Sciences Biologiska vetenskaper Ecology Ekologi |
description |
Long-term warming experiments in arctic tundra have resulted in reduced moss cover and increased vascular plant cover. As mosses have a major impact on microclimatic conditions, changes in community composition can potentially alter direct and indirect drivers of productivity and decomposition, which are low in arctic ecosystems. This can potentially change the carbon balance. Therefore, it is of importance to investigate how the effects of warming on ecosystem processes depend on the identity of the moss species dominating the vegetation. Furthermore, because subarctic climate is expected to get warmer and wetter, it is essential to examine how warming effects depend on variation in precipitation as well. Thus, Gross Primary Production (GPP) and Ecosystem Respiration (Reco) fluxes, moss growth, and decomposition rate, were measured in plot pairs along a natural precipitation gradient in subarctic tundra Sweden. Each pair was dominated by one of three common moss species (Hylocomium splendens, Pleurozium schreberi and Sphagnum spp.), and were subjected to moss removal and Open Top Chamber (OTC) warming treatment combinations. Moss growth measurements were taken as a measure of productivity and Tea Bag Index was used as a measure of decomposition rate. Warming effects on GPP depended on both species and precipitation; Hylocomium and Sphagnum had highest productivity in warmed high-precipitation plots, whereas the effect was negative in all cases for Pleurozium. No significant interactions were found for the other response variables, but there was a positive effect of warming on Reco across all treatments, as well as a negative effect on decomposition. Warming induced increases in GPP and respiration, and decrease in decomposition rate, could imply that the increase in CO2 emissions from arctic ecosystems will be smaller than predicted, as the sequestration of CO2 in that case would exceed what is being emitted. Still, it is a complex matter and therefore crucial to further investigate the role of moss species in ... |
format |
Bachelor Thesis |
author |
Brännlund, Alexina |
author_facet |
Brännlund, Alexina |
author_sort |
Brännlund, Alexina |
title |
Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
title_short |
Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
title_full |
Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
title_fullStr |
Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Do OTC warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
title_sort |
do otc warming effects on ecosystem processes depend on moss species identity, precipitation, and moss removal? |
publisher |
Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-209753 |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Subarctic Tundra |
genre_facet |
Arctic Subarctic Tundra |
op_relation |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-209753 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
_version_ |
1779311799397515264 |