Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants
1. Arctic ecosystems are experiencing rapid climate change, which could result in positive feedbacks on climate warming if ecosystem carbon (C) loss exceeds C uptake through plant growth. Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) are important components of Arctic vegetation, but are currently n...
Published in: | Functional Ecology |
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2012
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Online Access: | https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/seasonal-bryophyte-productivity-in-the-subarctic-a-comparison-with-vascular-plants(5587a6ca-927d-4287-ab64-efcc28af2ea6).html https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x |
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ftunstandrewcris:oai:risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk:publications/5587a6ca-927d-4287-ab64-efcc28af2ea6 2023-05-15T14:25:33+02:00 Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants Street, Lorna E. Stoy, Paul C. Sommerkorn, Martin Fletcher, Benjamin J. Sloan, Victoria L. Hill, Timothy C. Williams, Mathew 2012-04 https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/seasonal-bryophyte-productivity-in-the-subarctic-a-comparison-with-vascular-plants(5587a6ca-927d-4287-ab64-efcc28af2ea6).html https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Street , L E , Stoy , P C , Sommerkorn , M , Fletcher , B J , Sloan , V L , Hill , T C & Williams , M 2012 , ' Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants ' , Functional Ecology , vol. 26 , no. 2 , pp. 365-378 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x article 2012 ftunstandrewcris https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x 2022-06-02T07:41:19Z 1. Arctic ecosystems are experiencing rapid climate change, which could result in positive feedbacks on climate warming if ecosystem carbon (C) loss exceeds C uptake through plant growth. Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) are important components of Arctic vegetation, but are currently not well represented in terrestrial C models; in particular, seasonal patterns in bryophyte C metabolism compared to vascular plant vegetation are poorly understood. 2. Our objective was to quantify land-surface CO2 fluxes for common sub-Arctic bryophyte patches (dominated by Polytrichum piliferum and Sphagnum fuscum) in spring (March-May) and during the summer growing season (June-August) and to develop a simple model of bryophyte gross primary productivity fluxes (PB). We use the model to explore the key environmental controls over PB for P. piliferum and S. fuscum and compare seasonal patterns of productivity with those of typical vascular plant communities at the same site. 3. The modelled total gross primary productivity (RPB) over 1 year (March-November) for P. piliferum was c. 360 g C m) 2 ground and for S. fuscum c. 112 g C m) 2 ground, c. 90% and 30% of total gross primary productivity for typical vascular plant communities (RPV) over the same year. In spring (March-May), when vascular plant leaves are not fully developed, RPB for P. piliferum was 3 u RPV. 4. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that bryophyte turf water content does not significantly affect (March-November) RPB for P. piliferum and S. fuscum, at least for periods without sustained lack of precipitation. However, we find that seasonal changes in bryophyte photosynthetic capacity are important in determining RPB for both bryophyte species. 5. Our study implies that models of C dynamics in the Arctic must include a bryophyte component if they are intended to predict the effects of changes in the timing of the growing season, or of changes in vegetation composition, on Arctic C balance. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Arctic Climate change University of St Andrews: Research Portal Arctic Functional Ecology 26 2 365 378 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
University of St Andrews: Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftunstandrewcris |
language |
English |
description |
1. Arctic ecosystems are experiencing rapid climate change, which could result in positive feedbacks on climate warming if ecosystem carbon (C) loss exceeds C uptake through plant growth. Bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts) are important components of Arctic vegetation, but are currently not well represented in terrestrial C models; in particular, seasonal patterns in bryophyte C metabolism compared to vascular plant vegetation are poorly understood. 2. Our objective was to quantify land-surface CO2 fluxes for common sub-Arctic bryophyte patches (dominated by Polytrichum piliferum and Sphagnum fuscum) in spring (March-May) and during the summer growing season (June-August) and to develop a simple model of bryophyte gross primary productivity fluxes (PB). We use the model to explore the key environmental controls over PB for P. piliferum and S. fuscum and compare seasonal patterns of productivity with those of typical vascular plant communities at the same site. 3. The modelled total gross primary productivity (RPB) over 1 year (March-November) for P. piliferum was c. 360 g C m) 2 ground and for S. fuscum c. 112 g C m) 2 ground, c. 90% and 30% of total gross primary productivity for typical vascular plant communities (RPV) over the same year. In spring (March-May), when vascular plant leaves are not fully developed, RPB for P. piliferum was 3 u RPV. 4. Model sensitivity analysis indicated that bryophyte turf water content does not significantly affect (March-November) RPB for P. piliferum and S. fuscum, at least for periods without sustained lack of precipitation. However, we find that seasonal changes in bryophyte photosynthetic capacity are important in determining RPB for both bryophyte species. 5. Our study implies that models of C dynamics in the Arctic must include a bryophyte component if they are intended to predict the effects of changes in the timing of the growing season, or of changes in vegetation composition, on Arctic C balance. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Street, Lorna E. Stoy, Paul C. Sommerkorn, Martin Fletcher, Benjamin J. Sloan, Victoria L. Hill, Timothy C. Williams, Mathew |
spellingShingle |
Street, Lorna E. Stoy, Paul C. Sommerkorn, Martin Fletcher, Benjamin J. Sloan, Victoria L. Hill, Timothy C. Williams, Mathew Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
author_facet |
Street, Lorna E. Stoy, Paul C. Sommerkorn, Martin Fletcher, Benjamin J. Sloan, Victoria L. Hill, Timothy C. Williams, Mathew |
author_sort |
Street, Lorna E. |
title |
Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
title_short |
Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
title_full |
Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
title_fullStr |
Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
title_full_unstemmed |
Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
title_sort |
seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-arctic: a comparison with vascular plants |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk/portal/en/researchoutput/seasonal-bryophyte-productivity-in-the-subarctic-a-comparison-with-vascular-plants(5587a6ca-927d-4287-ab64-efcc28af2ea6).html https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Arctic Climate change |
genre_facet |
Arctic Arctic Climate change |
op_source |
Street , L E , Stoy , P C , Sommerkorn , M , Fletcher , B J , Sloan , V L , Hill , T C & Williams , M 2012 , ' Seasonal bryophyte productivity in the sub-Arctic: a comparison with vascular plants ' , Functional Ecology , vol. 26 , no. 2 , pp. 365-378 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01954.x |
container_title |
Functional Ecology |
container_volume |
26 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
365 |
op_container_end_page |
378 |
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1766297987295739904 |