Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role?
Northern peatlands constitute an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle due to their long-term accumulation of soil organic matter. This function as a carbon sink is partly dependent on low temperatures limiting decomposition and nutrient cycling, so global warming has the potential to a...
Published in: | Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
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2013
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Online Access: | https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 http://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e |
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ftvuamstcris:oai:research.vu.nl:publications/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e 2023-05-15T15:17:39+02:00 Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? Weedon, J.T. Aerts, R. Kowalchuk, G.A. van Logtestijn, R.S.P Andringa, D. van Bodegom, P.M. 2013 https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 http://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e eng eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Weedon , J T , Aerts , R , Kowalchuk , G A , van Logtestijn , R S P , Andringa , D & van Bodegom , P M 2013 , ' Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? ' , Soil Biology and Biochemistry , vol. 61 , pp. 109-120 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 article 2013 ftvuamstcris https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 2021-12-29T07:50:38Z Northern peatlands constitute an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle due to their long-term accumulation of soil organic matter. This function as a carbon sink is partly dependent on low temperatures limiting decomposition and nutrient cycling, so global warming has the potential to alter the C balance of these systems and feedback to climate change. Field observations have shown that peatland organic matter decomposition, ecosystem respiration and nitrogen cycling are closely related processes that show a large degree of temperature sensitivity. In the current study, we investigated whether seasonal dynamics of substrate input may be an indirect mechanism accounting for this observed sensitivity. We carried out a 60-day mesocosm incubation experiment with sub-arctic peat soil to compare the direct effects of temperature increase with the indirect effects of increased microbial- or plant-derived organic matter input on key soil C and N cycling processes and substrate pools. Additions of dead microbial cells led to an 83% increase in organic N pool sizes, 16-64% increases in the potential activities of most soil enzymes, a transient increase in the relative abundance of β-proteobacteria, and a decrease in the relative abundance of α-proteo-, Actino- and Acido-bacteria. Neither the addition of plant root litter, nor a 5 °C alteration in incubation temperatures, had comparable effects on these parameters. Peat respiration was positively affected by both substrate addition (20-46% increase) and higher incubation temperatures (34-38% increase), but the temperature-only effect was not sufficient to account for the increases in respiration observed in field experiments. Thus, it appears that warming effects on C and N cycle processes can potentially be driven by indirect effects, with alterations to the seasonal flux of microbe-derived organic matter a particularly potent mechanism. The high temperature sensitivity of decomposition and respiration may therefore be largely a result of warming-induced changes in substrate supply rates. We propose that climate change models of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling should seek to incorporate realistic microbial biomass dynamics. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Climate change Global warming Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal Arctic Soil Biology and Biochemistry 61 109 120 |
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Open Polar |
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Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU): Research Portal |
op_collection_id |
ftvuamstcris |
language |
English |
description |
Northern peatlands constitute an important component of the global carbon (C) cycle due to their long-term accumulation of soil organic matter. This function as a carbon sink is partly dependent on low temperatures limiting decomposition and nutrient cycling, so global warming has the potential to alter the C balance of these systems and feedback to climate change. Field observations have shown that peatland organic matter decomposition, ecosystem respiration and nitrogen cycling are closely related processes that show a large degree of temperature sensitivity. In the current study, we investigated whether seasonal dynamics of substrate input may be an indirect mechanism accounting for this observed sensitivity. We carried out a 60-day mesocosm incubation experiment with sub-arctic peat soil to compare the direct effects of temperature increase with the indirect effects of increased microbial- or plant-derived organic matter input on key soil C and N cycling processes and substrate pools. Additions of dead microbial cells led to an 83% increase in organic N pool sizes, 16-64% increases in the potential activities of most soil enzymes, a transient increase in the relative abundance of β-proteobacteria, and a decrease in the relative abundance of α-proteo-, Actino- and Acido-bacteria. Neither the addition of plant root litter, nor a 5 °C alteration in incubation temperatures, had comparable effects on these parameters. Peat respiration was positively affected by both substrate addition (20-46% increase) and higher incubation temperatures (34-38% increase), but the temperature-only effect was not sufficient to account for the increases in respiration observed in field experiments. Thus, it appears that warming effects on C and N cycle processes can potentially be driven by indirect effects, with alterations to the seasonal flux of microbe-derived organic matter a particularly potent mechanism. The high temperature sensitivity of decomposition and respiration may therefore be largely a result of warming-induced changes in substrate supply rates. We propose that climate change models of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling should seek to incorporate realistic microbial biomass dynamics. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Weedon, J.T. Aerts, R. Kowalchuk, G.A. van Logtestijn, R.S.P Andringa, D. van Bodegom, P.M. |
spellingShingle |
Weedon, J.T. Aerts, R. Kowalchuk, G.A. van Logtestijn, R.S.P Andringa, D. van Bodegom, P.M. Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
author_facet |
Weedon, J.T. Aerts, R. Kowalchuk, G.A. van Logtestijn, R.S.P Andringa, D. van Bodegom, P.M. |
author_sort |
Weedon, J.T. |
title |
Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
title_short |
Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
title_full |
Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
title_fullStr |
Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
title_sort |
temperature sensitivity of peatland c and n cycling: does substrate supply play a role? |
publishDate |
2013 |
url |
https://research.vu.nl/en/publications/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 http://hdl.handle.net/1871.1/839d6b40-e5bc-4f45-8b2c-763e1966138e |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Climate change Global warming |
genre_facet |
Arctic Climate change Global warming |
op_source |
Weedon , J T , Aerts , R , Kowalchuk , G A , van Logtestijn , R S P , Andringa , D & van Bodegom , P M 2013 , ' Temperature sensitivity of peatland C and N cycling: does substrate supply play a role? ' , Soil Biology and Biochemistry , vol. 61 , pp. 109-120 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2013.02.019 |
container_title |
Soil Biology and Biochemistry |
container_volume |
61 |
container_start_page |
109 |
op_container_end_page |
120 |
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1766347906177040384 |