A New Framework for Evaluating Estimates of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Forests

Winbourne, Joy B.; Harrison, Matt T; Sullivan, Ben W; Alvarez‐Clare, Silvia; Lins, Sílvia Rafaela Machado; Martinelli, Luiz Antônio; Nasto, Megan K.; Piotto, Daniel; Rolim, Samir Gonçalves; Wong, Michelle Y.; Porder, Stephen

doi:10.1086/699828

Cited by 12 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…First, the characteristics of our plot sampling (sample size, fraction of cores containing nodules, and variation in nodule biomass among cores with nodules; Table ) suggest that our estimates fall within the range of estimation error recommended as a reasonable target in Winbourne et al. (). Specifically, a relatively large fraction of our cores contained nodules.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

“…The zero‐inflated geometric mean allows us to conduct statistical tests that make the proper assumptions about the structure of our data, but is relatively insensitive to rare, large values that can comprise a large portion of actual plot‐scale SNF (Winbourne et al. ). The arithmetic mean is a better representation of actual ecosystem‐level SNF fluxes precisely because it does a better job of incorporating these rare, large values, which is why we present it as our primary estimate of flux values.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Successional dynamics of nitrogen fixation and forest growth in regenerating Costa Rican rainforests

Taylor

Chazdon

Menge

2019

Ecology

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Regenerating tropical forests have an immense capacity to capture carbon and harbor biodiversity. The recuperation of the nitrogen cycle following disturbance can fuel biomass regeneration, but few studies have evaluated the successional dynamics of nitrogen and nitrogen inputs in tropical forests. We assessed symbiotic and asymbiotic nitrogen fixation, soil inorganic nitrogen concentrations, and tree growth in a well-studied series of five tropical forest plots ranging from 19 yr in age to old-growth forests. Wet-season soil inorganic nitrogen concentrations were high in all plots, peaking in the 29-yr-old plot. Inputs from symbiotic nitrogen fixation declined through succession, while asymbiotic nitrogen fixation peaked in the 37-yrold plot. Consequently, the dominant nitrogen fixation input switched from symbiotic fixation in the younger plots to asymbiotic fixation in the older plots. Tree growth was highest in the youngest plots and declined through succession. Interestingly, symbiotic nitrogen fixation was negatively correlated with the basal area of nitrogen-fixing trees across our study plots, highlighting the danger in using nitrogen-fixing trees as a proxy for rates of symbiotic nitrogen fixation. Our results demonstrate that the nitrogen cycle has largely recuperated by 19 yr following disturbance, allowing for rapid biomass regeneration at our site. This work provides important insight into the sources and dynamics of nitrogen that support growth and carbon capture in regenerating Neotropical forests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 65%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Successional dynamics of nitrogen fixation and forest growth in regenerating Costa Rican rainforests

Taylor

Chazdon

Menge

2019

Ecology

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“…How to best sample for nodules and estimate ecosystem-level symbiotic BNF in tropical forests is a subject of ongoing discussion 12,29,30,32,45 . We recognize that our systematic approach which restricted our survey to a fixed area around individual trees during a single wet season may have affected our estimates.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbiotic N fixation is sufficient to support net aboveground biomass accumulation in a humid tropical forest

Brookshire

Wurzburger

Currey

et al. 2019

Sci Rep

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Symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation has been shown to support carbon storage in young regenerating tropical forests, but N-fixing trees can also be strong competitors with non-fixing trees, making it unclear which mechanism drives long term patterns in biomass accretion. Many tropical forests have excess N, but factors such as rising atmospheric CO 2 or selective cutting practices might induce additional N demand. Here we combine decades of stem inventory data, in-situ measures of symbiotic N fixation, and simulations of N demand to evaluate demographic and biogeochemical controls on biomass dynamics in legume-rich lowland forests of Trinidad. We document sustained net biomass accumulation and high rates of N fixation in these forests, regardless of the timing of selective timber harvests, including an old growth stand. The biomass accumulation was explained by growth of non-fixing trees, not N-fixing trees, but the total amount of symbiotic N fixation was sufficient to account for most of net above ground N demands, suggesting that N-fixers could contribute to the long-term C sink in these forests via fertilizing non-fixers.

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“…from an oxic to an anoxic state). Many studies have reported hotspots of BNF in both symbiotic and free-living niches (Reed et al, 2011;Winbourne et al, 2018;Wong et al, 2019) and response curves for various controls suggest that hot moments almost certainly also occur (Caputa et al, 2013;Roley et al, 2019). Of the two, hotspots are generally easier to identify because it is far more common to collect multiple samples in space than to repeatedly resample the same point over time.…”

Section: Hotspots and Hot Momentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A roadmap for sampling and scaling biological nitrogen fixation in terrestrial ecosystems

et al. 2021

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1. Accurately quantifying rates and patterns of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) in terrestrial ecosystems is essential to characterize ecological and biogeochemical interactions, identify mechanistic controls, improve BNF representation in conceptual and numerical modelling, and forecast nitrogen limitation constraints on future carbon (C) cycling.2. While many resources address the technical advantages and limitations of different methods for measuring BNF, less systematic consideration has been given to the broader decisions involved in planning studies, interpreting data, and extrapolating results. Here, we present a conceptual and practical road map to study design, study execution, data analysis and scaling, outlining key considerations at each step.3. We address issues including defining N-fixing niches of interest, identifying important sources of temporal and spatial heterogeneity, designing a sampling scheme (including method selection, measurement conditions, replication, and consideration of hotspots and hot moments), and approaches to analysing, scaling and reporting BNF. We also review the comparability of estimates derived using different approaches in the literature, and provide sample R code for simulating symbiotic BNF data frames and upscaling.4. Improving and standardizing study design at each of these stages will improve the accuracy and interpretability of data, define limits of extrapolation, and facilitate broader use of BNF data for downstream applications. We highlight aspects-such as quantifying scales of heterogeneity, statistical approaches for dealing with nonnormality, and consideration of rates versus ecological significance-that are ripe for further development. | 1123Methods in Ecology and Evoluঞon SOPER Et al.

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A New Framework for Evaluating Estimates of Symbiotic Nitrogen Fixation in Forests

Cited by 12 publications

References 54 publications

Successional dynamics of nitrogen fixation and forest growth in regenerating Costa Rican rainforests

Successional dynamics of nitrogen fixation and forest growth in regenerating Costa Rican rainforests

Symbiotic N fixation is sufficient to support net aboveground biomass accumulation in a humid tropical forest

A roadmap for sampling and scaling biological nitrogen fixation in terrestrial ecosystems

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