Forest floor vegetation plays an important role in photosynthetic production of boreal forests

Kolari, Pasi; Pumpanen, Jukka; Kulmala, Liisa; Ilvesniemi, Hannu; Nikinmaa, Eero; Grönholm, Tiia; Hari, Pertti

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2005.10.021

Cited by 164 publications

(139 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

127

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The productivity of the forest floor depends on favourable light, temperature and moisture conditions O. Bergeron et al: Forest floor carbon exchange of a boreal black spruce forest (Swanson and Flanagan, 2001;Kolari et al, 2006;Tupek et al, 2008) and also on the composition and relative presence of different forest floor communities in the ecosystem (O'Connell et al, 2003;Heijmans et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, there is apparently little information available for the vast area of cool humid boreal forest that is characteristic of eastern North America. On the other hand, photosynthesis of the moss stratum has been studied in different ecosystems (e.g., Swanson and Flanagan, 2001;Heijmans et al, 2004;Botting and Fredeen, 2006;Kolari et al, 2006). However, the extent to which it might contribute to the interannual variability in gross ecosystem productivity has apparently not been studied for boreal forests of eastern North America.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Forest floor carbon exchange of a boreal black spruce forest in eastern North America

2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Abstract. This study reports continuous automated measurements of forest floor carbon (C) exchange over feathermoss, lichen, and sphagnum micro-sites in a black spruce forest in eastern North America during snow-free periods over three years. The response of soil respiration (R s-auto ) and forest floor photosynthesis (P ff ) to environmental factors was determined. The seasonal contributions of scaled up R s-auto adjusted for spatial representativeness (R s-adj ) and P ff (P ff -eco ) relative to that of total ecosystem respiration (R e ) and photosynthesis (P eco ), respectively, were also quantified.Shallow (5 cm) soil temperature explained 67-86% of the variation in R s-auto for all ground cover types, while deeper (50 and 100 cm) soil temperatures were related to R s-auto only for the feathermoss micro-sites. Base respiration was consistently lower under feathermoss, intermediate under sphagnum, and higher under lichen during all three years. The R s-adj /R e ratio increased from spring through autumn and ranged from 0.85 to 0.87 annually for the snow-free period. The R s-adj /R e ratio was negatively correlated with the difference between air and shallow soil temperature and this correlation was more pronounced in autumn than summer and spring.Maximum photosynthetic capacity of the forest floor (P ff max ) saturated at low irradiance levels (∼200 µmol m −2 s −1 ) and decreased with increasing air temperature and vapor pressure deficit for all three ground cover types, suggesting that P ff was more limited by desiccation than by light availability. P ff max was lowest for sphagnum, intermediate for feathermoss, and highest for lichen for two of the three years. P ff normalized for light Correspondence to: O. Bergeron (onil.bergeron@mcgill.ca) peaked at air temperatures of 5-8 • C, suggesting that this is the optimal temperature range for P ff . The P ff -eco /P eco ratio varied from 13 to 24% over the snow-free period and reached a minimum in mid-summer when both air temperature and P eco were at their maximum. On an annual basis, P ff -eco accounted for 17-18% of P eco depending on the year and the snow-free season totals of P ff -eco were 23-24% that of R s-adj .

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest floor carbon exchange of a boreal black spruce forest in eastern North America

2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Mycorrhizal hyphae, which are important contributors to decomposition of soil organic matter, are largely dependent on recent photosynthate emitted from the roots (Högberg et al 2008). The importance of the forest floor in C cycling is commonly undervalued, even though many studies have reported significant photosynthesis in ground vegetation (Swanson and Flanagan 2001, Kolari et al 2006. Mosses and vascular plants growing on the forest floor have adapted to low light conditions, photosynthesizing efficiently for most of the growing season (Kolari et al 2006).…”

Section: Current Knowledge Of Forest Floor and Soil Voc Production Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The importance of the forest floor in C cycling is commonly undervalued, even though many studies have reported significant photosynthesis in ground vegetation (Swanson and Flanagan 2001, Kolari et al 2006. Mosses and vascular plants growing on the forest floor have adapted to low light conditions, photosynthesizing efficiently for most of the growing season (Kolari et al 2006). The actively functioning forest floor plant ecosystem, especially the belowground part of it, also maintains diverse and effective soil microbial populations, factors of which are crucial to the forest floor VOC exchange.…”

Section: Current Knowledge Of Forest Floor and Soil Voc Production Anmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Soil and the forest floor are widely recognized as very heterogeneous parts of the forest ecosystem, and were also observable in addition to VOC fluxes as distinguished from fluxes of all the other greenhouse gases (Kolari et al 2006, Pihlatie et al 2007, Pumpanen et al 2008. Plants play an important role in this heterogeneity; roots and litter production largely determine soil processes and structure as a result of their role in soil C and nutrient cycles.…”

Section: Factors Behind Seasonal and Spatial Variationmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Exchange of volatile organic compounds in the boreal forest floor

Aaltonen¹

2012

Diss. For.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Terrestrial ecosystems, mainly plants, emit large amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere. In addition to plants, VOCs also have less-known sources, such as soil. VOCs are a very diverse group of reactive compounds, including terpenoids, alcohols, aldehydes and ketones. Due to their high reactivity, VOCs take part in chemical reactions in the atmosphere and thus also affect Earth's radiation balance.In this study, chamber and snow gradient techniques for measuring boreal soil and forest floor VOC fluxes were developed. Spatial and temporal variability in fluxes was studied with year-round measurements in the field and the sources of boreal soil VOCs in the laboratory with fungal isolates. Determination of the compounds was performed mass spectrometrically.This study reveals that VOCs from soil are emitted by living roots, above-and belowground litter and microbes. The strongest source appears to be litter, in which both plant residuals and decomposers play a role in the emissions. Temperature and moisture are the most critical physical factors driving VOC fluxes. Since the environment in boreal forests undergoes strong seasonal changes, the VOC flux strength of the forest floor varies markedly during the year, being highest in spring and autumn. The high spatial heterogeneity of the forest floor was also clearly visible in VOC fluxes. The fluxes of trace gases (CO 2 , CH 4 and N 2 O) from soil, which are also related to the soil biological activity and physical conditions, did not correlate with the VOC fluxes.Our results show that emissions of VOCs from the boreal forest floor accounts for as much as several tens of percent, depending on the season, of the total forest ecosystem VOC emissions. This can be utilized in air chemistry models, which are almost entirely lacking the below-canopy compartment.

show abstract

Interactions with successional stage and nutrient status determines the life‐form‐specific effects of increased soil temperature on boreal forest floor vegetation

Hedwall

Skoglund²,

Linder

2015

Ecology and Evolution

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The boreal forest is one of the largest terrestrial biomes and plays a key role for the global carbon balance and climate. The forest floor vegetation has a strong influence on the carbon and nitrogen cycles of the forests and is sensitive to changes in temperature conditions and nutrient availability. Additionally, the effects of climate warming on forest floor vegetation have been suggested to be moderated by the tree layer. Data on the effects of soil warming on forest floor vegetation from the boreal forest are, however, very scarce. We studied the effects on the forest floor vegetation in a long-term (18 years) soil warming and fertilization experiment in a Norway spruce stand in northern Sweden. During the first 9 years, warming favored early successional species such as grasses and forbs at the expense of dwarf shrubs and bryophytes in unfertilized stands, while the effects were smaller after fertilization. Hence, warming led to significant changes in species composition and an increase in species richness in the open canopy nutrient limited forest. After another 9 years of warming and increasing tree canopy closure, most of the initial effects had ceased, indicating an interaction between forest succession and warming. The only remaining effect of warming was on the abundance of bryophytes, which contrary to the initial phase was strongly favored by warming. We propose that the suggested moderating effects of the tree layer are specific to plant life-form and conclude that the successional phase of the forest may have a considerable impact on the effects of climate change on forest floor vegetation and its feedback effects on the carbon and nitrogen cycles, and thus on the climate.

show abstract

Forest floor vegetation plays an important role in photosynthetic production of boreal forests

Cited by 164 publications

References 33 publications

Forest floor carbon exchange of a boreal black spruce forest in eastern North America

Forest floor carbon exchange of a boreal black spruce forest in eastern North America

Exchange of volatile organic compounds in the boreal forest floor

Interactions with successional stage and nutrient status determines the life‐form‐specific effects of increased soil temperature on boreal forest floor vegetation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About