The Effects of Fertilization and Herbivory on the Phenology of the Understory Vegetation of the Boreal Forest in Northwestern Canada

Fremlin, Kate M.; McLaren, Jennie R.; DeSandoli, Lisa; Turkington, Roy

doi:10.1657/1938-4246-43.3.389

Cited by 7 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 26 publications

(34 reference statements)

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“…Attempts to link changes in plant demography, including abundance, to drivers of phenological dynamics have been generally inconclusive (26, 36, 37). This may be at least somewhat attributable to the likelihood that drivers of variation in plant abundance may differ in the magnitude and direction of their effects from drivers of variation in plant phenology.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large herbivores link plant phenology and abundance in arctic tundra

Post,

Higgins,

Bøving

et al. 2024

Preprint

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Plant phenology has been well studied in relation to abiotic conditions and climate change, but poorly studied in relation to herbivory. In contrast, plant abundance dynamics have been well studied in relation to abiotic conditions and herbivory, but poorly studied in relation to phenology. Consequently, the contribution of herbivory to plant phenological dynamics and therefrom to plant abundance dynamics remains obscure. We conducted a nine-year herbivore exclusion experiment to investigate whether herbivory might link plant phenological and abundance dynamics in arctic tundra. From 2009 - 2017 we monitored annual green-up timing and abundance of nine plant taxa, including deciduous shrubs, forbs, and graminoids, on plots that were either grazed or experimentally exclosed from herbivory by caribou (Rangifer tarandus) and muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus). In 62% of cases, green-up occurred earlier under herbivory, and in 75% of cases abundance was greater under herbivory, compared to green-up and abundance under herbivore exclusion. Moreover, taxa that responded to herbivory with earlier green-up also had comparatively greater abundance later in the growing season. Conversely, taxa that responded to herbivory with delayed green-up exhibited comparatively lower abundance later in the growing season. Hence, well-documented influences of large herbivores on plant abundance and community composition in arctic tundra may, at least to some extent, relate to influences of herbivory on plant phenology. We recommend that ongoing and future assessments of the contribution of herbivores to plant abundance and community responses to climate change, especially in the Arctic, should also consider impacts of herbivores on plant phenology.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large herbivores link plant phenology and abundance in arctic tundra

Post,

Higgins,

Bøving

et al. 2024

Preprint

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“…High SLA has been associated with an acquisitive life history strategy adapted to high nutrient, light-limited conditions [11], [13], [48]. M. paniculata also emerges early in the growing season [39]. This species was therefore predicted to have the earliest growth spurt date; however fertilized plants were not significantly taller than their unfertilized counterparts until June 27 th (24 days into the 52 day monitoring period).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mertensia paniculata was sampled on June 26 th , F. altaica on July 6 th and A. millefolium on July 19 th . Because fertilization advances the phenology of E. angustifolium by seven days in these plots [39], E. angustifolium was sampled in fertilized plots on August 1 st and in unfertilized plots on August 8 th .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanisms for Success after Long-term Nutrient Enrichment in a Boreal Forest Understory

Grainger

Turkington

2013

PLoS ONE

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Global levels of reactive nitrogen are predicted to rise in the coming decades as a result of increased deposition from the burning of fossil fuels and the large-scale conversion of nitrogen into a useable form for agriculture. Many plant communities respond strongly to increases in soil nitrogen, particularly in northern ecosystems where nitrogen levels are naturally very low. An experiment in northern Canada that was initiated in 1990 has been investigating the effects of long-term nutrient enrichment (fertilizer added annually) on a boreal forest understory community. We used this experiment to investigate why some species increase in abundance under nutrient enrichment whereas others decline. We focused on four species that differed in their responses to fertilization: Mertensia paniculata and Epilobium angustifolium increased in abundance, Achillea millefolium remained relatively constant and Festuca altaica declined. We hypothesized that the two species that were successful in the new high-nutrient, light-limited environment would be taller, have higher specific leaf area, change phenology by growing earlier in the season and be more morphologically plastic than their less successful counterparts. We compared plant height, specific leaf area, growth spurt date and allocation to leaves in plants grown in control and fertilized plots. We demonstrated that each of the two species that came to dominate fertilized plots has a different combination of traits and responses that likely gave them a competitive advantage; M. paniculata has the highest specific leaf area of the four species whereas E. angustifolium is tallest and exhibits morphological plasticity when fertilized by increasing biomass allocation to leaves. These results indicate that rather than one strategy determining success when nutrients become available, a variety of traits and responses may contribute to a species' ability to persist in a nutrient-enriched boreal forest understory.

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“…The understory is dominated by soapberry (Shepherdia Canadensis), and a welldeveloped ground layer composed of herbs (e.g., Lupinus arcticus, Linnaea borealis, Hedysarum alpinum, Geocaulon lividum), lichens (e.g., Peltigera canina, Collema tenax, Cladonia spp.) and forest floor mosses such as Pleurozium schreberi and Ptilium crista-castrensis (Crofts et al, 2018;Douglas & Vitt, 1976;Fremlin et al, 2011;Harris, 1987;Hoefs, 1976;Hoefs & Thomson, 1972;Marsh et al, 2006;Vetter, 2000). Soils within this region have high pH, high calcium carbonate, and an A-horizon rich in organic matter (Laxton et al, 1996).…”

Section: Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Mineral Dust on Trace Element Concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb) in Lichens and Soils at Lhù’ààn Mân’ (Yukon Territory, Canada)

Pouillé,

Talbot,

Tamalavage

et al. 2024

JGR Biogeosciences

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Dust is a mineral aerosol of the atmosphere that often contains trace elements such as As, Cd, and Pb. Lhù’ààn Mân’ (Kluane Lake), located in southwestern Yukon, is a region of frequent dust activity. In 2016, the lake level fell due to a dramatic decrease in inflow from glacier meltwater, and the delta of the lake became an important source of dust to surrounding ecosystems. To determine the impacts of dust deposition on vegetation and soil trace element concentrations and characteristics, we sampled the lichen Peltigera canina and soil layers at 57 sites along a deposition gradient located 1.4–33.6 km downwind from the principal dust source. Arsenic, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb in lichens were negatively correlated with the distance away from the dust source, with the highest correlations in Ni and Pb (r2 = 0.50 and 0.48, respectively). Lichen and tree abundances were negatively impacted by dust deposition, suggesting that dust can affect ecosystem vegetation composition. Starting 8 km away from the dust source, the concentrations of As, Ni, and Pb decreased by more than 50% per km, while Cd and Cu concentrations decreased by more than 40% per km. Overall, within the sampled ecosystems, soil pH is 1.4 times higher in the first 8 km from the dust source while carbon content and nutrients are lower, which implies changes in nutrient availability and cycling in dust‐affected ecosystems.

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The Effects of Fertilization and Herbivory on the Phenology of the Understory Vegetation of the Boreal Forest in Northwestern Canada

Cited by 7 publications

References 26 publications

Large herbivores link plant phenology and abundance in arctic tundra

Large herbivores link plant phenology and abundance in arctic tundra

Mechanisms for Success after Long-term Nutrient Enrichment in a Boreal Forest Understory

Impacts of Mineral Dust on Trace Element Concentrations (As, Cd, Cu, Ni and Pb) in Lichens and Soils at Lhù’ààn Mân’ (Yukon Territory, Canada)

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