Understorey plant and soil responses to disturbance and increased nitrogen in boreal forests

Manninen, Outi; Stark, Sari; Kytöviita, Minna‐Maarit; Lampinen, L.; Tolvanen, Anne

doi:10.1111/j.1654-1103.2009.05529.x

Cited by 27 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 58 publications

(66 reference statements)

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“…The result contrasts with other studies that describe graminoids as one of the more successful functional groups in fertilization experiments [4], [28], [50]–[52]. However, these studies were conducted in grasslands rather than forested ecosystems (but see [53], [54]), where graminoids are often the tallest species present and light is less limiting. As well, in this ecosystem the bunched growth form of F. altaica contrasts with the rhizomatous form of most of its neighbours.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 58%

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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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 58%

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

Grainger

Turkington

2013

PLoS ONE

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“…While increased spruce growth has been observed in Yukon Territory forest stands, cone and seed production of the spruce did not increase (Turkington et al, 1998). After disturbance, the amount of ammonia increased in the soil after fertilization and microbial C decreased, suggesting greater microbial C consumption following fertilization (Manninen et al, 2009). In a black spruce forest post-fire N addition resulted in a significant decline in soil C initially but total microbial biomass declined and lower respiration rates increased ecosystem C storage in black spruce forests experiencing frequent fires (Allison et al, 2010).…”

Section: Nutrient Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Nutrient availability is low in boreal lowlands, such as bogs and black spruce forests, and species found in these systems are adapted to grow under reduced nutrient conditions. Fertilization has been shown to negatively impact evergreen shrubs growing in both bogs and black spruce forests in favor of grasses (Manninen et al, 2009). Along with understory vegetation, white spruce shows minimal growth response to nutrient addition (Nams et al, 1993).…”

Section: Nutrient Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sources and sinks of carbon in boreal ecosystems of interior Alaska: A review

Douglas

Jones

Hiemstra

et al. 2014

Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene

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Boreal ecosystems store large quantities of carbon but are increasingly vulnerable to carbon loss due to disturbance and climate warming. The boreal region in Alaska and Canada, largely underlain by discontinuous permafrost, presents a challenging landscape for itemizing carbon sources and sinks in soil and vegetation. The roles of fire, forest succession, and the presence (or absence) of permafrost on carbon cycle, vegetation, and hydrologic processes have been the focus of multidisciplinary research in boreal ecosystems for the past 20 years. However, projections of a warming future climate, an increase in fire severity and extent, and the potential degradation of permafrost could lead to major landscape and carbon cycle changes over the next 20 to 50 years. To assist land managers in interior Alaska in adapting and managing for potential changes in the carbon cycle we developed this review paper by incorporating an overview of the climate, ecosystem processes, vegetation, and soil regimes. Our objective is to provide a synthesis of the most current carbon storage estimates and measurements to guide policy and land management decisions on how to best manage carbon sources and sinks. We surveyed estimates of aboveground and belowground carbon stocks for interior Alaska boreal ecosystems and summarized methane and carbon dioxide f luxes. These data have been converted into similar units to facilitate comparison across ecosystem compartments. We identify potential changes in the carbon cycle with climate change and human disturbance. A novel research question is how compounding disturbances affect carbon sources and sinks associated with boreal ecosystem processes. Finally, we provide recommendations to address the challenges facing land managers in efforts to manage carbon cycle processes. The results of this study can be used for carbon cycle management in other locations within the boreal biome which encompasses a broad distribution from 45° to 83° north.

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“…species adapted to environments with nutrient limitations are replaced with species that can utilize high nutrient levels (Kellner and RedboTorstensson 1995). Shifts from a lichen-dominated flora to dominance of a dwarf shrub flora, like Vaccinium species, and eventually to graminoid species have been documented (Tamm 1991;Kellner and Redbo-Torstensson 1995;Strengbom et al 2001;Manninen et al 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 94%

Population size and reproduction in the declining endangered forest plant Chimaphila umbellata in Sweden

2015

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The rare forest plant Chimaphila umbellata (Ericaceae) has decreased drastically during the last century, approximately by 80 % in some regions in Sweden. We examined associations between various biotic and abiotic conditions related to changes in forest management and nitrogen deposition, and C. umbellata population size, flowering frequency, fruit set and seed production. Environmental conditions at 38 C. umbellata sites in the provinces of Uppland and Södermanland, Sweden, included light inflow, cover of competitive species, soil nitrogen, continuity of forest cover and soil texture. The results suggested that population size was negatively affected by cover of competitive species. Population size was not related to light availability although increased shading was associated with decreased flowering frequency. Fruit set was negatively affected by cover of competitive species, and seed production decreased with increasing soil nitrogen content. Fruit set and seed production increased with increasing population size. This study shows that denser forest stands and increased abundance of Vaccinium myrtillus and graminoid species may have strong negative effects on C. umbellata. This species' longevity and clonal propagation may buffer some negative impacts, which in turn might contribute to an extinction debt. To maintain viable populations of Chimaphila umbellata in Swedish forests, there is a need for targeted management in forest habitats, i.e. reintroducing moderate disturbance regimes to reduce competition and increase light inflow.

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Understorey plant and soil responses to disturbance and increased nitrogen in boreal forests

Cited by 27 publications

References 58 publications

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

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

Sources and sinks of carbon in boreal ecosystems of interior Alaska: A review

Population size and reproduction in the declining endangered forest plant Chimaphila umbellata in Sweden

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