TY - JOUR
T1 - N and P constrain C in ecosystems under climate change
T2 - Role of nutrient redistribution, accumulation, and stoichiometry
AU - Rastetter, Edward B.
AU - Kwiatkowski, Bonnie L.
AU - Kicklighter, David W.
AU - Barker Plotkin, Audrey
AU - Genet, Helene
AU - Nippert, Jesse B.
AU - O'Keefe, Kimberly
AU - Perakis, Steven S.
AU - Porder, Stephen
AU - Roley, Sarah S.
AU - Ruess, Roger W.
AU - Thompson, Jonathan R.
AU - Wieder, William R.
AU - Wilcox, Kevin
AU - Yanai, Ruth D.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Authors. Ecological Applications published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America.
PY - 2022/12
Y1 - 2022/12
N2 - We use the Multiple Element Limitation (MEL) model to examine responses of 12 ecosystems to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2), warming, and 20% decreases or increases in precipitation. Ecosystems respond synergistically to elevated CO2, warming, and decreased precipitation combined because higher water-use efficiency with elevated CO2 and higher fertility with warming compensate for responses to drought. Response to elevated CO2, warming, and increased precipitation combined is additive. We analyze changes in ecosystem carbon (C) based on four nitrogen (N) and four phosphorus (P) attribution factors: (1) changes in total ecosystem N and P, (2) changes in N and P distribution between vegetation and soil, (3) changes in vegetation C:N and C:P ratios, and (4) changes in soil C:N and C:P ratios. In the combined CO2 and climate change simulations, all ecosystems gain C. The contributions of these four attribution factors to changes in ecosystem C storage varies among ecosystems because of differences in the initial distributions of N and P between vegetation and soil and the openness of the ecosystem N and P cycles. The net transfer of N and P from soil to vegetation dominates the C response of forests. For tundra and grasslands, the C gain is also associated with increased soil C:N and C:P. In ecosystems with symbiotic N fixation, C gains resulted from N accumulation. Because of differences in N versus P cycle openness and the distribution of organic matter between vegetation and soil, changes in the N and P attribution factors do not always parallel one another. Differences among ecosystems in C-nutrient interactions and the amount of woody biomass interact to shape ecosystem C sequestration under simulated global change. We suggest that future studies quantify the openness of the N and P cycles and changes in the distribution of C, N, and P among ecosystem components, which currently limit understanding of nutrient effects on C sequestration and responses to elevated CO2 and climate change.
AB - We use the Multiple Element Limitation (MEL) model to examine responses of 12 ecosystems to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2), warming, and 20% decreases or increases in precipitation. Ecosystems respond synergistically to elevated CO2, warming, and decreased precipitation combined because higher water-use efficiency with elevated CO2 and higher fertility with warming compensate for responses to drought. Response to elevated CO2, warming, and increased precipitation combined is additive. We analyze changes in ecosystem carbon (C) based on four nitrogen (N) and four phosphorus (P) attribution factors: (1) changes in total ecosystem N and P, (2) changes in N and P distribution between vegetation and soil, (3) changes in vegetation C:N and C:P ratios, and (4) changes in soil C:N and C:P ratios. In the combined CO2 and climate change simulations, all ecosystems gain C. The contributions of these four attribution factors to changes in ecosystem C storage varies among ecosystems because of differences in the initial distributions of N and P between vegetation and soil and the openness of the ecosystem N and P cycles. The net transfer of N and P from soil to vegetation dominates the C response of forests. For tundra and grasslands, the C gain is also associated with increased soil C:N and C:P. In ecosystems with symbiotic N fixation, C gains resulted from N accumulation. Because of differences in N versus P cycle openness and the distribution of organic matter between vegetation and soil, changes in the N and P attribution factors do not always parallel one another. Differences among ecosystems in C-nutrient interactions and the amount of woody biomass interact to shape ecosystem C sequestration under simulated global change. We suggest that future studies quantify the openness of the N and P cycles and changes in the distribution of C, N, and P among ecosystem components, which currently limit understanding of nutrient effects on C sequestration and responses to elevated CO2 and climate change.
KW - carbon dioxide fertilization
KW - carbon sequestration
KW - carbon–nitrogen interactions
KW - carbon–phosphorus interactions
KW - climate change
KW - long-term ecological research (LTER)
KW - nitrogen cycle
KW - phosphorus cycle
KW - terrestrial ecosystem stoichiometry
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85134673248
U2 - 10.1002/eap.2684
DO - 10.1002/eap.2684
M3 - Article
C2 - 35633204
AN - SCOPUS:85134673248
SN - 1051-0761
VL - 32
JO - Ecological Applications
JF - Ecological Applications
IS - 8
M1 - e2684
ER -