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Initial effects of experimental warming on carbon exchange rates, plant growth and microbial dynamics of a lichen-rich dwarf shrub tundra in Siberia

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess initial effects of warming on the CO2 balance of a lichen-rich dwarf shrub tundra, a widespread but little studied ecosystem type in the Arctic. We analyzed whole ecosystem carbon exchange rates as well as nutrient dynamics, microbial and plant community composition and biomass after 2 years of experimental temperature increase. Plant biomass increased significantly with warming, mainly due to the strong response of lichens, the dominant plant group within this ecosystem. Experimental warming also increased soil nitrogen pools and nitrogen turnover rates. Major changes in soil microbial and plant composition, however, were not detected. Although experimental warming increased gross ecosystem productivity, the higher plant biomass did not compensate for the much greater increase in C losses. Ecosystem respiration and net ecosystem CO2 losses were significantly higher in warmed plots compared to control ones. We suggest that this was due to increased soil respiration, since soil carbon pools were lower in warmed soils, at least in the upper horizons. Our study thus supports the general hypothesis that tundra ecosystems turn from a carbon sink to a carbon source when temperatures increase in the short-term. Since lichens, which produce low quality litter, increased their biomass significantly with warming in this specific ecosystem type, CO2 losses may slow down in the long-term.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Austrian Academy of Science (IGPB-25 to AR), the Austrian Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Culture (Payer-Weyprecht Society) and YamburgGazDobycha (a subsidiary company of Gazprom, Russia). We would like to express our collective thanks to all the people from YamburgGazDobycha who helped us in the field station arrangement and allocation of laboratory facilities. Christina Biasi was supported by a PhD grant from the Austrian Academy of Science.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Ecology and Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Christina Biasi, Hildegard Meyer, Rainer Hämmerle, Christina Kaiser & Andreas Richter

  2. Institute of Soil Science and Agrochemistry, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Sovetskaya 18, Novosibirsk, 630099, Russia

    Olga Rusalimova & Pavel Barsukov

  3. Department of Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090, Vienna, Austria

    Rainer Hämmerle, Christian Baranyi & Holger Daims

  4. Central Siberian Botanical Garden, Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Zolotodolinskaya 101, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia

    Nikolaj Lashchinsky

  5. Department of Environmental Science, University of Kuopio, Bioteknia 2, P.O. Box 1627, 70211, Kuopio, Finland

    Christina Biasi

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  1. Christina Biasi
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  2. Hildegard Meyer
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Biasi, C., Meyer, H., Rusalimova, O. et al. Initial effects of experimental warming on carbon exchange rates, plant growth and microbial dynamics of a lichen-rich dwarf shrub tundra in Siberia. Plant Soil 307, 191–205 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-008-9596-2

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