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Plant production and nitrogen accumulation above- and belowground in low and tall birch tundra communities: the influence of snow and litter

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Abstract

Background and Aim

A vegetation transition to taller and denser deciduous shrub tundra is currently occurring in many locations across the low Arctic, and is associated with climate change. Here, we investigated if deeper snow is a mechanism for enhanced shrub growth.

Methods

To determine if a moderate and climatically realistic increase in snow depth can enhance shrub productivity, we compared growth responses between ambient and experimentally deepened snow plots in low birch hummock tundra. To determine the potential influence of factors other than deepened snow that are associated with taller, denser shrubs, we also compared shrub growth between low birch hummock and tall birch-dominated tundra.

Results

Neither deciduous shrub above- nor belowground production nor nitrogen accumulation was enhanced by deepened snow. However, deciduous birch shrub new shoot production was 23× larger and total vascular shoot to belowground biomass ratios were higher in the tall birch tundra than the birch hummock (~0.7 and ~0.4, respectively), indicating that the combination of deeper snow together with other internal feedbacks greatly enhanced birch growth.

Conclusions

Together, our results strongly suggest that the much larger litter production in tall birch ecosystems is an important internal feedback that may or may not interact with deeper snow to promote birch growth in tall shrub tundra.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Christy Barbeau, Linda Cameron, Tamara Hansen, Andy Kritsch, Meghan Laidlaw, Ian McCormick, Ryan Mercredi, and Tyanna Steinwand for their assistance in the field and laboratory. Shelley Arnott, Donie Bret-Harte, Kate Buckeridge, Ryan Danby, Melissa Lafrenière, Michelle Mack, and Tara Zamin provided thoughtful suggestions and insights. We are thankful for Steve Matthews’ logistical assistance and the support of the Division of Environment and Natural Resources, NWT Government. Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (P.G.), National Science Foundation (P.G.) and Northern Scientific Training Program (M.V.), provided funding for this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Science, University of Wisconsin-Richland, Richland Center, WI, 53581, USA

    Mathew R. Vankoughnett

  2. Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Paul Grogan

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  1. Mathew R. Vankoughnett
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  2. Paul Grogan
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Correspondence to Mathew R. Vankoughnett.

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Vankoughnett, M.R., Grogan, P. Plant production and nitrogen accumulation above- and belowground in low and tall birch tundra communities: the influence of snow and litter. Plant Soil 408, 195–210 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2921-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-016-2921-2

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