skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Processes of community development and responses of ecosystems to climate change. Progress report, September 28, 1988--September 27, 1989

Abstract

Our studies focus on attempting to understand the role of decomposer-primary producer linkages in successional dynamics. We are testing a series of hypotheses that relate changes in plant species composition during succession to changes in activity and structure of the soil microfloral and faunal community, dynamics of soil organic matter, and availability of soil nutrients. As these successional patterns are identified, they are being applied to understanding specific processes and mechanics involved in ecosystem development during recovery from moderate and severe disturbances. These findings are then being used in conjunction with simulation models to assess potential effects of climate change on ecosystems. Our research involves field studies in northwestern Colorado and southeastern Washington, laboratory studies, and simulation modeling. Ongoing projects include studies of response patterns of primary producer and soil microbial communities to nutrient additions (N, P, and sucrose), the function of mycorrhizal fungi in plant community development, and the dynamics of litter decomposition under semiarid conditions. New studies are being implemented to investigate the significance of nutrient transfers from VAM fungi to plants and plant-root exudate interactions, and to relate this to understanding their roles in succession.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Colorado State Univ., Fort Collins, CO (United States). Dept. of Range Science
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
10117752
Report Number(s):
DOE/ER/60612-2
ON: DE92007020
DOE Contract Number:  
FG02-87ER60612
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 26 May 1989
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; CLIMATIC CHANGE; ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS; ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION; COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION; PLANTS; NUTRIENTS; WASTES; DECOMPOSITION; ECOSYSTEMS; COLORADO; WASHINGTON; SOIL CHEMISTRY; NITROGEN; FERTILIZATION; MATHEMATICAL MODELS; SOILS; SITE CHARACTERIZATION; SPECIES DIVERSITY; PROGRESS REPORT; 540210; 550200; 550700; BASIC STUDIES; BIOCHEMISTRY; MICROBIOLOGY

Citation Formats

Redente, E F. Processes of community development and responses of ecosystems to climate change. Progress report, September 28, 1988--September 27, 1989. United States: N. p., 1989. Web. doi:10.2172/10117752.
Redente, E F. Processes of community development and responses of ecosystems to climate change. Progress report, September 28, 1988--September 27, 1989. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10117752
Redente, E F. 1989. "Processes of community development and responses of ecosystems to climate change. Progress report, September 28, 1988--September 27, 1989". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/10117752. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/10117752.
@article{osti_10117752,
title = {Processes of community development and responses of ecosystems to climate change. Progress report, September 28, 1988--September 27, 1989},
author = {Redente, E F},
abstractNote = {Our studies focus on attempting to understand the role of decomposer-primary producer linkages in successional dynamics. We are testing a series of hypotheses that relate changes in plant species composition during succession to changes in activity and structure of the soil microfloral and faunal community, dynamics of soil organic matter, and availability of soil nutrients. As these successional patterns are identified, they are being applied to understanding specific processes and mechanics involved in ecosystem development during recovery from moderate and severe disturbances. These findings are then being used in conjunction with simulation models to assess potential effects of climate change on ecosystems. Our research involves field studies in northwestern Colorado and southeastern Washington, laboratory studies, and simulation modeling. Ongoing projects include studies of response patterns of primary producer and soil microbial communities to nutrient additions (N, P, and sucrose), the function of mycorrhizal fungi in plant community development, and the dynamics of litter decomposition under semiarid conditions. New studies are being implemented to investigate the significance of nutrient transfers from VAM fungi to plants and plant-root exudate interactions, and to relate this to understanding their roles in succession.},
doi = {10.2172/10117752},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/10117752}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri May 26 00:00:00 EDT 1989},
month = {Fri May 26 00:00:00 EDT 1989}
}