Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes

Zelikova, Tamara J.; Housman, David C.; Grote, Ed E.; Neher, Deborah A.; Belnap, Jayne

doi:10.1007/s11104-011-1097-z

Title: Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes

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Abstract

Changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to influence ecosystem processes worldwide. Despite their globally large extent, few studies to date have examined the effects of climate change in desert ecosystems, where biological soil crusts are key nutrient cycling components. The goal of this work was to assess how increased temperature and frequency of summertime precipitation affect the contributions of crust organisms to soil processes. With a combination of experimental 2°C warming and altered summer precipitation frequency applied over 2 years, we measured soil nutrient cycling and the structure and function of crust communities. We saw no change in crust cover, composition, or other measures of crust function in response to 2°C warming and no effects on any measure of soil chemistry. In contrast, crust cover and function responded to increased frequency of summer precipitation, shifting from moss to cyanobacteria-dominated crusts; however, in the short timeframe we measured, there was no accompanying change in soil chemistry. Total bacterial and fungal biomass was also reduced in watered plots, while the activity of two enzymes increased, indicating a functional change in the microbial community. Taken together, our results highlight the limited effects of warming alone on biological soil crust communities and soilmore »« less

Authors:: Zelikova, Tamara J.; Housman, David C.; Grote, Ed E.; Neher, Deborah A.; Belnap, Jayne

Publication Date:: Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2012

Research Org.:: Deborah A Neher / University of Vermont

Sponsoring Org.:: USDOE; USDOE CI Office of Environment and Science (CI-40)

OSTI Identifier:: 1037976

Report Number(s):: DOE/ER/63998-2
Journal ID: ISSN 0032-079X

DOE Contract Number:: FG02-05ER63998

Resource Type:: Journal Article

Journal Name:: Plant and Soil

Additional Journal Information:: Journal Volume: 355; Journal Issue: 1-2; Journal ID: ISSN 0032-079X

Publisher:: Springer

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

Subject:: 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; Colorado Plateau; Biological soil crusts; Climate change; Soil chemistry

Citation Formats


                    Zelikova, Tamara J., Housman, David C., Grote, Ed E., Neher, Deborah A., and Belnap, Jayne. Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes.  United States: N. p., 2012. 
        Web.  doi:10.1007/s11104-011-1097-z.

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                    Zelikova, Tamara J., Housman, David C., Grote, Ed E., Neher, Deborah A., & Belnap, Jayne. Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes.  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-1097-z

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                    Zelikova, Tamara J., Housman, David C., Grote, Ed E., Neher, Deborah A., and Belnap, Jayne. 2012.  
        "Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes".  United States.  https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-1097-z.

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@article{osti_1037976,

  title        = {Warming and increased precipitation frequency on the Colorado Plateau: implications for biological soil crusts and soil processes},

  author       = {Zelikova, Tamara J. and Housman, David C. and Grote, Ed E. and Neher, Deborah A. and Belnap, Jayne},

  abstractNote = {Changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to influence ecosystem processes worldwide. Despite their globally large extent, few studies to date have examined the effects of climate change in desert ecosystems, where biological soil crusts are key nutrient cycling components. The goal of this work was to assess how increased temperature and frequency of summertime precipitation affect the contributions of crust organisms to soil processes. With a combination of experimental 2°C warming and altered summer precipitation frequency applied over 2 years, we measured soil nutrient cycling and the structure and function of crust communities. We saw no change in crust cover, composition, or other measures of crust function in response to 2°C warming and no effects on any measure of soil chemistry. In contrast, crust cover and function responded to increased frequency of summer precipitation, shifting from moss to cyanobacteria-dominated crusts; however, in the short timeframe we measured, there was no accompanying change in soil chemistry. Total bacterial and fungal biomass was also reduced in watered plots, while the activity of two enzymes increased, indicating a functional change in the microbial community. Taken together, our results highlight the limited effects of warming alone on biological soil crust communities and soil chemistry, but demonstrate the substantially larger effects of altered summertime precipitation.},

  doi          = {10.1007/s11104-011-1097-z},

  url          = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1037976},
  journal      = {Plant and Soil},

  issn         = {0032-079X},

  number       = 1-2,

  volume       = 355,

  place        = {United States},

  year         = {Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2012},

  month        = {Fri Jan 20 00:00:00 EST 2012}

}

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