Stronger fertilization effects on aboveground versus belowground plant properties across nine U.S. grasslands
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- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior University of Minnesota Saint Paul Minnesota USA
- Department of Biology West Virginia University Morgantown West Virginia USA
- USDA‐ARS Rangeland Resources &, Systems Research Unit Fort Collins Colorado USA
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque New Mexico USA
- USDA‐ARS Grassland Soil, and Water Research Laboratory Temple Texas USA
- Earth and Biological Sciences Directorate Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland Washington USA, Department of Agronomy Iowa State University Ames Iowa USA
- Health &, Environmental Sciences Department Xi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool University Suzhou Jiangsu China
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Crop Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana‐Champaign Urbana‐Champaign Illinois USA
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences University of Tennessee Knoxville Tennessee USA, Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge Tennessee USA
Abstract Increased nutrient inputs due to anthropogenic activity are expected to increase primary productivity across terrestrial ecosystems, but changes in allocation aboveground versus belowground with nutrient addition have different implications for soil carbon (C) storage. Thus, given that roots are major contributors to soil C storage, understanding belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and biomass responses to changes in nutrient availability is essential to predicting carbon–climate feedbacks in the context of interacting global environmental changes. To address this knowledge gap, we tested whether a decade of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization consistently influenced aboveground and belowground biomass and productivity at nine grassland sites spanning a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions in the continental United States. Fertilization effects were strong aboveground, with both N and P addition stimulating aboveground biomass at nearly all sites (by 30% and 36%, respectively, on average). P addition consistently increased root production (by 15% on average), whereas other belowground responses to fertilization were more variable, ranging from positive to negative across sites. Site‐specific responses to P were not predicted by the measured covariates. Atmospheric N deposition mediated the effect of N fertilization on root biomass and turnover. Specifically, atmospheric N deposition was positively correlated with root turnover rates, and this relationship was amplified with N addition. Nitrogen addition increased root biomass at sites with low N deposition but decreased it at sites with high N deposition. Overall, these results suggest that the effects of nutrient supply on belowground plant properties are context dependent, particularly with regard to background N supply rates, demonstrating that site conditions must be considered when predicting how grassland ecosystems will respond to increased nutrient loading from anthropogenic activity.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 1902177
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1959849
- Journal Information:
- Ecology, Journal Name: Ecology Vol. 104 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 0012-9658
- Publisher:
- Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)Copyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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