Title: Plant Root Characteristics and Dynamics in Arctic Tundra Ecosystems, 1960-2012

Abstract

Plant roots play a critical role in ecosystem function in arctic tundra, but root dynamics in these ecosystems are poorly understood. To address this knowledge gap, we synthesized available literature on tundra roots, including their distribution, dynamics, and contribution to ecosystem carbon and nutrient fluxes, and we highlighted key aspects of their representation in terrestrial biosphere models. Across all tundra ecosystems, belowground plant biomass exceeded aboveground biomass, with the exception of polar desert tundra. Roots were shallowly-distributed in the thin layer of soil that thaws annually, and were often found in surface organic soil horizons. Root traits including distribution, chemistry, anatomy, and resource partitioning play an important role in controlling plant species competition, and therefore ecosystem carbon and nutrient fluxes, under changing climatic conditions, but have only been quantified for a small fraction of tundra plants. Further, the annual production and mortality of fine roots are key components of ecosystem processes in tundra, but extant data are sparse. Tundra root traits and dynamics should be the focus of future research efforts. Better representation of the dynamics and characteristics of tundra roots will improve the utility of models for evaluating the responses of tundra ecosystems to changing environmental conditions. Includes amore » data file in *.csv, and *.xlsx format and a *.pdf. The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a research effort to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research. The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).« less

Authors:

Iversen, Colleen ;

• Search DOE Data Explorer for author "Iversen, Colleen"
• Search DOE Data Explorer for ORCID "0000-0001-8293-3450"

Sloan, Victoria; Sullivan, Patrick; Euskirchen, Eugenie ;

• Search DOE Data Explorer for author "Euskirchen, Eugenie"
• Search DOE Data Explorer for ORCID "0000-0002-0848-4295"

McGuire, David; Norby, Richard ;

• Search DOE Data Explorer for author "Norby, Richard"
• Search DOE Data Explorer for ORCID "0000-0002-0238-9828"

Walker, Anthony ;

• Search DOE Data Explorer for author "Walker, Anthony"
• Search DOE Data Explorer for ORCID "0000-0003-0557-5594"

Warren, Jeffrey ;

• Search DOE Data Explorer for author "Warren, Jeffrey"
• Search DOE Data Explorer for ORCID "0000-0002-0680-4697"

Wullschleger, Stan

• Search DOE Data Explorer for author "Wullschleger, Stan"
• Search DOE Data Explorer for ORCID "0000-0002-9869-0446"

Publication Date:

2014-08-31

Other Number(s):

https://doi.org/10.5440/1114222; NGA059
ngee_898DB1AF4A9FED3D5DCE6DFB59B700492018_07_17_12210333

DOE Contract Number:  

AC02-05CH11231

Research Org.:

Environmental System Science Data Infrastructure for a Virtual Ecosystem (ESS-DIVE) (United States); Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments (NGEE) Arctic

Sponsoring Org.:

U.S. DOE > Office of Science > Biological and Environmental Research (BER)

Collaborations:

PNL, BNL,ANL,ORNL

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Keywords:

Abisko, Sweden; Pyasina River, Tareya station, Western Taimyr; Ogoturuk Creek, Alaska; Kevo, Finland; Root_production; Fineroot_Leaf; Stordalen, Sweden; Publication_year; Fairbanks, Alaska; Experimental_Manipulation; Nutrient_cycling; Northwestern Finland; Degraded_permafrost; Komperdell Alm, Austria; Kevo Sub-Arctic Research Institute, Finland; Sagavanirktok River, Alaska; PFT; Vorkuta city, Komi ASSR; Hidden Pond, Alaska; Carbon_cycling; Stordalen mire, Abisko, Sweden; Belowground biomass; Rylekaerene, Greenland; Devon Island, Canada; Churchhill, Manifoba, Canada; Project; Bonanza Creek Experimental Forest, Alaska; Root_standing_crop; Bathurst Island, Canadian high arctic; Environmental_forcing; Soil monolith_Excavation; Koryakskaya Zemlya; Truelove Lowland, Devon island, Northwest Territories, Canada; Atkasook, Alaska; Kamasjaure, Sweden; Disko Island, Greenland; Location_Place; Harp, USSR; Root_depth_distribution; root biomass; King Christian Island, Canada; Journal_Book_Thesis; Ny-Alesund, Spitsbergen, Norway; Study; Ny-London, Blomstrandhalvoya, Spitsbergen, Norway; Latitude_Decimal; Average_root diameter_mm; Zackenberg, Northeast Greenland; Circle Hot Springs, Alaska; Eastern Taimyr; Year_Initial; Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Norway; Toolik Lake, Alaska; Washington Creek, Alaska; Prince of Wales, Canadian high arctic; Imnavait Creek, Alaska; Anaktuvuk Pass, Alaska; Year_Final; Review_Paper; Elevation_m; Zackenberg Research Station, Northeastern Greenland; Brandalpynten, Knudsenheia peninsula, Spitsbergen, Norway; Adventdalen, Svalbard; Timberline, Alaska; Everett Pond, Alaska; B_A; Skirhasjohka valley, Fennoscandia; Taimyr, USSR; Hardangervidda, Norway; Mycorrhizae; Ecosystem; Sagwon, Alaska; Cape Abernethy, King Christian Island, Western Queen Elizabeth Islands; Sag River, Alaska; Species; Aboveground biomass; Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Western Taimyr; Malloch Dome, Ellef Ringnes Island, Western Queen Elizabeth Islands; Eagle Summit, Alaska; Eight Mile Lake, Healy, Alaska; Minirhizotrons; Maximum_rooting_depth_cm; Samoylov, Lena Delta, Northern Siberia; Root_morphology; Soil_cores; Cape Thompson, Alaska; Sagwon Hills, Alaska; Barrow, Alaska; Isotopic_tracer_stable_isotope; Polygonal_topography; Author_year; Atigun River, Alaska; Latnjajaure, Sweden; Rea Point, Melville Island, Western Queen Elizabeth Islands; Imnavait Creek watershed, Northern Foothills, Alaska; Truelove, Devon island, Northwest Territories, Canada; Study_Description; Aerenchyma; Alexandra Fiord, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada; Komi, ASSR; Sagwon Bluff, Alaska; Tanana River floodplain, Fairbanks, Alaska; Coldfoot, Alaska; Pituffik (Thule), Greenland; Alaska; Ingrowth_cores; Longitude_Decimal; Meade River, Alaska; Old Man, Alaska; Notes; Polar_desert; La Perouse Bay, Manitoba, Canada; Cornwallis Island, Canadian High Arctic; Mt. Paras, Signaldalen, Troms, Norway; Smith Lake, Alaska; Pot_Tiller; Somerset Island, Canadian high arctic; Snowden Mountain, Alaska; Bol'shoy Lyakhovsky Island; Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed; Agapa Settlement, Western Taimyr; Sibik, Eastern Siberia; Dempster, Yukon, Canada; Betty Pingo, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska; Root turnover decomposition; Abisko Scientific Research Station, Sweden; Eagle Creek, Alaska

Geolocation:

89.0,179.5|50.0,179.5|50.0,-179.5|89.0,-179.5|89.0,179.5

OSTI Identifier:

1114222

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5440/1114222

Project Location:

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