Search Menu
DOE PAGES title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Search Scholarly Publications

Title: Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: a benchmark for assessing change

Abstract

Slow decomposition and isolation from groundwater mean that ombrotrophic peatlands store a large amount of soil carbon (C) but have low availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). To better understand the role these limiting nutrients play in determining the C balance of peatland ecosystems, we compile comprehensive N and P budgets for a forested bog in northern Minnesota, USA. N and P within plants, soils, and water are quantified based on field measurements. The resulting empirical dataset are then compared to modern-day, site-level simulations from the peatland land surface version of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (ELM-SPRUCE).Results: Our results reveal N is accumulating in the ecosystem at 0.2 ± 0.1 g N m-2 year-1 but annual P inputs to this ecosystem are balanced by losses. Biomass stoichiometry indicates that plant functional types differ in N versus P limitation, with trees exhibiting a stronger N limitation than ericaceous shrubs or Sphagnum moss. High biomass and productivity of Sphagnum results in the moss layer storing and cycling a large proportion of plant N and P. Comparing our empirically-derived nutrient budgets to ELM-SPRUCE shows the model captures N cycling within dominant plant functional types well. The nutrient budgets and stoichiometry presentedmore » serve as a baseline for quantifying the nutrient cycling response of peatland ecosystems to both observed and simulated climate change. Our analysis improves our understanding of N and P dynamics within nutrient-limited peatlands and represents a crucial step toward improving C-cycle projections into the twenty-first century.« less

Authors:
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [2];  [1];  [3]; ORCiD logo [1];  [4]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [5];  [6];  [7];  [8];  [9];  [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1];  [6]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1] more »; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [1] « less
+ Show Author Affiliations
  1. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  2. Univ. of Oregon, Eugene, OR (United States)
  3. Boise State Univ., ID (United States)
  4. Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)
  5. US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Duluth, MN (United States)
  6. USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station, Grand Rapids, MN (United States)
  7. Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)
  8. Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
  9. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
OSTI Identifier:
1811402
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC05-00OR22725
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Plant and Soil
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 466; Journal Issue: 1-2; Journal ID: ISSN 0032-079X
Publisher:
Springer Nature
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Citation Formats

Salmon, Verity G., Brice, Deanne J., Bridgham, Scott, Childs, Joanne, Graham, Jake, Griffiths, Natalie A., Hofmockel, Kirsten, Iversen, Colleen M., Jicha, Terri M., Kolka, Randy K., Kostka, Joel E., Malhotra, Avni, Norby, Richard J., Phillips, Jana R., Ricciuto, Daniel, Schadt, Christopher W., Sebestyen, Stephen D., Shi, Xiaoying, Walker, Anthony P., Warren, Jeffrey M., Weston, David J., Yang, Xiaojuan, and Hanson, Paul J. Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: a benchmark for assessing change. United States: N. p., 2021. Web. doi:10.1007/s11104-021-05065-x.
Copy to clipboard
Salmon, Verity G., Brice, Deanne J., Bridgham, Scott, Childs, Joanne, Graham, Jake, Griffiths, Natalie A., Hofmockel, Kirsten, Iversen, Colleen M., Jicha, Terri M., Kolka, Randy K., Kostka, Joel E., Malhotra, Avni, Norby, Richard J., Phillips, Jana R., Ricciuto, Daniel, Schadt, Christopher W., Sebestyen, Stephen D., Shi, Xiaoying, Walker, Anthony P., Warren, Jeffrey M., Weston, David J., Yang, Xiaojuan, & Hanson, Paul J. Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: a benchmark for assessing change. United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05065-x
Copy to clipboard
Salmon, Verity G., Brice, Deanne J., Bridgham, Scott, Childs, Joanne, Graham, Jake, Griffiths, Natalie A., Hofmockel, Kirsten, Iversen, Colleen M., Jicha, Terri M., Kolka, Randy K., Kostka, Joel E., Malhotra, Avni, Norby, Richard J., Phillips, Jana R., Ricciuto, Daniel, Schadt, Christopher W., Sebestyen, Stephen D., Shi, Xiaoying, Walker, Anthony P., Warren, Jeffrey M., Weston, David J., Yang, Xiaojuan, and Hanson, Paul J. Sat . "Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: a benchmark for assessing change". United States. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05065-x. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1811402.
Copy to clipboard
@article{osti_1811402,
title = {Nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in an ombrotrophic peatland: a benchmark for assessing change},
author = {Salmon, Verity G. and Brice, Deanne J. and Bridgham, Scott and Childs, Joanne and Graham, Jake and Griffiths, Natalie A. and Hofmockel, Kirsten and Iversen, Colleen M. and Jicha, Terri M. and Kolka, Randy K. and Kostka, Joel E. and Malhotra, Avni and Norby, Richard J. and Phillips, Jana R. and Ricciuto, Daniel and Schadt, Christopher W. and Sebestyen, Stephen D. and Shi, Xiaoying and Walker, Anthony P. and Warren, Jeffrey M. and Weston, David J. and Yang, Xiaojuan and Hanson, Paul J.},
abstractNote = {Slow decomposition and isolation from groundwater mean that ombrotrophic peatlands store a large amount of soil carbon (C) but have low availability of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). To better understand the role these limiting nutrients play in determining the C balance of peatland ecosystems, we compile comprehensive N and P budgets for a forested bog in northern Minnesota, USA. N and P within plants, soils, and water are quantified based on field measurements. The resulting empirical dataset are then compared to modern-day, site-level simulations from the peatland land surface version of the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (ELM-SPRUCE).Results: Our results reveal N is accumulating in the ecosystem at 0.2 ± 0.1 g N m-2 year-1 but annual P inputs to this ecosystem are balanced by losses. Biomass stoichiometry indicates that plant functional types differ in N versus P limitation, with trees exhibiting a stronger N limitation than ericaceous shrubs or Sphagnum moss. High biomass and productivity of Sphagnum results in the moss layer storing and cycling a large proportion of plant N and P. Comparing our empirically-derived nutrient budgets to ELM-SPRUCE shows the model captures N cycling within dominant plant functional types well. The nutrient budgets and stoichiometry presented serve as a baseline for quantifying the nutrient cycling response of peatland ecosystems to both observed and simulated climate change. Our analysis improves our understanding of N and P dynamics within nutrient-limited peatlands and represents a crucial step toward improving C-cycle projections into the twenty-first century.},
doi = {10.1007/s11104-021-05065-x},
journal = {Plant and Soil},
number = 1-2,
volume = 466,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Sat Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
Copy to clipboard
Journal Article:
Free Publicly Available Full Text
Publisher's Version of Record
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05065-x
Copyright Statement
Other availability
Search WorldCat Search WorldCat to find libraries that may hold this journal
Save / Share:
Export Metadata
Save to My Library
You must Sign In or Create an Account in order to save documents to your library.

Works referenced in this record:

SPRUCE: Sphagnum Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Concentrations in the SPRUCE Experimental Plots
dataset, January 2020

  • Norby, R.; Childs, J.; Brice, D.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.084/1647361

SPRUCE: Sphagnum Productivity and Community Composition in the SPRUCE Experimental Plots
dataset, January 2018

Fine-Root Ecology Database (FRED): A Global Collection of Root Trait Data with Coincident Site, Vegetation, Edaphic, and Climatic Data, Version 2.
dataset, January 2018

  • Iversen, C. M.; Powell, A. S.; McCormack, M. L.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/ornlsfa.012/1417481

SPRUCE S1 Bog Production of Newly-Grown Fine Roots Assessed Using Root Ingrowth Cores in 2013
dataset, January 2021

  • Iversen, C. M.; Brice, D. J.; Childs, J.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.091/1782483

SPRUCE Outflow Chemistry Data for Experimental Plots Beginning in 2016
dataset, January 2021

  • Sebestyen, S. D.; Griffiths, N. A.; Oleheiser, K. C.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.088/1775142

SPRUCE Production and Chemistry of Newly-Grown Fine Roots Assessed Using Root Ingrowth Cores in SPRUCE Experimental Plots beginning in 2014
dataset, January 2020

  • Malhotra, A.; Brice, D. J.; Childs, J.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.077/1607860

SPRUCE Peat Physical and Chemical Characteristics from Experimental Plot Cores, 2012
dataset, January 2014

  • Iversen, C.; Hanson, P.; Brice, D.
  • SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments)
  • DOI: 10.3334/CDIAC/spruce.005

SPRUCE Pretreatment Plant Tissue Analyses, 2009 through 2013
dataset, January 2009

  • Phillips, J.; Brice, D.; Hanson, P.
  • ORNLTESSFA (Oak Ridge National Lab's Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Scientific Focus Area (ORNL TES SFA))
  • DOI: 10.3334/CDIAC/spruce.038

SPRUCE S1 Bog Pretreatment Seasonal Photosynthesis and Respiration of Trees, Shrubs, and Herbaceous Plants, 2010-2015
dataset, January 2018

  • Jensen, A.; Warren, J.; Hook, L. A.
  • ORNLTESSFA (Oak Ridge National Lab's Terrestrial Ecosystem Science Scientific Focus Area (ORNL TES SFA))
  • DOI: 10.3334/CDIAC/spruce.008

SPRUCE Plant Tissue Analyses from Experimental Plots Beginning 2017
dataset, January 2021

  • Phillips, J. R.; Hanson, P. J.; Warren, J. M.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.090/1780604

SPRUCE Environmental Monitoring Data: 2010-2016
dataset, January 2016

  • Hanson, P.; Riggs, J.; Dorrance, C.
  • SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments)
  • DOI: 10.3334/CDIAC/spruce.001

SPRUCE Shrub-Layer Growth Assessments in S1-Bog Plots and SPRUCE Experimental Plots beginning in 2010
dataset, January 2018

  • Hanson, P. J.; Phillips, J. R.; Brice, D. J.
  • SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.052/1433837

SPRUCE Tree Growth Assessments of Picea and Larix in S1-Bog Plots and SPRUCE Experimental Plots beginning in 2011
dataset, January 2018

  • Phillips, J. R.; Wullschleger, S. D.; Nettles, W. R.
  • SPRUCE (Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.051/1433836

SPRUCE Enclosure Corral and Sump System: Description, Operation, and Calibration
text, January 2016

SPRUCE Precipitation Chemistry and Bulk Atmospheric Deposition Beginning in 2013
dataset, January 2020

  • Sebestyen, S. D.; Griffiths, N. A.; K. C., Oleheiser
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.085/1664397

SPRUCE Manual Phenology Observations and Photographs Beginning in 2010
dataset, January 2018

  • Heiderman, Ryan; Nettles, W. Robert; Ontl, Todd
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.054/1444106

SPRUCE Terrestrial Laser Scans of Experimental Plots Beginning in 2015
dataset, January 2019

  • Graham, J. D.; Glenn, N. F.; Spaete, L. P.
  • Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  • DOI: 10.25581/spruce.067/1515552
    Sort by:
    [ × clear filter / sort ]

    Similar Records in DOE PAGES and OSTI.GOV collections: