Journal cover
Journal topic
Biogeosciences
An interactive open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union
Journal topic
- About
- Editorial board
- Articles
- Special issues
- Highlight articles
- Manuscript tracking
- Subscribe to alerts
- Peer review
- For authors
- For reviewers
- EGU publications
- Imprint
- Data protection
- About
- Editorial board
- Articles
- Special issues
- Highlight articles
- Manuscript tracking
- Subscribe to alerts
- Peer review
- For authors
- For reviewers
- EGU publications
- Imprint
- Data protection
Journal metrics
Journal metrics
IF 3.441
4.373CiteScore
3.96SNIP 1.235
SJR 2.072
h5-index 68
index 99
Abstracted/indexed
Abstracted/indexed- Science Citation Index Expanded
- Current Contents/ABE
- Current Contents/PCE
- Scopus
- ADS
- AGRICOLA
- Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts
- CAB Abstracts
- Cabell's
- Chemical Abstracts
- CLOCKSS
- CNKI
- DOAJ
- EBSCO
- GBA
- Gale/Cengage
- GeoBase
- GeoRef
- GoOA (CAS)
- Google Scholar
- J-Gate
- Portico
- ProQuest
- World Public Library
Volume 14, issue 24
Biogeosciences, 14, 5775-5788, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5775-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5775-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Special issue: Biological soil crusts and their role in biogeochemical processes...
Biogeosciences, 14, 5775-5788, 2017
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5775-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5775-2017
© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article 22 Dec 2017
Research article | 22 Dec 2017
Bryophyte-dominated biological soil crusts mitigate soil erosion in an early successional Chinese subtropical forest
Steffen Seitz et al.Related authors
S. Seitz, P. Goebes, Z. Song, H. Bruelheide, W. Härdtle, P. Kühn, Y. Li, and T. Scholten
SOIL, 2, 49-61, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-49-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-49-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Different tree species affect interrill erosion, but a higher tree species richness does not mitigate soil losses in young subtropical forest stands. Different tree morphologies and tree traits (e.g. crown cover or tree height) have to be considered when assessing erosion in forest ecosystems. If a leaf litter cover is not present, the remaining soil surface cover by stones and biological soil crusts is the most important driver for soil erosion control.
Nina Löbs, David Walter, Cybelli G. G. Barbosa, Sebastian Brill, Gabriela R. Cerqueira, Marta de Oliveira Sá, Alessandro C. de Araújo, Leonardo R. de Oliveira, Florian Ditas, Daniel Moran-Zuloaga, Ana Paula Pires Florentino, Stefan Wolff, Ricardo H. M. Godoi, Jürgen Kesselmeier, Sylvia Mota de Oliveira, Meinrat O. Andreae, Christopher Pöhlker, and Bettina Weber
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-521, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-521, 2019
Manuscript under review for BG
Short summary
Short summary
Cryptogamic organisms, as i.e. bryophytes, lichens, and algae, cover major parts of vegetation in the Amazonian rain forest, but their relevance in biosphere-atmosphere exchange, climate processes, and nutrient cycling is largely unknown.
Over the duration of two years we measured their water content, temperature, and light conditions to get better insights into their physiological activity pattern and thus, their potential impact on local, regional, and even global biogeochemical processes.
Lars A. Meier, Patryk Krauze, Isabel Prater, Fabian Horn, Carlos E. G. R. Schaefer, Thomas Scholten, Dirk Wagner, Carsten W. Mueller, and Peter Kühn
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-488, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-488, 2018
Manuscript under review for BG
Short summary
Short summary
James Ross Island offers the opportunity to study the undisturbed interplay of microbial activity and pedogenesis. Soils from two sites representing coastal and inland conditions were chosen and analysed with a wide range of techniques to describe soil properties. We are able to show that coastal conditions go along with more intense weathering and therefore favor soil formation and that microbial communities are initially more affected by weathering and structure than by chemical parameters.
Philipp Porada, Alexandra Tamm, Axel Kleidon, Ulrich Pöschl, and Bettina Weber
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-324, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-324, 2018
Manuscript under review for BG
Short summary
Short summary
The trace gases NO and HONO are crucial for atmospheric chemistry. It has been suggested that biological soil crusts in drylands contribute substantially to global NO and HONO emissions, based on empirical up-scaling of laboratory and field observations. Here we apply an alternative, process-based modeling approach to predict these emissions. We find that biological soil crusts emit globally significant amounts of NO and HONO, which also vary depending on the type of biological soil crust.
Daniel Moran-Zuloaga, Florian Ditas, David Walter, Jorge Saturno, Joel Brito, Samara Carbone, Xuguang Chi, Isabella Hrabě de Angelis, Holger Baars, Ricardo H. M. Godoi, Birgit Heese, Bruna A. Holanda, Jošt V. Lavrič, Scot T. Martin, Jing Ming, Mira L. Pöhlker, Nina Ruckteschler, Hang Su, Yaqiang Wang, Qiaoqiao Wang, Zhibin Wang, Bettina Weber, Stefan Wolff, Paulo Artaxo, Ulrich Pöschl, Meinrat O. Andreae, and Christopher Pöhlker
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 10055-10088, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10055-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-10055-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This study presents multiple years of aerosol coarse mode observations at the remote ATTO site in the Amazon Basin. The results are discussed in light of the frequent and episodic long-range transport of Saharan dust plumes in the early wet season as well as the persistent background bioaerosol cycling in the rain forest ecosystem. This work provides a solid basis for future studies on the dynamic coarse mode aerosol cycling and its biogeochemical relevance in the Amazon.
Dorothea S. Macholdt, Christopher Pöhlker, Jan-David Förster, Maren Müller, Bettina Weber, Michael Kappl, A. L. David Kilcoyne, Markus Weigand, Klaus Peter Jochum, and Meinrat O. Andreae
Geosci. Instrum. Method. Data Syst. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-2018-20, https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-2018-20, 2018
Revised manuscript accepted for GI
Christopher Pöhlker, David Walter, Hauke Paulsen, Tobias Könemann, Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero, Daniel Moran-Zuloaga, Joel Brito, Samara Carbone, Céline Degrendele, Viviane R. Després, Florian Ditas, Bruna A. Holanda, Johannes W. Kaiser, Gerhard Lammel, Jošt V. Lavrič, Jing Ming, Daniel Pickersgill, Mira L. Pöhlker, Maria Praß, Nina Ruckteschler, Jorge Saturno, Matthias Sörgel, Qiaoqiao Wang, Bettina Weber, Stefan Wolff, Paulo Artaxo, Ulrich Pöschl, and Meinrat O. Andreae
Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-323, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2018-323, 2018
Revised manuscript under review for ACP
Short summary
Short summary
The Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO) has been established to monitor the rain forest's biosphere-atmosphere exchange, which experiences the combined pressures from man-made deforestation and progressing climate change. This work is meant to be a reference study, which characterizes various geospatial properties of the ATTO footprint region and shows how the man-made transformation of Amazonia may impact future atmospheric observations at ATTO.
Jennifer Caesar, Alexandra Tamm, Nina Ruckteschler, Anna Lena Leifke, and Bettina Weber
Biogeosciences, 15, 1415-1424, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1415-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1415-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
In our study we analyzed the efficiency of different chlorophyll extraction solvents and investigated the effect of different preparatory steps to determine the optimal extraction method for biological soil crusts. Based on our results we confirm a DMSO-based chlorophyll extraction method without grinding pretreatment and suggest to insert an intermediate shaking step for complete chlorophyll extraction.
Hannah Meusel, Alexandra Tamm, Uwe Kuhn, Dianming Wu, Anna Lena Leifke, Sabine Fiedler, Nina Ruckteschler, Petya Yordanova, Naama Lang-Yona, Mira Pöhlker, Jos Lelieveld, Thorsten Hoffmann, Ulrich Pöschl, Hang Su, Bettina Weber, and Yafang Cheng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 799-813, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-799-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-799-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The photolysis of nitrous acid (HONO) forms the OH radical. However, not all sources are known. Recent studies showed that HONO can be emitted from soil but they did not evaluate the importance to the HONO budget. In this work HONO emissions from 43 soil and biological soil crust samples from Cyprus were measured in a dynamic chamber and extrapolated to the real atmosphere. A large fraction of the local missing source (published earlier; Meusel et al., 2016) could be assigned to soil emissions.
Ramchandra Karki, Shabeh ul Hasson, Lars Gerlitz, Udo Schickhoff, Thomas Scholten, and Jürgen Böhner
Earth Syst. Dynam., 8, 507-528, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-507-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-8-507-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Dynamical downscaling of climate fields at very high resolutions (convection- and topography-resolving scales) over the complex Himalayan terrain of the Nepalese Himalayas shows promising results. It clearly demonstrates the potential of mesoscale models to accurately simulate present and future climate information at very high resolutions over remote, data-scarce mountainous regions for the development of adaptation strategies and impact assessments in the context of changing climate.
Philipp Porada, Ulrich Pöschl, Axel Kleidon, Christian Beer, and Bettina Weber
Biogeosciences, 14, 1593-1602, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1593-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1593-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Lichens and bryophytes have been shown to release nitrous oxide, which is a strong greenhouse gas and atmospheric ozone-depleting agent. Here we apply a process-based computer model of lichens and bryophytes at the global scale, to estimate growth and respiration of the organisms. By relating respiration to nitrous oxide release, we simulate global nitrous oxide emissions of 0.27 (0.19–0.35) Tg yr−1. Moreover, we quantify different sources of uncertainty in nitrous oxide emission rates.
Hannah Meusel, Uwe Kuhn, Andreas Reiffs, Chinmay Mallik, Hartwig Harder, Monica Martinez, Jan Schuladen, Birger Bohn, Uwe Parchatka, John N. Crowley, Horst Fischer, Laura Tomsche, Anna Novelli, Thorsten Hoffmann, Ruud H. H. Janssen, Oscar Hartogensis, Michael Pikridas, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Efstratios Bourtsoukidis, Bettina Weber, Jos Lelieveld, Jonathan Williams, Ulrich Pöschl, Yafang Cheng, and Hang Su
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 16, 14475-14493, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14475-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-16-14475-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
There are many studies which show discrepancies between modeled and measured nitrous acid (HONO, precursor of OH radical) in the troposphere but with no satisfactory explanation. Ideal conditions to study the unknown sources of HONO were found on Cyprus, a remote Mediterranean island. Budget analysis of trace gas measurements indicates a common source of NO and HONO, which is not related to anthropogenic activity and is most likely derived from biologic activity in soils and subsequent emission.
S. Seitz, P. Goebes, Z. Song, H. Bruelheide, W. Härdtle, P. Kühn, Y. Li, and T. Scholten
SOIL, 2, 49-61, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-49-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-49-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Different tree species affect interrill erosion, but a higher tree species richness does not mitigate soil losses in young subtropical forest stands. Different tree morphologies and tree traits (e.g. crown cover or tree height) have to be considered when assessing erosion in forest ecosystems. If a leaf litter cover is not present, the remaining soil surface cover by stones and biological soil crusts is the most important driver for soil erosion control.
M. O. Andreae, O. C. Acevedo, A. Araùjo, P. Artaxo, C. G. G. Barbosa, H. M. J. Barbosa, J. Brito, S. Carbone, X. Chi, B. B. L. Cintra, N. F. da Silva, N. L. Dias, C. Q. Dias-Júnior, F. Ditas, R. Ditz, A. F. L. Godoi, R. H. M. Godoi, M. Heimann, T. Hoffmann, J. Kesselmeier, T. Könemann, M. L. Krüger, J. V. Lavric, A. O. Manzi, A. P. Lopes, D. L. Martins, E. F. Mikhailov, D. Moran-Zuloaga, B. W. Nelson, A. C. Nölscher, D. Santos Nogueira, M. T. F. Piedade, C. Pöhlker, U. Pöschl, C. A. Quesada, L. V. Rizzo, C.-U. Ro, N. Ruckteschler, L. D. A. Sá, M. de Oliveira Sá, C. B. Sales, R. M. N. dos Santos, J. Saturno, J. Schöngart, M. Sörgel, C. M. de Souza, R. A. F. de Souza, H. Su, N. Targhetta, J. Tóta, I. Trebs, S. Trumbore, A. van Eijck, D. Walter, Z. Wang, B. Weber, J. Williams, J. Winderlich, F. Wittmann, S. Wolff, and A. M. Yáñez-Serrano
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 15, 10723-10776, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10723-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-15-10723-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This paper describes the Amazon Tall Tower Observatory (ATTO), a new atmosphere-biosphere observatory located in the remote Amazon Basin. It presents results from ecosystem ecology, meteorology, trace gas, and aerosol measurements collected at the ATTO site during the first 3 years of operation.
U. Schickhoff, M. Bobrowski, J. Böhner, B. Bürzle, R. P. Chaudhary, L. Gerlitz, H. Heyken, J. Lange, M. Müller, T. Scholten, N. Schwab, and R. Wedegärtner
Earth Syst. Dynam., 6, 245-265, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-245-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-6-245-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
Near-natural Himalayan treelines are usually krummholz treelines, which are relatively unresponsive to climate change. Intense recruitment of treeline trees suggests a great potential for future treeline advance. Competitive abilities of tree seedlings within krummholz thickets and dwarf scrub heaths will be a major source of variation in treeline dynamics. Tree growth-climate relationships show mature treeline trees to be responsive in particular to high pre-monsoon temperature trends.
H. D. Zhang, D. S. Yu, Y. L. Ni, L. M. Zhang, and X. Z. Shi
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmdd-8-2653-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmdd-8-2653-2015, 2015
Revised manuscript not accepted
Short summary
Short summary
Matching soil grid unit resolution with polygon unit map scale is important to minimize uncertainty of regional soil organic carbon (SOC) pool simulation by DeNitrification–DeComposition (DNDC) process-based model as their strong influences on the uncertainty. A series of soil grid units at varying cell sizes were derived from soil polygon units. Both format soil units were used for regional SOC pool simulation with DNDC model, to determine an optimal raster resolution of grid simulation units.
A.-K. Schatz, T. Scholten, and P. Kühn
Clim. Past Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-10-469-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/cpd-10-469-2014, 2014
Revised manuscript not accepted
Related subject area
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: Terrestrial
Varying relationships between fire radiative power and fire size at a global scale
Ecosystem responses to elevated CO2 using airborne remote sensing at Mammoth Mountain, California
Ideas and perspectives: Tree–atmosphere interaction responds to water-related stem variations
Life cycle of bamboo in the southwestern Amazon and its relation to fire events
Contrasting biosphere responses to hydrometeorological extremes: revisiting the 2010 western Russian heatwave
Long-term dynamics of monoterpene synthase activities, monoterpene storage pools and emissions in boreal Scots pine
The impacts of recent drought on fire, forest loss, and regional smoke emissions in lowland Bolivia
Algal richness in BSCs in forests under different management intensity with some implications for P cycling
The strategies of water–carbon regulation of plants in a subtropical primary forest on karst soils in China
Fungal loop transfer of nitrogen depends on biocrust constituents and nitrogen form
Estimating aboveground carbon density and its uncertainty in Borneo's structurally complex tropical forests using airborne laser scanning
Technical note: Rapid image-based field methods improve the quantification of termite mound structures and greenhouse-gas fluxes
Thermal acclimation of leaf photosynthetic traits in an evergreen woodland, consistent with the coordination hypothesis
Canopy area of large trees explains aboveground biomass variations across neotropical forest landscapes
Gap-filling a spatially explicit plant trait database: comparing imputation methods and different levels of environmental information
Wet season cyanobacterial N enrichment highly correlated with species richness and Nostoc in the northern Australian savannah
Species composition and forest structure explain the temperature sensitivity patterns of productivity in temperate forests
Climate effects on vegetation vitality at the treeline of boreal forests of Mongolia
Fire intensity impacts on post-fire temperate coniferous forest net primary productivity
Effects of storage temperature on the physiological characteristics and vegetative propagation of desiccation-tolerant mosses
Annual net primary productivity of a cyanobacteria-dominated biological soil crust in the Gulf Savannah, Queensland, Australia
Technical note: Application of geophysical tools for tree root studies in forest ecosystems in complex soils
Parallel functional and stoichiometric trait shifts in South American and African forest communities with elevation
Ecophysiological modeling of photosynthesis and carbon allocation to the tree stem in the boreal forest
Global consequences of afforestation and bioenergy cultivation on ecosystem service indicators
Detecting impacts of extreme events with ecological in situ monitoring networks
Initial shifts in nitrogen impact on ecosystem carbon fluxes in an alpine meadow: patterns and causes
Accumulation of soil organic C and N in planted forests fostered by tree species mixture
Net ecosystem carbon exchange of a dry temperate eucalypt forest
Growth responses of trees and understory plants to nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical forest in China
On the challenges of using field spectroscopy to measure the impact of soil type on leaf traits
Patterns in woody vegetation structure across African savannas
Geological nature of mineral licks and the reasons for geophagy among animals
Effects of long-term mowing on the fractions and chemical composition of soil organic matter in a semiarid grassland
The European forest sector: past and future carbon budget and fluxes under different management scenarios
Detecting climatically driven phylogenetic and morphological divergence among spruce (Picea) species worldwide
Carbon stocks and dynamics at different successional stages in an Afromontane tropical forest
Separating overstory and understory leaf area indices for global needleleaf and deciduous broadleaf forests by fusion of MODIS and MISR data
Remote sensing of plant trait responses to field-based plant–soil feedback using UAV-based optical sensors
Environmental conditions for alternative tree-cover states in high latitudes
Environmental control of natural gap size distribution in tropical forests
Water availability limits tree productivity, carbon stocks, and carbon residence time in mature forests across the western US
Species-specific temporal variation in photosynthesis as a moderator of peatland carbon sequestration
Tree–grass phenology information improves light use efficiency modelling of gross primary productivity for an Australian tropical savanna
Transcriptional activities of methanogens and methanotrophs vary with methane emission flux in rice soils under chronic nutrient constraints of phosphorus and potassium
Reviews and syntheses: Australian vegetation phenology: new insights from satellite remote sensing and digital repeat photography
Degradation of net primary production in a semiarid rangeland
Stand structural diversity rather than species diversity enhances aboveground carbon storage in secondary subtropical forests in Eastern China
Analysing the uncertainty of estimating forest carbon stocks in China
Contribution of previous year's leaf N and soil N uptake to current year's leaf growth in sessile oak
Pierre Laurent, Florent Mouillot, Maria Vanesa Moreno, Chao Yue, and Philippe Ciais
Biogeosciences, 16, 275-288, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-275-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-275-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Fire propagation and fire size are usually considered to be proportional to fire intensity. We used a global database of fire patch size and fire radiative power, used as a proxy of fire intensity, to test this relationship at a global scale. We showed that in some regions fire size tends to saturate when a regional fire intensity threshold is reached. We concluded that increasing landscape fragmentation limits fire propagation and this effect should be accounted for in global fire modules.
Kerry Cawse-Nicholson, Joshua B. Fisher, Caroline A. Famiglietti, Amy Braverman, Florian M. Schwandner, Jennifer L. Lewicki, Philip A. Townsend, David S. Schimel, Ryan Pavlick, Kathryn J. Bormann, Antonio Ferraz, Emily L. Kang, Pulong Ma, Robert R. Bogue, Thomas Youmans, and David C. Pieri
Biogeosciences, 15, 7403-7418, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7403-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7403-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon dioxide levels are rising globally, and it is important to understand how this rise will affect plants over long time periods. Volcanoes such as Mammoth Mountain, California, have been releasing CO2 from their flanks for decades, and this provides a test environment in order to study the way plants respond to long-term CO2 exposure. We combined several airborne measurements to show that plants may have fewer, more productive leaves in areas with increasing CO2.
Tim van Emmerik, Susan Steele-Dunne, Pierre Gentine, Rafael S. Oliveira, Paulo Bittencourt, Fernanda Barros, and Nick van de Giesen
Biogeosciences, 15, 6439-6449, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6439-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6439-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Trees are very important for the water and carbon cycles. Climate and weather models often assume constant vegetation parameters because good measurements are missing. We used affordable accelerometers to measure tree sway of 19 trees in the Amazon rainforest. We show that trees respond very differently to the same weather conditions, which means that vegetation parameters are dynamic. With our measurements trees can be accounted for more realistically, improving climate and weather models.
Ricardo Dalagnol, Fabien Hubert Wagner, Lênio Soares Galvão, Bruce Walker Nelson, and Luiz Eduardo Oliveira e Cruz de Aragão
Biogeosciences, 15, 6087-6104, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6087-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6087-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We used a time series of MODIS (MAIAC) satellite images from 2000 to 2017 to map the distribution of bamboo-dominated forests in the southwest Amazon and detect when the bamboo populations are suffering massive die-offs. The aim was to test if bamboo die-off is associated with higher fire probability, which could impact other plant species while promoting bamboo dominance. Our findings show 15.5 million ha of bamboo forests which are not directly associated with fire, except in drought years.
Milan Flach, Sebastian Sippel, Fabian Gans, Ana Bastos, Alexander Brenning, Markus Reichstein, and Miguel D. Mahecha
Biogeosciences, 15, 6067-6085, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6067-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6067-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Northern forests enhanced their productivity during and before the 2010 Russian mega heatwave. We scrutinize this issue with a novel type of multivariate extreme event detection approach. Forests compensate for 54 % of the carbon losses in agricultural ecosystems due to vulnerable conditions in spring and better water management in summer. The findings highlight the importance of forests in mitigating climate change, while not alleviating the consequences of extreme events for food security.
Anni Vanhatalo, Andrea Ghirardo, Eija Juurola, Jörg-Peter Schnitzler, Ina Zimmer, Heidi Hellén, Hannele Hakola, and Jaana Bäck
Biogeosciences, 15, 5047-5060, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5047-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5047-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We analysed the relationships between Scots pine needle monoterpene synthase activities, monoterpene storage pools and emissions of needles. The results showed changes in the monoterpene synthase activity of needles, linked to seasonality and needle ontogenesis, while the pool did not change considerably as a function of needle aging. Monoterpene emissions did not correlate with synthase activity or storage pool size. Additionally, we observed notably high plant-to-plant variation.
Joshua P. Heyer, Mitchell J. Power, Robert D. Field, and Margreet J. E. van Marle
Biogeosciences, 15, 4317-4331, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4317-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4317-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
A variety of data were explored to better understand relationships among climate, fire, smoke emissions, and human land use in lowland Bolivia. Paleosedimentary work and modern fire records have linked drought to fire in the southern Amazon. From 2000 to 2015, our results indicate drought was the dominant control on wildfire in lowland Bolivia and in Noel Kempff Mercado National Park. Note that fire was most common in the Cerrado and seasonally inundated wetland biomes.
Karin Glaser, Karen Baumann, Peter Leinweber, Tatiana Mikhailyuk, and Ulf Karsten
Biogeosciences, 15, 4181-4192, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4181-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4181-2018, 2018
Jing Wang, Xuefa Wen, Xinyu Zhang, and Shenggong Li
Biogeosciences, 15, 4193-4203, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4193-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4193-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The different contributions of gs, gm, and Vcmax to A indicated that plants utilized diverse trade-offs between CO2 supply and demand to maintain relatively high A. The iWUE was relatively low, but ranged widely, indicating that plants used a "profligate/opportunistic" water use strategy to maintain their survival, growth, and the structure of the community. These findings highlight the importance of covariation of gs, gm, and Vcmax for the adaptation of plants to the harsh karst environment.
Zachary T. Aanderud, Trevor B. Smart, Nan Wu, Alexander S. Taylor, Yuanming Zhang, and Jayne Belnap
Biogeosciences, 15, 3831-3840, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3831-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3831-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Besides performing multiple ecosystem services individually and collectively, biocrust constituents may also create biological networks connecting spatially and temporally distinct processes. We found evidence of fungal loops within biocrusts but only in cyanobacteria-dominated crusts for the inorganic N form NH4+. Combined with our sequencing effort, our findings suggest that even localized, minor rainfall events may allow dark septate Pleosporales to rapidly translocate N within biocrusts.
Tommaso Jucker, Gregory P. Asner, Michele Dalponte, Philip G. Brodrick, Christopher D. Philipson, Nicholas R. Vaughn, Yit Arn Teh, Craig Brelsford, David F. R. P. Burslem, Nicolas J. Deere, Robert M. Ewers, Jakub Kvasnica, Simon L. Lewis, Yadvinder Malhi, Sol Milne, Reuben Nilus, Marion Pfeifer, Oliver L. Phillips, Lan Qie, Nathan Renneboog, Glen Reynolds, Terhi Riutta, Matthew J. Struebig, Martin Svátek, Edgar C. Turner, and David A. Coomes
Biogeosciences, 15, 3811-3830, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3811-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3811-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Efforts to protect tropical forests hinge on recognizing the ecosystem services they provide, including their ability to store carbon. Airborne laser scanning (ALS) captures information on the 3-D structure of forests, allowing carbon stocks to be mapped. By combining ALS with data from 173 field plots on the island of Borneo, we develop a simple yet general model for estimating forest carbon stocks from the air. Our model underpins ongoing efforts to restore Borneo's unique tropical forests.
Philipp A. Nauer, Eleonora Chiri, David de Souza, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Stefan K. Arndt
Biogeosciences, 15, 3731-3742, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3731-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3731-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Termites perform important biogeochemical processes in tropical ecosystems, but the complex structure of their mounds impede an accurate quantitative description. We present two novel low-cost field methods, based on photogrammetry and image analysis, to quantify the volume, surface area and porosities of termite mounds. The methods are accurate, rapid to apply and superior to traditional methods, and thus improve biogeochemical rate estimates such as greenhouse-gas fluxes from termite mounds.
Henrique Fürstenau Togashi, Iain Colin Prentice, Owen K. Atkin, Craig Macfarlane, Suzanne M. Prober, Keith J. Bloomfield, and Bradley John Evans
Biogeosciences, 15, 3461-3474, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3461-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3461-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Ecosystem models commonly assume that photosynthetic traits, such as carboxylation capacity measured at a standard temperature, are constant in time and therefore do not acclimate. Optimality hypotheses suggest this assumption may be incorrect. We investigated acclimation by carrying out measurements on woody species during distinct seasons in Western Australia. Our study shows evidence that carboxylation capacity should acclimate so that it increases somewhat with growth temperature.
Victoria Meyer, Sassan Saatchi, David B. Clark, Michael Keller, Grégoire Vincent, António Ferraz, Fernando Espírito-Santo, Marcus V. N. d'Oliveira, Dahlia Kaki, and Jérôme Chave
Biogeosciences, 15, 3377-3390, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3377-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3377-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This study shows how a simple lidar-derived metric measuring the area covered by large trees (> 27 m) can explain biomass variations across the Neotropics. The importance of this metric is in its relevance to the structural and ecological characteristics of large trees and their unique contribution in determining the biomass of forests. Our results point toward simplified ground data collection and potential algorithms for future space missions focusing on biomass estimation.
Rafael Poyatos, Oliver Sus, Llorenç Badiella, Maurizio Mencuccini, and Jordi Martínez-Vilalta
Biogeosciences, 15, 2601-2617, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2601-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2601-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Plant traits are characteristics of plants that are easy to measure and that show how plants function. Values of these traits for many species and locations worldwide are available in trait databases, but these are often incomplete. Here we use different statistical methods to fill the gaps in a trait database of Mediterranean and temperate tree species. Combining traits and environmental information provides more plausible gap-filled databases and preserves the observed trait variability.
Wendy Williams, Burkhard Büdel, and Stephen Williams
Biogeosciences, 15, 2149-2159, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2149-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-2149-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
The northern Australian savannah grasslands encompass 1.5 million square kilometres, where naturally occurring cyanobacteria cover the soil surface. During the wet season, photosynthetic cyanobacteria continually absorb nitrogen from the air and produce a nutrient-rich slime. This bioactive slime formed a protective biofilm on the soil in-between grass plants and provided nitrogen in a plant-available form. Cyanobacterial species richness increased biofertilisation and boosted soil fertility.
Friedrich J. Bohn, Felix May, and Andreas Huth
Biogeosciences, 15, 1795-1813, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1795-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1795-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Rising temperature affect the wood production of forests. However, in some cases, we observe positive and in others negative changes. In this study, we used a new simulation approach to generate ~ 400 000 forest stands, which cover various types of temperate forests (low to high divers; young to old; even aged to uneven aged). We treated each forest with different temperature scenarios and analysed, which forest characteristics triggered the different reaction of forest to temperature change.
Michael Klinge, Choimaa Dulamsuren, Stefan Erasmi, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, and Markus Hauck
Biogeosciences, 15, 1319-1333, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1319-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1319-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Treelines are one of the most obvious borders between vegetation units and can easily be detected by remote sensing. They provide information on climate conditions and human impact on forest distribution. Performing a GIS analysis by combining different datasets leads to detection of the major determining factors for current forest distribution and helps to evaluate past and future conditions for tree growth. This is especially feasible for regions without extensive forest management.
Aaron M. Sparks, Crystal A. Kolden, Alistair M. S. Smith, Luigi Boschetti, Daniel M. Johnson, and Mark A. Cochrane
Biogeosciences, 15, 1173-1183, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1173-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1173-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Through landscape-scale satellite observations we demonstrate that fire intensity has a dose–response relationship with temperate forest net primary productivity. Increasing fire intensity resulted in persisting step-wise reductions in post-fire net primary productivity. Forests with higher proportions of fire-resistant species generally had lower reductions in post-fire net primary productivity. A conceptual framework for assessing spatiotemporal post-fire effects is presented.
Yuewei Guo and Yunge Zhao
Biogeosciences, 15, 797-808, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-797-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-797-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
This study is a preparatory work for inoculating artificial biological soil crusts (biocrusts). The response of the physiological characteristics and regenerative capacity of three mosses to storage temperatures were studied. Results showed that different temperature significantly influenced the physiological characteristics of the mosses, which caused alteration in their regenerative capacity. More focus should therefore be on the state of moss inocula when restoring biocrusts by inoculation.
Burkhard Büdel, Wendy J. Williams, and Hans Reichenberger
Biogeosciences, 15, 491-505, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-491-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-491-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
We report on the net primary productivity of a biological soil crust from the Boodjamulla NP, Queensland. Metabolic activity lasted from September 2010 to mid-April 2011, referring to 23.6 % of the total time of the year. The first months of activity had a respiratory loss of CO2. Of the metabolic active period, 48.6 % were photosynthesis and 51.4 % dark respiration. Carbon gain was 1.72 g m−2 yr−1. The gas exchange pattern was divided into metabolically inactive winter and active summer month.
Ulises Rodríguez-Robles, Tulio Arredondo, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, José Alfredo Ramos-Leal, and Enrico A. Yépez
Biogeosciences, 14, 5343-5357, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5343-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5343-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The approach we present has the potential to contribute to the understanding of several types of plant interactions such as coexistence, competition and niche extent. By combining geophysical exploration techniques GPR and ERT we provide experimental evidence of horizontal roots located under exfoliated rocks and in water reservoirs. We also study how the roots access water retained in the weathered rock during droughty periods and the implications for survival and coexistence of forest species.
Marijn Bauters, Hans Verbeeck, Miro Demol, Stijn Bruneel, Cys Taveirne, Dries Van der Heyden, Landry Cizungu, and Pascal Boeckx
Biogeosciences, 14, 5313-5321, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5313-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5313-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We assessed community-weighted functional canopy traits and indicative δ15N shifts along two new altitudinal transects in the tropical forest biome of both South America and Africa. We found that the functional forest composition and δ15N response along both transects was parallel, with a species shift towards more nitrogen-conservative species at higher elevations.
Fabio Gennaretti, Guillermo Gea-Izquierdo, Etienne Boucher, Frank Berninger, Dominique Arseneault, and Joel Guiot
Biogeosciences, 14, 4851-4866, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4851-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4851-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
A model–data fusion approach is used to study how boreal forests assimilate and allocate carbon depending on weather/climate conditions. First, we adapted the MAIDEN ecophysiological forest model to consider important processes for boreal tree species. We tested the modifications on black spruce gross primary production and ring width data. We show that MAIDEN is a powerful tool for understanding how environmental factors interact with tree ecophysiology to influence boreal forest carbon fluxes.
Andreas Krause, Thomas A. M. Pugh, Anita D. Bayer, Jonathan C. Doelman, Florian Humpenöder, Peter Anthoni, Stefan Olin, Benjamin L. Bodirsky, Alexander Popp, Elke Stehfest, and Almut Arneth
Biogeosciences, 14, 4829-4850, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4829-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4829-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Many climate change mitigation scenarios require negative emissions from land management. However, environmental side effects are often not considered. Here, we use projections of future land use from two land-use models as input to a vegetation model. We show that carbon removal via bioenergy production or forest maintenance and expansion affect a range of ecosystem functions. Largest impacts are found for crop production, nitrogen losses, and emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds.
Miguel D. Mahecha, Fabian Gans, Sebastian Sippel, Jonathan F. Donges, Thomas Kaminski, Stefan Metzger, Mirco Migliavacca, Dario Papale, Anja Rammig, and Jakob Zscheischler
Biogeosciences, 14, 4255-4277, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4255-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4255-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the likelihood of ecological in situ networks to detect and monitor the impact of extreme events in the terrestrial biosphere.
Bing Song, Jian Sun, Qingping Zhou, Ning Zong, Linghao Li, and Shuli Niu
Biogeosciences, 14, 3947-3956, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3947-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3947-2017, 2017
Yan Liu, Pifeng Lei, Wenhua Xiang, Wende Yan, and Xiaoyong Chen
Biogeosciences, 14, 3937-3945, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3937-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3937-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Here we investigate soil carbon and nitrogen stocks in pairwise mixed plantations and corresponding monocultures at different stand ages to assess the effects of admixture on soil carbon and nitrogen over time. Our results showed that the admixtures created age-dependent positive effects on carbon sequestration and soil nitrogen stock, indicating that the capacity of carbon sequestration and nitrogen retention in mixed forests was age related, as was the magnitude of admixing effects.
Nina Hinko-Najera, Peter Isaac, Jason Beringer, Eva van Gorsel, Cacilia Ewenz, Ian McHugh, Jean-François Exbrayat, Stephen J. Livesley, and Stefan K. Arndt
Biogeosciences, 14, 3781-3800, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3781-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3781-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We undertook a 3-year study (2010–2012) of eddy covariance measurements in a dry temperate eucalypt (broadleaf evergreen) forest in southeastern Australia. The forest was a large and constant carbon sink, with the greatest uptake in early spring and summer. A strong seasonal pattern in environmental controls of daytime and night-time NEE was revealed. Our results show the potential of temperate eucalypt forests to sequester large amounts of carbon when not water limited.
Di Tian, Peng Li, Wenjing Fang, Jun Xu, Yongkai Luo, Zhengbing Yan, Biao Zhu, Jingjing Wang, Xiaoniu Xu, and Jingyun Fang
Biogeosciences, 14, 3461-3469, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3461-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3461-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Previous studies have mainly focused on the effects of N deposition on tree growth in temperate and tropical forests, however, the responses of different trees and understory plants in subtropical forests to N deposition remain unknown. We conducted a 3.4-year experimentally simulated N enrichment and found that small trees were hindered while medium and large trees were not significantly affected by N fertilization. Additionally, the growth of understories was suppressed by N fertilization.
Matheus H. Nunes, Matthew P. Davey, and David A. Coomes
Biogeosciences, 14, 3371-3385, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3371-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3371-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
The paper investigates whether variability in leaf traits is greater between tree species or soil type and whether field spectroscopy is effective at predicting intraspecific variation in leaf traits as well as interspecific differences. The influences of species identity on traits were generally much stronger than within-species differences related to soil type. This study demonstrates the value of spectroscopy, but highlights problems with predicting within-species variation indirectly.
Christoffer R. Axelsson and Niall P. Hanan
Biogeosciences, 14, 3239-3252, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3239-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3239-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We used high-resolution satellite images to analyze woody vegetation (trees and shrubs) across African savannas. By delineating individual tree crowns we estimated the number of trees, sizes of crowns, and the spatial pattern of woody vegetation in the landscape. We find several interesting relationships for how vegetation properties (including the emergence of highly organized periodic vegetation patterns) are influenced by the local environment.
Alexander M. Panichev, Vladimir K. Popov, Igor Yu. Chekryzhov, Ivan V. Seryodkin, Alexander A. Sergievich, and Kirill S. Golokhvast
Biogeosciences, 14, 2767-2779, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2767-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2767-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We considers the reasons for geophagy in two regions of the eastern Sikhote-Alin volcanic belt and show that one of the types of rock consumed is kudur, a natural landscape complex. Through comparative analysis of the composition of the rocks and of animal excrement, we establish that the rocks are hydrothermally altered rhyolitic tuffs. The data suggest that the main reason for geophagy may be connected with the animals' urge to discard excessive and toxic concentrations of certain elements.
Jiangye Li, Qichun Zhang, Yong Li, Yimeng Liu, Jianming Xu, and Hongjie Di
Biogeosciences, 14, 2685-2696, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2685-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2685-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
(1) Solid state 13C-NMR is a powerful tool to study the nature of soil organic carbon. (2) Moderate mowing improved the stability of the grassland soil organic carbon pool. (3) Heavy mowing decreased the stability of the grassland soil organic carbon pool. (4) Mowing once a year is the most recommended practice in the semiarid grassland. (5) Mowing twice a year should be avoided for the long term in the semiarid grassland.
Roberto Pilli, Giacomo Grassi, Werner A. Kurz, Giulia Fiorese, and Alessandro Cescatti
Biogeosciences, 14, 2387-2405, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2387-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2387-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We modeled, for 26 European countries, the C budget and fluxes of the main forest pools from 2000 to 2030 under different management scenarios. Our findings show an incipient aging process for the existing forests, but specific conditions, such as the harvest rate and the current age structure, may have different impacts on the country-specific evolution of biomass stock. This provides a useful framework for more detailed analyses of the mitigation potential of the forest sector.
Guo-Hong Wang, He Li, Hai-Wei Zhao, and Wei-Kang Zhang
Biogeosciences, 14, 2307-2319, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2307-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-2307-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Spruces worldwide have been classified into groups based on morphological similarity and phylogenetic affinity. However, climatic influences on the divergence of spruces remain unknown. Using data from 3388 sites of spruces worldwide, we found that temperature parameters and precipitation parameters tended to be the main driving factors for the primary divergence of spruce phylogeny and morphology, respectively.
Brigitte Nyirambangutse, Etienne Zibera, Félicien K. Uwizeye, Donat Nsabimana, Elias Bizuru, Håkan Pleijel, Johan Uddling, and Göran Wallin
Biogeosciences, 14, 1285-1303, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1285-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1285-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We investigated the carbon (C) stock and net primary production (NPP) of early (ES) and late successional (LS) forest stands in a tropical montane forest (TMF) in Africa. The total C stock was 35% larger in LS compared to ES stands due to larger tree biomass, while NPP was similar. The results highlight the importance of accounting for disturbance regimes and differences in wood density and allometry between ES and LS tree species when quantifying C stock and sink strength of TMF.
Yang Liu, Ronggao Liu, Jan Pisek, and Jing M. Chen
Biogeosciences, 14, 1093-1110, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1093-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1093-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Forest overstory and understory layers differ in carbon and water cycle regimes and phenology, as well as ecosystem functions. In this paper, overstory and understory LAI values were estimated separately for global needleleaf and deciduous broadleaf forests. This work would help us better understand the seasonal patterns of forest structure, evaluate the ecosystem functions and improve the modeling of the forest carbon and water cycles.
Bob van der Meij, Lammert Kooistra, Juha Suomalainen, Janna M. Barel, and Gerlinde B. De Deyn
Biogeosciences, 14, 733-749, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-733-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-733-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Plant–soil feedback (PSF) is an important mechanism to explain plant performance in natural and agricultural systems but is hard to quantify in field experiments. We used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based optical sensors to test whether PSF effects on plant traits can be quantified remotely. We show that PSF effects in the field occur and alter several important plant traits that can be sensed remotely and quantified in a non-destructive way at high resolution using UAV-based optical sensors.
Beniamino Abis and Victor Brovkin
Biogeosciences, 14, 511-527, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-511-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-511-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We study the link between the boreal tree-cover fraction distribution and eight globally observed environmental factors. We find that they exert a strong control over the tree-cover distribution, generally uniquely determining its state. Furthermore, we show the location of areas with potentially alternative tree-cover states under the same environmental conditions. These areas represent transition zones with reduced resilience, where the forest can shift between different vegetation states.
Youven Goulamoussène, Caroline Bedeau, Laurent Descroix, Laurent Linguet, and Bruno Hérault
Biogeosciences, 14, 353-364, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-353-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-353-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Natural gap disturbances are the dominant form of forest regeneration and dynamics in tropical forests. We highlight strong links between gap size distribution and environment, primarily hydrological conditions and topography, with large gaps being more frequent on floodplains and in wind-exposed areas.
Logan T. Berner, Beverly E. Law, and Tara W. Hudiburg
Biogeosciences, 14, 365-378, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-365-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-365-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Much of the western US is projected to become warmer and drier over the coming century. We examined how tree productivity, biomass, and carbon residence time varied with average water availability across this region using field and satellite measurements. Each forest characteristic increased markedly with increasing water availability between the dry woodlands and temperate rain forests, underscoring that water availability is a key environmental constraint on forests in the region.
Aino Korrensalo, Pavel Alekseychik, Tomáš Hájek, Janne Rinne, Timo Vesala, Lauri Mehtätalo, Ivan Mammarella, and Eeva-Stiina Tuittila
Biogeosciences, 14, 257-269, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-257-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-257-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Photosynthetic parameters of peatland plant species were measured over one growing season in an ombrotrophic bog. Based on these measurements, ecosystem-level photosynthesis was calculated for the whole growing season and compared with an estimate derived from micrometeorological measurements. These two estimates corresponded well. Species with low areal cover at the site but high photosynthetic efficiency appeared to be potentially important for the ecosystem-level carbon balance.
Caitlin E. Moore, Jason Beringer, Bradley Evans, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Nigel J. Tapper
Biogeosciences, 14, 111-129, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-111-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-111-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Separating tree and grass productivity dynamics in savanna ecosystems is vital for understanding how they function over time. We showed how tree-grass phenology information can improve model estimates of gross primary productivity in an Australian tropical savanna. Our findings will contribute towards improved modelling of productivity in savannas, which will assist with their management into the future.
Rong Sheng, Anlei Chen, Miaomiao Zhang, Andrew S. Whiteley, Deepak Kumaresan, and Wenxue Wei
Biogeosciences, 13, 6507-6518, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6507-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6507-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Whilst previous studies have focused on the impact of nitrogen on microbe-mediated methane flux, little is known about the role of phosphorus and potassium. Here, we report that P-deficiency-induced changes in soil properties and plant growth state reduced CH4 flux from paddy soil, which was closely correlated with the abundance and community structures of active methanogens and methanotrophs. These results can benefit the effective nutrient management of paddy fields to reduce methane emission.
Caitlin E. Moore, Tim Brown, Trevor F. Keenan, Remko A. Duursma, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Jason Beringer, Darius Culvenor, Bradley Evans, Alfredo Huete, Lindsay B. Hutley, Stefan Maier, Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Oliver Sonnentag, Alison Specht, Jeffrey R. Taylor, Eva van Gorsel, and Michael J. Liddell
Biogeosciences, 13, 5085-5102, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5085-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5085-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Australian vegetation phenology is highly variable due to the diversity of ecosystems on the continent. We explore continental-scale variability using satellite remote sensing by broadly classifying areas as seasonal, non-seasonal, or irregularly seasonal. We also examine ecosystem-scale phenology using phenocams and show that some broadly non-seasonal ecosystems do display phenological variability. Overall, phenocams are useful for understanding ecosystem-scale Australian vegetation phenology.
Hasan Jackson and Stephen D. Prince
Biogeosciences, 13, 4721-4734, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4721-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4721-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Anthropogenic land degradation affects many terrestrial processes, including reductions of net primary productivity. This study identifies degradation through spatial comparison of areas with similar growth potentials in six semiarid river basins in Australia using satellite data from 2000 to 2013. Varying severities and rates of degradation were detected across the basins, most linked to indirect management. Evidence of permanent degradation was found despite an overall trend of greening.
Arshad Ali, En-Rong Yan, Han Y. H. Chen, Scott X. Chang, Yan-Tao Zhao, Xiao-Dong Yang, and Ming-Shan Xu
Biogeosciences, 13, 4627-4635, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4627-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4627-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Stand age demonstrated strong positive total effects, including a positive direct effect (β = 0.41), and a positive indirect effect via stand structural diversity (β = 0.41) on aboveground carbon (C) storage. Stand structural diversity had a positive direct effect on aboveground C storage (β = 0.56), whereas there was little total effect of species diversity as it had a negative direct association with, but had a positive indirect effect, via stand structural diversity, on aboveground C storage.
Tian Xiang Yue, Yi Fu Wang, Zheng Ping Du, Ming Wei Zhao, Li Li Zhang, Na Zhao, Ming Lu, Guy R. Larocque, and John P. Wilson
Biogeosciences, 13, 3991-4004, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3991-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3991-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The fusion of ground-based forest inventory data with satellite observations achieved with HASM-S provided much more accurate estimates of forest carbon stocks, comparing with either the remote sensing descriptions or the forest inventory data. The HASM-S results show that the forest carbon stocks of China have increased by 2.24 Pg during the period 1984–2008 to a new high of 7.08 Pg C in 2008.
Stephane Bazot, Chantal Fresneau, Claire Damesin, and Laure Barthes
Biogeosciences, 13, 3475-3484, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3475-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3475-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
The origin of N which contributes to N reserves of trees in autumn and to the growth of new organs the following spring is currently poorly documented. The metabolism of various possible N sources (plant and soil) was characterized in sessile oaks. Results revealed that in autumn, roots’ N reserves were formed from foliage N and to a lesser extent from soil N. The following spring, N used for the synthesis of new leaves came first from stored N and thereafter from N uptake from soil.
Cited articles
Allen, C. D.: Biogeomorphology and biological soil crusts: a symbiotic research relationship, Geomorphologie, 16, 347–358, https://doi.org/10.4000/geomorphologie.8071, 2010.
Barnes, B. V. and Spurr, S. H.: Forest Ecology, 4th ed., Wiley, New York, 774 pp., 1998.
Beck, E., Hartig, K., Roos, K., Preußig, M., and Nebel, M.: Permanent removal of the forest: construction of roads and power supply lines, in: Gradients in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem of Ecuador, edited by: Beck, E., Ecological Studies, vol. 198, Springer, Berlin, 361–370, 2008.
Behrens, T., Schmidt, K., and Scholten, T.: An approach to removing uncertainities in nominal environmental covariates and soil class maps, in: Digital Soil Mapping with Limited Data, edited by: Hartemink, A. E., McBratney, A. B., Mendonça-Santos, Maria de Lourdes, Springer, Dordrecht, London, 213–224, 2008.
Belnap, J.: The potential roles of biological soil crusts in dryland hydrologic cycles, Hydrol. Process., 20, 3159–3178, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.6325, 2006.
Belnap, J. and Büdel, B.: Biological soil crusts as soil stabilizers, in: Biological Soil Crusts: an Organizing Principle in Drylands, edited by: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J., Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, vol. 226, Springer, Switzerland, 305–320, 2016.
Belnap, J. and Gillette, D. A.: Disturbance of biological soil crusts: impacts on potential wind erodibility of sandy desert soils in southeastern Utah, Land Degrad. Dev., 8, 355–362, https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-145X(199712)8:4<355::AID-LDR266>3.0.CO;2-H, 1997.
Belnap, J. and Lange, O. L. (Eds.): Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, Springer, Berlin, 503 pp., 2003.
Belnap, J., Kaltenecker, J. H., Rosentreter, R., Williams, J., Leonard, S., and Eldridge, D. J.: Biological Soil Crusts: Ecology and Management, Technical Reference, 1730-2, United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management, US Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management, Denver, Colorado, 2001.
Belnap, J., Büdel, B., and Lange, O. L.: Biological soil crusts: characteristics and distribution, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 3–30, 2003a.
Belnap, J., Prasse, R., and Harper, K. T.: Influence of biological soil crusts on soil environments and vascular plants, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 281–300, 2003b.
Berkeley, A., Thomas, A. D., and Dougill, A. J.: Cyanobacterial soil crusts and woody shrub canopies in Kalahari rangelands, Afr. J. Ecol., 43, 137–145, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2028.2005.00560.x, 2005.
Bischler-Causse, H.: Marchantia L.: The Asiatic and Oceanic Taxa, J. Cramer, Berlin, 317 pp., 1989.
Bormann, F. H., Likens, G. E., Fisher, D. W., and Pierce, R. S.: Nutrient loss accelerated by clear-cutting of a forest ecosystem, Science, 159, 882–884, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.159.3817.882, 1968.
Bowker, M. A.: Biological soil crust rehabilitation in theory and practice: an underexploited opportunity, Restor Ecol., 15, 13–23, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1526-100X.2006.00185.x, 2007.
Bowker, M. A., Reed, S. C., Belnap, J., and Phillips, S. L.: Temporal variation in community composition, pigmentation, and F(v)∕F(m) of desert cyanobacterial soil crusts, Microb. Ecol., 43, 13–25, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-001-1013-9, 2002.
Bowker, M. A., Belnap, J., Bala Chaudhary, V., and Johnson, N. C.: Revisiting classic water erosion models in drylands: The strong impact of biological soil crusts, Soil Biol. Biochem., 40, 2309–2316, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2008.05.008, 2008.
Bowker, M. A., Belnap, J., Büdel, B., Sannier, C., Pietrasiak, N., Eldridge, D. J., and Rivera-Aguilar, V.: Controls on distribution patterns of biological soil crusts at micro- to global scales, in: Biological Soil Crusts: an Organizing Principle in Drylands, edited by: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J., Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, vol. 226, Springer, Switzerland, 173–197, 2016.
Bruelheide, H., Nadrowski, K., Assmann, T., Bauhus, J., Both, S., Buscot, F., Chen, X.-Y., Ding, B., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Gutknecht, J. L. M., Guo, D., Guo, L.-D., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Klein, A.-M., Kühn, P., Liang, Y., Liu, X., Michalski, S., Niklaus, P. A., Pei, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Seidler, G., Trogisch, S., Oheimb, G. von, Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Yang, X., Yu, M., Zhang, S., Zhou, H., Fischer, M., Ma, K., Schmid, B., and Muller-Landau, H.: Designing forest biodiversity experiments: general considerations illustrated by a new large experiment in subtropical China, Methods Ecol. Evol., 5, 74–89, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12126, 2014.
Bu, C., Wu, S., Zhang, K., Yang, Y., and Gao, G.: Biological soil crusts: an eco-adaptive biological conservative mechanism and implications for ecological restoration, Plant Biosyst., 149, 364–373, https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2013.819820, 2013.
Bu, C., Wu, S., Han, F., Yang, Y., and Meng, J.: The combined effects of moss-dominated biocrusts and vegetation on erosion and soil moisture and implications for disturbance on the Loess Plateau, China, PloS one, 10, e0127394, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0127394, 2015.
Bu, C., Zhang, P., Wang, C., Yang, Y., Shao, H.-B., and Wu, S.: Spatial distribution of biological soil crusts on the slope of the Chinese Loess Plateau based on canonical correspondence analysis, CATENA, 137, 373–381, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2015.10.016, 2016.
Büdel, B.: Biological soil crusts of Asia including the Don and Volga Region, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 87–94, 2003.
Büdel, B.: Microorganisms of biological crusts on soil surfaces, in: Microorganisms in Soils: Roles in Genesis and Functions, edited by: Buscot, F., Varma, A., Springer, New York, 307–324, 2005.
Büdel, B., Darienko, T., Deutschewitz, K., Dojani, S., Friedl, T., Mohr, K. I., Salisch, M., Reisser, W., and Weber, B.: Southern African biological soil crusts are ubiquitous and highly diverse in drylands, being restricted by rainfall frequency, Microb. Ecol., 57, 229–247, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-008-9449-9, 2009.
Büdel, B., Colesie, C., Green, T. G. A., Grube, M., Lazaro Suau, R., Loewen-Schneider, K., Maier, S., Peer, T., Pintado, A., Raggio, J., Ruprecht, U., Sancho, L. G., Schroeter, B., Turk, R., Weber, B., Wedin, M., Westberg, M., Williams, L., and Zheng, L.: Improved appreciation of the functioning and importance of biological soil crusts in Europe: the Soil Crust International Project (SCIN), Biodivers. Conserv., 23, 1639–1658, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0645-2, 2014.
Buscot, F. and Varma, A. (eds.): Microorganisms in Soils: Roles in Genesis and Functions, Springer, New York, 2005.
Cantón, Y., Domingo, F., Solé-Benet, A., and Puigdefábregas, J.: Influence of soil-surface types on the overall runoff of the Tabernas badlands (south-east Spain): field data and model approaches, Hydrol. Process., 16, 2621–2643, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.1052, 2002.
Cantón, Y., Solé-Benet, A., Vente, J. de, Boix-Fayos, C., Calvo-Cases, A., Asensio, C., and Puigdefábregas, J.: A review of runoff generation and soil erosion across scales in semiarid south-eastern Spain, J. Arid Environ., 75, 1254–1261, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2011.03.004, 2011.
Chamizo, S., Cantón, Y., Rodríguez-Caballero, E., Domingo, F., and Escudero, A.: Runoff at contrasting scales in a semiarid ecosystem: A complex balance between biological soil crust features and rainfall characteristics, J. Hydrol., 452–453, 130–138, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.05.045, 2012.
Chamizo, S., Cantón, Y., Domingo, F., and Belnap, J.: Evaporative losses from soils covered by physical and different types of biological soil crusts, Hydrol. Process., 27, 324–332, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.8421, 2013.
Chamizo, S., Belnap, J., Eldridge, D. J., Cantón, Y., and Malam Issa, O.: The role of biocrusts in arid land hydrology, in: Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands, edited by: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J., Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, vol. 226, Springer, Switzerland, 321–346, 2016.
Chiquoine, L. P., Abella, S. R., and Bowker, M. A.: Rapidly restoring biological soil crusts and ecosystem functions in a severely disturbed desert ecosystem, Ecol. Appl., 26, 1260–1272, 2016.
Colesie, C., Felde, V. J. M., and Büdel, B.: Composition and macrostructure of biological soil crusts, in: Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands, edited by: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J., Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, vol. 226, Springer, Switzerland, 159–172, 2016.
Condon, L. A. and Pyke, D. A.: Filling the interspace-restoring arid land mosses: source populations, organic matter, and overwintering govern success, Ecol. Evol., 6, 7623–7632, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2448, 2016.
Dojani, S., Büdel, B., Deutschewitz, K., and Weber, B.: Rapid succession of Biological Soil Crusts after experimental disturbance in the Succulent Karoo, South Africa, Appl. Soil Ecol., 48, 263–269, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2011.04.013, 2011.
Drahorad, S., Steckenmesser, D., Felix-Henningsen, P., Lichner, Ĺ., and Rodný, M.: Ongoing succession of biological soil crusts increases water repellency – a case study on Arenosols in Sekule, Slovakia, Biologia, 68, 309, https://doi.org/10.2478/s11756-013-0247-6, 2013.
Eldridge, D. J.: Soil crust lichens and mosses on calcrete-dominant soils at Maralinga in arid South Australia, J. Adelaide Botanic Gardens, 18, 9–24, 1998.
Eldridge, D. J.: Distribution and floristics of moss- and lichen-dominated soil crusts in a patterned Callitris glaucophylla woodland in eastern Australia, Acta Oecol., 20, 159–170, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1146-609X(99)80029-0, 1999.
Eldridge, D. J. and Greene, R. S. B.: Assessment of sediment yield by splash erosion on a semi-arid soil with varying cryptogam cover, J. Arid Environ., 26, 221–232, https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.1994.1025, 1994.
Eldridge, D. J. and Tozer, M. E.: Environmental factors relating to the distribution of terricolous bryophytes and lichens in semi-arid eastern Australia, Bryologist, 100, 28, https://doi.org/10.2307/3244384, 1997.
Evans, R. D. and Johansen, J. R.: Microbiotic crusts and ecosystem processes, Crit. Rev. Plant Sci., 18, 183–225, https://doi.org/10.1080/07352689991309199, 1999.
Fenton, N. J. and Frego, K. A.: Bryophyte (moss and liverwort) conservation under remnant canopy in managed forests, Biol. Conserv., 122, 417–430, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2004.09.003, 2005.
Fischer, T., Gypser, S., Subbotina, M., and Veste, M.: Synergic hydraulic and nutritional feedback mechanisms control surface patchiness of biological soil crusts on tertiary sands at a post-mining site, J. Hydrol. Hydromech., 62, 293–302, https://doi.org/10.2478/johh-2014-0038, 2014.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 01: Sphagnaceae – Leucobryaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 273 pp., 1999.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 02: Fissidentaceae – Phytomitriaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 283 pp., 2001.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 06: Hookeriaceae – Thuidiaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 2002.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 03: Grimmiaceae – Tetraphidaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 141 pp., 2003.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 08: Sematophyllaceae – Polytrichaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 2005.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 04: Bryaceae – Timmiaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 211 pp., 2007.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 07: Amblystegiaceae – Plagiotheciaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 258 pp., 2008.
Gao, C., Crosby, M. R., and He, S.: Moss flora of China: Volume 05: Erpodiaceae – Climaciaceae, English Version, Science Press and Missouri Botanical Garden, Beijing, St. Louis, 2011.
Garcia-Pichel, F. and Belnap, J.: Small-scale environments and distribution of biological soil crusts, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 193–201, 2003.
George, D. B., Davidson, D. W., Schliep, K. C., and Patrell-Kim, L. J.: Microtopography of microbiotic crusts on the Colorado Plateau, and distribution of component organisms, West. N. Am. Naturalist, 60, 343–354, 2000.
Gilliam, F. S.: The ecological significance of the herbaceous layer in temperate forest ecosystems, BioScience, 57, 845, https://doi.org/10.1641/B571007, 2007.
Goebes, P., Seitz, S., Geißler, C., Lassu, T., Peters, P., Seeger, M., Nadrowski, K., and Scholten, T.: Momentum or kinetic energy – How do substrate properties influence the calculation of rainfall erosivity?, J. Hydrol., 517, 310–316, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.05.031, 2014.
Goebes, P., Seitz, S., Kühn, P., Li, Y., Niklaus, P. A., Oheimb, G. von, and Scholten, T.: Throughfall kinetic energy in young subtropical forests: Investigation on tree species richness effects and spatial variability, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 213, 148–159, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2015.06.019, 2015.
Goffinet, B. and Shaw, A. J.: Bryophyte Biology, 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, Chapt. XIV, p. 565, 2009.
Harper, K. T. and Belnap, J.: The influence of biological soil crusts on mineral uptake by associated vascular plants, J. Arid Environ., 47, 347–357, https://doi.org/10.1006/jare.2000.0713, 2001.
Hawkes, C. V.: Effects of biological soil crusts on seed germination of four endangered herbs in a xeric Florida shrubland during drought, Plant Ecol., 170, 121–134, https://doi.org/10.1023/B:VEGE.0000019035.56245.91, 2004.
Hothorn, T. and Hornik, K.: exactRankTests: Exact Distributions for Rank and Permutation Tests, 2015.
Keenan, R. J. and Kimmins, J. P.: The ecological effects of clear-cutting, Environ. Rev., 1, 121–144, https://doi.org/10.1139/a93-010, 1993.
Kidron, G. J.: The impact of microbial crust upon rainfall–runoff-sediment yield relationships on longitudinal dune slopes, Nizzana, western Negev Dessert, Israel, PhD Thesis, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 1995.
Kidron, G. J., Vonshak, A., and Abeliovich, A.: Microbiotic crusts as biomarkers for surface stability and wetness duration in the Negev Desert, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 34, 1594–1604, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.1843, 2009.
Kidron, G. J., Yaalon, D. H., and Vonshak, A.: Two causes for runoff initiation on microbiotic crusts: hydrophobicity and pore clogging, Soil Sci., 164, 18–27, https://doi.org/10.1097/00010694-199901000-00004, 1999.
Kleiner, E. F. and Harper, K. T.: Soil properties in relation to cryptogamic groundcover in Canyonlands National Park, J. Range Manage. Archives, 30, 202–205, 1977.
Kutiel, P., Lavee, H., and Ackermann, O.: Spatial distribution of soil surface coverage on north and south facing hillslopes along a Mediterranean to extreme arid climatic gradient, Geomorphology, 23, 245–256, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-555X(98)00007-5, 1998.
Kuznetsova, A., Brockhoff, P. B., and Christensen, R. H.: lmerTest: Tests in Linear Mixed Effects Models, 2014.
Langhans, T. M., Storm, C., and Schwabe, A.: Biological soil crusts and their microenvironment: Impact on emergence, survival and establishment of seedlings, flora – morphology, distribution, Funct. Ecol. Plants, 204, 157–168, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2008.01.001, 2009.
Li, Y., Härdtle, W., Bruelheide, H., Nadrowski, K., Scholten, T., von Wehrden, H., and Oheimb, G. von: Site and neighborhood effects on growth of tree saplings in subtropical plantations (China), Forest Ecol. Manag., 327, 118–127, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.04.039, 2014.
Maestre, F. T., Bowker, M. A., Cantón, Y., Castillo-Monroy, A. P., Cortina, J., Escolar, C., Escudero, A., Lazaro Suau, R., and Martínez, I.: Ecology and functional roles of biological soil crusts in semi-arid ecosystems of Spain, J. Arid Environ., 75, 1282–1291, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2010.12.008, 2011.
Malam Issa, O., Trichet, J., Défarge, C., Couté, A., and Valentin, C.: Morphology and microstructure of microbiotic soil crusts on a tiger bush sequence (Niger, Sahel), CATENA, 37, 175–196, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0341-8162(99)00052-1, 1999.
Malam Issa, O., Le Bissonnais, Y., Défarge, C., and Trichet, J.: Role of a cyanobacterial cover on structural stability of sandy soils in the Sahelian part of western Niger, Geoderma, 101, 15–30, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-7061(00)00093-8, 2001.
Malam Issa, O., Défarge, C., Le Bissonnais, Y., Marin, B., Duval, O., Bruand, A., D'Acqui, L. P., Nordenberg, S., and Annerman, M.: Effects of the inoculation of cyanobacteria on the microstructure and the structural stability of a tropical soil, Plant Soil, 290, 209–219, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-006-9153-9, 2007.
Marsh, J., Nouvet, S., Sanborn, P., and Coxson, D.: Composition and function of biological soil crust communities along topographic gradients in grasslands of central interior British Columbia (Chilcotin) and southwestern Yukon (Kluane), Can. J. Bot., 84, 717–736, https://doi.org/10.1139/b06-026, 2006.
Müller, S. J., Gütle, D. D., Jacquot, J.-P., and Reski, R.: Can mosses serve as model organisms for forest research?, Ann. For. Sci., 73, 135–146, https://doi.org/10.1007/s13595-015-0468-7, 2016.
Ponzetti, J. M. and McCune, B. P.: Biotic soil crusts of Oregon's Shrub Steppe: community composition in relation to soil chemistry, climate, and livestock activity, Bryologist, 104, 212–225, https://doi.org/10.1639/0007-2745(2001)104[0212:BSCOOS]2.0.CO;2, 2001.
Pribyl, D. W.: A critical review of the conventional SOC to SOM conversion factor, Geoderma, 156, 75–83, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2010.02.003, 2010.
R Core Team: R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, 2014.
Read, C. F., Duncan, D. H., Vesk, P. A., and Elith, J.: Surprisingly fast recovery of biological soil crusts following livestock removal in southern Australia, J. Veg. Sci., 22, 905–916, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2011.01296.x, 2011.
Read, C. F., Elith, J., Vesk, P. A., and Pugnaire, F.: Testing a model of biological soil crust succession, J. Veg. Sci., 27, 176–186, https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12332, 2016.
Riley, S. J., Degloria, S. D., and Elliot, R.: A Terrain Ruggedness Index that quantifies topographic heterogeneity, Intermountain J. Sci., 5, 23–27, 1999.
Roberts, D. W.: Ordination on the basis of fuzzy set theory, Vegetatio, 66, 123–131, 1986.
Rodríguez-Caballero, E., Cantón, Y., Chamizo, S., Afana, A., and Solé-Benet, A.: Effects of biological soil crusts on surface roughness and implications for runoff and erosion, Geomorphology, 145–146, 81–89, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2011.12.042, 2012.
Rodríguez-Caballero, E., Cantón, Y., Chamizo, S., Lazaro Suau, R., and Escudero, A.: Soil loss and runoff in semiarid ecosystems: a complex interaction between biological soil crusts, micro-topography, and hydrological drivers, Ecosystems, 16, 529–546, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-012-9626-z, 2013.
Rosentreter, R., Eldridge, D. J., and Kaltenecker, J. H.: Monitoring and management of biological soil crusts, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 457–468, 2003.
Scheffer, F., Schachtschabel, P., and Blume, H.-P.: Lehrbuch der Bodenkunde, 16th ed., Spektrum Verlag, Heidelberg, Berlin, 569 pp., 2010.
Scholten, T., Goebes, P., Kühn, P., Seitz, S., Assmann, T., Bauhus, J., Bruelheide, H., Buscot, F., Erfmeier, A., Fischer, M., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Ma, K., Niklaus, P. A., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schmid, B., Shi, X., Song, Z., Oheimb, G. von, Wirth, C., Wubet, T., and Schmidt, K.: On the combined effect of soil fertility and topography on tree growth in subtropical forest ecosystems – a study from SE China, J. Plant Ecol.-UK, 10, 111–127, https://doi.org/10.1093/jpe/rtw065, 2017.
Seitz, S.: Main Experiment: Runoff Plots in the Main Experiment – Data, BEF China data portal, available at: http://china.befdata.biow.uni-leipzig.de/datasets/376 (last access: 18 December 2017), 2016a.
Seitz, S.: Main Experiment: Cover of Biological Soil Crusts in Runoff Plots (2011–2015), BEF China data portal, available at: http://china.befdata.biow.uni-leipzig.de/datasets/598 (last access: 18 December 2017), 2016b.
Seitz, S., Goebes, P., Zumstein, P., Assmann, T., Kühn, P., Niklaus, P. A., Schuldt, A., and Scholten, T.: The influence of leaf litter diversity and soil fauna on initial soil erosion in subtropical forests, Earth Surf. Proc. Land., 40, 1439–1447, https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.3726, 2015.
Seitz, S., Goebes, P., Song, Z., Bruelheide, H., Härdtle, W., Kühn, P., Li, Y., and Scholten, T.: Tree species and functional traits but not species richness affect interrill erosion processes in young subtropical forests, Soil, 2, 49–61, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-2-49-2016, 2016.
Seppelt, R. D., Downing, A. J., Deane-Coe, K. K., Zhang, Y., and Zhang, J.: Bryophytes Within Biological Soil Crusts, in: Biological Soil Crusts: an Organizing Principle in Drylands, edited by: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J., Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, vol. 226, Springer, Switzerland, 101–120, 2016.
Söderström, L., Hagborg, A., Konrat, M. von, Bartholomew-Began, S., Bell, D., Briscoe, L., Brown, E., Cargill, D. C., Costa, D. P., Crandall-Stotler, B. J., Cooper, E. D., Dauphin, G., Engel, J. J., Feldberg, K., Glenny, D., Gradstein, S. R., He, X., Heinrichs, J., Hentschel, J., Ilkiu-Borges, A. L., Katagiri, T., Konstantinova, N. A., Larraín, J., Long, D. G., Nebel, M., Pócs, T., Puche, F., Reiner-Drehwald, E., Renner, M. A. M., Sass-Gyarmati, A., Schäfer-Verwimp, A., Moragues, José Gabriel Segarra, Stotler, R. E., Sukkharak, P., Thiers, B. M., Uribe, J., Váňa, J., Villarreal, J. C., Wigginton, M., Zhang, L., and Zhu, R.-L.: World checklist of hornworts and liverworts, PhytoKeys, 59, 1–828, https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.59.6261, 2016.
Spitale, D.: Forest and substrate type drive bryophyte distribution in the Alps, J. Bryol., 39, 128–140, https://doi.org/10.1080/03736687.2016.1274090, 2017.
Su, Y.-G., Li, X.-R., Cheng, Y.-W., Tan, H.-J., and Jia, R.-L.: Effects of biological soil crusts on emergence of desert vascular plants in North China, Plant Ecol., 191, 11–19, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9210-8, 2007.
Tinya, F. and Ódor, P.: Congruence of the spatial pattern of light and understory vegetation in an old-growth, temperate mixed forest, Forest Ecol. Manag., 381, 84–92, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.09.027, 2016.
Trogisch, S., Schuldt, A., Bauhus, J., Blum, J. A., Both, S., Buscot, F., Castro-Izaguirre, N., Chesters, D., Durka, W., Eichenberg, D., Erfmeier, A., Fischer, M., Geißler, C., Germany, M. S., Goebes, P., Gutknecht, J. L. M., Hahn, C. Z., Haider, S., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Hector, A., Hönig, L., Huang, Y., Klein, A.-M., Kühn, P., Kunz, M., Leppert, K. N., Li, Y., Liu, X., Niklaus, P. A., Pei, Z., Pietsch, K. A., Prinz, R., Proß, T., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schmidt, K., Scholten, T., Seitz, S., Song, Z., Staab, M., Oheimb, G. von, Weißbecker, C., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Yang, B., Yang, X., Zhu, C.-D., Schmid, B., Ma, K., and Bruelheide, H.: Toward a methodical framework for comprehensively assessing forest multifunctionality, Ecol. Evol., 49, 277, https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3488, 2017.
Ullmann, I. and Büdel, B.: Ecological determinants of species composition of biological soil crusts on a landscape scale, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 203–213, 2003.
Warren, S. D.: Synopsis: Influence of biological soil crusts on arid land hydrology and soil stability, in: Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function and Management, 1st ed., rev. 2nd printing, edited by: Belnap, J., Lange, O. L., Springer, Berlin, 349–360, 2003.
Weber, B., Büdel, B., and Belnap, J. (eds.): Biological soil crusts: an organizing principle in drylands, in: Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, vol. 226, Springer, Switzerland, 1 online resource (ix), 603, 2016.
West, N. E.: Structure and Function of Microphytic Soil Crusts in Wildland Ecosystems of Arid to Semi-arid Regions, Adv. Ecol. Res., 20, 179–223, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2504(08)60055-0, 1990.
Wickham, H.: Ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis, Use R!, Springer, Dordrecht, New York, 1 online resource (viii), 212, 2009.
Williams, A. J., Buck, B. J., Soukup, D. A., and Merkler, D. J.: Geomorphic controls on biological soil crust distribution: A conceptual model from the Mojave Desert (USA), Geomorphology, 195, 99–109, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geomorph.2013.04.031, 2013.
Yair, A., Almog, R., and Veste, M.: Differential hydrological response of biological topsoil crusts along a rainfall gradient in a sandy arid area: Northern Negev desert, Israel, CATENA, 87, 326–333, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2011.06.015, 2011.
Yang, X., Bauhus, J., Both, S., Fang, T., Härdtle, W., Kröber, W., Ma, K., Nadrowski, K., Pei, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Scholten, T., Seidler, G., Schmid, B., Oheimb, G. von, and Bruelheide, H.: Establishment success in a forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning experiment in subtropical China (BEF-China), Eur. J. Forest Res., 132, 593–606, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10342-013-0696-z, 2013.
Zaady, E., Karnieli, A., and Shachak, M.: Applying a field spectroscopy technique for assessing successional trends of biological soil crusts in a semi-arid environment, J. Arid Environ., 70, 463–477, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2007.01.004, 2007.
Zhang, Y., Aradottir, A. L., Serpe, M., and Boeken, B.: Interactions of biological soil crusts with vascular plants, in: Biological Soil Crusts: an Organizing Principle in Drylands, edited by: Weber, B., Büdel, B., Belnap, J., Ecological Studies, Analysis and Synthesis, 226, Springer, Switzerland, 385–406, 2016.
Zhao, Y. and Xu, M.: Runoff and soil loss from revegetated grasslands in the hilly Loess Plateau region, China: influence of biocrust patches and plant canopies, J. Hydrol. Eng., 18, 387–393, https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0000633, 2013.
Zhao, Y., Xu, M., and Belnap, J.: Response of biocrusts' photosynthesis to environmental factors: a possible explanation of the spatial distribution of biocrusts in the Hilly Loess Plateau region of China, Acta Ecologica Sinica, 30, 4668–4675, 2010.
Zhao, Y., Qin, N., Weber, B., and Xu, M.: Response of biological soil crusts to raindrop erosivity and underlying influences in the hilly Loess Plateau region, China, Biodivers. Conserv., 23, 1669–1686, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-014-0680-z, 2014.
Zhu, R.-L.: New Checklist of Chinese Liverworts, Hornworts, and Takakiophytes: 3rd version in January 2006, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 2006.
Search articles
Download
Short summary
This study investigated biological soil crusts (biocrusts, e.g. cyanobacteria and mosses) within an early-stage mesic subtropical forest in China, where they were particularly abundant. Biocrust covers significantly decreased soil erosion and were more effective in erosion reduction than stone cover. Hence, they play an important role in mitigating soil erosion under forest and are of particular interest for erosion control in forest plantations.
This study investigated biological soil crusts (biocrusts, e.g. cyanobacteria and mosses) within...
Biogeosciences
An interactive open-access journal of the European Geosciences Union
