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Grassland species effects on soil CO 2 flux track the effects of elevated CO 2 and nitrogen
Author(s) -
Craine Joseph M.,
Wedin David A.,
Reich Peter B.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1469-8137.2001.00103.x
Subject(s) - monoculture , flux (metallurgy) , grassland , environmental science , biomass (ecology) , nitrogen , ecosystem , agronomy , species diversity , soil carbon , nitrogen cycle , productivity , ecology , environmental chemistry , soil water , chemistry , biology , soil science , macroeconomics , organic chemistry , economics
Summary• Understanding and predicting the impacts of elevated atmospheric CO 2 , elevated nitrogen deposition, and decreases in plant diversity require better understanding of the way in which plant species influence soil CO 2 flux. • In experimental grassland plots where atmospheric CO 2 , nitrogen supply, and species composition and diversity were manipulated, species effects on soil CO 2 flux during 19 sampling periods over 2 yr were determined for 16 grassland species. • The average effect of a species on soil CO 2 flux was correlated with biomass of the species grown in monoculture, suggesting that effects of species on soil CO 2 flux are related to the potential productivity of a species and total belowground C allocation. During dry, warm conditions there is a greater effect of elevated atmospheric CO 2 on soil CO 2 flux and during these times deeper‐rooted species contribute to soil CO 2 flux more than average. • Although differences in responses to elevated CO 2 and nitrogen among species were not great, decreases in diversity can affect belowground carbon allocation depending on the plant traits of the species that are lost from ecosystems.