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A global experiment suggests climate warming will not accelerate litter decomposition in streams but might reduce carbon sequestration
Author(s) -
Boyero Luz,
Pearson Richard G.,
Gessner Mark O.,
Barmuta Leon A.,
Ferreira Verónica,
Graça Manuel A. S.,
Dudgeon David,
Boulton Andrew J.,
Callisto Marcos,
Chauvet Eric,
Helson Julie E.,
Bruder Andreas,
Albariño Ricardo J.,
Yule Catherine M.,
Arunachalam Muthukumarasamy,
Davies Judy N.,
Figueroa Ricardo,
Flecker Alexander S.,
Ramírez Alonso,
Death Russell G.,
Iwata Tomoya,
Mathooko Jude M.,
Mathuriau Catherine,
Gonçalves José F.,
Moretti Marcelo S.,
Jinggut Tajang,
Lamothe Sylvain,
M’Erimba Charles,
Ratnarajah Lavenia,
Schindler Markus H.,
Castela José,
Buria Leonardo M.,
Cornejo Aydeé,
Villanueva Verónica D.,
West Derek C.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
ecology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.852
H-Index - 265
eISSN - 1461-0248
pISSN - 1461-023X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01578.x
Subject(s) - detritivore , environmental science , global warming , ecosystem , ecology , litter , biosphere , carbon sequestration , carbon cycle , biogeochemistry , climate change , nutrient cycle , decomposition , plant litter , carbon dioxide , biology
Ecology Letters (2011) 14: 289–294 Abstract The decomposition of plant litter is one of the most important ecosystem processes in the biosphere and is particularly sensitive to climate warming. Aquatic ecosystems are well suited to studying warming effects on decomposition because the otherwise confounding influence of moisture is constant. By using a latitudinal temperature gradient in an unprecedented global experiment in streams, we found that climate warming will likely hasten microbial litter decomposition and produce an equivalent decline in detritivore‐mediated decomposition rates. As a result, overall decomposition rates should remain unchanged. Nevertheless, the process would be profoundly altered, because the shift in importance from detritivores to microbes in warm climates would likely increase CO 2 production and decrease the generation and sequestration of recalcitrant organic particles. In view of recent estimates showing that inland waters are a significant component of the global carbon cycle, this implies consequences for global biogeochemistry and a possible positive climate feedback.