Changes in soil moisture and its relationships with nitrogen cycle processes in a northern hardwood forest
Abstrak
Identifying which aspects of global environmental change are driving observed ecosystem process responses is a great challenge. Here, we address how long-term (10–25 years) alterations in soil moisture, and nitrogen (N) oligotrophication (i.e., decreases in soil N availability relative to plant demand), alter the production of plant-available N via net mineralization and nitrification in a northern hardwood forest. Our objectives were to determine whether soil moisture has changed over the past decade and whether N cycle processes have become less sensitive to soil moisture over time due to N oligotrophication. We used long-term datasets from several related studies to show (i) increasing winter soil temperatures and declining summer soil moisture from late 2010 into 2024, (ii) reductions in sensitivity of N cycling rates to soil moisture, and (iii) declining moisture-adjusted N cycle processes (the ratio of rate of N process:soil moisture) over time in both summer and winter. These changes suggest continued reductions in N availability to plants in these forests, with potential effects on forest productivity and response to disturbance.
Penulis (8)
Geoffrey Wilson
Peter M. Groffman
Lisa D. Martel
Mark B. Green
Charles T. Driscoll
Jorge Durán
Pamela H. Templer
Melany Fisk
Akses Cepat
- Tahun Terbit
- 2025
- Bahasa
- en
- Total Sitasi
- 1×
- Sumber Database
- CrossRef
- DOI
- 10.1139/cjfr-2025-0043
- Akses
- Open Access ✓