Abstract
In the prolonged absence of catastrophic disturbance, ecosystem retrogression occurs, and this involves increased nutrient limitation, and reduced aboveground and belowground ecosystem processes rates. Little is known about how the nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ 13C) of plants, soils and consumer organisms respond to retrogression in boreal forests. We investigated a 5000 year chronosequence of forested islands in the boreal zone of northern Sweden, for which the time since lightning-induced wildfire increases with decreasing island size, leading to ecosystem retrogression. For this system, tissue δ 15N of three abundant plant species (Betula pubescens, Vaccinium myrtillus and Pleurozium schreberi) and humus all increased as retrogression proceeded. This is probably due to enhanced ecosystem inputs of N by biological fixation, and greater dependency of the plants on organic N during retrogression. The δ 13Cof B. pubescens and plant-derived humus also increased during retrogression, probably through nutrient limitation increasing plant physiological stress. Unlike the plants, δ15N of invertebrates (lycosid spiders and ants) did not increase during retrogression, probably because of their partial dependence on aquaticderived prey that had a variable δ15N signature. The δ 13C of the invertebrates increased as retrogression proceeded and converged towards that of an aquatic prey source (chironomid flies), suggesting increased dependence on aquatic-derived prey during retrogression. These results show that measurement of δ15N and δ13C of plants, soils, and consumers across the same environmental gradient can provide insights into environmental factors that drive both the aboveground and belowground subsystems, as well as the linkages between them.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1892-1898 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jul 15 2009 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Spectroscopy
- Analytical Chemistry
- Organic Chemistry
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Effect of ecosystem retrogression on stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes of plants, soils and consumer organisms in boreal forest islands. / Hyodo, Fujio; Wardle, David A.
In: Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, Vol. 23, No. 13, 15.07.2009, p. 1892-1898.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Effect of ecosystem retrogression on stable nitrogen and carbon isotopes of plants, soils and consumer organisms in boreal forest islands
AU - Hyodo, Fujio
AU - Wardle, David A.
PY - 2009/7/15
Y1 - 2009/7/15
N2 - In the prolonged absence of catastrophic disturbance, ecosystem retrogression occurs, and this involves increased nutrient limitation, and reduced aboveground and belowground ecosystem processes rates. Little is known about how the nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ 13C) of plants, soils and consumer organisms respond to retrogression in boreal forests. We investigated a 5000 year chronosequence of forested islands in the boreal zone of northern Sweden, for which the time since lightning-induced wildfire increases with decreasing island size, leading to ecosystem retrogression. For this system, tissue δ 15N of three abundant plant species (Betula pubescens, Vaccinium myrtillus and Pleurozium schreberi) and humus all increased as retrogression proceeded. This is probably due to enhanced ecosystem inputs of N by biological fixation, and greater dependency of the plants on organic N during retrogression. The δ 13Cof B. pubescens and plant-derived humus also increased during retrogression, probably through nutrient limitation increasing plant physiological stress. Unlike the plants, δ15N of invertebrates (lycosid spiders and ants) did not increase during retrogression, probably because of their partial dependence on aquaticderived prey that had a variable δ15N signature. The δ 13C of the invertebrates increased as retrogression proceeded and converged towards that of an aquatic prey source (chironomid flies), suggesting increased dependence on aquatic-derived prey during retrogression. These results show that measurement of δ15N and δ13C of plants, soils, and consumers across the same environmental gradient can provide insights into environmental factors that drive both the aboveground and belowground subsystems, as well as the linkages between them.
AB - In the prolonged absence of catastrophic disturbance, ecosystem retrogression occurs, and this involves increased nutrient limitation, and reduced aboveground and belowground ecosystem processes rates. Little is known about how the nitrogen and carbon stable isotope ratios (δ15N and δ 13C) of plants, soils and consumer organisms respond to retrogression in boreal forests. We investigated a 5000 year chronosequence of forested islands in the boreal zone of northern Sweden, for which the time since lightning-induced wildfire increases with decreasing island size, leading to ecosystem retrogression. For this system, tissue δ 15N of three abundant plant species (Betula pubescens, Vaccinium myrtillus and Pleurozium schreberi) and humus all increased as retrogression proceeded. This is probably due to enhanced ecosystem inputs of N by biological fixation, and greater dependency of the plants on organic N during retrogression. The δ 13Cof B. pubescens and plant-derived humus also increased during retrogression, probably through nutrient limitation increasing plant physiological stress. Unlike the plants, δ15N of invertebrates (lycosid spiders and ants) did not increase during retrogression, probably because of their partial dependence on aquaticderived prey that had a variable δ15N signature. The δ 13C of the invertebrates increased as retrogression proceeded and converged towards that of an aquatic prey source (chironomid flies), suggesting increased dependence on aquatic-derived prey during retrogression. These results show that measurement of δ15N and δ13C of plants, soils, and consumers across the same environmental gradient can provide insights into environmental factors that drive both the aboveground and belowground subsystems, as well as the linkages between them.
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U2 - 10.1002/rcm.4095
DO - 10.1002/rcm.4095
M3 - Article
C2 - 19462406
AN - SCOPUS:67650348621
VL - 23
SP - 1892
EP - 1898
JO - Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
JF - Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry
SN - 0951-4198
IS - 13
ER -