Photosynthesis,growth, and decay traits in Sphagnum – a multispecies comparison

Peat mosses (Sphagnum) largely govern carbon sequestration in Northern Hemisphere peatlands. We investigated functional traits related to growth and decomposition in Sphagnum species. We tested the importance of environment and phylogeny in driving species traits and investigated trade‐offs among them. We selected 15 globally important Sphagnum species, representing four sections (subgenera) and a range of peatland habitats. We measured rates of photosynthesis and decomposition in standard laboratory conditions as measures of innate growth and decay potential, and related this to realized growth, production, and decomposition in their natural habitats. In general, we found support for a trade‐off between measures of growth and decomposition. However, the relationships are not strong, with r ranging between 0.24 and 0.45 for different measures of growth versus decomposition. Using photosynthetic rate to predict decomposition in standard conditions yielded R² = 0.20. Habitat and section (phylogeny) affected the traits and the trade‐offs. In a wet year, species from sections Cuspidata and Sphagnum had the highest production, but in a dry year, differences among species, sections, and habitats evened out. Cuspidata species in general produced easily decomposable litter, but their decay in the field was hampered, probably due to near‐surface anoxia in their wet habitats. In a principal components analysis, PCA, photosynthetic capacity, production, and laboratory decomposition acted in the same direction. The species were imperfectly clustered according to vegetation type and phylogeny, so that some species clustered with others in the same section, whereas others clustered more clearly with others from similar vegetation types. Our study includes a wider range of species and habitats than previous trait analyses in Sphagnum and shows that while the previously described growth–decay trade‐off exists, it is far from perfect. We therefore suggest that our species‐specific trait measures offer opportunities for improvements of peatland ecosystem models. Innate qualities measured in laboratory conditions translate differently to field responses. Most dramatically, fast‐growing species could only realize their potential in a wet year. The same species decompose fast in laboratory, but their decomposition was more retarded in the field than that of other species. These relationships are crucial for understanding the long‐term dynamics of peatland communities.     

Simulated Small Scale Disturbances Increase Decomposition Rates and Facilitates Invasive Species Encroachment in a High Elevation Tropical Andean Peatland

Tropical alpine peatlands are important carbon reservoirs and are a critical component of local hydrological cycles. In high elevation peatlands slow decomposition rates result from a nutrient‐poor substrate resistant to decay. The responses of páramo peatland ecosystems to increased nutrient additions and physical disturbance due to agricultural activities are unknown. Here, we conducted a two‐year fertilization and physical disturbance experiment in a Sphagnum—dominated peatland in the Central Andes of Colombia. We hypothesized that fertilization and physical disturbance will diminish the ability of the peat to store organic matter by increasing decomposition and that vascular plants will displace Sphagnum as the dominant plant group. We simulated cattle activity by adding manure as a fertilizer and physical disturbance as a proxy for cattle trampling. Species composition varied in proportion to the intensity of disturbance. Sphagnum cover was reduced under any disturbance treatment. Non‐native grasses usually found in cattle pastures invaded treatments with fertilizer additions or physical disturbance. Overall aboveground plant biomass doubled in fertilized treatments, suggesting that plant biomass production was nutrient limited. Decomposition rates tripled in disturbed treatments as compared to controls. This reduces the ability of the peatland to store organic matter. Andean peatlands are prized ecological assets; however, our results show that the El Morro páramo peatland experienced increased decomposition rates over short time periods after small‐scale disturbances. This created profound consequences for the ecological services offered by these peatlands.     

Invasion of a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sphagnum</Emphasis>-peatland by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula</Emphasis> spp and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Molinia caerulea</Emphasis> impacts organic matter biochemistry. Implications for carbon and nutrient cycling

Peatlands act as a sink of carbon (C) through the accumulation of dead remains of plants. Under global changes triggered by human activities, it is not only the sink capacity of peatland that is in danger, but also the C already stored. Invasion of Sphagnum peatlands, mainly by Molinia caerulea and Betula spp, is a growing preoccupation. This study aims to assess the extent of the influence of this invasion on the biochemical characteristics of the peat. Elemental analysis, sugar and Rock–Eval pyrolysis parameters were measured in 50 cm profiles collected in invaded and intact plots. The results show that oxygen index ratios (OICO₂/OICO) can be used to detect new C substrate injection as invading plants have a lower ratio than Sphagnum spp and Sphagnum peat. Total hemicellulosic sugar contents and organic matter (OM) degradation indices (R400, PPI) suggest that the invading plants promote a faster OM decomposition probably through a faster degradability and a relatively higher nutrient content of their litter. Differences in terms of nutrient status between areas of the peatland are suggested to be of great importance in determining the extent of OM transformation likely due to stoichiometric constraints.     

Sensitivity of C Sequestration in Reintroduced Sphagnum to Water-Level Variation in a Cutaway Peatland

The reintroduction of Sphagnum fragments has been found to be a promising method for restoring mire vegetation in a cutaway peatland. Although it is known that moisture controls Sphagnum photosynthesis, information concerning the sensitivity of carbon dynamics on water‐level variation is still scarce. In a 4‐year field experiment, we studied the carbon dynamics of reintroduced Sphagnum angustifolium material in a restored (rewetted) cutaway peatland. Cutaway peatland restored by Sphagnum reintroduction showed high sensitivity to variation in water level. Water level controlled both photosynthesis and respiration. Gross photosynthesis (P_G) had a unimodal response to water‐level variation with optimum level at ?12 cm. The range of water level for high P_G (above 60% of the maximum light‐saturated P_G) was between 22 and 1 cm below soil surface. Water level had a dual effect on total respiration. When the water level was below soil surface, peat respiration increased rapidly along the lowering water level until the respiration rate started to slow down at approximately ?30 cm. Contrary to peat respiration, the response of Sphagnum respiration to water‐level variation resembled that of photosynthesis with an optimum at ?12 cm. In optimal conditions, Sphagnum reintroduction turned the cutaway site from carbon source to a sink of 23 g C/m² per season (mid‐May to the end of September). In dry conditions, lowered photosynthesis together with the higher peat respiration led to a net loss of 56 g C/m². Although the water level above the optimum amplitude restricted CO₂ fixation, a decrease in peat respiration led to a positive CO₂ balance of 9 g C/m².     

Consistent centennial-scale change in European sub-Arctic peatland vegetation toward Sphagnum dominance—Implications for carbon sink capacity

Climate warming is leading to permafrost thaw in northern peatlands, and current predictions suggest that thawing will drive greater surface wetness and an increase in methane emissions. Hydrology largely drives peatland vegetation composition, which is a key element in peatland functioning and thus in carbon dynamics. These processes are expected to change. Peatland carbon accumulation is determined by the balance between plant production and peat decomposition. But both processes are expected to accelerate in northern peatlands due to warming, leading to uncertainty in future peatland carbon budgets. Here, we compile a dataset of vegetation changes and apparent carbon accumulation data reconstructed from 33 peat cores collected from 16 sub-arctic peatlands in Fennoscandia and European Russia. The data cover the past two millennia that has undergone prominent changes in climate and a notable increase in annual temperatures toward present times. We show a pattern where European sub-Arctic peatland microhabitats have undergone a habitat change where currently drier habitats dominated by Sphagnum mosses replaced wetter sedge-dominated vegetation and these new habitats have remained relatively stable over the recent decades. Our results suggest an alternative future pathway where sub-arctic peatlands may at least partly sustain dry vegetation and enhance the carbon sink capacity of northern peatlands.     

Acclimation of photosynthetic characteristics of the moss Pleurozium schreberi to among‐habitat and within‐canopy light gradients

Light availability varies strongly among moss habitats and within the moss canopy, and vertical variation in light within the canopy further interacts with the age gradient. The interacting controls by habitat and canopy light gradient and senescence have not been studied extensively. We measured light profiles, chlorophyll (Chl), carotenoid (Car) and nitrogen (N) concentrations, and photosynthetic electron transport capacity (J_max) along habitat and canopy light gradients in the widespread, temperate moss Pleurozium schreberi to separate sources of variation in moss chemical and physiological traits. We hypothesised that this species, like typical feather mosses with both apical and lateral growth, exhibits greater plasticity in the canopy than between habitats due to deeper within‐canopy light gradients. For the among‐habitat light gradient, Chl, Chl/N and Chl/Car ratio increased with decreasing light availability, indicating enhanced light harvesting in lower light and higher capacity for photoprotection in higher light. N and J_max were independent of habitat light availability. Within the upper canopy, until 50–60% above‐canopy light, changes in moss chemistry and photosynthetic characteristics were analogous to patterns observed for the between‐habitat light gradient. In contrast, deeper canopy layers reflected senescence of moss shoots, with pigment and nitrogen concentrations and photosynthetic capacity decreasing with light availability. Thus, variation in chemical and physiological traits within the moss canopy is a balance between acclimation and senescence. This study demonstrates extensive light‐dependent variation in moss photosynthetic traits, but also that between‐habitat and within‐canopy light gradient affects moss physiology and chemistry differently.     

Vascular plant‐mediated controls on atmospheric carbon assimilation and peat carbon decomposition under climate change

Climate change can alter peatland plant community composition by promoting the growth of vascular plants. How such vegetation change affects peatland carbon dynamics remains, however, unclear. In order to assess the effect of vegetation change on carbon uptake and release, we performed a vascular plant‐removal experiment in two Sphagnum‐dominated peatlands that represent contrasting stages of natural vegetation succession along a climatic gradient. Periodic measurements of net ecosystem CO₂ exchange revealed that vascular plants play a crucial role in assuring the potential for net carbon uptake, particularly with a warmer climate. The presence of vascular plants, however, also increased ecosystem respiration, and by using the seasonal variation of respired CO₂ radiocarbon (bomb‐¹⁴C) signature we demonstrate an enhanced heterotrophic decomposition of peat carbon due to rhizosphere priming. The observed rhizosphere priming of peat carbon decomposition was matched by more advanced humification of dissolved organic matter, which remained apparent beyond the plant growing season. Our results underline the relevance of rhizosphere priming in peatlands, especially when assessing the future carbon sink function of peatlands undergoing a shift in vegetation community composition in association with climate change.     

Composition and structure of macroinvertebrate communities in contrasting open-water habitats in Irish peatlands: implications for biodiversity conservation

The purpose of this study was to consider the relative importance of several habitat variables in explaining the patterns in the structure of macroinvertebrate assemblages in open-water habitats, in relatively intact bogs and fens, which should inform conservation strategies. It was hypothesised that variables relating to the size of the water body would differentiate the communities and that some species would be unique to certain conditions. The macroinvertebrate communities from pools >100 m², 10.1–100 m² and Sphagnum hollows were characterised using sweep sampling for eight intact peatland sites across four bog types, and related to habitat variables including pool size, Sphagnum cover and hydrochemistry. Results showed community composition and structure differed significantly between deep, permanent pools and shallow, drought-sensitive Sphagnum hollows, with larger invertebrates, such as Odonates and Dytiscinae, rarely found in the hollows. Sphagnum cover accounted for a substantial amount of the variation in community composition. An examination of life-history strategies found species dependent on predictable conditions for juvenile development to be more abundant in pools. In contrast, taxa that could delay juvenile development until conditions were favourable were more abundant in Sphagnum hollows. These results highlight the importance of habitat heterogeneity in maintaining macroinvertebrate diversity in peatlands.     

Elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> Effects on Peatland Plant Community Carbon Dynamics and DOC Production

Northern peatlands are important stores of carbon and reservoirs of biodiversity that are vulnerable to global change. However, the carbon dynamics of individual peatland plant species is poorly understood, despite the potential for rising atmospheric CO₂ to affect the vegetation’s contribution to overall ecosystem carbon function. Here, we examined the effects of 3 years exposure to elevated CO₂ (eCO₂) on (a) peatland plant community composition and biomass, and (b) plant carbon dynamics and the production of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) using a ¹³CO₂ pulse–chase approach. Results showed that under eCO₂, Sphagnum spp. cover declined by 39% (P < 0.05) and Juncus effusus L. cover increased by 40% (P < 0.001). There was a concurrent increase in above- and belowground plant biomass of 115% (P < 0.01) and 96% (P < 0.01), respectively. Vascular species assimilated and turned over more ¹³CO₂-derived carbon than Sphagnum spp. (49% greater turnover of assimilated ¹³C in J. effusus and F. ovina L. leaf tissues compared with Sphagnum, P < 0.01). Elevated CO₂ also produced a 66% rise in DOC concentrations (P < 0.001) and an order of magnitude more ‘new’ exudate ¹³DOC than control samples (24 h after ¹³CO₂ pulse-labelling 2.5 ± 0.5 and 0.2 ± 0.1% in eCO₂ and control leachate, respectively, P < 0.05). We attribute the observed increase in DOC concentrations under eCO₂ to the switch from predominantly Sphagnum spp. to vascular species (namely J. effusus), leading to enhanced exudation and decomposition (litter and peat). The potential for reduced peatland carbon accretion, increased DOC exports and positive feedback to climate change are discussed.     

Legume inoculant application methods: effects on nodulation patterns,nitrogen fixation,crop growth and yield in narrow-leaf lupin and faba bean

Aims

Plant growth forms can influence carbon cycling, particularly in carbon-rich ecosystems like northern peatlands; however, mechanistic evidence of this relationship is limited. Our aim was to determine if northern peatland plant growth forms alter belowground dissolved carbon chemistry and enhance carbon release through stimulated microbial metabolism.

Methods

We used replicated, peat monoliths populated exclusively by Sphagnum mosses, graminoids, or bare peat and quantified changes in belowground dissolved organic carbon chemistry, microbial metabolism, as well as respired CO₂.

Results

The graminoid growth form was significantly distinct in belowground dissolved organic carbon chemistry with carbon compound lability 20 % and 11 % greater than bare peat and Sphagnum moss respectively. The labile dissolved organic carbon stimulated the microbial community, as indicated by greater microbial metabolic activity and richness values in conjunction with 50 % higher respired CO₂ fluxes under the graminoid treatment.

Conclusions

Our results provide mechanistic evidence that peatland plant growth forms can drive carbon cycling processes by altering dissolved organic carbon chemistry to prompt cascading effects on the microbial community and carbon release — trends suggestive of microbial priming effects. Should climate change increase graminoid prevalence at the expense of Sphagnum moss northern peatland carbon store stability may be threatened by this mechanism.

     

Effects of climate warming on Sphagnum photosynthesis in peatlands depend on peat moisture and species‐specific anatomical traits

Climate change will influence plant photosynthesis by altering patterns of temperature and precipitation, including their variability and seasonality. Both effects may be important for peatlands as the carbon (C) sink potential of these ecosystems depends on the balance between plant C uptake through photosynthesis and microbial decomposition. Here, we show that the effect of climate warming on Sphagnum community photosynthesis toggles from positive to negative as the peatland goes from rainy to dry periods during summer. More particularly, we show that mechanisms of compensation among the dominant Sphagnum species (Sphagnum fallax and Sphagnum medium) stabilize the average photosynthesis and productivity of the Sphagnum community during summer despite rising temperatures and frequent droughts. While warming had a negligible effect on S. medium photosynthetic capacity (A_max) during rainy periods, A_max of S. fallax increased by 40%. On the opposite, warming exacerbated the negative effects of droughts on S. fallax with an even sharper decrease of its A_max while S. medium A_max remained unchanged. S. medium showed a remarkable resistance to droughts due to anatomical traits favouring its water holding capacity. Our results show that different phenotypic plasticity among dominant Sphagnum species allow the community to cope with rising temperatures and repeated droughts, maintaining similar photosynthesis and productivity over summer in warmed and control conditions. These results are important because they provide information on how soil water content may modulate the effects of climate warming on Sphagnum productivity in boreal peatlands. It further confirms the transitory nature of warming‐induced photosynthesis benefits in boreal systems and highlights the vulnerability of the ecosystem to excess warming and drying.     

Rapid loss of an ecosystem engineer: Sphagnum decline in an experimentally warmed bog

Sphagnum mosses are keystone components of peatland ecosystems. They facilitate the accumulation of carbon in peat deposits, but climate change is predicted to expose peatland ecosystem to sustained and unprecedented warming leading to a significant release of carbon to the atmosphere. Sphagnum responses to climate change, and their interaction with other components of the ecosystem, will determine the future trajectory of carbon fluxes in peatlands. We measured the growth and productivity of Sphagnum in an ombrotrophic bog in northern Minnesota, where ten 12.8‐m‐diameter plots were exposed to a range of whole‐ecosystem (air and soil) warming treatments (+0 to +9°C) in ambient or elevated (+500 ppm) CO₂. The experiment is unique in its spatial and temporal scale, a focus on response surface analysis encompassing the range of elevated temperature predicted to occur this century, and consideration of an effect of co‐occurring CO₂ altering the temperature response surface. In the second year of warming, dry matter increment of Sphagnum increased with modest warming to a maximum at 5°C above ambient and decreased with additional warming. Sphagnum cover declined from close to 100% of the ground area to <50% in the warmest enclosures. After three years of warming, annual Sphagnum productivity declined linearly with increasing temperature (13–29 g C/m² per °C warming) due to widespread desiccation and loss of Sphagnum. Productivity was less in elevated CO₂ enclosures, which we attribute to increased shading by shrubs. Sphagnum desiccation and growth responses were associated with the effects of warming on hydrology. The rapid decline of the Sphagnum community with sustained warming, which appears to be irreversible, can be expected to have many follow‐on consequences to the structure and function of this and similar ecosystems, with significant feedbacks to the global carbon cycle and climate change.     

Carbon balance in a monospecific stand of an annual herb <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium album</Emphasis> at an elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> concentration

Elevated CO₂ enhances carbon uptake of a plant stand, but the magnitude of the increase varies among growth stages. We studied the relative contribution of structural and physiological factors to the CO₂ effect on the carbon balance during stand development. Stands of an annual herb Chenopodium album were established in open-top chambers at ambient and elevated CO₂ concentrations (370 and 700 μmol mol⁻¹). Plant biomass growth, canopy structural traits (leaf area, leaf nitrogen distribution, and light gradient in the canopy), and physiological characteristics (leaf photosynthesis and respiration of organs) were studied through the growing season. CO₂ exchange of the stand was estimated with a canopy photosynthesis model. Rates of light-saturated photosynthesis and dark respiration of leaves as related with nitrogen content per unit leaf area and time-dependent reduction in specific respiration rates of stems and roots were incorporated into the model. Daily canopy carbon balance, calculated as an integration of leaf photosynthesis minus stem and root respiration, well explained biomass growth determined by harvests (r ² = 0.98). The increase of canopy photosynthesis with elevated CO₂ was 80% at an early stage and decreased to 55% at flowering. Sensitivity analyses suggested that an alteration in leaf photosynthetic traits enhanced canopy photosynthesis by 40–60% throughout the experiment period, whereas altered canopy structure contributed to the increase at the early stage only. Thus, both physiological and structural factors are involved in the increase of carbon balance and growth rate of C. album stands at elevated CO₂. However, their contributions were not constant, but changed with stand development.     

Photoinhibition as a control on photosynthesis and production of Sphagnum mosses

The effect of high light intensity on photosynthesis and growth of Sphagnum moss species from Alaskan arctic tundra was studied under field and laboratory conditions. Field experiments consisted of experimental shading of mosses at sites normally exposed to full ambient irradiance, and removal of the vascular plant canopy from above mosses in tundra water track habitats. Moss growth was then monitored in the experimental plots and in adjacent control areas for 50 days from late June to early August 1988. In shaded plots total moss growth was 2–3 times higher than that measured in control plots, while significant reductions in moss growth were found in canopy removal plots. The possibility that photoinhibition of photosynthesis might occur under high-light conditions and affect growth was studied under controlled laboratory conditions with mosses collected from the arctic study site, as well as from a temperate location in the Sierra Nevada, California. After 2 days of high-light treatment (800 mol photons m^–2 s^–1) in a controlled environmental chamber, moss photosynthetic capacity was significantly lowered in both arctic and temperate samples, and did not recover during the 14-day experimental period. The observed decrease in photosynthetic capacity was correlated (r ²=0.735, P<0.001) with a decrease in the ratio of variable to maximum chlorophyll fluorescence (F _v/F _m) in arctic and temperate mosses. This relationship indicates photoinhibition of photosynthesis in both arctic and temperate mosses at even moderately high light intensities. It is suggested that susceptibility to photoinhibition and failure to photoacclimate to higher light intensities in Sphagnum spp. may be related to low tissue nitrogen levels in these exclusively ombrotrophic plants. Photoinhibition of photosynthesis leading to lowered annual carbon gain in Sphagnum mosses may be an important factor affecting CO₂ flux at the ecosystem level, given the abundance of these plants in Alaskan tussock tundra.     

Moss Responses to Elevated CO2 and Variation in Hydrology in a Temperate Lowland Peatland

We studied the effects of elevated CO₂ (180–200 ppmv above ambient) on growth and chemistry of three moss species (Sphagnum palustre, S. recurvum and Polytrichum commune) in a lowland peatland in the Netherlands. Thereto, we conducted both a greenhouse experiment with both Sphagnum species and a field experiment with all three species using MiniFACE (Free Air CO₂ Enrichment) technology during 3 years. The greenhouse experiment showed that Sphagnum growth was stimulated by elevated CO₂ in the short term, but that in the longer term (≥1 year) growth was probably inhibited by low water tables and/or down-regulation of photosynthesis. In the field experiment, we did not find significant changes in moss abundance in response to elevated CO₂, although CO₂ enrichment appeared to reduce S. recurvum abundance. Both Sphagnum species showed stronger responses to spatial variation in hydrology than to increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations. Polytrichum was insensitive to changes in hydrology. Apart from the confounding effects of hydrology, the relative lack of growth response of the moss species may also have been due to the relatively small increase in assimilated CO₂ as achieved by the experimentally added CO₂. We calculated that the added CO₂ contributed at most 32% to the carbon assimilation of the mosses, while our estimates based on stable C isotope data even suggest lower contributions for Sphagnum (24–27%). Chemical analyses of the mosses showed only small elevated CO₂ effects on living tissue N concentration and C/N ratio of the mosses, but the C/N ratio of Polytrichum was substantially lower than those of the Sphagnum species. Continuing expansion of Polytrichum at the expense of Sphagnum could reduce the C sink function of this lowland Sphagnum peatland, and similar ones elsewhere, as litter decomposition rates would probably be enhanced. Such a reduction in sink function would be driven mostly by increased atmospheric N deposition, water table regulation for agricultural purposes and land management to preserve the early successional stage (mowing, tree and shrub removal), since these anthropogenic factors will probably exert a greater control on competition between Polytrichum and Sphagnum than increased atmospheric CO₂ concentrations.     

Comparison of carbon and nitrogen accumulation rate between bog and fen phases in a pristine peatland with the fen-bog transition

Long-term carbon and nitrogen dynamics in peatlands are affected by both vegetation production and decomposition processes. Here, we examined the carbon accumulation rate (CAR), nitrogen accumulation rate (NAR) and δ¹³C, δ¹⁵N of plant residuals in a peat core dated back to ~8500 cal year BP in a temperate peatland in Northeast China. Impacted by the tephra during 1160 and 789 cal year BP and climate change, the peatland changed from a fen dominated by vascular plants to a bog dominated by Sphagnum mosses. We used the Clymo model to quantify peat addition rate and decay constant for acrotelm and catotelm layers during both bog and fen phases. Our studied peatland was dominated by Sphagnum fuscum during the bog phase (789 to −59 cal year BP) and lower accumulation rates in the acrotelm layer was found during this phase, suggesting the dominant role of volcanic eruption in the CAR of the peat core. Both mean CAR and NAR were higher during the bog phase than during the fen phase in our study, consistent with the results of the only one similar study in the literature. Because the input rate of organic matter was considered to be lower during the bog phase, the decomposition process must have been much lower during the bog phase than during the fen phase and potentially controlled CAR and NAR. During the fen phase, CAR was also lower under higher temperature and summer insolation, conditions beneficial for decomposition. δ¹⁵N of Sphagnum hinted that nitrogen fixation had a positive effect on nitrogen accumulation, particular in recent decades. Our study suggested that decomposition is more important for carbon and nitrogen sequestration than production in peatlands in most conditions and if future climate changes or human disturbance increase decomposition rate, carbon sequestration in peatlands will be jeopardized.     

Allometric growth and carbon storage in the mangrove Sonneratia apetala

Allometric growth reflects different allocation patterns and relationships of different components or traits of a plant and is closely related to ecosystem carbon storage. As an introduced species, the growth and carbon storage of Sonneratia apetala are still unclear. To derive allometric relationships of the mangrove S. apetala and to estimate carbon storage in mangrove ecosystems, we harvested 12 individual Sonneratia apetala trees from four different diameter classes in the Futian National Nature Reserve, Guangdong, China. Allometric growth models were fitted. The results showed that diameter at breast height (DBH) and wood density were better variables for predicting plant biomass (including above- and below-ground biomass) than plant height. There were significant power function relationships between biomass and DBH, with a mean allometric exponent of 2.22, and stem biomass accounted for 97% of the variation in S. apetala total biomass. Nearly isometric scaling relationships were developed between stem biomass and other biomass components. To better understand the carbon stocks of the S. apetala ecosystem, we categorized all trees into five age classes and quantified vegetation carbon storage. The S. apetala vegetation carbon storage ranged from 96.48 to 215.35 Mg C ha^?1, and the carbon storage significantly increased with stand age. The allometric equations developed in this study are useful to estimate biomass and carbon storage of S. apetala ecosystems.

     

Climate drivers alter nitrogen availability in surface peat and decouple N2 fixation from CH4 oxidation in the Sphagnum moss microbiome

Peat mosses (Sphagnum spp.) are keystone species in boreal peatlands, where they dominate net primary productivity and facilitate the accumulation of carbon in thick peat deposits. Sphagnum mosses harbor a diverse assemblage of microbial partners, including N₂-fixing (diazotrophic) and CH₄-oxidizing (methanotrophic) taxa that support ecosystem function by regulating transformations of carbon and nitrogen. Here, we investigate the response of the Sphagnum phytobiome (plant + constituent microbiome + environment) to a gradient of experimental warming (+0°C to +9°C) and elevated CO₂ (+500 ppm) in an ombrotrophic peatland in northern Minnesota (USA). By tracking changes in carbon (CH₄, CO₂) and nitrogen (NH₄-N) cycling from the belowground environment up to Sphagnum and its associated microbiome, we identified a series of cascading impacts to the Sphagnum phytobiome triggered by warming and elevated CO₂. Under ambient CO₂, warming increased plant-available NH₄-N in surface peat, excess N accumulated in Sphagnum tissue, and N₂ fixation activity decreased. Elevated CO₂ offset the effects of warming, disrupting the accumulation of N in peat and Sphagnum tissue. Methane concentrations in porewater increased with warming irrespective of CO₂ treatment, resulting in a ~10× rise in methanotrophic activity within Sphagnum from the +9°C enclosures. Warming's divergent impacts on diazotrophy and methanotrophy caused these processes to become decoupled at warmer temperatures, as evidenced by declining rates of methane-induced N₂ fixation and significant losses of keystone microbial taxa. In addition to changes in the Sphagnum microbiome, we observed ~94% mortality of Sphagnum between the +0°C and +9°C treatments, possibly due to the interactive effects of warming on N-availability and competition from vascular plant species. Collectively, these results highlight the vulnerability of the Sphagnum phytobiome to rising temperatures and atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, with significant implications for carbon and nitrogen cycling in boreal peatlands.