Gareth Phoenix results 29
· Newest (Page 1/2, per page 25)
Author: Gareth Phoenix ×Clear All Filters
Search Results
Elevated CO 2 interacts with nutrient inputs to restructure plant communities in phosphorus‐limited grasslandsNARA Subscribed
Globally pervasive increases in atmospheric CO 2 and nitrogen (N) deposition could have substantial effects on plant communities, either directly or mediated by their interactions with soil nutrient limitation. While the direct consequences of N enrichment on plant communities are well documented, potential interactions with rising CO 2 and globally widespread phosphorus (P) limitation remain poorly understood. We investigated...
Untangling the influences of air quality and climate change on biodiversity in space and timeNARA Subscribed
The article by Hutsemékers and colleagues in this issue reveals the influences of air quality and climate change on biodiversity of epiphytic bryophytes. Biodiversity of this flora has tracked the improving air quality well since the 1980s, and air quality has improved enough so that the influence of current climate can now be seen in species distributions.
Global maps of soil temperatureNARA Subscribed
Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1‐km 2 r...
The missing pieces for better future predictions in subarctic ecosystems: A Torneträsk case studyNARA Subscribed
Arctic and subarctic ecosystems are experiencing substantial changes in hydrology, vegetation, permafrost conditions, and carbon cycling, in response to climatic change and other anthropogenic drivers, and these changes are likely to continue over this century. The total magnitude of these changes results from multiple interactions among these drivers. Field measurements can address the overall responses to different changing...
Buffering effects of soil seed banks on plant community composition in response to land use and climateNARA Subscribed
Aim Climate and land use are key determinants of biodiversity, with past and ongoing changes posing serious threats to global ecosystems. Unlike most other organism groups, plant species can possess dormant life‐history stages such as soil seed banks, which may help plant communities to resist or at least postpone the detrimental impact of global changes. This study investigates the potential for soil seed banks to achieve thi...
Arctic browning: Impacts of extreme climatic events on heathland ecosystem CO 2 fluxesNARA Subscribed
Extreme climatic events are among the drivers of recent declines in plant biomass and productivity observed across Arctic ecosystems, known as “Arctic browning.” These events can cause landscape‐scale vegetation damage and so are likely to have major impacts on ecosystem CO 2 balance. However, there is little understanding of the impacts on CO 2 fluxes, especially across the growing season. Furthermore, while widespread shoot...
The influence of vegetation and soil characteristics on active‐layer thickness of permafrost soils in boreal forestNARA Subscribed
Carbon release from thawing permafrost soils could significantly exacerbate global warming as the active‐layer deepens, exposing more carbon to decay. Plant community and soil properties provide a major control on this by influencing the maximum depth of thaw each summer (active‐layer thickness; ALT ), but a quantitative understanding of the relative importance of plant and soil characteristics, and their interactions in deter...
Climate change impacts are not uniform across the Arctic region because interacting factors causes large variations in local ecosystem change. Extreme climatic events and population cycles of herbivores occur simultaneously against a background of gradual climate warming trends and can redirect ecosystem change along routes that are difficult to predict. Here, we present the results from sub‐Arctic heath vegetation and its bel...
The effects of foundation species on community assembly: a global study on alpine cushion plant communitiesNARA Subscribed
Foundation species can change plant community structure by modulating important ecological processes such as community assembly, yet this topic is poorly understood. In alpine systems, cushion plants commonly act as foundation species by ameliorating local conditions. Here, we analyze diversity patterns of species' assembly within cushions and in adjacent surrounding open substrates (83 sites across five continents) calculatin...
Facilitative plant interactions and climate simultaneously drive alpine plant diversityNARA Subscribed
Interactions among species determine local‐scale diversity, but local interactions are thought to have minor effects at larger scales. However, quantitative comparisons of the importance of biotic interactions relative to other drivers are rarely made at larger scales. Using a data set spanning 78 sites and five continents, we assessed the relative importance of biotic interactions and climate in determining plant diversity in...
Estimates of vegetation carbon pools and their turnover rates are central to understanding and modelling ecosystem responses to climate change and their feedbacks to climate. In the A rctic, a region containing globally important stores of soil carbon, and where the most rapid climate change is expected over the coming century, plant communities have on average sixfold more biomass below ground than above ground, but knowledge...
Atmospheric nitrogen ( N ) deposition is a global and increasing threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Much of our current understanding of N deposition impacts comes from field manipulation studies, although interpretation may need caution where simulations of N deposition (in terms of dose, application rate and N form) have limited realism. Here, we review responses to simulated N deposition from the UKREATE network...