Effects of experimental throughfall reduction and soil warming on fine root biomass and its decomposition in a warm temperate oak forest.
Fine root dynamics play a critical role in regulating carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems. Examining responses of fine root biomass and its decomposition to altered precipitation pattern and climate warming is crucial to understand terrestrial C dynamics and its feedback to climate change. Fine root biomass and its decomposition rate were investigated in a warm temperate oak forest through a field manipulation experiment with throughfall reduction and soil warming conducted. Throughfall reduction significantly interacted with soil warming in affecting fine root biomass and its decomposition. Throughfall reduction substantially increased fine root biomass and its decomposition in unheated plots, but negative effects occurred in warmed plots. Soil warming significantly enhanced fine root biomass and its decomposition under ambient precipitation, but the opposite effects exhibited under throughfall reduction. Different responses in fine root biomass among different treatments could be largely attributed to soil total nitrogen (N), while fine root decomposition rate was more depended on microbial biomass C and N. Our observations indicate that decreased precipitation may offset the positive effect of soil warming on fine root biomass and decomposition.
Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, China's State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, College of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China.
Yanchun
Y
Liu
Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, China's State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China. Electronic address: liusr@caf.ac.cn.
Shirong
S
Liu
International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology, College of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan 475004, China.
Shiqiang
S
Wan
Division of Forest and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, P.O. Box 6215, Morgantown, WV 26506-6125, USA.
Jingxin
J
Wang
Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, China's State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China.
Hui
H
Wang
Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada.
Kuan
K
Liu
Climate change; Drought; Microbial biomass; Precipitation; Soil moisture; Soil temperature