Species-specific temporal variation in photosynthesis as a moderator of peatland carbon sequestration
(2017) In Biogeosciences 14(2). p.257-269- Abstract
In boreal bogs plant species are low in number, but they differ greatly in their growth forms and photosynthetic properties. We assessed how ecosystem carbon (C) sink dynamics were affected by seasonal variations in the photosynthetic rate and leaf area of different species. Photosynthetic properties (light response parameters), leaf area development and areal cover (abundance) of the species were used to quantify species-specific net and gross photosynthesis rates (PN and PG, respectively), which were summed to express ecosystem-level PN and PG. The ecosystem-level PG was compared with a gross primary production (GPP) estimate derived from eddy covariance (EC) measurements. Species... (More)
In boreal bogs plant species are low in number, but they differ greatly in their growth forms and photosynthetic properties. We assessed how ecosystem carbon (C) sink dynamics were affected by seasonal variations in the photosynthetic rate and leaf area of different species. Photosynthetic properties (light response parameters), leaf area development and areal cover (abundance) of the species were used to quantify species-specific net and gross photosynthesis rates (PN and PG, respectively), which were summed to express ecosystem-level PN and PG. The ecosystem-level PG was compared with a gross primary production (GPP) estimate derived from eddy covariance (EC) measurements. Species areal cover, rather than differences in photosynthetic properties, determined the species with the highest PG of both vascular plants and Sphagna. Species-specific contributions to the ecosystem PG varied over the growing season, which, in turn, determined the seasonal variation in ecosystem PG. The upscaled growing season PG estimate, 230 g C m-2, agreed well with the GPP estimated by the EC (243 g C m-2). Sphagna were superior to vascular plants in ecosystem-level PG throughout the growing season but had a lower PN. PN results indicated that areal cover of the species, together with their differences in photosynthetic parameters, shape the ecosystem-level C balance. Species with low areal cover but high photosynthetic efficiency appear to be potentially important for the ecosystem C sink. Results imply that functional diversity, i.e., the presence of plant groups with different seasonal timing and efficiency of photosynthesis, may increase the stability of C sinks of boreal bogs.
(Less)
- author
- Korrensalo, Aino ; Alekseychik, Pavel ; ŠHájek, Tomás ; Rinne, Janne LU ; Vesala, Timo ; Mehtätalo, Lauri ; Mammarella, Ivan and Tuittila, Eeva-Stiina
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017-01-18
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Biogeosciences
- volume
- 14
- issue
- 2
- pages
- 13 pages
- publisher
- Copernicus GmbH
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85009992404
- wos:000395396600001
- ISSN
- 1726-4170
- DOI
- 10.5194/bg-14-257-2017
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- c58e83ba-d501-4605-91b1-9e43e731b58c
- date added to LUP
- 2017-02-28 11:09:51
- date last changed
- 2024-04-28 07:57:41
@article{c58e83ba-d501-4605-91b1-9e43e731b58c,
abstract = {{<p>In boreal bogs plant species are low in number, but they differ greatly in their growth forms and photosynthetic properties. We assessed how ecosystem carbon (C) sink dynamics were affected by seasonal variations in the photosynthetic rate and leaf area of different species. Photosynthetic properties (light response parameters), leaf area development and areal cover (abundance) of the species were used to quantify species-specific net and gross photosynthesis rates (P<sub>N</sub> and P<sub>G</sub>, respectively), which were summed to express ecosystem-level P<sub>N</sub> and P<sub>G</sub>. The ecosystem-level P<sub>G</sub> was compared with a gross primary production (GPP) estimate derived from eddy covariance (EC) measurements. Species areal cover, rather than differences in photosynthetic properties, determined the species with the highest P<sub>G</sub> of both vascular plants and Sphagna. Species-specific contributions to the ecosystem P<sub>G</sub> varied over the growing season, which, in turn, determined the seasonal variation in ecosystem P<sub>G</sub>. The upscaled growing season P<sub>G</sub> estimate, 230 g C m<sup>-2</sup>, agreed well with the GPP estimated by the EC (243 g C m<sup>-2</sup>). Sphagna were superior to vascular plants in ecosystem-level P<sub>G</sub> throughout the growing season but had a lower P<sub>N</sub>. P<sub>N</sub> results indicated that areal cover of the species, together with their differences in photosynthetic parameters, shape the ecosystem-level C balance. Species with low areal cover but high photosynthetic efficiency appear to be potentially important for the ecosystem C sink. Results imply that functional diversity, i.e., the presence of plant groups with different seasonal timing and efficiency of photosynthesis, may increase the stability of C sinks of boreal bogs.</p>}},
author = {{Korrensalo, Aino and Alekseychik, Pavel and ŠHájek, Tomás and Rinne, Janne and Vesala, Timo and Mehtätalo, Lauri and Mammarella, Ivan and Tuittila, Eeva-Stiina}},
issn = {{1726-4170}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{01}},
number = {{2}},
pages = {{257--269}},
publisher = {{Copernicus GmbH}},
series = {{Biogeosciences}},
title = {{Species-specific temporal variation in photosynthesis as a moderator of peatland carbon sequestration}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-257-2017}},
doi = {{10.5194/bg-14-257-2017}},
volume = {{14}},
year = {{2017}},
}