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Tundra in the Rain: Differential Vegetation Responses to Three Years of Experimentally Doubled Summer Precipitation in Siberian Shrub and Swedish Bog Tundra

Keuper, Frida ; Parmentier, Frans-Jan LU ; Blok, Daan LU ; van Bodegom, Peter M. ; Dorrepaal, Ellen ; van Hal, Jurgen R. ; van Logtestijn, Richard S. P. and Aerts, Rien (2012) In Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment 41. p.269-280
Abstract
Precipitation amounts and patterns at high latitude sites have been predicted to change as a result of global climatic changes. We addressed vegetation responses to three years of experimentally increased summer precipitation in two previously unaddressed tundra types: Betula nana-dominated shrub tundra (northeast Siberia) and a dry Sphagnum fuscum-dominated bog (northern Sweden). Positive responses to approximately doubled ambient precipitation (an increase of 200 mm year(-1)) were observed at the Siberian site, for B. nana (30 % larger length increments), Salix pulchra (leaf size and length increments) and Arctagrostis latifolia (leaf size and specific leaf area), but none were observed at the Swedish site. Total biomass production did... (More)
Precipitation amounts and patterns at high latitude sites have been predicted to change as a result of global climatic changes. We addressed vegetation responses to three years of experimentally increased summer precipitation in two previously unaddressed tundra types: Betula nana-dominated shrub tundra (northeast Siberia) and a dry Sphagnum fuscum-dominated bog (northern Sweden). Positive responses to approximately doubled ambient precipitation (an increase of 200 mm year(-1)) were observed at the Siberian site, for B. nana (30 % larger length increments), Salix pulchra (leaf size and length increments) and Arctagrostis latifolia (leaf size and specific leaf area), but none were observed at the Swedish site. Total biomass production did not increase at either of the study sites. This study corroborates studies in other tundra vegetation types and shows that despite regional differences at the plant level, total tundra plant productivity is, at least at the short or medium term, largely irresponsive to experimentally increased summer precipitation. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Water addition, Plant traits, Irrigation, Primary production, Subarctic, High latitude
in
Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment
volume
41
pages
269 - 280
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000307285200010
  • scopus:84867440545
  • pmid:22864700
ISSN
0044-7447
DOI
10.1007/s13280-012-0305-2
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fa6222e1-2c57-4e21-a670-1068aa687956 (old id 3073194)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 14:09:15
date last changed
2024-03-13 22:22:47
@article{fa6222e1-2c57-4e21-a670-1068aa687956,
  abstract     = {{Precipitation amounts and patterns at high latitude sites have been predicted to change as a result of global climatic changes. We addressed vegetation responses to three years of experimentally increased summer precipitation in two previously unaddressed tundra types: Betula nana-dominated shrub tundra (northeast Siberia) and a dry Sphagnum fuscum-dominated bog (northern Sweden). Positive responses to approximately doubled ambient precipitation (an increase of 200 mm year(-1)) were observed at the Siberian site, for B. nana (30 % larger length increments), Salix pulchra (leaf size and length increments) and Arctagrostis latifolia (leaf size and specific leaf area), but none were observed at the Swedish site. Total biomass production did not increase at either of the study sites. This study corroborates studies in other tundra vegetation types and shows that despite regional differences at the plant level, total tundra plant productivity is, at least at the short or medium term, largely irresponsive to experimentally increased summer precipitation.}},
  author       = {{Keuper, Frida and Parmentier, Frans-Jan and Blok, Daan and van Bodegom, Peter M. and Dorrepaal, Ellen and van Hal, Jurgen R. and van Logtestijn, Richard S. P. and Aerts, Rien}},
  issn         = {{0044-7447}},
  keywords     = {{Water addition; Plant traits; Irrigation; Primary production; Subarctic; High latitude}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{269--280}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Ambio: a Journal of the Human Environment}},
  title        = {{Tundra in the Rain: Differential Vegetation Responses to Three Years of Experimentally Doubled Summer Precipitation in Siberian Shrub and Swedish Bog Tundra}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13280-012-0305-2}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s13280-012-0305-2}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}