How big is big enough? Surprising responses of a semiarid grassland to increasing deluge size.
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| Title: | How big is big enough? Surprising responses of a semiarid grassland to increasing deluge size. |
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| Authors: | Post, Alison K.1 (AUTHOR) akpost@colostate.edu, Knapp, Alan K.1 (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | Global Change Biology. Mar2021, Vol. 27 Issue 6, p1157-1169. 13p. |
| Subjects: | Soil respiration, Hydrologic cycle, Grasslands, Soil moisture, Grassland soils, Plant-water relationships, Size, Flowering of plants |
| Abstract: | Climate change has intensified the hydrologic cycle globally, increasing the magnitude and frequency of large precipitation events, or deluges. Dryland ecosystems are expected to be particularly responsive to increases in deluge size, as their ecological processes are largely dependent on distinct soil moisture pulses. To better understand how increasing deluge size will affect ecosystem function, we conducted a field experiment in a native semiarid shortgrass steppe (Colorado, USA). We quantified ecological responses to a range of deluge sizes, from moderate to extreme, with the goal of identifying response patterns and thresholds beyond which ecological processes would not increase further (saturate). Using a replicated regression approach, we imposed single deluges that ranged in size from 20 to 120 mm (82.3rd to >99.9th percentile of historical event size) on undisturbed grassland plots. We quantified pre‐ and postdeluge responses in soil moisture, soil respiration, and canopy greenness, as well as leaf water potential, growth, and flowering of the dominant grass species (Bouteloua gracilis). We also measured end of season above‐ and belowground net primary production (ANPP, BNPP). As expected, this water‐limited ecosystem responded strongly to the applied deluges, but surprisingly, most variables increased linearly with deluge size. We found little evidence for response thresholds within the range of deluge sizes imposed, at least during this dry year. Instead, response patterns reflected the linear increase in the duration of elevated soil moisture (2–22 days) with increasing event size. Flowering of B. gracilis and soil respiration responded particularly strongly to deluge size (14‐ and 4‐fold increases, respectively), as did ANPP and BNPP (~60% increase for both). Overall, our results suggest that this semiarid grassland will respond positively and linearly to predicted increases in deluge size, and that event sizes may need to exceed historical magnitudes, or occur during wet years, before responses saturate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
| Copyright of Global Change Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) | |
| Database: | Engineering Source |
| FullText | Text: Availability: 0 |
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| Header | DbId: egs DbLabel: Engineering Source An: 148755403 AccessLevel: 6 PubType: Academic Journal PubTypeId: academicJournal PreciseRelevancyScore: 0 |
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| Items | – Name: Title Label: Title Group: Ti Data: How big is big enough? Surprising responses of a semiarid grassland to increasing deluge size. – Name: Author Label: Authors Group: Au Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Post%2C+Alison+K%2E%22">Post, Alison K.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> akpost@colostate.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Knapp%2C+Alan+K%2E%22">Knapp, Alan K.</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR) – Name: TitleSource Label: Source Group: Src Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Global+Change+Biology%22">Global Change Biology</searchLink>. Mar2021, Vol. 27 Issue 6, p1157-1169. 13p. – Name: Subject Label: Subjects Group: Su Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soil+respiration%22">Soil respiration</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Hydrologic+cycle%22">Hydrologic cycle</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grasslands%22">Grasslands</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Soil+moisture%22">Soil moisture</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grassland+soils%22">Grassland soils</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Plant-water+relationships%22">Plant-water relationships</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Size%22">Size</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Flowering+of+plants%22">Flowering of plants</searchLink> – Name: Abstract Label: Abstract Group: Ab Data: Climate change has intensified the hydrologic cycle globally, increasing the magnitude and frequency of large precipitation events, or deluges. Dryland ecosystems are expected to be particularly responsive to increases in deluge size, as their ecological processes are largely dependent on distinct soil moisture pulses. To better understand how increasing deluge size will affect ecosystem function, we conducted a field experiment in a native semiarid shortgrass steppe (Colorado, USA). We quantified ecological responses to a range of deluge sizes, from moderate to extreme, with the goal of identifying response patterns and thresholds beyond which ecological processes would not increase further (saturate). Using a replicated regression approach, we imposed single deluges that ranged in size from 20 to 120 mm (82.3rd to >99.9th percentile of historical event size) on undisturbed grassland plots. We quantified pre‐ and postdeluge responses in soil moisture, soil respiration, and canopy greenness, as well as leaf water potential, growth, and flowering of the dominant grass species (Bouteloua gracilis). We also measured end of season above‐ and belowground net primary production (ANPP, BNPP). As expected, this water‐limited ecosystem responded strongly to the applied deluges, but surprisingly, most variables increased linearly with deluge size. We found little evidence for response thresholds within the range of deluge sizes imposed, at least during this dry year. Instead, response patterns reflected the linear increase in the duration of elevated soil moisture (2–22 days) with increasing event size. Flowering of B. gracilis and soil respiration responded particularly strongly to deluge size (14‐ and 4‐fold increases, respectively), as did ANPP and BNPP (~60% increase for both). Overall, our results suggest that this semiarid grassland will respond positively and linearly to predicted increases in deluge size, and that event sizes may need to exceed historical magnitudes, or occur during wet years, before responses saturate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] – Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright Label: Group: Ab Data: <i>Copyright of Global Change Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) |
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| RecordInfo | BibRecord: BibEntity: Identifiers: – Type: doi Value: 10.1111/gcb.15479 Languages: – Code: eng Text: English PhysicalDescription: Pagination: PageCount: 13 StartPage: 1157 Subjects: – SubjectFull: Soil respiration Type: general – SubjectFull: Hydrologic cycle Type: general – SubjectFull: Grasslands Type: general – SubjectFull: Soil moisture Type: general – SubjectFull: Grassland soils Type: general – SubjectFull: Plant-water relationships Type: general – SubjectFull: Size Type: general – SubjectFull: Flowering of plants Type: general Titles: – TitleFull: How big is big enough? Surprising responses of a semiarid grassland to increasing deluge size. Type: main BibRelationships: HasContributorRelationships: – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Post, Alison K. – PersonEntity: Name: NameFull: Knapp, Alan K. IsPartOfRelationships: – BibEntity: Dates: – D: 15 M: 03 Text: Mar2021 Type: published Y: 2021 Identifiers: – Type: issn-print Value: 13541013 Numbering: – Type: volume Value: 27 – Type: issue Value: 6 Titles: – TitleFull: Global Change Biology Type: main |
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