Article
Ecology
Stefan Geisen, Shunran Hu, Thomas Edison E. dela Cruz, G. F. (Ciska) Veen
Summary: The study reveals that fast-growing protists play a significant role in decomposition processes, especially at lower temperatures; Predator-prey interactions in microbial communities may affect their composition and functioning.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Paulo Ceppi, Peer Nowack
Summary: Global warming influences Earth's cloud cover, which plays a crucial role in the uncertainty of Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity (ECS). Through analyzing how clouds respond to environmental changes, global cloud feedback is constrained to 0.43 +/- 0.35 W·m-2·K-1, indicating a robust amplifying effect of clouds on global warming. This approach is expected to provide tighter constraints on climate change projections and its various socioeconomic and ecological impacts.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Susan M. Natali, John P. Holdren, Brendan M. Rogers, Rachael Treharne, Philip B. Duffy, Rafe Pomerance, Erin MacDonald
Summary: The rapid warming in the Arctic has exacerbated wildfires and thawing permafrost, leading to carbon emissions that are not fully accounted for, impacting global greenhouse gas emission budgets. There is an urgent need for international cooperation to incorporate the latest scientific knowledge on carbon emissions from permafrost thaw and wildfires, and to more aggressively reduce societal emissions to address the global climate crisis.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Akash Koppa, Dominik Rains, Petra Hulsman, Rafael Poyatos, Diego G. Miralles
Summary: In this study, a global hybrid model that integrates deep learning algorithms and satellite observations is developed to estimate transpiration stress and evaporation. The model shows enhanced capability in estimating transpiration stress and evaporation compared to traditional models.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Dennis L. Hartmann, Brittany D. Dygert
Summary: Warming experiments were conducted using a uniformly insolated, non-rotating climate model with a slab ocean by increasing solar irradiance. The study found that as the global mean surface temperature varied, the sea surface temperature (SST) contrast first declined, then increased, and then declined again. Increasing SST contrast is associated with reduced climate sensitivity, while decreasing SST contrast is associated with enhanced climate sensitivity. The changing SST contrast and climate sensitivity are primarily related to the role of water vapor in clear-sky radiative cooling. Additionally, the study found that clouds in the convective region are more reflective than those in the subsiding region, leading to a reduction in SST contrast.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-ATMOSPHERES
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yi Cheng, Ahmed S. Elrys, Abdel-Rahman M. Merwad, Huimin Zhang, Zhaoxiong Chen, Jinbo Zhang, Zucong Cai, Christoph Mueller
Summary: Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) is an important process in the terrestrial nitrogen cycle, which can protect nitrogen by converting nitrate into ammonium. A meta-analysis showed that DNRA rates were significantly higher in paddy soils compared to forests, grasslands, and unfertilized croplands. Soil DNRA was influenced by altitude, latitude, precipitation, temperature, pH, soil total carbon, and soil total nitrogen.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Matthew T. Luongo, Shang-Ping Xie, Ian Eisenman, Yen-Ting Hwang, Hung-Yi Tseng
Summary: Previous studies have shown that aerosol-like cooling in the Northern Hemisphere leads to a La Nina-like response in the tropical Indo-Pacific. This study investigates the communication and sustainability of this response through a coupled ocean-atmosphere feedback pathway. The results suggest that the buoyancy-forced response dominates in the subtropics, amplifying sea surface temperature anomalies and communicating wind-driven evaporative cooling to the tropics. In the equatorial Indo-Pacific, buoyancy-forced ocean dynamics cool the surface while the Bjerknes feedback creates zonally asymmetric SST patterns. Robustness of the subtropical low cloud feedback pathway is observed across multiple models.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Katherine Heckman, Caitlin E. Hicks Pries, Corey R. Lawrence, Craig Rasmussen, Susan E. Crow, Alison M. Hoyt, Sophie F. von Fromm, Zheng Shi, Shane Stoner, Casey McGrath, Jeffrey Beem-Miller, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Joseph C. Blankinship, Marco Keiluweit, Erika Marin-Spiotta, J. Grey Monroe, Alain F. Plante, Joshua Schimel, Carlos A. Sierra, Aaron Thompson, Rota Wagai
Summary: Understanding the factors controlling soil organic carbon (C) amount and persistence is crucial for predicting its sensitivity to global change. Different pools of soil organic C show varying degrees of persistence and relationships with environmental factors, with soil depth being the best predictor of C abundance and persistence. Climate, particularly temperature and wetness index, plays a significant role in determining soil C properties and potential loss from protected pools.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Claudia Simolo, Susanna Corti
Summary: It is crucial to understand the role of temperature variability in explaining the highly heterogeneous trajectories and rapid intensification of heat extremes in many regions.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Arthur Gross, Tobias Bromm, Bruno Glaser
Summary: Biochar application to soil has the potential to effectively sequester carbon in the long term, with higher effectiveness in medium to long-term experiments. Organic fertilizer co-applications and biochar from plant material are shown to further increase soil organic carbon levels.
Article
Ecology
Chengjie Ren, Fei Mo, Zhenghu Zhou, Felipe Bastida, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo, Jieying Wang, Xinyi Zhang, Yiqi Luo, Timothy J. Griffis, Xinhui Han, Gehong Wei, Jun Wang, Zekun Zhong, Yongzhong Feng, Guangxin Ren, Xiaojiao Wang, Kailiang Yu, Fazhu Zhao, Gaihe Yang, Fenghui Yuan
Summary: Fresh carbon inputs to the soil, such as from plants, can affect the decomposition rates of soil organic matter, potentially impacting the global carbon balance. In this study, researchers analyzed global data on soil CO2 emissions and found that soil priming effect intensity is largely influenced by soil texture and carbon content. Other environmental factors, such as climate and soil microbial properties, also indirectly affect priming effects. The findings contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying soil priming effects and have implications for climate change and soil carbon dynamics.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jeanne Colin, Bertrand Decharme, Julien Cattiaux, David Saint-Martina
Summary: Groundwater and climate have a two-way interaction. Global climate models rarely simulate groundwater flows, and the feedbacks between global-scale groundwater and climate have been largely ignored. This study shows that incorporating unconfined aquifers in a global climate model can regionally affect temperature and precipitation changes. Groundwater has a cooling and wetting effect in certain regions, with a stronger impact under warmer climate conditions.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Alice S. A. Johnston, Andrew Meade, Jonas Ardo, Nicola Arriga, Andy Black, Peter D. Blanken, Damien Bonal, Christian Brummer, Alessandro Cescatti, Jiri Dusek, Alexander Graf, Beniamino Gioli, Ignacio Goded, Christopher M. Gough, Hiroki Ikawa, Rachhpal Jassal, Hideki Kobayashi, Vincenzo Magliulo, Giovanni Manca, Leonardo Montagnani, Fernando E. Moyano, Jorgen E. Olesen, Torsten Sachs, Changliang Shao, Torbern Tagesson, Georg Wohlfahrt, Sebastian Wolf, William Woodgate, Andrej Varlagin, Chris Venditti
Summary: The study reveals threshold characteristics in the relationship between global temperature and ecosystem respiration, indicating a reduced temperature dependency in annual ecosystem respiration rates compared to half-hourly rates. Environmental factors, including temperature, show different influences on ecosystem respiration between latitudinal and climate gradients at short and long timescales.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Studies
Guoai Li, Xuxu Chai, Zheng Shi, Honghua Ruan
Summary: This study investigated the interactive effects of biotic and abiotic drivers on radiocarbon abundance in different soil carbon fractions from various biomes. The results showed significant interactions between climate, vegetation types, soil properties, and soil fractions, affecting carbon persistence. These findings are critical for accurately predicting soil carbon dynamics.
Review
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Seaver Wang, Adrianna Foster, Elizabeth A. Lenz, John D. Kessler, Julienne C. Stroeve, Liana O. Anderson, Merritt Turetsky, Richard Betts, Sijia Zou, Wei Liu, William R. Boos, Zeke Hausfather
Summary: Tipping elements are components of the Earth system that can respond non-linearly to climate change and transition to different long-term states. Understanding these elements is crucial for predicting climate risks. This review examines 10 notable Earth system components and their potential to reach critical thresholds in the future. While some tipping elements pose significant risks, emissions reductions can help mitigate their impacts. However, uncertainties remain and further research is needed to better understand and manage these risks.
REVIEWS OF GEOPHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Katherine A. Dynarski, Fiona M. Soper, Sasha C. Reed, William R. Wieder, Cory C. Cleveland
Summary: Plant element stoichiometry and stoichiometric flexibility play a crucial role in regulating ecosystem responses to global change. Our study investigated three potential mechanisms (climate, soil nutrients, and plant taxonomy) using foliar and soil nutrient data from forest sites across the USA. We found that foliar nitrogen and phosphorus patterns were influenced by different mechanisms, with plant taxonomy being a significant determinant of foliar nutrient stoichiometry and concentrations. Our findings demonstrate the complexity of factors influencing foliar chemistry and suggest that both nitrogen and phosphorus may be sensitive to global change drivers on different spatial and temporal scales, potentially impacting ecosystem nutrient ratios and associated ecological processes.
Article
Plant Sciences
Nicholas O. E. Ofiti, Manuela Altermatt, Fanny Petibon, Jeffrey M. Warren, Avni Malhotra, Paul J. Hanson, Guido L. B. Wiesenberg
Summary: Plant carbon allocation is an important process in terrestrial ecosystems. Climate change can affect the carbon allocation strategies of dominant plant species in peatland ecosystems, but little is known about the allocation into secondary metabolites and species variations in response to climate change.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Kimber C. C. Moreland, Morgan E. E. Barnes, Anthony O'Geen, Nicholas Dove, Stephen C. C. Hart, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe
Summary: The study investigated the impact of climate on nitrogen (N) accumulation and persistence in soil and saprock. Results showed that N concentration decreased with depth in both bulk soil and density fractions. More N was found in saprock in cooler/wetter environments. Mineral-associated heavy fraction (HF) N was more abundant in deeper samples. Climate significantly influenced the persistence of both unprotected and occluded N in soil. In drier/hotter climates, soil N had a shorter mean residence time (MRT).
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Mara Rembelski, Jennifer Fraterrigo
Summary: Non-native invasive plants can enhance their dominance in novel ecosystems by speeding up soil nutrient cycling through interactions with decomposer microbes. Disruption of these interactions caused by frequent or prolonged drought can reduce invasive plant performance, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood.
Article
Ecology
Zachary J. Gold, Adam F. A. Pellegrini, Tyler K. Refsland, Romina J. Andrioli, Marlin L. Bowles, Dale G. Brockway, Neil Burrows, Augusto C. Franco, Steve W. Hallgren, Sarah E. Hobbie, William A. Hoffmann, Kevin P. Kirkman, Peter B. Reich, Patrice Savadogo, Divino Silverio, Kirsten Stephan, Tercia Strydom, J. Morgan Varner, Dale D. Wade, Allan Wills, A. Carla Staver
Summary: Fire-vegetation feedbacks are crucial for maintaining global savanna and forest distributions. Through studying herbaceous vegetation responses to fire at 30 sites across four continents, we found that herbaceous vegetation increased in abundance after fire, with wetter and cooler ecosystems showing larger responses. Savannas had a significantly higher difference in herbaceous vegetation abundance between burned and unburned areas compared to forests, indicating the importance of fire in shaping the vegetation structure of these ecosystems.
Article
Agronomy
Megan J. Kelly-Slatten, Catherine E. Stewart, Malak M. Tfaily, Julie D. Jastrow, Abigail Sasso, Marie-Anne de Graaff
Summary: Recent studies have shown that switchgrass and big bluestem, two types of perennial bioenergy crops, can accumulate significant amounts of soil carbon due to their extensive root systems. The variability in plant traits, both within and between species, plays a role in this soil carbon accumulation, but the specific mechanisms behind this variability are still unclear. This study evaluated the root traits of different cultivars from switchgrass and big bluestem, and how they affected soil carbon accumulation. The findings suggest that both the root system and chemistry of the plants contribute to soil carbon gains, and species and cultivar selection can improve bioenergy management to lower CO2 emissions.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY BIOENERGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Etienne Fluet-Chouinard, Benjamin D. Stocker, Zhen Zhang, Avni Malhotra, Joe R. Melton, Benjamin Poulter, Jed O. Kaplan, Kees Klein Goldewijk, Stefan Siebert, Tatiana Minayeva, Gustaf Hugelius, Hans Joosten, Alexandra Barthelmes, Catherine Prigent, Filipe Aires, Alison M. Hoyt, Nick Davidson, C. Max Finlayson, Bernhard Lehner, Robert B. Jackson, Peter B. McIntyre
Summary: Wetlands have been drained for human use, causing significant impact on multiple aspects including greenhouse gas fluxes, flood control, nutrient cycling, and biodiversity. However, the extent of natural wetland loss globally has remained uncertain. In this study, the researchers reconstructed the spatial distribution and timing of wetland loss from 1700 to 2020, and estimated that approximately 3.4 million km2 of inland wetlands, primarily for croplands, have been lost since 1700, accounting for a net loss of 21% of global wetland area. The study highlights the concentration of wetland loss in Europe, the United States, and China, and provides a valuable historical baseline for assessing the impact of wetland loss and guiding conservation planning and restoration efforts.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Erika Marin-Spiotta, Emily J. J. Diaz-Vallejo, Rebecca T. T. Barnes, Allison Mattheis, Blair Schneider, Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Meredith G. G. Hastings, Billy M. M. Williams, Vicki Magley
Summary: Geosciences remains a field with low diversity, and efforts to address this issue should focus on creating inclusive and supportive work and learning environments. A workplace climate survey conducted among five professional organizations revealed diverse experiences among earth and space scientists. While most scientists reported positive interactions, those belonging to marginalized groups, such as people of color, women, and members of the LGBTQ+ community, faced more negative interactions, including mistreatment, discriminatory remarks, and sexual harassment.
Article
Ecology
Melina Bucher, Nicholas O. E. Ofiti, Avni Malhotra
Summary: This study confirms that both warming and water level drawdown can significantly increase fine root growth in peatlands, with trees showing the strongest response. These findings highlight the important role of peatland's plant functional types in modulating fine root responses and emphasize the need for further research in understanding the carbon cycle and climate change in peatland ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN FORESTS AND GLOBAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Forestry
Marissa H. Chase, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo, Brian Charles, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt
Summary: In temperate, deciduous forests, long-term management suppression has led to homogenous habitat, while management approaches that emulate historical disturbance regimes can restore habitat heterogeneity. However, the effects of forest management practices on beneficial insects like bees are unclear, and the interactions between seasonality and management have been rarely studied.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bo Yi, Chaoqun Lu, Wenjuan Huang, Wenjuan Yu, Jihoon Yang, Adina Howe, Samantha R. Weintraub-Leff, Steven J. Hall
Summary: Confidence in model estimates of soil CO2 flux relies on assumptions about fundamental mechanisms controlling litter and soil organic carbon decomposition. We used data-model fusion with modified versions of the CN-SIM model and a 571-day laboratory incubation dataset to test competing mechanisms for lignin decomposition. Our findings indicate that the role of lignin and its decomposition can be accurately estimated by considering soil biogeochemical factors, substrate availability, soil pH, extractable Mn, and fungal community composition.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Marissa H. Chase, Brian Charles, Alexandra Harmon-Threatt, Jennifer M. Fraterrigo
Summary: This study investigated the impact of forest management practices that emulate historical disturbances on the functional response of bee communities, and found that seasonality plays a role in this relationship. Management can enhance bee functional diversity and associated ecosystem services by providing floral resources and leaving behind deadwood.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Cuijuan Liao, Xingjie Lu, Yuanyuan Huang, Feng Tao, David M. Lawrence, Charles D. Koven, Keith W. Oleson, William R. Wieder, Erik Kluzek, Xiaomeng Huang, Yiqi Luo
Summary: This study introduces a new Semi-Analytical Spin-Up (SASU) method to tackle the problem of steady state initialization in global biogeochemical cycle models. The experiments at the Brazil site showed that SASU is computationally 7 times more efficient than the traditional native dynamics (ND) spin-up method and globally it is 8 times more efficient than the accelerated decomposition spin-up and 50 times more efficient than ND. In summary, SASU achieves the highest computational efficiency for spin-up compared to other methods, making computationally costly studies possible for a better understanding of biogeochemical cycling under climate change.
JOURNAL OF ADVANCES IN MODELING EARTH SYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
K. R. Jay, W. R. Wieder, S. C. Swenson, J. F. Knowles, S. C. Elmendorf, H. Holland-Moritz, K. N. Suding
Summary: This study simulated the response of alpine tundra ecosystems using a land model and found that topography and aspect play important roles in mediating patterns of snow, productivity, soil moisture, and soil temperature. The study also revealed that climate change will have uneven effects on alpine vegetation, with dry, wind-scoured, and south facing areas being more vulnerable.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-BIOGEOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Ecology
S. Kutos, E. Stricker, A. Cooper, R. Ryals, J. Creque, M. Machmuller, M. Kroegar, W. L. Silver
Summary: Compost amendments have shown positive effects on rangeland ecosystems by increasing soil carbon sequestration, improving aboveground and belowground production, enhancing nutrient availability, and reducing erosion. However, more studies are needed to understand the impacts on plant diversity and soil microbial communities.
JOURNAL OF SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION
(2023)