Article
Plant Sciences
Candida Nibau, Willem van de Koot, Dominic Spiliotis, Kevin Williams, Tina Kramaric, Manfred Beckmann, Luis Mur, Yuji Hiwatashi, John H. Doonan
Summary: This study finds that different species of Sphagnum moss have varied physiological and molecular responses to desiccation, which are not directly correlated with their position in relation to the water table. Increased expression of drought responsive genes is accompanied by an increase in abscisic acid (ABA) levels, supporting its role in desiccation responses in Sphagnum.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Stefano Terzi, Janez Susnik, Stefan Schneiderbauer, Silvia Torresan, Andrea Critto
Summary: Water management in mountain regions is facing challenges from climate change and human activities. A study on the Santa Giustina reservoir in Italy shows that future stored volume and turbined outflow will be significantly affected, calling for adaptation strategies focusing on reducing water demand.
NATURAL HAZARDS AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Nicola Colombo, Nicolas Guyennon, Mauro Valt, Franco Salerno, Danilo Godone, Paola Cianfarra, Michele Freppaz, Maurizio Maugeri, Veronica Manara, Fiorella Acquaotta, Anna Bruna Petrangeli, Emanuele Romano
Summary: Snow drought event occurred in the Italian Alps in the early 2020s, causing severe water resource shortages and hydrological drought. Using long-term snow-depth series, climatic reanalysis data, and river discharge observations, it was found that the March snow water equivalent anomaly in 2022 reached a record low value due to unprecedented dry and warm climatic conditions. This event led to the worst hydrological drought ever recorded in the Po and Adige rivers during the summer of 2022. Furthermore, there has been an increasing trend in the intensity and frequency of snow drought events since the 1990s, with three of the most severe events occurring in the last five years.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Caitlin Petro, Alyssa A. Carrell, Rachel M. Wilson, Katherine Duchesneau, Sekou Noble-Kuchera, Tianze Song, Colleen M. Iversen, Joanne Childs, Geoff Schwaner, Jeffrey P. Chanton, Richard J. Norby, Paul J. Hanson, Jennifer B. Glass, David J. Weston, Joel E. Kostka
Summary: Peat mosses are crucial for carbon and nitrogen cycling in boreal peatlands. Experimental warming and elevated CO2 concentrations have cascading impacts on the phytobiome of Sphagnum, including increased plant-available nitrogen, methane concentration, and mortality rate, as well as loss of microbial taxa. These results demonstrate the vulnerability of boreal peatlands to rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations, with significant implications for carbon and nitrogen cycling.
GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yuwen Pang, Yuxin Huang, Li He, Yinying Zhou, Jun Sui, Junfeng Xu
Summary: This study investigated the vegetation phenology of two bogs in northern China using remote sensing techniques, finding that precipitation and minimum temperature were the main drivers of growth. While the life cycles of vegetation varied among different communities, there was no significant delayed or extended trend overall.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nicoletta Cannone, Silvia Piccinelli
Summary: Vegetation in rock glaciers in the Italian Central Alps responded to climate warming by increasing species richness, cover, and changing floristic composition. After 25 years, differences between active and inactive rock glaciers persisted, with active rock glaciers showing larger vegetation changes. The multivariate analysis confirmed the relationship between vegetation changes and air warming.
Article
Plant Sciences
Bryan Piatkowski, David J. Weston, Blanka Aguero, Aaron Duffy, Karn Imwattana, Adam L. Healey, Jeremy Schmutz, A. Jonathan Shaw
Summary: This study investigates genomic differentiation in two sister species of peat mosses and reveals that differentiation is concentrated in specific regions of the genome associated with geographic and climatic variables. It suggests that local adaptation plays a crucial role in driving speciation in these plants.
Article
Ecology
Richard J. Norby, Taylor Baxter, Tatjana Zivkovic, David J. Weston
Summary: Experimental warming in a bog in northern Minnesota caused a rapid decline in productivity and areal cover of Sphagnum mosses. The primary cause of this decline is likely the elevated temperature and drying, but the increased shading from shrubs may also have contributed to the effects on Sphagnum.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Manuela I. I. Brunner, Jonas Gotte, Christopher Schlemper, Anne F. F. Van Loon
Summary: This study assesses changes in the importance of different hydrological drought generation processes in the European Alps. The findings show that the changes in drought processes are stronger in high-elevation catchments, where there are clear changes in drought seasonality. The study also suggests that changes in drought severity and generation processes are related, with snowmelt-deficit droughts having larger deficits than cold temperature-induced droughts.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Albert Muleke, Matthew Tom Harrison, Peter de Voil, Ian Hunt, Ke Liu, Maria Yanotti, Rowan Eisner
Summary: This study analyzed the effects of climate change and extreme climatic events on crop flowering periods and concluded that irrigation can increase average crop yields but cannot fully offset the long-term yield decline caused by the climate crisis.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Tom Levanic, Hana Straus
Summary: Douglas-fir, a non-native tree species, has the potential to replace Norway spruce in Slovenian forests due to its better volume growth, wood quality, and tolerance to drought. It shows a higher radial growth response to climatic conditions and is more resistant to extreme drought events.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Guiyang Wu, Jie Chen, Xinyan Shi, Jong-Suk Kim, Jun Xia, Liping Zhang
Summary: This study investigates changes in meteorological and hydrological drought conditions in 8,655 watersheds globally under 1.5-3.0 degrees C warmer climates. The results show that, except for certain regions, both meteorological and hydrological drought conditions would be relieved in warmer climates due to increased precipitation. However, the severity of drought conditions would increase during the propagation from meteorological to hydrological droughts, with more severe conditions occurring first and then being relieved with rising temperatures. Efforts to slow down global warming are crucial to suppress the deterioration of drought conditions during propagation.
Article
Microbiology
Federica D'Alo, Petr Baldrian, Inaki Odriozola, Daniel Morais, Tomas Vetrovsky, Laura Zucconi, Caterina Ripa, Nicoletta Cannone, Francesco Malfasi, Silvano Onofri
Summary: Climate warming in the European Alps can lead to alpine shrub encroachment, which may affect the composition and functional potential of soil microbial species. This study found differences in the functional potential and gene expression of soil microbiomes among vegetation types. Microbial alpha-diversity increased with altitude. Shrub encroachment could lead to a loss of alpine soil species, and accelerate recalcitrant carbon decomposition, resulting in increased CO2 efflux to the atmosphere. Five years of warming had no immediate effects on microbial communities, indicating the need for longer-term studies.
FEMS MICROBIOLOGY ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Juan Chen, Zhiyong Liu, Ping Zhou
Summary: The study found that precipitation anomalies rather than temperature are the primary driver of drought and associated decreased productivity with warming in the Northern Hemisphere.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2022)
Article
Water Resources
Hakan Basagaoglu, Chetan Sharma, Debaditya Chakraborty, Icen Yoosefdoost, F. Paul Bertetti
Summary: This study developed a data-inspired heuristic drought identification scheme to quantify the impact of precipitation deficit and high temperature-driven meteorological droughts on groundwater droughts. The findings showed that there have been increasingly intense meteorological droughts and high-stress on the aquifer over the past 15 years, indicating a warming climate. The Extremely Randomized Trees (ERT) model accurately predicted the intensity and duration of groundwater droughts.
JOURNAL OF HYDROLOGY-REGIONAL STUDIES
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Fia Bengtsson, Hakan Rydin, Jennifer L. Baltzer, Luca Bragazza, Zhao-Jun Bu, Simon J. M. Caporn, Ellen Dorrepaal, Kjell Ivar Flatberg, Olga Galanina, Mariusz Galka, Anna Ganeva, Irina Goia, Nadezhda Goncharova, Michal Hajek, Akira Haraguchi, Lorna I. Harris, Elyn Humphreys, Martin Jirousek, Katarzyna Kajukalo, Edgar Karofeld, Natalia G. Koronatova, Natalia P. Kosykh, Anna M. Laine, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Elena Lapshina, Juul Limpens, Maiju Linkosalmi, Jin-Ze Ma, Marguerite Mauritz, Edward A. D. Mitchell, Tariq M. Munir, Susan M. Natali, Rayna Natcheva, Richard J. Payne, Dmitriy A. Philippov, Steven K. Rice, Sean Robinson, Bjorn J. M. Robroek, Line Rochefort, David Singer, Hans K. Stenoien, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Kai Vellak, James Michael Waddington, Gustaf Granath
Summary: The study investigated the impact of global and local environmental factors on the growth and carbon uptake of the Sphagnum genus across 99 Holarctic peatlands. Results showed that climate, nitrogen deposition, water table depth, and vascular plant cover had significant effects on Sphagnum growth, with different responses observed between species. Indirect effects, such as the influence of vascular plant cover on water table depth, nitrogen deposition, precipitation, and temperature, were also important in shaping Sphagnum growth patterns.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Guillaume, Luca Bragazza, Clement Levasseur, Zamir Libohova, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: This study conducted a 30-year investigation on soil dynamics in croplands, permanent grasslands, and mountain pastures in western Switzerland, identifying key factors influencing SOC changes. Croplands exhibited higher losses in soil organic carbon compared to permanent grasslands and mountain pastures under similar clay content.
AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Luca Bragazza, Mario Fontana, Thomas Guillaume, Kate M. Scow, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: The study revealed that nutrient ratios of cover crop biomass are species-specific, while the nutrient stoichiometry of soil microbes is more stable and not affected by cover crop identity or soil type. Results from nutrient comparison experiments indicate that cover crops have an impact on soil type, while soil type plays a more significant role in microbial metabolism.
Article
Agronomy
Mario Fontana, Gilles Belanger, Juliane Hirte, Noura Ziadi, Said Elfouki, Luca Bragazza, Frank Liebisch, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: This study investigated the effects of long-term different P fertilization rates on winter wheat shoot biomass and grain yield, finding that P fertilization did not affect grain yield but generally increased shoot biomass. The concentrations of shoot P and N varied with years and crop N status. A dilution curve was developed between Pc and shoot biomass, showing a linear relationship with N and a power function with shoot N concentration.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mario Fontana, Luca Bragazza, Thomas Guillaume, Mathieu Santonja, Alexandre Buttler, Said Elfouki, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: The study suggests that using calcium phosphite as a phosphorus fertilizer may have varying effects on different soil types and plant species, particularly on the growth and soil P pools of green manure crops. In sandy soil, the addition of calcium phosphite increased available phosphorus levels, while in clay soil it promoted the formation of higher PNaHCO3. Further research is needed to better understand soil microbial responses and quantify the agronomical efficiency of phosphorus under calcium phosphite fertilization in subsequent crops.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Brittany A. Verbeke, Louis J. Lamit, Erik A. Lilleskov, Suzanne B. Hodgkins, Nathan Basiliko, Evan S. Kane, Roxane Andersen, Rebekka R. E. Artz, Juan C. Benavides, Brian W. Benscoter, Werner Borken, Luca Bragazza, Stefani M. Brandt, Suzanna L. Braeuer, Michael A. Carson, Dan Charman, Xin Chen, Beverley R. Clarkson, Alexander R. Cobb, Peter Convey, Jhon del Aguila Pasquel, Andrea S. Enriquez, Howard Griffiths, Samantha P. Grover, Charles F. Harvey, Lorna Harris, Christina Hazard, Dominic Hodgson, Alison M. Hoyt, John Hribljan, Jyrki Jauhiainen, Sari Juutinen, Klaus-Holger Knorr, Randall K. Kolka, Mari Kononen, Tuula Larmola, Carmody K. McCalley, James McLaughlin, Tim R. Moore, Nadia Mykytczuk, Anna E. Normand, Virginia Rich, Nigel Roulet, Jessica Royles, Jasmine Rutherford, David S. Smith, Mette M. Svenning, Leho Tedersoo, Pham Q. Thu, Carl C. Trettin, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Zuzana Urbanova, Ruth K. Varner, Meng Wang, Zheng Wang, Matt Warren, Magdalena M. Wiedermann, Shanay Williams, Joseph B. Yavitt, Zhi-Guo Yu, Zicheng Yu, Jeffrey P. Chanton
Summary: This study examined variations in the organic matter functional groups of peat samples collected from different latitudes and elevations using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy. The results showed that peat from high latitudes had higher carbohydrate content, while peat from low latitudes had higher aromatic content. For peat from similar latitudes but different elevations, higher elevations had higher carbohydrate content and lower aromatic content. These findings are important for understanding the response of peatland soil to climate change.
GLOBAL BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mario Fontana, Thomas Guillaume, Luca Bragazza, Said Elfouki, Mathieu Santonja, Alexandre Buttler, Renato Gerdol, Lisa Brancaleoni, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: Recycling phosphorus by using calcium phosphite waste as P fertilizer during green manure cropping proved to be effective in providing sufficient P for subsequent crops without affecting maize productivity, while also enhancing organic carbon mineralization in soils.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Lilli Zeh, Claudia Schmidt-Cotta, Juul Limpens, Luca Bragazza, Karsten Kalbitz
Summary: The study found that temperature did not affect the rate of C-13 assimilation into shoots, but higher temperatures decreased the fraction of assimilated C that was allocated belowground by vascular plants. Sedges assimilated CO2 faster into their shoot biomass and allocated more of the assimilated C-13 belowground than shrubs. However, sedges retained this belowground allocated C better than shrubs, leading to lower C-13 in soil respiration measured under sedges.
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION AND SOIL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Soil Science
Thomas Guillaume, David Makowski, Zamir Libohova, Said Elfouki, Mario Fontana, Jens Leifeld, Luca Bragazza, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: Atmospheric carbon sequestration in agricultural soils is an important negative emission technology. This study assesses the potential of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in croplands and the impact of temporary grasslands (TG) in the crop rotation. The results show that increasing the proportion of TG in the rotation can increase SOC stocks, with linear responses in both topsoil and subsoil. Furthermore, neglecting subsoil responses and bulk density corrections may underestimate the effects of TG on SOC storage.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Ilaria Fracasso, Anna Dinella, Giammarchi Francesco, Nadia Marinchel, Piotr Kolaczek, Piotr Kolaczek, Mariusz Lamentowicz, Katarzyna Marcisz, Edyta Lokas, Magdalena Miecznik, Luca Bragazza, Matteo Girardi, Maurizio Ventura, Luigimaria Borruso, Giustino Tonon, Cristiano Vernesi
Summary: This study presents a palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological reconstruction from a 1500-years-old mountain peatland record in the Southeastern Alps. The findings reveal distinct changes in the peatland's age and human activities during the Medieval Warm Period, potentially due to increased air temperature. Environmental DNA analysis and other proxies provide further support for these findings. This research highlights the potential of using eDNA metabarcoding as a complementary approach in paleoecological reconstructions.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Shaun Watmough, Spencer Gilbert-Parkes, Nathan Basiliko, Louis J. Lamit, Erik A. Lilleskov, Roxanne Andersen, Jhon Del Aguila-Pasquel, Rebekka E. Artz, Brian W. Benscoter, Werner Borken, Luca Bragazza, Stefani M. Brandt, Suzanna L. Brauer, Michael A. Carson, Xin Chen, Rodney A. Chimner, Bev R. Clarkson, Alexander R. Cobb, Andrea S. Enriquez, Jenny Farmer, Samantha P. Grover, Charles F. Harvey, Lorna Harris, Christina Hazard, Alison M. Hoyt, John Hribljan, Jyrki Jauhiainen, Sari Juutinen, Evan S. Kane, Klaus-Holger Knorr, Randy Kolka, Mari Kononen, Anna M. Laine, Tuula Larmola, Patrick A. Levasseur, Carmody K. McCalley, Jim McLaughlin, Tim R. Moore, Nadia Mykytczuk, Anna E. Normand, Virginia Rich, Bryce Robinson, Danielle L. Rupp, Jasmine Rutherford, Christopher W. Schadt, Dave S. Smith, Graeme Spiers, Leho Tedersoo, Pham Q. Thu, Carl C. Trettin, Eeva-Stiina Tuittila, Merritt Turetsky, Zuzana Urbanova, Ruth K. Varner, Mark P. Waldrop, Meng Wang, Zheng Wang, Matt Warren, Magdalena M. Wiedermann, Shanay T. Williams, Joseph B. Yavitt, Zhi-Guo Yu, Geoff Zahn
Summary: Carbon and nitrogen concentrations vary among different peatland categories, but depth does not have a significant impact on the chemical composition within each category. The study shows that carbon and organic matter concentrations can be predicted based on broadly classified peatland categories, which is important for future research on global peatland carbon and nitrogen stocks.
Article
Plant Sciences
Mario Fontana, Sokrat Sinaj, Said Elfouki, Thomas Guillaume, Luca Bragazza
Summary: Integration of cover crops in agriculture rotation has multiple agronomic and environmental benefits. The impact of cover crop identity on cash crop productivity and nutrient uptake is still uncertain, especially with regard to soil types. Our experiment shows that leguminous cover crops improved nitrogen uptake by maize, while the effect on phosphorus uptake was less significant. Sandy soil had higher above- and belowground biomass of maize compared to clay soil. Overall, the presence of a preceding cover crop promoted or did not modify maize productivity in clay soil, but decreased aboveground productivity in sandy soil.
JOURNAL OF SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Mario Fontana, Alice Johannes, Claudio Zaccone, Peter Weisskopf, Thomas Guillaume, Luca Bragazza, Said Elfouki, Raphael Charles, Sokrat Sinaj
Summary: The study shows that the immediate application of Ramial wood chips amendment can increase the uptake of macronutrients (N, P, and Mg) by crops, but decrease the uptake of micronutrients (Mn, Fe, and Zn). Furthermore, the amendment also improves soil organic carbon content, stability, and physical properties such as water capacity and aeration.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Juan Carlos Quezada, Luca Bragazza
Summary: Foliar application of natural zeolites as plant biostimulants can increase root nitrogen concentration and aboveground to belowground nitrogen uptake ratio in maize and wheat, but it leads to a significant reduction in root biomass. This study also found an increase in the activity of carbon-degrading and nitrogen-degrading enzymes in the soil due to zeolite application.
JOURNAL OF PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alexandre Buttler, Roland Teuscher, Nicolas Deschamps, Konstantin Gavazov, Luca Bragazza, Pierre Mariotte, Rodolphe Schlaepfer, Vincent E. J. Jassey, Lucas Freund, Jessica Cuartero, Juan Carlos Quezada, Beat Frey
Summary: Snow-farming is an adaptive strategy used in ski resorts to address snow deficits. However, prolonged compressed snow cover negatively impacts vegetation, soil biological activity, and soil microbial community composition.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2023)