Long-term drought decreases ecosystem C and nutrient storage in a Mediterranean holm oak forest
Sardans i Galobart, Jordi (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Urbina Barreto, Ifigenia (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Grau Fernández, Oriol (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Asensio, Dolores (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Ogaya Inurrigarro, Romà (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Peñuelas, Josep (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)

Date:	2020
Abstract:	Aridity has increased in recent decades in the Mediterranean Basin and is projected to continue to increase in the coming decades. We studied the consequences of drought on the concentrations, stoichiometries and stocks of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) in leaves, foliar litter of a three dominant woody species and soil of a Mediterranean montane holm oak forest where soil-water content was experimentally reduced (15 % lower than the control plots) for 15 years. Nitrogen stocks were lower in the drought plots than in the control plots (8. 81 ± 1. 01 kg ha¯¹ in the forest canopy and 856 ± 120 kg ha¯¹ in the 0−15 cm soil layer), thus representing 7 and 18 % lower N stocks in the canopy and soil respectively. δ¹⁵N was consistently higher under drought conditions in all samples, indicating a general loss of N. Foliar C and K stocks were also lower but to a lesser extent than N. Decreases in biomass and C and N stocks due to drought were smallest for the most dominant tall shrub, Phillyrea latifolia, so our results suggest a lower capacity of this forest to store C and nutrients but also substantial resulting changes in forest structure with increasing drought.
Grants:	European Commission 610028 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2016-79835-P
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, i la comunicació pública de l'obra, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original. No es permet la creació d'obres derivades.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject:	Climate change ; Aridity ; Nitrogen ; Phosphorus ; Potassium ; Stoichiometry ; Carbon
Published in:	Environmental and experimental botany, Vol. 177 (Sep. 2020) , art. 104135, ISSN 0098-8472

DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2020.104135

Postprint. Article 31 p, 926.1 KB

Postprint. Material suplementari 33 p, 994.7 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals) > Imbalance-P
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