Publications by authors named "Colin L Tucker"
Drainage-induced encroachment by trees may have major effects on the carbon balance of northern peatlands, and responses of microbial communities are likely to play a central mechanistic role. We profiled the soil fungal community and estimated its genetic potential for the decay of lignin and phenolics (class II peroxidase potential) along peatland drainage gradients stretching from interior locations (undrained, open) to ditched locations (drained, forested). Mycorrhizal fungi dominated the community across the gradients.
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- Peatlands' carbon storage is influenced by a balance between plant productivity and decomposition, which can be disrupted by climate changes affecting water levels.
- Plant community shifts and altered water tables can affect ecosystem respiration and carbon loss from older peat, but their combined impacts are not well understood.
- Experiments showed that lower water tables increased decomposition rates and carbon respiration from deep peat, highlighting the risks to peatland carbon stores under changing climates and land use.
Article Synopsis
- - Understanding how biogeochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus interact is crucial, especially as human activities impact climate and these cycles, particularly in dryland ecosystems which cover over 40% of Earth's land surface.
- - Research on the Colorado Plateau tested how water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus influence soil carbon cycling. Results indicated that water, carbon, and nitrogen collectively support carbon cycling, with water being a key factor in generating a significant response when combined with carbon.
- - The study revealed that nitrogen alone doesn't affect soil carbon cycling but enhances carbon cycling rates when combined with water and carbon, while phosphorus showed no impact. These findings highlight the complex interplay of resource limitations in dryland ecosystems.
Does declining carbon-use efficiency explain thermal acclimation of soil respiration with warming?
Glob Chang Biol
January 2013
Article Synopsis
- Enhanced soil respiration due to global warming could significantly raise atmospheric CO2 levels, beyond human contributions, influenced by how soil temperature affects respiration.
- The study explored soil respiration's response to temperature changes and substrate availability, utilizing a new Bayesian model that incorporates both substrate effects and temperature responses through Michaelis-Menten and Arrhenius equations.
- Results revealed that short-term reductions in respiration can stem from substrate depletion and a decrease in microbial biomass carbon, while seasonal acclimation shows higher carbon-use efficiency in summer soils, indicating that these factors will impact long-term carbon storage in soils.