Phosphorus limitation promotes soil carbon storage in a boreal forest exposed to long‐term nitrogen fertilization
Wiley-Blackwell
2024
Richy_etal_2024_GlobChangeBiol_Phosphorus_limitation_promotes.pdf - Publisher's version - 10.24 MB
How to cite: Richy, E., Fort, T., Odriozola, I., Kohout, P., Barbi, F., Martinovic, T., Tupek, B., Adamczyk, B., Lehtonen, A., Mäkipää, R., & Baldrian, P. (2024). Phosphorus limitation promotes soil carbon storage in a boreal forest exposed to long-term nitrogen fertilization. Global Change Biology, 30, e17516. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17516
Pysyvä osoite
Tiivistelmä
Forests play a crucial role in global carbon cycling by absorbing and storing significant amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Although boreal forests contribute to approximately 45% of the total forest carbon sink, tree growth and soil carbon sequestration are constrained by nutrient availability. Here, we examine if long-term nutrient input enhances tree productivity and whether this leads to carbon storage or whether stimulated microbial decomposition of organic matter limits soil carbon accumulation. Over six decades, nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium were supplied to a Pinus sylvestris-dominated boreal forest. We found that nitrogen fertilization alone or together with calcium and/or phosphorus increased tree biomass production by 50% and soil carbon sequestration by 65% compared to unfertilized plots. However, the nonlinear relationship observed between tree productivity and soil carbon stock across treatments suggests microbial regulation. When phosphorus was co-applied with nitrogen, it acidified the soil, increased fungal biomass, altered microbial community composition, and enhanced biopolymer degradation capabilities. While no evidence of competition between ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi has been observed, key functional groups with the potential to reduce carbon stocks were identified. In contrast, when nitrogen was added without phosphorus, it increased soil carbon sequestration because microbial activity was likely limited by phosphorus availability. In conclusion, the addition of nitrogen to boreal forests may contribute to global warming mitigation, but this effect is context dependent.
ISBN
OKM-julkaisutyyppi
A1 Alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä
Julkaisusarja
Global change biology
Volyymi
30
Numero
9
Sivut
Sivut
14 p.
ISSN
1354-1013
1365-2486
1365-2486