Articles | Volume 15, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3731-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3731-2018
© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Technical note
| 
20 Jun 2018
Technical note |
| 20 Jun 2018
| 20 Jun 2018
Technical note: Rapid image-based field methods improve the quantification of termite mound structures and greenhouse-gas fluxes
Philipp A. Nauer
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne,
500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia
Eleonora Chiri
School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne,
500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia
Research Institute of the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin
University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0810, Australia
David de Souza
Darwin Medical Imaging, Jape Homemaker Village, 356 Bagot Road,
Millner, Northern Territory 0810, Australia
Lindsay B. Hutley
Research Institute of the Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin
University, Ellengowan Drive, Casuarina, Northern Territory 0810, Australia
Stefan K. Arndt
School of Ecosystem and Forest Sciences, The University of Melbourne,
500 Yarra Boulevard, Richmond, Victoria 3121, Australia
Related authors
No articles found.
Clément Duvert, Vanessa Solano, Dioni I. Cendón, Francesco Ulloa-Cedamanos, Liza K. McDonough, Robert G. M. Spencer, Niels C. Munksgaard, Lindsay B. Hutley, Jean-Sébastien Moquet, and David E. Butman
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1600, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1600, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
This study examines the age and composition of carbon in tropical streams. We find that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is centuries to millennia old, while dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is consistently younger, indicating a decoupling between the two. DOC age varies seasonally, with rainforest streams exporting younger DOC during high flow, while agricultural streams mobilise older DOC. Our results suggest land conversion alters carbon export, potentially worsening with climate change.
Remko C. Nijzink, Jason Beringer, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Stanislaus J. Schymanski
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 883–900, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-883-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-883-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The Vegetation Optimality Model (VOM) is a coupled water–vegetation model that predicts vegetation properties rather than determines them based on observations. A range of updates to previous applications of the VOM has been made for increased generality and improved comparability with conventional models. This showed that there is a large effect on the simulated water and carbon fluxes caused by the assumption of deep groundwater tables and updated soil profiles in the model.
Remko C. Nijzink, Jason Beringer, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Stanislaus J. Schymanski
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 525–550, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-525-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-525-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Most models that simulate water and carbon exchanges with the atmosphere rely on information about vegetation, but optimality models predict vegetation properties based on general principles. Here, we use the Vegetation Optimality Model (VOM) to predict vegetation behaviour at five savanna sites. The VOM overpredicted vegetation cover and carbon uptake during the wet seasons but also performed similarly to conventional models, showing that vegetation optimality is a promising approach.
Eva van Gorsel, James Cleverly, Jason Beringer, Helen Cleugh, Derek Eamus, Lindsay B. Hutley, Peter Isaac, and Suzanne Prober
Biogeosciences, 15, 349–352, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-349-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-349-2018, 2018
Rhys Whitley, Jason Beringer, Lindsay B. Hutley, Gabriel Abramowitz, Martin G. De Kauwe, Bradley Evans, Vanessa Haverd, Longhui Li, Caitlin Moore, Youngryel Ryu, Simon Scheiter, Stanislaus J. Schymanski, Benjamin Smith, Ying-Ping Wang, Mathew Williams, and Qiang Yu
Biogeosciences, 14, 4711–4732, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4711-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4711-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
This paper attempts to review some of the current challenges faced by the modelling community in simulating the behaviour of savanna ecosystems. We provide a particular focus on three dynamic processes (phenology, root-water access, and fire) that are characteristic of savannas, which we believe are not adequately represented in current-generation terrestrial biosphere models. We highlight reasons for these misrepresentations, possible solutions and a future direction for research in this area.
Nina Hinko-Najera, Peter Isaac, Jason Beringer, Eva van Gorsel, Cacilia Ewenz, Ian McHugh, Jean-François Exbrayat, Stephen J. Livesley, and Stefan K. Arndt
Biogeosciences, 14, 3781–3800, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3781-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3781-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We undertook a 3-year study (2010–2012) of eddy covariance measurements in a dry temperate eucalypt (broadleaf evergreen) forest in southeastern Australia. The forest was a large and constant carbon sink, with the greatest uptake in early spring and summer. A strong seasonal pattern in environmental controls of daytime and night-time NEE was revealed. Our results show the potential of temperate eucalypt forests to sequester large amounts of carbon when not water limited.
Jason Beringer, Ian McHugh, Lindsay B. Hutley, Peter Isaac, and Natascha Kljun
Biogeosciences, 14, 1457–1460, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1457-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1457-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Standardised, quality-controlled and robust data from flux networks underpin the understanding of ecosystem processes and tools to manage our natural resources. The Dynamic INtegrated Gap-filling and partitioning for OzFlux (DINGO) system enables gap-filling and partitioning of fluxes and subsequently provides diagnostics and results. Quality data from robust systems like DINGO ensure the utility and uptake of flux data and facilitates synergies between flux, remote sensing and modelling.
Benedikt J. Fest, Nina Hinko-Najera, Tim Wardlaw, David W. T. Griffith, Stephen J. Livesley, and Stefan K. Arndt
Biogeosciences, 14, 467–479, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-467-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-467-2017, 2017
Caitlin E. Moore, Jason Beringer, Bradley Evans, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Nigel J. Tapper
Biogeosciences, 14, 111–129, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-111-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-111-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
Separating tree and grass productivity dynamics in savanna ecosystems is vital for understanding how they function over time. We showed how tree-grass phenology information can improve model estimates of gross primary productivity in an Australian tropical savanna. Our findings will contribute towards improved modelling of productivity in savannas, which will assist with their management into the future.
Mila Bristow, Lindsay B. Hutley, Jason Beringer, Stephen J. Livesley, Andrew C. Edwards, and Stefan K. Arndt
Biogeosciences, 13, 6285–6303, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6285-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-6285-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Northern Australian savanna landscapes are a region earmarked for potential agricultural expansion. Greenhouse gas emissions from savanna land use change were quantified to determine the relative impact of increased rates of deforestation on Australia's national greenhouse gas accounts. Emissions from historic rates of deforestation were similar to savanna burning, but expanded clearing across northern Australia could add 3 % to Australia’s national greenhouse gas emissions.
Eva van Gorsel, Sebastian Wolf, James Cleverly, Peter Isaac, Vanessa Haverd, Cäcilia Ewenz, Stefan Arndt, Jason Beringer, Víctor Resco de Dios, Bradley J. Evans, Anne Griebel, Lindsay B. Hutley, Trevor Keenan, Natascha Kljun, Craig Macfarlane, Wayne S. Meyer, Ian McHugh, Elise Pendall, Suzanne M. Prober, and Richard Silberstein
Biogeosciences, 13, 5947–5964, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5947-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5947-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Temperature extremes are expected to become more prevalent in the future and understanding ecosystem response is crucial. We synthesised measurements and model results to investigate the effect of a summer heat wave on carbon and water exchange across three biogeographic regions in southern Australia. Forests proved relatively resilient to short-term heat extremes but the response of woodlands indicates that the carbon sinks of large areas of Australia may not be sustainable in a future climate.
Jason Beringer, Lindsay B. Hutley, Ian McHugh, Stefan K. Arndt, David Campbell, Helen A. Cleugh, James Cleverly, Víctor Resco de Dios, Derek Eamus, Bradley Evans, Cacilia Ewenz, Peter Grace, Anne Griebel, Vanessa Haverd, Nina Hinko-Najera, Alfredo Huete, Peter Isaac, Kasturi Kanniah, Ray Leuning, Michael J. Liddell, Craig Macfarlane, Wayne Meyer, Caitlin Moore, Elise Pendall, Alison Phillips, Rebecca L. Phillips, Suzanne M. Prober, Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Susanna Rutledge, Ivan Schroder, Richard Silberstein, Patricia Southall, Mei Sun Yee, Nigel J. Tapper, Eva van Gorsel, Camilla Vote, Jeff Walker, and Tim Wardlaw
Biogeosciences, 13, 5895–5916, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5895-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5895-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
OzFlux is the regional Australian and New Zealand flux tower network that aims to provide a continental-scale national facility to monitor and assess trends, and improve predictions, of Australia’s terrestrial biosphere and climate. We describe the evolution, design, and status as well as an overview of data processing. We suggest that a synergistic approach is required to address all of the spatial, ecological, human, and cultural challenges of managing Australian ecosystems.
Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Alfredo Huete, Kevin Davies, James Cleverly, Jason Beringer, Derek Eamus, Eva van Gorsel, Lindsay B. Hutley, and Wayne S. Meyer
Biogeosciences, 13, 5587–5608, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5587-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5587-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We re-evaluated the connection between satellite greenness products and C-flux tower data in four Australian ecosystems. We identify key mechanisms driving the carbon cycle, and provide an ecological basis for the interpretation of vegetation indices. We found relationships between productivity and greenness to be non-significant in meteorologically driven evergreen forests and sites where climate and vegetation phenology were asynchronous, and highly correlated in phenology-driven ecosystems.
Caitlin E. Moore, Tim Brown, Trevor F. Keenan, Remko A. Duursma, Albert I. J. M. van Dijk, Jason Beringer, Darius Culvenor, Bradley Evans, Alfredo Huete, Lindsay B. Hutley, Stefan Maier, Natalia Restrepo-Coupe, Oliver Sonnentag, Alison Specht, Jeffrey R. Taylor, Eva van Gorsel, and Michael J. Liddell
Biogeosciences, 13, 5085–5102, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5085-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-5085-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Australian vegetation phenology is highly variable due to the diversity of ecosystems on the continent. We explore continental-scale variability using satellite remote sensing by broadly classifying areas as seasonal, non-seasonal, or irregularly seasonal. We also examine ecosystem-scale phenology using phenocams and show that some broadly non-seasonal ecosystems do display phenological variability. Overall, phenocams are useful for understanding ecosystem-scale Australian vegetation phenology.
Rhys Whitley, Jason Beringer, Lindsay B. Hutley, Gab Abramowitz, Martin G. De Kauwe, Remko Duursma, Bradley Evans, Vanessa Haverd, Longhui Li, Youngryel Ryu, Benjamin Smith, Ying-Ping Wang, Mathew Williams, and Qiang Yu
Biogeosciences, 13, 3245–3265, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3245-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-3245-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In this study we assess how well terrestrial biosphere models perform at predicting water and carbon cycling for savanna ecosystems. We apply our models to five savanna sites in Northern Australia and highlight key causes for model failure. Our assessment of model performance uses a novel benchmarking system that scores a model’s predictive ability based on how well it is utilizing its driving information. On average, we found the models as a group display only moderate levels of performance.
Caitlin E. Moore, Jason Beringer, Bradley Evans, Lindsay B. Hutley, Ian McHugh, and Nigel J. Tapper
Biogeosciences, 13, 2387–2403, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2387-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2387-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
Savannas cover 20 % of the global land surface and account for 25 % of global terrestrial carbon uptake. They support 20 % of the world’s human population and are one of the most important ecosystems on our planet. We evaluated the temporal partitioning of carbon between overstory and understory in Australian tropical savanna using eddy covariance. We found the understory contributed ~ 32 % to annual productivity, increasing to 40 % in the wet season, thus driving seasonality in carbon uptake.
V. Haverd, B. Smith, M. Raupach, P. Briggs, L. Nieradzik, J. Beringer, L. Hutley, C. M. Trudinger, and J. Cleverly
Biogeosciences, 13, 761–779, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-761-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-761-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We present a new approach for modelling coupled phenology and carbon allocation in savannas, and test it using data from the OzFlux network. Model behaviour emerges from complex feedbacks between the plant physiology and vegetation dynamics, in response to resource availability, and not from imposed hypotheses about the controls on tree-grass co-existence. Results indicate that resource limitation is a stronger determinant of tree cover than disturbance in Australian savannas.
C. Werner, K. Reiser, M. Dannenmann, L. B. Hutley, J. Jacobeit, and K. Butterbach-Bahl
Biogeosciences, 11, 6047–6065, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6047-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-6047-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric loss of N from savanna soil was dominated by N2 emissions (82-99% of total N loss to atmosphere). Nitric oxide emissions significantly contributed at 50% WFPS; high temperatures and N2O emissions were negligible. Based on a simple upscale approach we estimated annual loss of N to the atmosphere at 7.5kg yr-1. N2O emission was low for most samples, but high for a small subset of cores at 75% WFPS (due to short periods where such conditions occur this has little effect on totals).
H. Jamali, S. J. Livesley, L. B. Hutley, B. Fest, and S. K. Arndt
Biogeosciences, 10, 2229–2240, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2229-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-2229-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Biodiversity and Ecosystem Function: Terrestrial
Water usage of old-growth oak at elevated CO2 in the FACE (Free-Air CO2 Enrichment) of climate change
Elephant megacarcasses increase local nutrient pools in African savanna soils and plants
Narrowing down dune establishment drivers on the beach
Combined effects of topography, soil moisture, and snow cover regimes on growth responses of grasslands in a low- mountain range (Vosges, France)
Soil smoldering in temperate forests: a neglected contributor to fire carbon emissions revealed by atmospheric mixing ratios
Enhancing environmental models with a new downscaling method for global radiation in complex terrain
On the predictability of turbulent fluxes from land: PLUMBER2 MIP experimental description and preliminary results
The fungal collaboration gradient drives root trait distribution and ecosystem processes in a tropical montane forest
Measuring and modeling waterlogging tolerance to predict the future for threatened lowland ash forests
Role of air-soil temperature on the LAI course and role of height-DBH on the maximum LAI during foliation of Platanus orientalis L. along an urban-rural greenway system
Crowd-sourced trait data can be used to delimit global biomes
Biomass yield potential, feedstock quality, and nutrient removal of perennial buffer strips under continuous zero fertilizer application
Leaf habit drives leaf nutrient resorption globally alongside nutrient availability and climate
Soil and Biomass Carbon Storage is Much Higher in Central American than Andean Montane Forests
Optimal set of leaf and whole-tree elements for predicting forest functioning
Reviews and syntheses: Current perspectives on biosphere research – 2024
Ecosystem leaf area, gross primary production, and evapotranspiration responses to wildfire in the Columbia River Basin
Linking geomorphological processes and wildlife microhabitat selection: nesting birds select refuges generated by permafrost degradation in the Arctic
Distinguishing mature and immature trees allows estimating forest carbon uptake from stand structure
“Blooming” of litter-mixing effects: the role of flower and leaf litter interactions on decomposition in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
From simple labels to semantic image segmentation: leveraging citizen science plant photographs for tree species mapping in drone imagery
Plant functional traits modulate the effects of soil acidification on above- and belowground biomass
Regional effects and local climate jointly shape the global distribution of sexual systems in woody flowering plants
Ideas and perspectives: Sensing energy and matter fluxes in a biota-dominated Patagonian landscape through environmental seismology – introducing the Pumalín Critical Zone Observatory
Comparison of carbon and water fluxes and the drivers of ecosystem water use efficiency in a temperate rainforest and a peatland in southern South America
Kilometre-scale simulations over Fennoscandia reveal a large loss of tundra due to climate warming
Microclimate mapping using novel radiative transfer modelling
Root distributions predict shrub–steppe responses to precipitation intensity
Thermophilisation of Afromontane forest stands demonstrated in an elevation gradient experiment
Above-treeline ecosystems facing drought: lessons from the 2022 European summer heat wave
Canopy gaps and associated losses of biomass – combining UAV imagery and field data in a central Amazon forest
Ideas and perspectives: Beyond model evaluation – combining experiments and models to advance terrestrial ecosystem science
Primary succession and its driving variables – a sphere-spanning approach applied in proglacial areas in the upper Martell Valley (Eastern Italian Alps)
Contemporary biodiversity pattern is affected by climate change at multiple temporal scales in steppes on the Mongolian Plateau
Quantifying vegetation indices using terrestrial laser scanning: methodological complexities and ecological insights from a Mediterranean forest
Revisiting and attributing the global controls over terrestrial ecosystem functions of climate and plant traits at FLUXNET sites via causal graphical models
Dynamics of short-term ecosystem carbon fluxes induced by precipitation events in a semiarid grassland
Throughfall exclusion and fertilization effects on tropical dry forest tree plantations, a large-scale experiment
Tectonic controls on the ecosystem of the Mara River basin, East Africa, from geomorphological and spectral index analysis
Spruce bark beetles (Ips typographus) cause up to 700 times higher bark BVOC emission rates compared to healthy Norway spruce (Picea abies)
Technical note: Novel estimates of the leaf relative uptake rate of carbonyl sulfide from optimality theory
Observed water and light limitation across global ecosystems
A question of scale: modeling biomass, gain and mortality distributions of a tropical forest
Seed traits and phylogeny explain plants' geographic distribution
Effect of the presence of plateau pikas on the ecosystem services of alpine meadows
Allometric equations and wood density parameters for estimating aboveground and woody debris biomass in Cajander larch (Larix cajanderi) forests of northeast Siberia
Strong influence of trees outside forest in regulating microclimate of intensively modified Afromontane landscapes
Excess radiation exacerbates drought stress impacts on canopy conductance along aridity gradients
Dispersal of bacteria and stimulation of permafrost decomposition by Collembola
Modeling the effects of alternative crop–livestock management scenarios on important ecosystem services for smallholder farming from a landscape perspective
Susan E. Quick, Giulio Curioni, Nicholas J. Harper, Stefan Krause, and A. Robert MacKenzie
Biogeosciences, 22, 1557–1581, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1557-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1557-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
To study the effects of rising CO2 levels on water usage of old-growth temperate oak forest, we monitored trees in an open-air elevated CO2 experiment for 5 years. We found 4 %–16 % leaf-on season reduction in daylight water usage for ~35% increase in atmospheric CO2. July-only reduction varied more widely. Tree water usage depended on tree size, i.e. stem size and projected canopy area, across all treatments. Experimental infrastructure increased the water usage of the trees in leaf-on season.
Courtney G. Reed, Michelle L. Budny, Johan T. du Toit, Ryan Helcoski, Joshua P. Schimel, Izak P. J. Smit, Tercia Strydom, Aimee Tallian, Dave I. Thompson, Helga van Coller, Nathan P. Lemoine, and Deron E. Burkepile
Biogeosciences, 22, 1583–1596, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1583-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1583-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We seek to understand the ecological legacies of elephants after death. We sampled soil and leaves at elephant carcass sites in South Africa and found that elephant carcasses release nutrients into soil, which plants take up and make available for consumption by herbivores. This research reveals a key way that elephants contribute to nutrient cycling in savannas after death. It also highlights an important process that may be lost in areas where elephant populations are in decline.
Jan-Markus Homberger, Sasja van Rosmalen, Michel Riksen, and Juul Limpens
Biogeosciences, 22, 1301–1320, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1301-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1301-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding what determines the establishment of dune-building vegetation could help to better predict coastal dune initiation and development. We monitored the establishment of dune-building grasses and dune initiation in a large field experiment. Our results show that dune initiation takes place during peaks in dune-building grass establishment, which depend on favorable environmental conditions. Our findings can potentially be integrated into beach restoration and management strategies.
Pierre-Alexis Herrault, Albin Ullmann, and Damien Ertlen
Biogeosciences, 22, 705–724, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-705-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-705-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Mountain grasslands are impacted by climate change and need to adapt. Low-mountain grasslands are poorly understood compared to high-mountain massifs. Thanks to satellite archives, we found that grasslands occurring in the Vosges Mountains (France) exhibited stable productivity or tended to decrease in specific regions of the massif, with a reverse signal observed in high-mountain massifs. We also noted a high responsiveness in their growth strategy to soil moisture, snow regime, and topography.
Lilian Vallet, Charbel Abdallah, Thomas Lauvaux, Lilian Joly, Michel Ramonet, Philippe Ciais, Morgan Lopez, Irène Xueref-Remy, and Florent Mouillot
Biogeosciences, 22, 213–242, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-213-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-213-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The 2022 fire season had a huge impact on European temperate forest, with several large fires exhibiting prolonged soil combustion reported. We analyzed CO and CO2 concentration recorded at nearby atmospheric towers, revealing intense smoldering combustion. We refined a fire emission model to incorporate this process. We estimated 7.95 Mteq CO2 fire emission, twice the global estimate. Fires contributed to 1.97 % of France's annual carbon footprint, reducing forest carbon sink by 30 % this year.
Arsène Druel, Julien Ruffault, Hendrik Davi, André Chanzy, Olivier Marloie, Miquel De Cáceres, Albert Olioso, Florent Mouillot, Christophe François, Kamel Soudani, and Nicolas K. Martin-StPaul
Biogeosciences, 22, 1–18, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-1-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate radiation data are essential for understanding ecosystem functions and dynamics. Traditional large-scale data lack the precision needed for complex terrain. This study introduces a new model, which accounts for sub-daily direct and diffuse radiation effects caused by terrain features, to enhance the radiation data resolution using elevation maps. Tested on a mountainous area, this method significantly improved radiation estimates, benefiting predictions of forest functions.
Gab Abramowitz, Anna Ukkola, Sanaa Hobeichi, Jon Cranko Page, Mathew Lipson, Martin G. De Kauwe, Samuel Green, Claire Brenner, Jonathan Frame, Grey Nearing, Martyn Clark, Martin Best, Peter Anthoni, Gabriele Arduini, Souhail Boussetta, Silvia Caldararu, Kyeungwoo Cho, Matthias Cuntz, David Fairbairn, Craig R. Ferguson, Hyungjun Kim, Yeonjoo Kim, Jürgen Knauer, David Lawrence, Xiangzhong Luo, Sergey Malyshev, Tomoko Nitta, Jerome Ogee, Keith Oleson, Catherine Ottlé, Phillipe Peylin, Patricia de Rosnay, Heather Rumbold, Bob Su, Nicolas Vuichard, Anthony P. Walker, Xiaoni Wang-Faivre, Yunfei Wang, and Yijian Zeng
Biogeosciences, 21, 5517–5538, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5517-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-5517-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This paper evaluates land models – computer-based models that simulate ecosystem dynamics; land carbon, water, and energy cycles; and the role of land in the climate system. It uses machine learning and AI approaches to show that, despite the complexity of land models, they do not perform nearly as well as they could given the amount of information they are provided with about the prediction problem.
Mateus Dantas de Paula, Tatiana Reichert, Laynara Lugli, Erica McGale, Kerstin Pierick, João Paulo Darela-Filho, Liam Langan, Jürgen Homeier, Anja Rammig, and Thomas Hickler
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3259, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3259, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
This study explores how plant roots, with different forms and functions, rely on fungal partnerships for nutrient uptake. This relationship was integrated into a vegetation model and was tested in a tropical forest in Ecuador. The model accurately predicted root traits and showed that without fungi, biomass decreased by up to 80 %. The findings highlight the critical role of fungi in ecosystem processes and suggest that root-fungal interactions should be considered in vegetation models.
Eric Gustafson, Dustin Bronson, Marcella Windmuller-Campione, Robert A. Slesak, and Deahn Donner
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3332, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3332, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Black ash forests provide many ecological and tribal cultural benefits but may soon be killed by invasive insects. Black ash trees maintain forests on very wet sites by removing enough water to allow other species to survive. We combined results from physical experiments and a simulation model to project the ecological outcome of strategies to replace ash with species not killed by the insect. We found that this should work if ways can be found to ensure that planted trees survive to maturity.
Melih Öztürk, Turgay Biricik, and Rıdvan Koruyan
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3372, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3372, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Oriental plane LAI values have changed with definite pattern compatible with phenological periods. Air-soil temperatures were significantly definitive on course of mean LAI particularly during foliation. However, tree height and DBH were not significantly correlated with point-based maximum LAIs. Point-based mean LAI increased from 0.80 m2 m-2 to 2.76 m2 m-2 during foliation period. Mean tree height and DBH for point-based canopies ranged between 17.0–26.7 m and 26.5–38.2 cm respectively.
Simon Scheiter, Sophie Wolf, and Teja Kattenborn
Biogeosciences, 21, 4909–4926, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4909-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4909-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Biomes are widely used to map vegetation patterns at large spatial scales and to assess impacts of climate change, yet there is no consensus on a generally valid biome classification scheme. We used crowd-sourced species distribution data and trait data to assess whether trait information is suitable for delimiting biomes. Although the trait data were heterogeneous and had large gaps with respect to the spatial distribution, we found that a global trait-based biome classification was possible.
Cheng-Hsien Lin, Colleen Zumpf, Chunhwa Jang, Thomas Voigt, Guanglong Tian, Olawale Oladeji, Albert Cox, Rehnuma Mehzabin, and DoKyoung Lee
Biogeosciences, 21, 4765–4784, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4765-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4765-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Riparian areas are subject to environmental issues (nutrient leaching) associated with low productivity. Perennial grasses can improve ecosystem services from riparian zones while producing forage/bioenergy feedstock biomass as potential income for farmers. The forage-type buffer can be an ideal short-term candidate due to its great efficiency of nutrient scavenging; the bioenergy-type buffer showed better sustainability than the forage buffer and a continuous yield supply potential.
Gabriela Sophia, Silvia Caldararu, Benjamin David Stocker, and Sönke Zaehle
Biogeosciences, 21, 4169–4193, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4169-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4169-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Through an extensive global dataset of leaf nutrient resorption and a multifactorial analysis, we show that the majority of spatial variation in nutrient resorption may be driven by leaf habit and type, with thicker, longer-lived leaves having lower resorption efficiencies. Climate, soil fertility and soil-related factors emerge as strong drivers with an additional effect on its role. These results are essential for comprehending plant nutrient status, plant productivity and nutrient cycling.
Cecilia M. Prada, Katherine D. Heineman, Maria J. Pardo, Camille Piponiot, and James W. Dalling
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2738, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2738, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The influence of elevation and soil nutrient availability on carbon stocks has not been evaluated for ectomycorrhizal forests in the tropics. In western Panama we calculated C pools in ten plots in an elevational gradient varying in relative abundance of EM-trees. We found exceptionally high aboveground soil C in high elevation EM-forest, in contrast to arbuscular mycorrhizal-dominated Andean forests.
Ecio Souza Diniz, Eladio Rodríguez-Penedo, Roger Grau-Andrés, Jordi Vayreda, and Marcos Fernández-Martínez
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2572, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2572, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we found that the accumulation of nutrients (e.g., carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium) in leaves is an important factor in explaining tree growth in forest ecosystems. This result provides evidence for forest growth studies aimed at forest conservation and restoration to better direct their resources to data collection and measurement. Collecting data on nutrient stocks in tree leaves can also provide valuable information to broaden our understanding of forest functioning.
Friedrich J. Bohn, Ana Bastos, Romina Martin, Anja Rammig, Niak Sian Koh, Giles B. Sioen, Bram Buscher, Louise Carver, Fabrice DeClerck, Moritz Drupp, Robert Fletcher, Matthew Forrest, Alexandros Gasparatos, Alex Godoy-Faúndez, Gregor Hagedorn, Martin Hänsel, Jessica Hetzer, Thomas Hickler, Cornelia B. Krug, Stasja Koot, Xiuzhen Li, Amy Luers, Shelby Matevich, H. Damon Matthews, Ina C. Meier, Awaz Mohamed, Sungmin O, David Obura, Ben Orlove, Rene Orth, Laura Pereira, Markus Reichstein, Lerato Thakholi, Peter Verburg, and Yuki Yoshida
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2551, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-2551, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
An interdisciplinary collaboration of 35 international researchers from 34 institutions highlighting nine recent findings in biosphere research. Within these themes, they discuss issues arising from climate change and other anthropogenic stressors, and highlight the co-benefits of nature-based solutions and ecosystem services. They discuss recent findings in the context of global trade and international policy frameworks, and highlight lessons for local implementation of nature-based solutions.
Mingjie Shi, Nate McDowell, Huilin Huang, Faria Zahura, Lingcheng Li, and Xingyuan Chen
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.22541/au.171053013.30286044/v2, https://doi.org/10.22541/au.171053013.30286044/v2, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer data products, we quantitatively estimate the resistance and resilience of ecosystem functions to wildfires that occurred in the Columbia River Basin in 2015. Carbon state exhibits lower resistance and resilience than the ecosystem fluxes. The random forest feature importance analysis indicates that burn severity plays a minor role in the resilience of grassland, while it has a relatively major role in the resilience of forest and savanna.
Madeleine-Zoé Corbeil-Robitaille, Éliane Duchesne, Daniel Fortier, Christophe Kinnard, and Joël Bêty
Biogeosciences, 21, 3401–3423, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3401-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3401-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In the Arctic tundra, climate change is transforming the landscape, and this may impact wildlife. We focus on three nesting bird species and the islets they select as refuges from their main predator, the Arctic fox. A geomorphological process, ice-wedge polygon degradation, was found to play a key role in creating these refuges. This process is likely to affect predator–prey dynamics in the Arctic tundra, highlighting the connections between nature's physical and ecological systems.
Samuel M. Fischer, Xugao Wang, and Andreas Huth
Biogeosciences, 21, 3305–3319, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3305-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3305-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Understanding the drivers of forest productivity is key for accurately assessing forests’ role in the global carbon cycle. Yet, despite significant research effort, it is not fully understood how the productivity of a forest can be deduced from its stand structure. We suggest tackling this problem by identifying the share and structure of immature trees within forests and show that this approach could significantly improve estimates of forests’ net productivity and carbon uptake.
Mery Ingrid Guimarães de Alencar, Rafael D. Guariento, Bertrand Guenet, Luciana S. Carneiro, Eduardo L. Voigt, and Adriano Caliman
Biogeosciences, 21, 3165–3182, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3165-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3165-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Flowers are ephemeral organs for reproduction, and their litter is functionally different from leaf litter. Flowers can affect decomposition and interact with leaf litter, influencing decomposition non-additively. We show that mixing flower and leaf litter from the Tabebuia aurea tree creates reciprocal synergistic effects on decomposition in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. We highlight that flower litter input can generate biogeochemical hotspots in terrestrial ecosystems.
Salim Soltani, Olga Ferlian, Nico Eisenhauer, Hannes Feilhauer, and Teja Kattenborn
Biogeosciences, 21, 2909–2935, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2909-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2909-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
In this research, we developed a novel method using citizen science data as alternative training data for computer vision models to map plant species in unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) images. We use citizen science plant photographs to train models and apply them to UAV images. We tested our approach on UAV images of a test site with 10 different tree species, yielding accurate results. This research shows the potential of citizen science data to advance our ability to monitor plant species.
Xue Feng, Ruzhen Wang, Tianpeng Li, Jiangping Cai, Heyong Liu, Hui Li, and Yong Jiang
Biogeosciences, 21, 2641–2653, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2641-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2641-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Plant functional traits have been considered as reflecting adaptations to environmental variations, indirectly affecting ecosystem productivity. How soil acidification affects above- and belowground biomass by altering leaf and root traits remains poorly understood. We found divergent trait responses driven by soil environmental conditions in two dominant species, resulting in a decrease in aboveground biomass and an increase in belowground biomass.
Minhua Zhang, Xiaoqing Hu, and Fangliang He
Biogeosciences, 21, 2133–2142, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2133-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-2133-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Plant sexual systems are important to understanding the evolution and maintenance of plant diversity. We quantified region effects on their proportions while incorporating local climate factors and evolutionary history. We found regional processes and climate effects both play important roles in shaping the geographic distribution of sexual systems, providing a baseline for predicting future changes in forest communities in the context of global change.
Christian H. Mohr, Michael Dietze, Violeta Tolorza, Erwin Gonzalez, Benjamin Sotomayor, Andres Iroume, Sten Gilfert, and Frieder Tautz
Biogeosciences, 21, 1583–1599, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1583-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1583-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Coastal temperate rainforests, among Earth’s carbon richest biomes, are systematically underrepresented in the global network of critical zone observatories (CZOs). Introducing here a first CZO in the heart of the Patagonian rainforest, Chile, we investigate carbon sink functioning, biota-driven landscape evolution, fluxes of matter and energy, and disturbance regimes. We invite the community to join us in cross-disciplinary collaboration to advance science in this particular environment.
Jorge F. Perez-Quezada, David Trejo, Javier Lopatin, David Aguilera, Bruce Osborne, Mauricio Galleguillos, Luca Zattera, Juan L. Celis-Diez, and Juan J. Armesto
Biogeosciences, 21, 1371–1389, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1371-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1371-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
For 8 years we sampled a temperate rainforest and a peatland in Chile to estimate their efficiency to capture carbon per unit of water lost. The efficiency is more related to the water lost than to the carbon captured and is mainly driven by evaporation instead of transpiration. This is the first report from southern South America and highlights that ecosystems might behave differently in this area, likely explained by the high annual precipitation (~ 2100 mm) and light-limited conditions.
Fredrik Lagergren, Robert G. Björk, Camilla Andersson, Danijel Belušić, Mats P. Björkman, Erik Kjellström, Petter Lind, David Lindstedt, Tinja Olenius, Håkan Pleijel, Gunhild Rosqvist, and Paul A. Miller
Biogeosciences, 21, 1093–1116, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1093-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1093-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The Fennoscandian boreal and mountain regions harbour a wide range of ecosystems sensitive to climate change. A new, highly resolved high-emission climate scenario enabled modelling of the vegetation development in this region at high resolution for the 21st century. The results show dramatic south to north and low- to high-altitude shifts of vegetation zones, especially for the open tundra environments, which will have large implications for nature conservation, reindeer husbandry and forestry.
Florian Zellweger, Eric Sulmoni, Johanna T. Malle, Andri Baltensweiler, Tobias Jonas, Niklaus E. Zimmermann, Christian Ginzler, Dirk Nikolaus Karger, Pieter De Frenne, David Frey, and Clare Webster
Biogeosciences, 21, 605–623, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-605-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-605-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The microclimatic conditions experienced by organisms living close to the ground are not well represented in currently used climate datasets derived from weather stations. Therefore, we measured and mapped ground microclimate temperatures at 10 m spatial resolution across Switzerland using a novel radiation model. Our results reveal a high variability in microclimates across different habitats and will help to better understand climate and land use impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems.
Andrew Kulmatiski, Martin C. Holdrege, Cristina Chirvasă, and Karen H. Beard
Biogeosciences, 21, 131–143, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-131-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-131-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Warmer air and larger precipitation events are changing the way water moves through the soil and into plants. Here we show that detailed descriptions of root distributions can predict plant growth responses to changing precipitation patterns. Shrubs and forbs increased growth, while grasses showed no response to increased precipitation intensity, and these responses were predicted by plant rooting distributions.
Bonaventure Ntirugulirwa, Etienne Zibera, Nkuba Epaphrodite, Aloysie Manishimwe, Donat Nsabimana, Johan Uddling, and Göran Wallin
Biogeosciences, 20, 5125–5149, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5125-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-5125-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Twenty tropical tree species native to Africa were planted along an elevation gradient (1100 m, 5.4 °C difference). We found that early-successional (ES) species, especially from lower elevations, grew faster at warmer sites, while several of the late-successional (LS) species, especially from higher elevations, did not respond or grew slower. Moreover, a warmer climate increased tree mortality in LS species, but not much in ES species.
Philippe Choler
Biogeosciences, 20, 4259–4272, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4259-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4259-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The year 2022 was unique in that the summer heat wave and drought led to a widespread reduction in vegetation growth at high elevation in the European Alps. This impact was unprecedented in the southwestern, warm, and dry part of the Alps. Over the last 2 decades, water has become a co-dominant control of vegetation activity in areas that were, so far, primarily controlled by temperature, and the growth of mountain grasslands has become increasingly sensitive to moisture availability.
Adriana Simonetti, Raquel Fernandes Araujo, Carlos Henrique Souza Celes, Flávia Ranara da Silva e Silva, Joaquim dos Santos, Niro Higuchi, Susan Trumbore, and Daniel Magnabosco Marra
Biogeosciences, 20, 3651–3666, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3651-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3651-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We combined 2 years of monthly drone-acquired RGB (red–green–blue) imagery with field surveys in a central Amazon forest. Our results indicate that small gaps associated with branch fall were the most frequent. Biomass losses were partially controlled by gap area, with branch fall and snapping contributing the least and greatest relative values, respectively. Our study highlights the potential of drone images for monitoring canopy dynamics in dense tropical forests.
Silvia Caldararu, Victor Rolo, Benjamin D. Stocker, Teresa E. Gimeno, and Richard Nair
Biogeosciences, 20, 3637–3649, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3637-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3637-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Ecosystem manipulative experiments are large experiments in real ecosystems. They include processes such as species interactions and weather that would be omitted in more controlled settings. They offer a high level of realism but are underused in combination with vegetation models used to predict the response of ecosystems to global change. We propose a workflow using models and ecosystem experiments together, taking advantage of the benefits of both tools for Earth system understanding.
Katharina Ramskogler, Bettina Knoflach, Bernhard Elsner, Brigitta Erschbamer, Florian Haas, Tobias Heckmann, Florentin Hofmeister, Livia Piermattei, Camillo Ressl, Svenja Trautmann, Michael H. Wimmer, Clemens Geitner, Johann Stötter, and Erich Tasser
Biogeosciences, 20, 2919–2939, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2919-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2919-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Primary succession in proglacial areas depends on complex driving forces. To concretise the complex effects and interaction processes, 39 known explanatory variables assigned to seven spheres were analysed via principal component analysis and generalised additive models. Key results show that in addition to time- and elevation-dependent factors, also disturbances alter vegetation development. The results are useful for debates on vegetation development in a warming climate.
Zijing Li, Zhiyong Li, Xuze Tong, Lei Dong, Ying Zheng, Jinghui Zhang, Bailing Miao, Lixin Wang, Liqing Zhao, Lu Wen, Guodong Han, Frank Yonghong Li, and Cunzhu Liang
Biogeosciences, 20, 2869–2882, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2869-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2869-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We used random forest models and structural equation models to assess the relative importance of the present climate and paleoclimate as determinants of diversity and aboveground biomass. Results showed that paleoclimate changes and modern climate jointly determined contemporary biodiversity patterns, while community biomass was mainly affected by modern climate. These findings suggest that contemporary biodiversity patterns may be affected by processes at divergent temporal scales.
William Rupert Moore Flynn, Harry Jon Foord Owen, Stuart William David Grieve, and Emily Rebecca Lines
Biogeosciences, 20, 2769–2784, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2769-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2769-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Quantifying vegetation indices is crucial for ecosystem monitoring and modelling. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) has potential to accurately measure vegetation indices, but multiple methods exist, with little consensus on best practice. We compare three methods and extract wood-to-plant ratio, a metric used to correct for wood in leaf indices. We show corrective metrics vary with tree structure and variation among methods, highlighting the value of TLS data and importance of rigorous testing.
Haiyang Shi, Geping Luo, Olaf Hellwich, Alishir Kurban, Philippe De Maeyer, and Tim Van de Voorde
Biogeosciences, 20, 2727–2741, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2727-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2727-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In studies on the relationship between ecosystem functions and climate and plant traits, previously used data-driven methods such as multiple regression and random forest may be inadequate for representing causality due to limitations such as covariance between variables. Based on FLUXNET site data, we used a causal graphical model to revisit the control of climate and vegetation traits over ecosystem functions.
Josué Delgado-Balbuena, Henry W. Loescher, Carlos A. Aguirre-Gutiérrez, Teresa Alfaro-Reyna, Luis F. Pineda-Martínez, Rodrigo Vargas, and Tulio Arredondo
Biogeosciences, 20, 2369–2385, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2369-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2369-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In the semiarid grassland, an increase in soil moisture at shallow depths instantly enhances carbon release through respiration. In contrast, deeper soil water controls plant carbon uptake but with a delay of several days. Previous soil conditions, biological activity, and the size and timing of precipitation are factors that determine the amount of carbon released into the atmosphere. Thus, future changes in precipitation patterns could convert ecosystems from carbon sinks to carbon sources.
German Vargas Gutiérrez, Daniel Pérez-Aviles, Nanette Raczka, Damaris Pereira-Arias, Julián Tijerín-Triviño, L. David Pereira-Arias, David Medvigy, Bonnie G. Waring, Ember Morrisey, Edward Brzostek, and Jennifer S. Powers
Biogeosciences, 20, 2143–2160, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2143-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2143-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
To study whether nutrient availability controls tropical dry forest responses to reductions in soil moisture, we established the first troughfall exclusion experiment in a tropical dry forest plantation system crossed with a fertilization scheme. We found that the effects of fertilization on net primary productivity are larger than the effects of a ~15 % reduction in soil moisture, although in many cases we observed an interaction between drought and nutrient additions, suggesting colimitation.
Alina Lucia Ludat and Simon Kübler
Biogeosciences, 20, 1991–2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1991-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-1991-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Satellite-based analysis illustrates the impact of geological processes for the stability of the ecosystem in the Mara River basin (Kenya/Tanzania). Newly detected fault activity influences the course of river networks and modifies erosion–deposition patterns. Tectonic surface features and variations in rock chemistry lead to localized enhancement of clay and soil moisture values and seasonally stabilised vegetation growth patterns in this climatically vulnerable region.
Erica Jaakkola, Antje Gärtner, Anna Maria Jönsson, Karl Ljung, Per-Ola Olsson, and Thomas Holst
Biogeosciences, 20, 803–826, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-803-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-803-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
Increased spruce bark beetle outbreaks were recently seen in Sweden. When Norway spruce trees are attacked, they increase their production of VOCs, attempting to kill the beetles. We provide new insights into how the Norway spruce act when infested and found the emitted volatiles to increase up to 700 times and saw a change in compound blend. We estimate that the 2020 bark beetle outbreak in Sweden could have increased the total monoterpene emissions from the forest by more than 10 %.
Georg Wohlfahrt, Albin Hammerle, Felix M. Spielmann, Florian Kitz, and Chuixiang Yi
Biogeosciences, 20, 589–596, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-589-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-589-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
The trace gas carbonyl sulfide (COS), which is taken up by plant leaves in a process very similar to photosynthesis, is thought to be a promising proxy for the gross uptake of carbon dioxide by plants. Here we propose a new framework for estimating a key metric to that end, the so-called leaf relative uptake rate. The values we deduce by applying principles of plant optimality are considerably lower than published values and may help reduce the uncertainty of the global COS budget.
François Jonard, Andrew F. Feldman, Daniel J. Short Gianotti, and Dara Entekhabi
Biogeosciences, 19, 5575–5590, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5575-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-5575-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We investigate the spatial and temporal patterns of light and water limitation in plant function at the ecosystem scale. Using satellite observations, we characterize the nonlinear relationships between sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) and water and light availability. This study highlights that soil moisture limitations on SIF are found primarily in drier environments, while light limitations are found in intermediately wet regions.
Nikolai Knapp, Sabine Attinger, and Andreas Huth
Biogeosciences, 19, 4929–4944, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4929-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4929-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
The biomass of forests is determined by forest growth and mortality. These quantities can be estimated with different methods such as inventories, remote sensing and modeling. These methods are usually being applied at different spatial scales. The scales influence the obtained frequency distributions of biomass, growth and mortality. This study suggests how to transfer between scales, when using forest models of different complexity for a tropical forest.
Kai Chen, Kevin S. Burgess, Fangliang He, Xiang-Yun Yang, Lian-Ming Gao, and De-Zhu Li
Biogeosciences, 19, 4801–4810, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4801-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4801-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Why does plants' distributional range size vary enormously? This study provides evidence that seed mass, intraspecific seed mass variation, seed dispersal mode and phylogeny contribute to explaining species distribution variation on a geographic scale. Our study clearly shows the importance of including seed life-history traits in modeling and predicting the impact of climate change on species distribution of seed plants.
Ying Ying Chen, Huan Yang, Gen Sheng Bao, Xiao Pan Pang, and Zheng Gang Guo
Biogeosciences, 19, 4521–4532, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4521-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4521-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Investigating the effect of the presence of plateau pikas on ecosystem services of alpine meadows is helpful to understand the role of the presence of small mammalian herbivores in grasslands. The results of this study showed that the presence of plateau pikas led to higher biodiversity conservation, soil nitrogen and phosphorus maintenance, and carbon sequestration of alpine meadows, whereas it led to lower forage available to livestock and water conservation of alpine meadows.
Clement Jean Frédéric Delcourt and Sander Veraverbeke
Biogeosciences, 19, 4499–4520, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4499-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4499-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This study provides new equations that can be used to estimate aboveground tree biomass in larch-dominated forests of northeast Siberia. Applying these equations to 53 forest stands in the Republic of Sakha (Russia) resulted in significantly larger biomass stocks than when using existing equations. The data presented in this work can help refine biomass estimates in Siberian boreal forests. This is essential to assess changes in boreal vegetation and carbon dynamics.
Iris Johanna Aalto, Eduardo Eiji Maeda, Janne Heiskanen, Eljas Kullervo Aalto, and Petri Kauko Emil Pellikka
Biogeosciences, 19, 4227–4247, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4227-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4227-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Tree canopies are strong moderators of understory climatic conditions. In tropical areas, trees cool down the microclimates. Using remote sensing and field measurements we show how even intermediate canopy cover and agroforestry trees contributed to buffering the hottest temperatures in Kenya. The cooling effect was the greatest during hot days and in lowland areas, where the ambient temperatures were high. Adopting agroforestry practices in the area could assist in mitigating climate change.
Jing Wang and Xuefa Wen
Biogeosciences, 19, 4197–4208, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4197-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4197-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Excess radiation and low temperatures exacerbate drought impacts on canopy conductance (Gs) among transects. The primary determinant of drought stress on Gs was soil moisture on the Loess Plateau (LP) and the Mongolian Plateau (MP), whereas it was the vapor pressure deficit on the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Radiation exhibited a negative effect on Gs via drought stress within transects, while temperature had negative effects on stomatal conductance on the TP but no effect on the LP and MP.
Sylvain Monteux, Janine Mariën, and Eveline J. Krab
Biogeosciences, 19, 4089–4105, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4089-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-4089-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Quantifying the feedback from the decomposition of thawing permafrost soils is crucial to establish adequate climate warming mitigation scenarios. Past efforts have focused on abiotic and to some extent microbial drivers of decomposition but not biotic drivers such as soil fauna. We added soil fauna (Collembola Folsomia candida) to permafrost, which introduced bacterial taxa without affecting bacterial communities as a whole but increased CO2 production (+12 %), presumably due to priming.
Mirjam Pfeiffer, Munir P. Hoffmann, Simon Scheiter, William Nelson, Johannes Isselstein, Kingsley Ayisi, Jude J. Odhiambo, and Reimund Rötter
Biogeosciences, 19, 3935–3958, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3935-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3935-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Smallholder farmers face challenges due to poor land management and climate change. We linked the APSIM crop model and the aDGVM2 vegetation model to investigate integrated management options that enhance ecosystem functions and services. Sustainable intensification moderately increased yields. Crop residue grazing reduced feed gaps but not for dry-to-wet season transitions. Measures to improve soil water and nutrient status are recommended. Landscape-level ecosystem management is essential.
Cited articles
Abensperg-Traun, M. and Perry, D. H.: Distribution and characteristics of mound-building termites (Isoptera), J. R. Soc. West. Aust., 81, 191–200, 1998.
Backes, A. R., Eler, D. M., Minghim, R., and Bruno, O. M.: Characterizing 3D Shapes Using Fractal Dimension, in: Progress in Pattern Recognition, Image Analysis, Computer Vision, and Applications, edited by: Bloch, I. and Cesar, R. M., 14–21, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Berlin Heidelberg, 2010.
Bauwens, S., Fayolle, A., Gourlet-Fleury, S., Ndjele, L. M., Mengal, C., and Lejeune, P.: Terrestrial photogrammetry: a non-destructive method for modelling irregularly shaped tropical tree trunks, Methods Ecol. Evol., 8, 460–471, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12670, 2017.
Bristow, K. L. and Holt, J. A.: Can termites create local energy sinks to regulate mound temperature?, J. Therm. Biol., 12, 19–21, https://doi.org/10.1016/0306-4565(87)90018-0, 1987.
Brümmer, C., Papen, H., Wassmann, R., and Brüggemann, N.: Fluxes of CH4 and CO2 from soil and termite mounds in south Sudanian savanna of Burkina Faso (West Africa), Global Biogeochem. Cy., 23, 1–13, https://doi.org/10.1029/2008GB003237, 2009.
Cignoni, P., Callieri, M., Corsini, M., Dellepiane, M., Ganovelli, F., and Ranzuglia, G.: MeshLab: an Open-Source Mesh Processing Tool, in: Sixth Eurographics Italian Chapter Conference, 129–136, Eurographics Association, Geneva, Switzerland, 2008.
Darlington, J. P. E. C.: A method for sampling the populations of large termite nests, Ann. Appl. Biol., 104, 427–436, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1744-7348.1984.tb03024.x, 1984.
Darlington, J. P. E. C.: Population nests of the termite Macrotermes subhyalinus in Kenya, Insect. Soc., 37, 158–168, 1990.
Darlington, J. P. E. C. and Dransfield, R. D.: Size relationships in nest populations and mound parameters in the termite Macrotermes michaelseni in Kenya, Insect. Soc., 34, 165–180, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02224082, 1987.
Davies, A. B., Levick, S. R., Asner, G. P., Robertson, M. P., van Rensburg, B. J., and Parr, C. L.: Spatial variability and abiotic determinants of termite mounds throughout a savanna catchment, Ecography., 37, 852–862, https://doi.org/10.1111/ecog.00532, 2014.
De Reu, J., Plets, G., Verhoeven, G., De Smedt, P., Bats, M., Cherretté, B., De Maeyer, W., Deconynck, J., Herremans, D., Laloo, P., Van Meirvenne, M., and De Clercq, W.: Towards a three-dimensional cost-effective registration of the archaeological heritage, J. Archaeol. Sci., 40, 1108–1121, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2012.08.040, 2013.
Eom, Y. H., Perna, A., Fortunato, S., Darrouzet, E., Theraulaz, G., and Jost, C.: Network-based model of the growth of termite nests, Phys. Rev. E, 92, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.92.062810, 2015.
Ho, A., Erens, H., Mujinya, B. B., Boeckx, P., Baert, G., Schneider, B., Frenzel, P., Boon, N., and Van Ranst, E.: Termites facilitate methane oxidation and shape the methanotrophic community, Appl. Environ. Microbiol., 79, 7234–7240, https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.02785-13, 2013.
Holt, J.: Microbial activity in the mounds of some Australian termites, Appl. Soil Ecol., 9, 183–187, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0929-1393(98)00073-0, 1998.
Holt, J. A., Coventry, R. J., and Sinclair, D. F.: Some aspects of the biology and pedological significance of mound-building termites in a red and yellow earth landscape near charters towers, north queensland, Aust. J. Soil Res., 18, 97–109, https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9800097, 1980.
Jamali, H., Livesley, S. J., Dawes, T. Z., Cook, G. D., Hutley, L. B., and Arndt, S. K.: Diurnal and seasonal variations in CH4 flux from termite mounds in tropical savannas of the Northern Territory, Australia, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 151, 1471–1479, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2010.06.009, 2011.
Jones, D. T., Verkerk, R. H. J., and Eggleton, P.: Methods for sampling termites, in: Insect sampling in forest ecosystems, edited by: Leather, S. R., 221–253, Blackwell Science Ltd., Malden, MA, 2005.
Josens, G. and Soki, K.: Relation between termite numbers and the size of their mounds, Insect. Soc., 57, 303–316, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-010-0085-2, 2010.
Kandasami, R. K., Murthy, T. G., and Borges, R. M.: Effect of biocementation on the strength and stability of termite mounds, Environ. Geotech., 3, 99–113, https://doi.org/10.1680/jenge.15.00036, 2016.
Khalil, M. A. K., Rasmussen, R. A., French, J. R., and Holt, J.: The influence of Termites on Atmospheric Trace Gases: CH4, CO2, N2O, CO, and Light Hydrocarbons, J. Geophys. Res., 95, 3619–3634, 1990.
King, H., Ocko, S., and Mahadevan, L.: Termite mounds harness diurnal temperature oscillations for ventilation, P. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 112, 11589–11593, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1423242112, 2015.
Kirschke, S., Bousquet, P., Ciais, P., Saunois, M., Canadell, J. G., Dlugokencky, E. J., Bergamaschi, P., Bergmann, D., Blake, D. R., Bruhwiler, L., Cameron-Smith, P., Castaldi, S., Chevallier, F., Feng, L., Fraser, A., Heimann, M., Hodson, E. L., Houweling, S., Josse, B., Fraser, P. J., Krummel, P. B., Lamarque, J.-F., Langenfelds, R. L., Le Quéré, C., Naik, V., O'Doherty, S., Palmer, P. I., Pison, I., Plummer, D., Poulter, B., Prinn, R. G., Rigby, M., Ringeval, B., Santini, M., Schmidt, M., Shindell, D. T., Simpson, I. J., Spahni, R., Steele, L. P., Strode, S. A., Sudo, K., Szopa, S., van der Werf, G. R., Voulgarakis, A., van Weele, M., Weiss, R. F., Williams, J. E., and Zeng, G.: Three decades of global methane sources and sinks, Nat. Geosci., 6, 813–823, https://doi.org/10.1038/ngeo1955, 2013.
Korb, J.: Termite mound architecture, from function to construction, in: Biology of Termites: a Modern Synthesis, edited by: Bignell, D. E., Roisin, Y., and Lo, N., 349–373, Springer, the Netherlands, 2011.
Korb, J. and Linsenmair, K. E.: The architecture of termite mounds: a result of a trade-off between thermoregulation and gas exchange?, Behav. Ecol., 10, 312–316, https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/10.3.312, 1999.
Koutsoudis, A., Vidmar, B., and Arnaoutoglou, F.: Performance evaluation of a multi-image 3D reconstruction software on a low-feature artefact, J. Archaeol. Sci., 40, 4450–4456, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.07.007, 2013.
Koutsoudis, A., Vidmar, B., Ioannakis, G., Arnaoutoglou, F., Pavlidis, G., and Chamzas, C.: Multi-image 3D reconstruction data evaluation, J. Cult. Herit., 15, 73–79, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2012.12.003, 2014.
Lavy, A., Eyal, G., Neal, B., Keren, R., Loya, Y., and Ilan, M.: A quick, easy and non-intrusive method for underwater volume and surface area evaluation of benthic organisms by 3D computer modelling, Methods Ecol. Evol., 6, 521–531, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12331, 2015.
Livesley, S. J., Grover, S., Hutley, L. B., Jamali, H., Butterbach-Bahl, K., Fest, B., Beringer, J., and Arndt, S. K.: Seasonal variation and fire effects on CH4, N2O and CO2 exchange in savanna soils of northern Australia, Agr. Forest Meteorol., 151, 1440–1452, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2011.02.001, 2011.
Luxmoore, R. J.: Micro-, Meso-, and Macroporosity of Soil, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 45, 671–672, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1981.03615995004500030051x, 1981.
McKenzie, N., Jacquier, D., Isbell, R., and Brown, K.: Australian Soils and Landscapes?: an Illustrated Compendium, CSIRO Pub., 2004.
Noirot, C. and Darlington, J.: Termite nests: architecture, regulation and defence, in: Termites: evolution, sociality, symbioses, ecology, edited by: Abe, T., 121–139, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2000.
Perna, A. and Theraulaz, G.: When social behaviour is moulded in clay: on growth and form of social insect nests, J. Exp. Biol., 220, 83–91, https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.143347, 2017.
Perna, A., Jost, C., Couturier, E., Valverde, S., Douady, S., and Theraulaz, G.: The structure of gallery networks in the nests of termite Cubitermes spp. revealed by X-ray tomography, Naturwissenschaften, 95, 877–884, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-008-0388-6, 2008.
R Development Core Team: R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing (3.4.0), R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria, available at: http://www.R-project.org/ (last access: 14 June 2018), 2017.
Reichert, J., Backes, A. R., Schubert, P., and Wilke, T.: The power of 3D fractal dimensions for comparative shape and structural complexity analyses of irregularly shaped organisms, Methods Ecol. Evol., 2017, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12829, 2017.
Schindelin, J., Arganda-Carreras, I., Frise, E., Kaynig, V., Longair, M., Pietzsch, T., Preibisch, S., Rueden, C., Saalfeld, S., and Schmid, B.: Fiji: an open-source platform for biological-image analysis, Nat. Methods, 9, 676–682, 2012.
Schmidt, A. M., Jacklyn, P., and Korb, J.: “Magnetic” termite mounds: Is their unique shape an adaptation to facilitate gas exchange and improve food storage?, Insect. Soc., 61, 41–49, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00040-013-0322-6, 2014.
Seiler, W., Conrad, R., and Scharffe, D.: Field studies of methane emission from termite nests into the atmosphere and measurements of methane uptake by tropical soils, J. Atmos. Chem., 1, 171–186, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00053839, 1984.
Stewart, R. D., Abou Najm, M. R., Rupp, D. E., and Selker, J. S.: An Image-Based Method for Determining Bulk Density and the Soil Shrinkage Curve, Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J., 76, 1217, https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2011.0276n, 2012.
Sugimoto, A., Inoue, T., Kirtibutr, N., and Abe, T.: Methane oxidation by termite mounds estimated by the carbon isotopic composition of methane, Global Biogeochem. Cy., 12, 595–605, https://doi.org/10.1029/98GB02266, 1998.
Turner, J. S.: On the mound of Macrotermes michaelseni as an organ of respiratory gas exchange, Physiol. Biochem. Zool., 74, 798–822, https://doi.org/10.1086/323990, 2001.
Turner, J. S. and Soar, R. C.: Beyond biomimicry: What termites can tell us about realizing the living building, in: First International Conference on Industrialized, Intelligent Construction (I3CON), 14–16, Loughborough University, Leicestershire, UK, 2008.
Verhoeven, G.: Software Review – Taking Computer Vision Aloft – Archaeological Three-dimensional Reconstructions from Aerial Photographs with PhotoScan, Archaeol. Prospect., 18, 67–73, https://doi.org/10.1002/arp.399, 2011.
Wenzel, K., Rothermel, M., Fritsch, D., and Haala, N.: Image Acquisition and Model Selection for Multi-View Stereo, ISPRS – Int. Arch. Photogramm. Remote Sens. Spat. Inf. Sci., XL-5/W1(February), 251–258, https://doi.org/10.5194/isprsarchives-XL-5-W1-251-2013, 2013.
Zachariah, N., Das, A., Murthy, T. G., and Borges, R. M.: Building mud castles: a perspective from brick-laying termites, Sci. Rep., 7, 4692, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-04295-3, 2017.
Short summary
Termites perform important biogeochemical processes in tropical ecosystems, but the complex structure of their mounds impede an accurate quantitative description. We present two novel low-cost field methods, based on photogrammetry and image analysis, to quantify the volume, surface area and porosities of termite mounds. The methods are accurate, rapid to apply and superior to traditional methods, and thus improve biogeochemical rate estimates such as greenhouse-gas fluxes from termite mounds.
Termites perform important biogeochemical processes in tropical ecosystems, but the complex...
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint