Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses

Humans are altering global environment at an unprecedented rate through changes in biodiversity, climate, nitrogen cycle, and land use. To address their effects on ecosystem functioning, experiments most frequently explore one driver at a time and control as many confounding factors as possible. Yet...

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Autor principal: Flombaum, Pedro
Publicado: 2017
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Acceso en línea:https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum
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spelling paper:paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum2023-06-08T16:11:05Z Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses Flombaum, Pedro biodiversity loss climate change ecosystem sensitivity land-use change nitrogen deposition aboveground production biodiversity climate change ecosystem function ecosystem response global change land use change net primary production nitrogen cycle Patagonia nitrogen biodiversity climate climate change ecosystem grassland human nitrogen cycle South America Biodiversity Climate Climate Change Ecosystem Grassland Humans Nitrogen Nitrogen Cycle South America Humans are altering global environment at an unprecedented rate through changes in biodiversity, climate, nitrogen cycle, and land use. To address their effects on ecosystem functioning, experiments most frequently explore one driver at a time and control as many confounding factors as possible. Yet, which driver exerts the largest influence on ecosystem functioning and whether their relative importance changes among systems remain unclear. We analyzed experiments in the Patagonian steppe that evaluated the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) response to manipulated gradients of species richness, precipitation, temperature, nitrogen fertilization (N), and grazing intensity. We compared the effect on ANPP relative to ambient conditions considering intensity and direction of manipulations for each driver. The ranking of responses to drivers with comparable manipulation intensity was as follows: biodiversity>grazing>precipitation>N. For a similar intensity of manipulation, the effect of biodiversity loss was 4.0, 3.6, and 1.5, times larger than N deposition, decreased precipitation, and increased grazing intensity. We interpreted our results considering two hypotheses. First, the response of ANPP to changes in precipitation and biodiversity is saturating, so we expected larger effects when the driver was reduced, relative to ambient conditions, than when it was increased. Experimental manipulations that reduced ambient levels had larger effects than those that increased them. Second, the sensitivity of ANPP to each driver is inversely related to the natural variability of the driver. In Patagonia, the ranking of natural variability of drivers is as follows: precipitation>grazing>temperature>biodiversity>N. So, in general, the ecosystem was most sensitive to drivers that varied the least. Comparable results from Cedar Creek (MN) support both hypotheses and suggest that sensitivity to drivers varies among ecosystem types. Given the importance of understanding ecosystem sensitivity to predict global-change impacts, it is necessary to design new experiments located in regions with contrasting natural variability and that include the full range of drivers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd Fil:Flombaum, P. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales; Argentina. 2017 https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum
institution Universidad de Buenos Aires
institution_str I-28
repository_str R-134
collection Biblioteca Digital - Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (UBA)
topic biodiversity loss
climate change
ecosystem sensitivity
land-use change
nitrogen deposition
aboveground production
biodiversity
climate change
ecosystem function
ecosystem response
global change
land use change
net primary production
nitrogen cycle
Patagonia
nitrogen
biodiversity
climate
climate change
ecosystem
grassland
human
nitrogen cycle
South America
Biodiversity
Climate
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Grassland
Humans
Nitrogen
Nitrogen Cycle
South America
spellingShingle biodiversity loss
climate change
ecosystem sensitivity
land-use change
nitrogen deposition
aboveground production
biodiversity
climate change
ecosystem function
ecosystem response
global change
land use change
net primary production
nitrogen cycle
Patagonia
nitrogen
biodiversity
climate
climate change
ecosystem
grassland
human
nitrogen cycle
South America
Biodiversity
Climate
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Grassland
Humans
Nitrogen
Nitrogen Cycle
South America
Flombaum, Pedro
Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
topic_facet biodiversity loss
climate change
ecosystem sensitivity
land-use change
nitrogen deposition
aboveground production
biodiversity
climate change
ecosystem function
ecosystem response
global change
land use change
net primary production
nitrogen cycle
Patagonia
nitrogen
biodiversity
climate
climate change
ecosystem
grassland
human
nitrogen cycle
South America
Biodiversity
Climate
Climate Change
Ecosystem
Grassland
Humans
Nitrogen
Nitrogen Cycle
South America
description Humans are altering global environment at an unprecedented rate through changes in biodiversity, climate, nitrogen cycle, and land use. To address their effects on ecosystem functioning, experiments most frequently explore one driver at a time and control as many confounding factors as possible. Yet, which driver exerts the largest influence on ecosystem functioning and whether their relative importance changes among systems remain unclear. We analyzed experiments in the Patagonian steppe that evaluated the aboveground net primary production (ANPP) response to manipulated gradients of species richness, precipitation, temperature, nitrogen fertilization (N), and grazing intensity. We compared the effect on ANPP relative to ambient conditions considering intensity and direction of manipulations for each driver. The ranking of responses to drivers with comparable manipulation intensity was as follows: biodiversity>grazing>precipitation>N. For a similar intensity of manipulation, the effect of biodiversity loss was 4.0, 3.6, and 1.5, times larger than N deposition, decreased precipitation, and increased grazing intensity. We interpreted our results considering two hypotheses. First, the response of ANPP to changes in precipitation and biodiversity is saturating, so we expected larger effects when the driver was reduced, relative to ambient conditions, than when it was increased. Experimental manipulations that reduced ambient levels had larger effects than those that increased them. Second, the sensitivity of ANPP to each driver is inversely related to the natural variability of the driver. In Patagonia, the ranking of natural variability of drivers is as follows: precipitation>grazing>temperature>biodiversity>N. So, in general, the ecosystem was most sensitive to drivers that varied the least. Comparable results from Cedar Creek (MN) support both hypotheses and suggest that sensitivity to drivers varies among ecosystem types. Given the importance of understanding ecosystem sensitivity to predict global-change impacts, it is necessary to design new experiments located in regions with contrasting natural variability and that include the full range of drivers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
author Flombaum, Pedro
author_facet Flombaum, Pedro
author_sort Flombaum, Pedro
title Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
title_short Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
title_full Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
title_fullStr Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
title_full_unstemmed Global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
title_sort global-change drivers of ecosystem functioning modulated by natural variability and saturating responses
publishDate 2017
url https://bibliotecadigital.exactas.uba.ar/collection/paper/document/paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12110/paper_13541013_v23_n2_p503_Flombaum
work_keys_str_mv AT flombaumpedro globalchangedriversofecosystemfunctioningmodulatedbynaturalvariabilityandsaturatingresponses
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