1. |
- Ajal, James, et al.
(författare)
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Functional trait space in cereals and legumes grown in pure and mixed cultures is influenced more by cultivar identity than crop mixing
- 2021
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Ingår i: Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics. - : Elsevier BV. - 1433-8319 .- 1618-0437. ; 50
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- More efficient resource use, especially nitrogen (N) in agricultural fields could considerably reduce the losses and spillover effects on the environment. Cereal-legume mixtures can lead to more efficient uptake of growth-limiting resources, and increase and stabilize yields, due to the variation in functional traits that facilitate partitioning of niche space. Here we identify crop mixtures with functional traits that facilitate optimal N resource use in two selected cereal-legume mixtures by using the multi-dimensional trait space concept. Combinations of pea-barley and faba bean-wheat crops were grown in the field as pure cultures and mixtures in Central Sweden, during two years with contrasting weather. The ecological niche space was defined via the n-dimensional hypervolumes represented by N pool, tiller/branch number, shoot biomass, and grain yield functional traits. Regressions and correlations allowed quantifying the relations between functional traits and plant N pools. Differences in trait space were not a result of crop mixing per se, as similar hypervolumes were found in the pure culture and mixture-grown crops. Instead, the trait space differences depended on the cultivar identities admixed. Furthermore, cereals increased their efficiency for N uptake and therefore benefitted more than the legumes in the mixtures, in terms of accumulated N and grain yields. Tiller and shoot biomass production in cereals was positively correlated to N pool accumulation during the season. Resource acquisition through increased N uptake in the mixture was associated with a reduced overlap in niche-space in the mixtures, and initial seed N pools significantly contributed to within-season N accumulation, shoot and tiller production.
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2. |
- Bassiouni, Maoya, et al.
(författare)
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Optimal plant water use strategies explain soil moisture variability
- 2023
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Ingår i: Advances in Water Resources. - : Elsevier BV. - 0309-1708 .- 1872-9657. ; 173
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant responses to water stress influence water and carbon cycles and can lead to feedbacks on climate yet characterizing these responses at ecosystem levels remains uncertain. Quantifying ecosystem-level water use strategies is complex due to challenges of upscaling plant traits and disentangling confounding environmental factors, ultimately limiting our ability to understand and anticipate global change in ecosystem dynamics and ecohydrological fluxes. We reduce the dimensionality of this problem and quantify plant water use strategies by combining plant traits with soil and climate variables into parameter groups that synthesize key eco-physiological tradeoffs. Using a parsimonious soil water balance framework, we explore variations in plant water uptake capacity, water stress responses, and water use performance via these non-dimensional parameter groups. The group characterizing the synchronization of plant water transport and atmospheric water demand emerges as the primary axis of variation in water use strategies and interacts with the group representing plant hydraulic risk tolerance, especially in arid conditions when plant water transport is limiting. Next, we show that specific plant water use strategies maximize plant water uptake (leading to carbon gain benefits) weighted by risks of water stress (leading to higher costs of water use). A model-data comparison demonstrates that these ecohydrologically optimal parameter groups capture observed soil moisture variability in 40 ecosystems and beyond aridity, rainfall frequency is an important environmental control for plant water use strategies. The emerging parsimonious link between ecohydrological performance and non-dimensional parameters provides a tractable representation of plant water use strategies, relevant to parameterize global models while accounting for ecological and evolutionary constraints on the water cycle.
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3. |
- Bassiouni, Maoya, et al.
(författare)
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Parsimony vs predictive and functional performance of three stomatal optimization principles in a big-leaf framework
- 2021
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Ingår i: New Phytologist. - : Wiley. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 231, s. 586–600-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stomatal optimization models can improve estimates of water and carbon fluxes with relatively low complexity, yet there is no consensus on which formulations are most appropriate for ecosystem-scale applications. We implemented three existing analytical equations for stomatal conductance, based on different water penalty functions, in a big-leaf comparison framework, and determined which optimization principles were most consistent with flux tower observations from different biomes.We used information theory to dissect controls of soil water supply and atmospheric demand on evapotranspiration in wet to dry conditions and to quantify missing or inadequate information in model variants. We ranked stomatal optimization principles based on parameter uncertainty, parsimony, predictive accuracy, and functional accuracy of the interactions between soil moisture, vapor pressure deficit, and evapotranspiration.Performance was high for all model variants. Water penalty functions with explicit representation of plant hydraulics did not substantially improve predictive or functional accuracy of ecosystem-scale evapotranspiration estimates, and parameterizations were more uncertain, despite having physiological underpinnings at the plant level.Stomatal optimization based on water use efficiency thus provided more information about ecosystem-scale evapotranspiration compared to those based on xylem vulnerability and proved more useful in improving ecosystem-scale models with less complexity.
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4. |
- Berghuijs, Herman, et al.
(författare)
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Calibrating and testing APSIM for wheat-faba bean pure cultures and intercrops across Europe
- 2021
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Ingår i: Field Crops Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-4290 .- 1872-6852. ; 264
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cereal-legume intercropping can increase yields, reduce fertilizer input and improve soil quality compared with pure culture. Designing intercropping systems requires the integration of plant species trait selection with choice of crop configuration and management. Crop growth models can facilitate the understanding and prediction of the interactions between plant traits, crop configuration and management. However, currently no existing crop growth model has been calibrated and tested for cereal-legume intercrops throughout Europea. We calibrated the Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator (APSIM) for pure cultures of wheat and faba bean using data from Dutch field trials, and determined the phenological parameters to simulate pure cultures and intercrops from seven field experiments across Europe. APSIM successfully reproduced aboveground dry matters and, for wheat only, grain yields in pure cultures. In intercrops, APSIM systematically overestimated the aboveground dry matter and grain yield of faba bean and underestimated those of wheat. APSIM was reasonably capable of simulating plant heights in pure cultures, but respectively overestimated and underestimated the height of faba bean and wheat in intercrops. In order to simulate wheat-faba bean intercrops better, APSIM should be improved regarding the calculation of biomass partitioning to grains in faba bean and of height growth in both species.
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5. |
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6. |
- Berghuijs, Herman, et al.
(författare)
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Identification of species traits enhancing yield in wheat-faba bean intercropping: development and sensitivity analysis of a minimalist mixture model
- 2020
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Ingår i: Plant and Soil. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0032-079X .- 1573-5036. ; 455, s. 203-226
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim Cereal-legume intercropping can result in yield gains compared to monocrops. We aim to identify the combination of crop traits and management practices that confer a yield advantage in strip intercropping. Methods We developed a novel, parameter-sparse process-based crop growth model (Minimalist Mixture Model, M-3) that can simulate strip intercrops under well-watered but nitrogen limited growth conditions. It was calibrated and validated for spring wheat (Triticum aestivum) and spring faba bean (Vicia faba) grown as monocrops and intercrops, and used to identify the most suitable trait combinations in these intercrops via sensitivity analyses. Results The land equivalent ratio of intercrops was greater than one over a wide range of nitrogen fertilizer levels, but transgressive overyielding, with total yield in the intercrop greater than that of either sole crop, was only obtained at intermediate nitrogen applications. We ranked the local sensitivities of the individual yields of wheat and faba bean of the whole intercrop under various nitrogen input levels to various crop traits. Conclusions The total intercrop yield can be improved by selecting specific traits related to phenology of both species, as well as light use efficiency of faba bean and, under high nitrogen applications, of wheat. Changes in height-related crop traits affected individual yields of species in intercrops but not the total intercrop yield.
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7. |
- Bommarco, Riccardo, et al.
(författare)
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Exploiting ecosystem services in agriculture for increased food security
- 2018
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Ingår i: Global Food Security. - : Elsevier BV. - 2211-9124. ; 17, s. 57-63
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite contributing to economy and food security, Ecosystem Services (ES) are still not fully exploited in agriculture. Instead, external inputs have been used to boost yields, while exacting costs on public goods. Ecological intensification capitalizes on ecosystem services to enhance and stabilize production and reduce the need for external inputs, while sparing the environment. Of particular relevance are biodiversity-based ES connected to soil fertility, pest control and pollination. Ecological intensification is applicable in all regions, but for food security purposes, particular attention should be dedicated to implement it as ecological enhancement in regions with wide yield gaps, coinciding with poor food security. Diversified cropping system show promise to create win-win situations. Knowledge on ecology and socio-economy of ES will be needed, and agricultural research and innovation need to heed to resource use efficiency, production stability, minimal environmental impact, buffering of extreme events and adaptation to local conditions.
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8. |
- Breinl, Korbinian, et al.
(författare)
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Can weather generation capture precipitation patterns across different climates, spatial scales and under data scarcity?
- 2017
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Ingår i: Scientific Reports. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2045-2322. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stochastic weather generators can generate very long time series of weather patterns, which are indispensable in earth sciences, ecology and climate research. Yet, both their potential and limitations remain largely unclear because past research has typically focused on eclectic case studies at small spatial scales in temperate climates. In addition, stochastic multi-site algorithms are usually not publicly available, making the reproducibility of results difficult. To overcome these limitations, we investigated the performance of the reduced-complexity multi-site precipitation generator TripleM across three different climatic regions in the United States. By resampling observations, we investigated for the first time the performance of a multi-site precipitation generator as a function of the extent of the gauge network and the network density. The definition of the role of the network density provides new insights into the applicability in data-poor contexts. The performance was assessed using nine different statistical metrics with main focus on the inter-annual variability of precipitation and the lengths of dry and wet spells. Among our study regions, our results indicate a more accurate performance in wet temperate climates compared to drier climates. Performance deficits are more marked at larger spatial scales due to the increasing heterogeneity of climatic conditions.
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9. |
- Breinl, Korbinian, et al.
(författare)
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Extreme dry and wet spells face changes in their duration and timing
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 15:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Dry spells are sequences of days without precipitation. They can have negative implications for societies, including water security and agriculture. For example, changes in their duration and within-year timing can pose a threat to food production and wildfire risk. Conversely, wet spells are sequences of days with precipitation above a certain threshold, and changes in their duration and within-year timing can impact agriculture, flooding or the prevalence of water-related vector-borne diseases. Here we assess changes in the duration and within-year timing of extreme dry and wet spells over 60 years (1958-2017) using a consistent global land surface precipitation dataset of 5093 rain gauge locations. The dataset allowed for detailed spatial analyses of the United States, Europe and Australia. While many locations exhibit statistically significant changes in the duration of extreme dry and wet spells, the changes in the within-year timing are less often significant. Our results show consistencies with observations and projections from state-of-the-art climate and water resources research. In addition, we provide new insights regarding trends in the timing of extreme dry and wet spells, an aspect being equally important for possible future implications of extremes in a changing climate, which has not yet received the same level of attention and is characterized by larger uncertainty.
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10. |
- Daouti, Eirini Lamprini, et al.
(författare)
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Seed predation is key to preventing population growth of the weed Alopecurus myosuroides
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of Applied Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0021-8901 .- 1365-2664. ; 59, s. 471-482
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seed predation can reduce the abundance and spread of unwanted vegetation in agricultural and other semi-natural ecosystems. However, knowledge of how variations in seed predation rates affect plant species population dynamics is needed for decision making and knowledge-based ecosystem management. We developed a stage-classified stochastic matrix population model for Alopecurus myosuroides Huds. (blackgrass), an annual plant species thriving as a weed in temperate agroecosystems of Western and Northern Europe. The model was parameterised using empirical demographic data from long-term experiments in Swedish winter wheat fields, including information on post-dispersal seed losses by vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators. For agroecosystems with highly effective weed control measures (e.g. chemical and mechanical weed control), model simulations showed that seed losses via seed predation need to reach at least 78% at peak seed shedding to suppress population growth of A. myosuroides. The field experiment showed that vertebrates were most important for seed predation in July, at peak seed shedding. In August, after crop harvest, invertebrates were responsible for almost all seed predation. The model indicated that weed seed predation was much more important for weed regulation when it occurred before crop harvest in July. Vertebrates most strongly reduced population growth of A. myosuroides, although both vertebrates and invertebrates were needed to prevent it entirely. Synthesis and applications. We showed that weed seed predation by vertebrate and invertebrate seed predators is key for reducing the population growth of winter annual weeds like A. myosuroides in intensively managed agroecosystems. Therefore, protection of weed seed predators is essential for making management of unwanted vegetation less dependent on chemical and mechanical measures.
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11. |
- Feng, Xue, et al.
(författare)
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Beyond isohydricity : The role of environmental variability in determining plant drought responses
- 2019
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Ingår i: Plant, Cell and Environment. - : Wiley. - 0140-7791 .- 1365-3040. ; 42:4, s. 1104-1111
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Despite the appeal of the iso/anisohydric framework for classifying plant drought responses, recent studies have shown that such classifications can be strongly affected by a plant's environment. Here, we present measured in situ drought responses to demonstrate that apparent isohydricity can be conflated with environmental conditions that vary over space and time. In particular, we (a) use data from an oak species (Quercus douglasii) during the 2012-2015 extreme drought in California to demonstrate how temporal and spatial variability in the environment can influence plant water potential dynamics, masking the role of traits; (b) explain how these environmental variations might arise from climatic, topographic, and edaphic variability; (c) illustrate, through a common garden thought experiment, how existing trait-based or response-based isohydricity metrics can be confounded by these environmental variations, leading to Type-1 (false positive) and Type-2 (false negative) errors; and (d) advocate for the use of model-based approaches for formulating alternate classification schemes. Building on recent insights from greenhouse and vineyard studies, we offer additional evidence across multiple field sites to demonstrate the importance of spatial and temporal drivers of plants' apparent isohydricity. This evidence challenges the use of isohydricity indices, per se, to characterize plant water relations at the global scale.
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12. |
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13. |
- Feng, Xue, et al.
(författare)
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The ecohydrological context of drought and classification of plant responses
- 2018
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Ingår i: Ecology Letters. - : Wiley. - 1461-023X .- 1461-0248. ; 21:11, s. 1723-1736
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Many recent studies on drought‐induced vegetation mortality have explored how plant functional traits, and classifications of such traits along axes of, for example, isohydry–anisohydry, might contribute to predicting drought survival and recovery. As these studies proliferate, the consistency and predictive value of such classifications need to be carefully examined. Here, we outline the basis for a systematic classification of plant drought responses that accounts for both environmental conditions and functional traits. We use non‐dimensional analysis to integrate plant traits and metrics of environmental variation into groups that can be associated with alternative drought stress pathways (hydraulic failure and carbon limitation), and demonstrate that these groupings predict physiological drought outcomes using both synthetic and measured data. In doing so, we aim to untangle some confounding effects of environment and trait variations that undermine current classification schemes, advocate for more careful treatment of the environmental context within which plants experience and respond to drought, and outline a pathway towards a general classification of drought vulnerability.
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14. |
- Goude, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Comparing basal area growth models for Norway spruce and Scots pine dominated stands
- 2022
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Ingår i: Silva Fennica. - : Finnish Society of Forest Science. - 0037-5330 .- 2242-4075. ; 56
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Models that predict forest development are essential for sustainable forest management. Constructing growth models via regression analysis or fitting a family of sigmoid equations to construct compatible growth and yield models are two ways these models can be developed. In this study, four species-specific models were developed and compared. A compatible growth and yield stand basal area model and a five-year stand basal area growth model were developed for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.). The models were developed using data from permanent inventory plots from the Swedish national forest inventory and long-term experiments. The species-specific models were compared, using independent data from long-term experiments, with a stand basal area growth model currently used in the Swedish forest planning system Heureka (Elfving model). All new models had a good, relatively unbiased fit. There were no apparent differences between the models in their ability to predict basal area development, except for the slightly worse predictions for the Norway spruce growth model. The lack of difference in the model comparison showed that despite the simplicity of the compatible growth and yield models, these models could be recommended, especially when data availability is limited. Also, despite using more and newer data for model development in this study, the currently used Elfving model was equally good at predicting basal area. The lack of model difference indicate that future studies should instead focus on model development for heterogeneous forests which are common but lack in growth and yield modelling research.
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15. |
- Goude, Martin, et al.
(författare)
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Using hybrid modelling to predict basal area and evaluate effects of climate change on growth of Norway spruce and Scots nine stands
- 2022
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0282-7581 .- 1651-1891. ; 37, s. 59-73
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- When modelling forest growth, capturing the effects of climate change is needed for reliable longterm predictions and management choices. This remains a challenge because commonly used mensurational forest growth and yield models, relying on inventory data, cannot account for climate change effects. We developed hybrid physiological/mensurational basal area growth and yield models, which combine physiological response to climatic conditions and empirical relations. We included climate and site effects by replacing time with light sums of photosynthetically active radiation and modifying the latter with monthly soil water, vapour pressure deficit, temperature, and frost days. When parameterised with permanent sample plot data for Scots pine and Norway spruce across Sweden, the hybrid models could reproduce observations well, although with no increase in precision compared with time-based mensurational models. When considering different climate scenarios, a significant impact on productivity from climate change emerged. For example, a 2 degrees C warming enhanced Scots pine production by up to 14% in regions where temperatures were originally cooler and soil water deficit was low (i.e. northwest Sweden), but depressed it, up to 9%, elsewhere. Hence, climate-sensitive models that take local variations into account are necessary for accurate predictions and sustainable forest management.
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16. |
- Greiser, Caroline, 1987-, et al.
(författare)
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Higher soil moisture increases microclimate temperature buffering in temperate broadleaf forests
- 2024
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Ingår i: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. - 0168-1923 .- 1873-2240. ; 345
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Forest canopies can buffer the understory against temperature extremes, often creating cooler microclimates during warm summer days compared to temperatures outside the forest. The buffering of maximum temperatures in the understory results from a combination of canopy shading and air cooling through soil water evaporation and plant transpiration. Therefore, buffering capacity of forests depends on canopy cover and soil moisture content, which are increasingly affected by more frequent and severe canopy disturbances and soil droughts. The extent to which this buffering will be maintained in future conditions is unclear due to the lack of understanding about the relationship between soil moisture and air temperature buffering in interaction with canopy cover and topographic settings. We explored how soil moisture variability affects temperature offsets between outside and inside the forest on a daily basis, using temperature and soil moisture data from 54 sites in temperate broadleaf forests in Central Europe over four climatically different summer seasons. Daily maximum temperatures in forest understories were on average 2 °C cooler than outside temperatures. The buffering of understory temperatures was more effective when soil moisture was higher, and the offsets were more sensitive to soil moisture on sites with drier soils and on sun-exposed slopes with high topographic heat load. Based on these results, the soil–water limitation to forest temperature buffering will become more prevalent under future warmer conditions and will likely lead to changes in understory communities. Thus, our results highlight the urgent need to include soil moisture in models and predictions of forest microclimate, understory biodiversity and tree regeneration, to provide a more precise estimate of the effects of climate change.
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17. |
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18. |
- Huddell, Alexandra, et al.
(författare)
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Nitrate leaching losses and the fate of 15N fertilizer in perennial intermediate wheatgrass and annual wheat — A field study
- 2023
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 857
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Perennial grains, such as the intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) (IWG), may reduce negative environmental effects compared to annual grain crops. Their permanent, and generally larger, root systems are likely to retain nitrogen (N) better, decreasing harmful losses of N and improving fertilizer N use efficiency, but there have been no comprehensive N fertilizer recovery studies in IWG to date. We measured fertilizer N recovery with stable isotope tracers in crop biomass and soil, soil N mineralization and nitrification, and nitrate leaching in IWG and annual wheat in a replicated block field experiment. Nitrate leaching was drastically reduced in IWG (0.1 and 3.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1) in its third and fourth year since establishment, compared with 5.6 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in annual wheat and 41.0 kg N ha−1 yr−1 in fallow respectively. There were no differences in net N mineralization or nitrification between IWG and annual wheat, though there was generally more inorganic N in the soil profile of annual wheat. More 15N fertilizer was recovered in the straw and all depths of the roots and soils in IWG than annual wheat. However, annual wheat recovered much more 15N fertilizer in the seeds compared to IWG, which had lower grain yields. 15N-labeled fertilizer contributed little (<3 %) to nitrate–N in leachate, highlighting the role of soil microbes in regulating loss of current year fertilizer N. The large reduction in nitrate leaching demonstrates that perennial grains can reduce harmful nitrogen losses and offer a more sustainable alternative to annual grains.
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19. |
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20. |
- Livsey, John, et al.
(författare)
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Do alternative irrigation strategies for rice cultivation decrease water footprints at the cost of long-term soil health?
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 14:7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The availability of water is a growing concern for flooded rice production. As such, several water-saving irrigation practices have been developed to reduce water requirements. Alternate wetting and drying and mid-season drainage have been shown to potentially reduce water requirements while maintaining rice yields when compared to continuous flooding. With the removal of permanently anaerobic conditions during the growing season, water-saving irrigation can also reduce CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) emissions, helping reduce the impact of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the long-term impact of water-saving irrigation on soil organic carbon (SOC)-used here as an indicator of soil health and fertility-has not been explored. We therefore conducted a meta-analysis to assess the effects of common water-saving irrigation practices (alternate wetting and drying and mid-season drainage) on (i) SOC, and (ii) GHG emissions. Despite an extensive literature search, only 12 studies were found containing data to constrain the soil C balance in both continuous flooding and water-saving irrigation plots, highlighting the still limited understanding of long-term impacts of water-saving irrigation on soil health and GHG emissions. Water-saving irrigation was found to reduce emissions of CH4 by 52.3% and increased those of CO2 by 44.8%. CO2eq emissions were thereby reduced by 18.6% but the soil-to-atmosphere carbon (C) flux increased by 25% when compared to continuous flooding. Water-saving irrigation was also found to have a negative effect on both SOC-reducing concentrations by 5.2%-and soil organic nitrogen-potentially depleting stocks by more than 100 kgN/ha per year. While negative effects of water-saving irrigation on rice yield may not be visible in short-term experiments, care should be taken when assessing the long-term sustainability of these irrigation practices because they can decrease soil fertility. Strategies need to be developed for assessing the more long-term effects of these irrigation practices by considering trade-offs between water savings and other ecosystem services.
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21. |
- Luan, Xiangyu, et al.
(författare)
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Canopy temperature and heat stress are increased by compound high air temperature and water stress and reduced by irrigation - a modeling analysis
- 2021
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Ingår i: Hydrology and Earth System Sciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1027-5606 .- 1607-7938. ; 25, s. 1411-1423
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Crop yield is reduced by heat and water stress and even more when these conditions co-occur. Yet, compound effects of air temperature and water availability on crop heat stress are poorly quantified. Existing crop models, by relying at least partially on empirical functions, cannot account for the feedbacks of plant traits and response to heat and water stress on canopy temperature. We developed a fully mechanistic model, coupling crop energy and water balances, to determine canopy temperature as a function of plant traits, stochastic environmental conditions, and irrigation applications. While general, the model was parameterized for wheat. Canopy temperature largely followed air temperature under well-watered conditions. But, when soil water potential was more negative than -0.14 MPa, further reductions in soil water availability led to a rapid rise in canopy temperature - up to 10 degrees C warmer than air at soil water potential of -0.62 MPa. More intermittent precipitation led to higher canopy temperatures and longer periods of potentially damaging crop canopy temperatures. Irrigation applications aimed at keeping crops under well-watered conditions could reduce canopy temperature but in most cases were unable to maintain it below the threshold temperature for potential heat damage; the benefits of irrigation in terms of reduction of canopy temperature decreased as average air temperature increased. Hence, irrigation is only a partial solution to adapt to warmer and drier climates.
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22. |
- Luan, Xiangyu, et al.
(författare)
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Combined heat and drought suppress rainfed maize and soybean yields and modify irrigation benefits in the USA
- 2021
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Ingår i: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 16:6
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Heat and water stress can drastically reduce crop yields, particularly when they co-occur, but their combined effects and the mitigating potential of irrigation have not been simultaneously assessed at the regional scale. We quantified the combined effects of temperature and precipitation on county-level maize and soybean yields from irrigated and rainfed cropping in the USA in 1970–2010, and estimated the yield changes due to expected future changes in temperature and precipitation. We hypothesized that yield reductions would be induced jointly by water and heat stress during the growing season, caused by low total precipitation (PGS) and high mean temperatures (TGS) over the whole growing season, or by many consecutive dry days (CDDGS) and high mean temperature during such dry spells (TCDD) within the season. Whole growing season (TGS, PGS) and intra-seasonal climatic indices (TCDD, CDDGS) had comparable explanatory power. Rainfed maize and soybean yielded least under warm and dry conditions over the season, and with longer dry spells and higher dry spell temperature. Yields were lost faster by warming under dry conditions, and by lengthening dry spells under warm conditions. For whole season climatic indices, maize yield loss per degree increase in temperature was larger in wet compared with dry conditions, and the benefit of increased precipitation greater under cooler conditions. The reverse was true for soybean. An increase of 2 °C in TGS and no change in precipitation gave a predicted mean yield reduction across counties of 15.2% for maize and 27.6% for soybean. Irrigation alleviated both water and heat stresses, in maize even reverting the response to changes in temperature, but dependencies on temperature and precipitation remained. We provide carefully parameterized statistical models including interaction terms between temperature and precipitation to improve predictions of climate change effects on crop yield and context-dependent benefits of irrigation.
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23. |
- Luan, Xiangyu, et al.
(författare)
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Coordinated evaporative demand and precipitation maximize rainfed maize and soybean crop yields in the USA
- 2023
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Ingår i: Ecohydrology. - : Wiley. - 1936-0584 .- 1936-0592. ; 16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To understand how climate change affects crop yields, we need to identify the climatic indices that best predict yields. Grain yields are most often predicted using precipitation and temperature in statistical models, assuming linear dependences. However, soil water availability is more influential for plant growth than precipitation and temperature, and there is ecophysiological evidence of intermediate yield maximizing conditions. Using rainfed maize and soybean yields for 1970-2010 across the USA, we tested whether the aridity index, that is, the ratio of precipitation and potential evapotranspiration seasonal totals and a proxy of soil water availability, better predicts yield than growing season precipitation total, average temperature and their interaction. We also tested for non-monotonic responses allowing for intermediate yield-maximizing conditions. The aridity index alone explained 77% and 72% of maize and soybean yield variability, compared with 78% and 73% explained by temperature, precipitation and their interaction. Yield responses were non-monotonic, with yields maximized at intermediate precipitation and temperature as well as at intermediate aridity index of 0.79 for maize and 0.98 for soybean. The yield maximizing precipitation also increased with growing season average temperature, faster in maize than soybean. The intermediate yield maximizing conditions show that rainfed maize and soybean yields could both increase and decrease depending on whether climatic conditions come closer to or deviate from the yield maximizing conditions in the future. In most counties, during 1970-2010, the precipitation and aridity index were lower and temperature higher compared with those maximizing yields, suggesting that climate change will reduce yields.
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24. |
- Ma Lu, Silvia
(författare)
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Solar Irradiance Assessment in Agrivoltaic Systems : Understanding Photosynthetically Active Radiation Separation Models and Dynamic Crop Albedo Effect in Agrivoltaic Systems Modelling
- 2024
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Licentiatavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Agrivoltaics, also referred as agrivoltaic systems, present an appealing solution, owing to its dual land use and integrated food-energy system, for the shift to renewable energy. However, it raises concerns about the complex synergies and trade-offs between crop growth and solar photovoltaic panels. Crops grown under open-field traditional agriculture receive uniformly distributed Sun irradiance, whereas agrivoltaics introduces variable shadowing, which interferes with the homogeneity of light collected by crops. Agrivoltaics emphasises the significance of the diffuse irradiance component during shading conditions when direct irradiance is blocked by solar panels. Decomposition models are essential for estimating the diffuse light component from the global one. This thesis conducts a benchmarking investigation of state-of-the-art solar irradiance decomposition models to identify the most suitable ones for decomposing photosynthetically active radiation in specific Swedish sites. The results lead to a novel separation model that outperforms the top models revealed in the benchmarking analysis. Various scenarios common in agrivoltaic sites are used to test the applicability of the model and guide model selection based on available data. In agrivoltaic systems, where solar panels disrupt incoming sunlight to crops, the crop reflectivity or albedo influences solar panels, particularly those with bifacial solar cells. This thesis further investigates how ground-reflected irradiance components affect the front and rear sides of bifacial system designs under varied ground albedo circumstances. Using Agri-OptiCE®, this research examines how albedo data quality affects bifacial systems. The findings contribute to improve the precision of plane-of-array irradiance and power output estimations, hence aiding the practical implementation of agrivoltaic systems across the globe.
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25. |
- Manzoni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
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Consistent responses of vegetation gas exchange to elevated atmospheric CO2 emerge from heuristic and optimization models
- 2022
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1726-4170 .- 1726-4189. ; 19:17, s. 4387-4414
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration is expected to increase leaf CO2 assimilation rates, thus promoting plant growth and increasing leaf area. It also decreases stomatal conductance, allowing water savings, which have been hypothesized to drive large-scale greening, in particular in arid and semiarid climates. However, the increase in leaf area could reduce the benefits of elevated CO2 concentration through soil water depletion. The net effect of elevated CO2 on leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange remains uncertain. To address this question, we compare the outcomes of a heuristic model based on the Partitioning of Equilibrium Transpiration and Assimilation (PETA) hypothesis and three model variants based on stomatal optimization theory. Predicted relative changes in leaf- and canopy-level gas exchange rates are used as a metric of plant responses to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentration. Both model approaches predict reductions in leaf-level transpiration rate due to decreased stomatal conductance under elevated CO2, but negligible (PETA) or no (optimization) changes in canopy-level transpiration due to the compensatory effect of increased leaf area. Leaf- and canopy-level CO2 assimilation is predicted to increase, with an amplification of the CO2 fertilization effect at the canopy level due to the enhanced leaf area. The expected increase in vapour pressure deficit (VPD) under warmer conditions is generally predicted to decrease the sensitivity of gas exchange to atmospheric CO2 concentration in both models. The consistent predictions by different models that canopylevel transpiration varies little under elevated CO2 due to combined stomatal conductance reduction and leaf area increase highlight the coordination of physiological and morphological characteristics in vegetation to maximize resource use (here water) under altered climatic conditions.
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26. |
- Manzoni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
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Contrasting leaf phenological strategies optimize carbon gain under droughts of different duration
- 2015
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Ingår i: Advances in Water Resources. - : Elsevier BV. - 0309-1708 .- 1872-9657. ; 84, s. 37-51
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In most ecosystems, plants face periods with limited water availability, during which stomatal conductance is reduced to maintain hydration. However, prolonged dry spells might require more drastic strategies to conserve water, such as drought-deciduousness. If drought-related changes in leaf area are adaptive, it can be hypothesized that leaf area is optimized to maximize the growing-season carbon (C) gain. Different phenological strategies during drought have been proposed: (i) leaf area index (L) declines when net photosynthetic rates (A(net)) reach zero to maintain a non-negative A(net); (ii) L adjusts to avoid water potentials with negative impacts on A(net); (iii) a constant leaf water potential is maintained (isohydric behavior); and (iv) leaf area remains unaltered (i.e., summer-evergreen leaf habit). However, whether these strategies are optimal in terms of growing season C gains has not been assessed. Here we consider these theories in a unified framework using the same set of equations to describe gas exchanges and water transport in the soil plant atmosphere continuum, and quantify the effect of the leaf phenological strategy on plant C gain over the entire growing season in different climates. Longer dry periods tend to favor drought-deciduous rather than summer-evergreen habit. Deciduous plants that allow leaf water potential to fluctuate (anisohydric) while preventing negative A(net) assimilate more carbon than deciduous plants with fixed leaf water potentials (isohydric). Increased rooting depth allows evergreens to more effectively compete with drought-deciduous species. Moreover, increasing leaf nitrogen concentrations and thus photosynthetic capacity can be an effective acclimation strategy when dry periods are relatively short.
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27. |
- Manzoni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
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Hydraulic limits on maximum plant transpiration and the emergence of the safety-efficiency trade-off
- 2013
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Ingår i: New Phytologist. - : Wiley. - 0028-646X .- 1469-8137. ; 198, s. 169-178
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil and plant hydraulics constrain ecosystem productivity by setting physical limits to water transport and hence carbon uptake by leaves. While more negative xylem water potentials provide a larger driving force for water transport, they also cause cavitation that limits hydraulic conductivity. An optimum balance between driving force and cavitation occurs at intermediate water potentials, thus defining the maximum transpiration rate the xylem can sustain (denoted as Emax). The presence of this maximum raises the question as to whether plants regulate transpiration through stomata to function near Emax. To address this question, we calculated Emax across plant functional types and climates using a hydraulic model and a global database of plant hydraulic traits. The predicted Emax compared well with measured peak transpiration across plant sizes and growth conditions (R=0.86, P<0.001) and was relatively conserved among plant types (for a given plant size), while increasing across climates following the atmospheric evaporative demand. The fact that Emax was roughly conserved across plant types and scales with the product of xylem saturated conductivity and water potential at 50% cavitation was used here to explain the safetyefficiency trade-off in plant xylem. Stomatal conductance allows maximum transpiration rates despite partial cavitation in the xylem thereby suggesting coordination between stomatal regulation and xylem hydraulic characteristics.
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28. |
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29. |
- Manzoni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
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Optimal plant water-use strategies under stochastic rainfall
- 2014
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Ingår i: Water resources research. - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 50:7, s. 5379-5394
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant hydraulic traits have been conjectured to be coordinated, thereby providing plants with a balanced hydraulic system that protects them from cavitation while allowing an efficient transport of water necessary for photosynthesis. In particular, observations suggest correlations between the water potentials at which xylem cavitation impairs water movement and the one at stomatal closure, and between maximum xylem and stomatal conductances, begging the question as to whether such coordination emerges as an optimal water-use strategy under unpredictable rainfall. Here mean transpiration is used as a proxy for long-term plant fitness and its variations as a function of the water potentials at 50% loss of stem conductivity due to cavitation and at 90% stomatal closure are explored. It is shown that coordination between these hydraulic traits is necessary to maximize , with rainfall patterns altering the optimal range of trait values. In contrast, coordination between ecosystem-level conductances appears not necessary to maximize . The optimal trait ranges are wider under drier than under mesic conditions, suggesting that in semiarid systems different water use strategies may be equally successful. Comparison with observations across species from a range of ecosystems confirms model predictions, indicating that the coordinated functioning of plant organs might indeed emerge from an optimal response to rainfall variability.
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30. |
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31. |
- Manzoni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
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Rainfall intensification increases the contribution of rewetting pulses to soil heterotrophic respiration
- 2020
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - : Copernicus GmbH. - 1726-4170 .- 1726-4189. ; 17:15, s. 4007-4023
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Soil drying and wetting cycles promote carbon (C) release through large heterotrophic respiration pulses at rewetting, known as the Birch effect. Empirical evidence shows that drier conditions before rewetting and larger changes in soil moisture at rewetting cause larger respiration pulses. Because soil moisture varies in response to rainfall, these respiration pulses also depend on the random timing and intensity of precipitation. In addition to rewetting pulses, heterotrophic respiration continues during soil drying, eventually ceasing when soils are too dry to sustain microbial activity. The importance of respiration pulses in contributing to the overall soil heterotrophic respiration flux has been demonstrated empirically, but no theoretical investigation has so far evaluated how the relative contribution of these pulses may change along climatic gradients or as precipitation regimes shift in a given location. To fill this gap, we start by assuming that heterotrophic respiration rates during soil drying and pulses at rewetting can be treated as random variables dependent on soil moisture fluctuations, and we develop a stochastic model for soil heterotrophic respiration rates that analytically links the statistical properties of respiration to those of precipitation. Model results show that both the mean rewetting pulse respiration and the mean respiration during drying increase with increasing mean precipitation. However, the contribution of respiration pulses to the total heterotrophic respiration increases with decreasing precipitation frequency and to a lesser degree with decreasing precipitation depth, leading to an overall higher contribution of respiration pulses under future more intermittent and intense precipitation. Specifically, higher rainfall intermittency at constant total rainfall can increase the contribution of respiration pulses up to similar to 10 % or 20 % of the total heterotrophic respiration in mineral and organic soils, respectively. Moreover, the variability of both components of soil heterotrophic respiration is also predicted to increase under these conditions. Therefore, with future more intermittent precipitation, respiration pulses and the associated nutrient release will intensify and become more variable, contributing more to soil biogeochemical cycling.
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32. |
- Manzoni, Stefano, et al.
(författare)
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Reviews and syntheses : Carbon use efficiency from organisms to ecosystems - definitions, theories, and empirical evidence
- 2018
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Ingår i: Biogeosciences. - : COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH. - 1726-4170 .- 1726-4189. ; 15:19, s. 5929-5949
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The cycling of carbon (C) between the Earth surface and the atmosphere is controlled by biological and abiotic processes that regulate C storage in biogeochemical compartments and release to the atmosphere. This partitioning is quantified using various forms of C-use efficiency (CUE) - the ratio of C remaining in a system to C entering that system. Biological CUE is the fraction of C taken up allocated to biosynthesis. In soils and sediments, C storage depends also on abiotic processes, so the term C-storage efficiency (CSE) can be used. Here we first review and reconcile CUE and CSE definitions proposed for autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms and communities, food webs, whole ecosystems and watersheds, and soils and sediments using a common mathematical framework. Second, we identify general CUE patterns; for example, the actual CUE increases with improving growth conditions, and apparent CUE decreases with increasing turnover. We then synthesize > 5000CUE estimates showing that CUE decreases with increasing biological and ecological organization - from uni-cellular to multicellular organisms and from individuals to ecosystems. We conclude that CUE is an emergent property of coupled biological-abiotic systems, and it should be regarded as a flexible and scale-dependent index of the capacity of a given system to effectively retain C.
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33. |
- Marquardt, Kristina, et al.
(författare)
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Farmer perspectives on introducing perennial cereal in Swedish farming systems: A sustainability analysis of plant traits, farm management, and ecological implications
- 2016
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Ingår i: Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. - : Informa UK Limited. - 2168-3565 .- 2168-3573. ; 40, s. 432-450
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agriculture is currently dominated by annual crops. A shift from annual to perennial cereals has been suggested as a way to improve the sustainability of agriculture. Such a shift may have impacts at multiple levels, from the field, to the farm, and the landscape. With a focus on Swedish farm production systems, farmers' views on the potential risks and possibilities of cultivating perennial cereals are discussed in light of the available knowledge regarding plant traits and ecological implications of perennial systems. Farmer interviews showed that potential changes in agricultural sustainability, if perennial cereals were to be introduced, are highly complex, and context specific. Perennial cereals could be part of a transition toward a more sustainable agriculture depending on how they are used in the local farming system and in the larger landscape. Efforts to increase the use of perennial crops require linking specific plant traits of the perennial crop to the properties of the farming systems where these crops would be employed.
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34. |
- Menegat, Alexander, et al.
(författare)
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Soil water potential and temperature sum during reproductive growth control seed dormancy in Alopecurus myosuroides Huds.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Ecology and Evolution. - : WILEY. - 2045-7758. ; 8:14, s. 7186-7194
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The sustainable management of unwanted vegetation in agricultural fields through integrated weed control strategies requires detailed knowledge about the maternal formation of primary seed dormancy, to support the prediction of seedling emergence dynamics. This knowledge is decisive for the timing of crop sowing and nonchemical weed control measures. Studies in controlled environments have already demonstrated that thermal conditions and, to some extent, water availability during seed set and maturation has an impact on the level of dormancy. However, it is still unclear if this applies also under field conditions, where environmental stressors and their timing are more variable. We address this question for Alopecurus myosuroides in south-western Sweden. We quantified the effects of cumulated temperature and precipitation as well as soil water potential during the reproductive growth phase of Amyosuroides on primary seed dormancy under field conditions. Empirical models differing in focal time intervals and, in case of soil water potential, focal soil depths were compared regarding their predictive power. The highest predictive power for the level of primary dormancy of A.myosuroides seeds was found for a two-factorial linear model containing air temperature sum between 0 and 7days before peak seed shedding as well as the number of days with soil water potential below field capacity between 7 and 35days before peak seed shedding. For soil water potential, it was found that only the top 10cm soil layer is of relevance, which is in line with the shallow root architecture of A. myosuroides. We conclude that for this species the level of dormancy depends on the magnitude and timing of temperature and water availability during the reproductive growth phase. Water availability appears to be more important during maternal environmental perception and temperature during zygotic environmental perception.
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35. |
- Messori, Gabriele, et al.
(författare)
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Atmospheric jet stream variability reflects vegetation activity in Europe
- 2022
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Ingår i: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. - : Elsevier. - 0168-1923 .- 1873-2240. ; 322
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Jet streams are a key component of the climate system, whose dynamics couple closely to regional climate variability. Yet, the link between jet stream variability and vegetation activity has received little attention. Here, we leverage our understanding of the mid-latitude jet stream dynamics over the Euro-Atlantic sector to probe climate-vegetation interactions across Europe. We link indices related to the meridional location of the jet and the large-scale zonal wind speed with remotely-sensed vegetation greenness anomalies during locally-defined growing seasons. Correlations between greenness anomalies and jet latitude anomalies point to a control of the jet stream's variability on vegetation activity over large parts of Europe. This potential control is mediated by the jet latitude anomalies' correlations with temperature, soil moisture and downward surface solar radiation. The sign and strength of these correlations depend on location and time of the year. Furthermore, jet stream variability modulates conditions at the onset and end of the growing season. The link between jet latitude anomalies and vegetation greenness is not only specific to the climate zone, but also to the landclass and subperiod within the growing season. It is thus important to use a locally-defined growing season for interpreting the atmospheric controls on regional vegetation phenology. Results consistent with the correlation analysis emerge when focussing on local high or low greenness months only or on zonal wind speed anomalies, confirming the relevance of jet variability for vegetation activity.
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36. |
- Messori, Gabriele, et al.
(författare)
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Climate drivers of the terrestrial carbon cycle variability in Europe
- 2019
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Ingår i: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 14:6
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- The terrestrial biosphere is a key component of the global carbon cycle and is heavily influenced by climate. Climate variability can be diagnosed through metrics ranging from individual environmental variables, to collections of variables, to the so-called climate modes of variability. Similarly, the impact of a given climate variation on the terrestrial carbon cycle can be described using several metrics, including vegetation indices, measures of ecosystem respiration and productivity and net biosphere-atmosphere fluxes. The wide range of temporal (from sub-daily to paleoclimatic) and spatial (from local to continental and global) scales involved requires a scale-dependent investigation of the interactions between the carbon cycle and climate. However, a comprehensive picture of the physical links and correlations between climate drivers and carbon cycle metrics at different scales remains elusive, framing the scope of this contribution. Here, we specifically explore how climate variability metrics (from single variables to complex indices) relate to the variability of the carbon cycle at sub-daily to interannual scales (i.e. excluding long-term trends). The focus is on the interactions most relevant to the European terrestrial carbon cycle. We underline the broad areas of agreement and disagreement in the literature, and conclude by outlining some existing knowledge gaps and by proposing avenues for improving our holistic understanding of the role of climate drivers in modulating the terrestrial carbon cycle.
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37. |
- Metzler, Holger, et al.
(författare)
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Amount of carbon fixed, transit time and fate of harvested wood products define the climate change mitigation potential of boreal forest management-A model analysis
- 2024
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Ingår i: Ecological Modelling. - 0304-3800 .- 1872-7026. ; 491
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Boreal forests are often managed to maximize wood production, but other goals, among which climate change mitigation, are increasingly important. Hence, it is necessary to examine synergies and trade-offs between forest production and its potential for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation in forest stands. To this aim, we develop a novel mass -balanced process -based compartmental model that allows following the carbon path from its photosynthetic fixation until its return to the atmosphere by autotrophic or heterotrophic respiration, or by being burnt as wood product. Following carbon in the system allows to account for how long forest ecosystems and wood products retain carbon away from the atmosphere (i.e., the carbon transit time). As example, we apply the model to four management scenarios, i.e., mixed -aged pine, even -aged pine, even -aged spruce, and even -aged mixed forest, and contrast metrics of performance relative to wood production, carbon sequestration, and climate change mitigation potential. While at the end of an 80 yr rotation the even -aged forests held up to 31% more carbon than the mixed -aged forest, the mixed -aged forest was superior during almost the entire rotation when factoring in the carbon retention time away from the atmosphere, i.e., in terms of climate change mitigation potential. Importantly, scenarios that maximize production or amount of carbon stored in the ecosystems are not necessarily the most beneficial for carbon retention away from the atmosphere. These results underline the importance of considering carbon transit time when evaluating forest management options for potential climate change mitigation.
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38. |
- Mrad, Assaad, et al.
(författare)
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Recovering the Metabolic, Self-Thinning, and Constant Final Yield Rules in Mono-Specific Stands
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2624-893X. ; 3
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Competition among plants of the same species often results in power-law relations between measures of crowding, such as plant density, and average size, such as individual biomass. Yoda's self-thinning rule, the constant final yield rule, and metabolic scaling, all link individual plant biomass to plant density and are widely applied in crop, forest, and ecosystem management. These dictate how plant biomass increases with decreasing plant density following a given power-law exponent and a constant of proportionality. While the exponent has been proposed to be universal and thus independent of species, age, environmental, and edaphic conditions, different theoretical mechanisms yield absolute values ranging from less than 1 to nearly 2. Here, eight hypothetical mechanisms linking the exponent to constraints imposed on plant competition are featured and contrasted. Using dimensional considerations applied to plants growing isometrically, the predicted exponent is -3/2 (Yoda's rule). Other theories based on metabolic arguments and network transport predict an exponent of -4/3. These rules, which describe stand dynamics over time, differ from the rule of constant final yield that predicts an exponent of -1 between the initial planting density and the final yield attained across stands. The latter can be recovered from statistical arguments applied at the time scale in which the site carrying capacity is approached. Numerical models of plant competition produce plant biomass-density scaling relations with an exponent between -0.9 and -1.8 depending on the mechanism and strength of plant-plant interaction. These different mechanisms are framed here as a generic dynamical system describing the scaled-up carbon economy of all plants in an ecosystem subject to differing constraints. The implications of these mechanisms for forest management under a changing climate are discussed and recent research on the effects of changing aridity and site quality on self-thinning are highlighted.
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39. |
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40. |
- Porporato, A., et al.
(författare)
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Ecohydrological modeling in agroecosystems : Examples and challenges
- 2015
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Ingår i: Water resources research. - 0043-1397 .- 1944-7973. ; 51:7, s. 5081-5099
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Human societies are increasingly altering the water and biogeochemical cycles to both improve ecosystem productivity and reduce risks associated with the unpredictable variability of climatic drivers. These alterations, however, often cause large negative environmental consequences, raising the question as to how societies can ensure a sustainable use of natural resources for the future. Here we discuss how ecohydrological modeling may address these broad questions with special attention to agroecosystems. The challenges related to modeling the two-way interaction between society and environment are illustrated by means of a dynamical model in which soil and water quality supports the growth of human society but is also degraded by excessive pressure, leading to critical transitions and sustained societal growth-collapse cycles. We then focus on the coupled dynamics of soil water and solutes (nutrients or contaminants), emphasizing the modeling challenges, presented by the strong nonlinearities in the soil and plant system and the unpredictable hydroclimatic forcing, that need to be overcome to quantitatively analyze problems of soil water sustainability in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. We discuss applications of this framework to problems of irrigation, soil salinization, and fertilization and emphasize how optimal solutions for large-scale, long-term planning of soil and water resources in agroecosystems under uncertainty could be provided by methods from stochastic control, informed by physically and mathematically sound descriptions of ecohydrological and biogeochemical interactions.
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41. |
- Pourazari, Fereshteh, et al.
(författare)
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Contrasting growth pattern and nitrogen economy in ancient and modern wheat varieties
- 2015
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Ingår i: Canadian Journal of Plant Science. - 0008-4220. ; 95, s. 851-860
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nutrient availability, especially nitrogen (N) availability, is a limiting factor for crop production in many regions of the world. Modern crop varieties often produce high yields under high resource availability, whereas ancient varieties are expected to have characteristics more suitable under low resource availability. To test this expectation, we compared the growth and N use efficiency (NUE) of some varieties of ancient hulled wheat, Triticum turgidum spp. dicoccum, and modern free-threshing wheat, T. aestivum and T. turgidum spp. durum. The wheats were grown under different nutrient fertilization (F) levels in two contrasting environments (field in Iran and outdoor growth container in Sweden). Grain yield was significantly higher in modern varieties than in ancient varieties, regardless of fertilization level. In contrast, N uptake efficiency (i.e., mean N in the plant during the main growth period over N in the initial seed grain) and grain N concentration were generally higher in the ancient varieties. Nitrogen use efficiency, defined as the ratio of the grain N content to the sown seed N content, was higher in the ancient varieties only at lower nutrient supply, because in modern varieties higher nutrient supply resulted in a marked increase in NUE through greatly enhanced grain-specific N efficiency (grain yield per mean plant N content during the main growth period). The modern varieties also showed greater fertilization responses in above-ground biomass and leaf area than ancient varieties. The results are relevant in the context of wheat breeding for nutrient use efficiency.
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42. |
- Pourazari, Fereshteh, et al.
(författare)
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Nitrogen use efficiency and energy harvest in wheat, maize and grassland ley used for biofuel - implications for sustainability
- 2015
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Ingår i: Procedia Environmental Sciences. - : Elsevier BV. - 1878-0296. ; 29, s. 22-23
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- One of the most important resources within agriculture is nitrogen (N), and depletion of N resources is an important element in the evaluation of sustainability in agriculture. Therefore, identifying crops with high nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is important for the sustainability of the system. In an energy crop context, sustainability in crop production could aim at enhanced energy output with maintained or reduced depletion of N resources. Crops with different photosynthetic pathways (C-3 vs. C-4) and life histories (perennials vs. annuals) are expected to differ in NUE and also energy harvest per unit N lost from the system.The aim is to characterize the growth, NUE and energy output per unit N lost for three common crops frequently used for energy; maize, winter wheat and perennial grassland (ley). These crops differ in photosynthetic and life history strategies.Above ground biomass of wheat, grassland ley and maize was sampled within a long-term experiment in Central Sweden. The experiment has a split-plot design with four replicates. Four aboveground harvests were conducted during the growth period and plant N contents were determined. Biomass growth, yield (above ground biomass in ley and maize, grain biomass in wheat) and some functional traits were assessed, and the NUE components N uptake efficiency, yield-specific N efficiency and yield N concentration were calculated according to Weih, et al. (2011). Energy output per N lost with the harvested product was calculated assuming crop-specific higher heating values for biofuel use.The N uptake efficiency and yield-specific N efficiency were higher in maize than wheat and ley. The yield N concentration was higher in the perennial ley than the annual crops, and lowest in maize. Energy output per N lost in the harvested product was greater in maize compared to wheat and ley. The results are discussed in a agricultural sustainability perspective. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
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43. |
- Raderschall, Chloë, et al.
(författare)
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Water stress and insect herbivory interactively reduce crop yield while the insect pollination benefit is conserved
- 2021
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 27, s. 71-83
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Climate change is predicted to hamper crop production due to precipitation deficits and warmer temperatures inducing both water stress and increasing herbivory due to more abundant insect pests. Consequently, crop yields will be impacted simultaneously by abiotic and biotic stressors. Extensive yield losses due to such climate change stressors might, however, be mitigated by ecosystem services such as insect pollination. We examined the single and combined effects of water stress, insect herbivory and insect pollination on faba bean yield components and above- and belowground plant biomass under realistic field conditions. We used rainout shelters to simulate a scenario in line with climate change projections, with adequate water supply at sowing followed by a long period without precipitation. This induced a gradually increasing water stress, culminating around crop flowering and yield formation. We found that gradually increasing water stress combined with insect herbivory by aphids interactively shaped yield in faba beans. Individually, aphid herbivory reduced yield by 79% and water stress reduced yield by 52%. However, the combined effect of water stress and aphid herbivory reduced yield less (84%) than the sum of the individual stressor effects. In contrast, insect pollination increased yield by 68% independently of water availability and insect herbivory. Our results suggest that yield losses can be greatly reduced when both water stress and insect herbivory are reduced simultaneously. In contrast, reducing only one stressor has negligible benefits on yield as long as the crop is suffering from the other stressor. We call for further exploration of interactions among ecosystem services and biotic and abiotic stressors that simulate realistic conditions under climate change.
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44. |
- Ruiz-Pérez, Guiomar, et al.
(författare)
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On the Use of Unmanned Aerial Systems for Environmental Monitoring
- 2018
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Ingår i: Remote Sensing. - : MDPI AG. - 2072-4292. ; 10
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Environmental monitoring plays a central role in diagnosing climate and management impacts on natural and agricultural systems; enhancing the understanding of hydrological processes; optimizing the allocation and distribution of water resources; and assessing, forecasting, and even preventing natural disasters. Nowadays, most monitoring and data collection systems are based upon a combination of ground-based measurements, manned airborne sensors, and satellite observations. These data are utilized in describing both small-and large-scale processes, but have spatiotemporal constraints inherent to each respective collection system. Bridging the unique spatial and temporal divides that limit current monitoring platforms is key to improving our understanding of environmental systems. In this context, Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) have considerable potential to radically improve environmental monitoring. UAS-mounted sensors offer an extraordinary opportunity to bridge the existing gap between field observations and traditional air-and space-borne remote sensing, by providing high spatial detail over relatively large areas in a cost-effective way and an entirely new capacity for enhanced temporal retrieval. As well as showcasing recent advances in the field, there is also a need to identify and understand the potential limitations of UAS technology. For these platforms to reach their monitoring potential, a wide spectrum of unresolved issues and application-specific challenges require focused community attention. Indeed, to leverage the full potential of UAS-based approaches, sensing technologies, measurement protocols, postprocessing techniques, retrieval algorithms, and evaluation techniques need to be harmonized. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the existing research and applications of UAS in natural and agricultural ecosystem monitoring in order to identify future directions, applications, developments, and challenges.
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45. |
- Ruiz-Pérez, Guiomar, et al.
(författare)
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Reviewing the role of precipitation and soil moisture in driving the terrestrial carbon cycle variability in Europe: recent advances and known unknowns
- 2020
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- The terrestrial biosphere is a key component of the global carbon cycle and is heavily influenced by climate. This interaction spans a wide range of temporal (from sub-daily to paleoclimatic) and spatial (from local to continental and global) scales and a multitude of bio-physical processes. In part due to this complexity, a comprehensive picture of the physical links and correlations between climate drivers and carbon cycle metrics at different scales remains elusive, framing the scope of this contribution. Here, we specifically explore how precipitation, soil moisture and aggregated climate variability indices relate to the variability of the European terrestrial carbon cycle at sub-daily to interannual scales (i.e. excluding long-term trends). We first discuss broad areas of agreement and disagreement in the literature. For example, while most carbon cycle proxies tend to correlate positively with precipitation, responses to soil moisture and climate indices are more variable. In fact, soil moisture often correlates positively with productivity in water-limited environments, and negatively in light limited ones, or can exhibit nonlinear relations with the carbon cycle proxies. We then conclude by outlining some existing knowledge gaps and by proposing avenues for improving our holistic understanding of the role of climate drivers in modulating the terrestrial carbon cycle.
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46. |
- Ruiz-Pérez, Guiomar, et al.
(författare)
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Role of Plant Traits in Photosynthesis and Thermal Damage Avoidance under Warmer and Drier Climates in Boreal Forests
- 2019
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Ingår i: Forests. - : MDPI AG. - 1999-4907. ; 10
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In the future, boreal forests will face warmer and in some cases drier conditions, potentially resulting in extreme leaf temperatures and reduced photosynthesis. One potential and still partially unexplored avenue to prepare boreal forest for future climates is the identification of plant traits that may support photosynthetic rates under a changing climate. However, the interplay among plant traits, soil water depletion and the occurrence of heat stress has been seldom explored in boreal forests. Here, a mechanistic model describing energy and mass exchanges among the soil, plant and atmosphere is employed to identify which combinations of growing conditions and plant traits allow trees to simultaneously keep high photosynthetic rates and prevent thermal damage under current and future growing conditions. Our results show that the simultaneous lack of precipitation and warm temperatures is the main trigger of thermal damage and reduction of photosynthesis. Traits that facilitate the coupling of leaves to the atmosphere are key to avoid thermal damage and guarantee the maintenance of assimilation rates in the future. Nevertheless, the same set of traits may not maximize forest productivity over current growing conditions. As such, an effective trait selection needs to explicitly consider the expected changes in the growing conditions, both in terms of averages and extremes.
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47. |
- Scaini, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Pathways from research to sustainable development: Insights from ten research projects in sustainability and resilience
- 2024
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Ingår i: AMBIO. - : SPRINGER. - 0044-7447 .- 1654-7209. ; 53
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Drawing on collective experience from ten collaborative research projects focused on the Global South, we identify three major challenges that impede the translation of research on sustainability and resilience into better-informed choices by individuals and policy-makers that in turn can support transformation to a sustainable future. The three challenges comprise: (i) converting knowledge produced during research projects into successful knowledge application; (ii) scaling up knowledge in time when research projects are short-term and potential impacts are long-term; and (iii) scaling up knowledge across space, from local research sites to larger-scale or even global impact. Some potential pathways for funding agencies to overcome these challenges include providing targeted prolonged funding for dissemination and outreach, and facilitating collaboration and coordination across different sites, research teams, and partner organizations. By systematically documenting these challenges, we hope to pave the way for further innovations in the research cycle.
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48. |
- Scaini, Anna, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Water Availability and Land Management Control Catchment-Scale Agricultural Nitrogen and Phosphorous Use Efficiencies
- 2023
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Ingår i: Global Biogeochemical Cycles. - 0886-6236 .- 1944-9224. ; 37:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In arable systems, large amounts of nutrients, particularly of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), are not efficiently converted into harvestable products and are lost from agricultural systems, with negative consequences for agricultural productivity and the environment. These nutrient losses are mediated by hydroclimatic processes causing nutrient leaching and volatilization. We quantify over the period 1987-2012 how water availability through the evaporative ratio (actual evapotranspiration divided by precipitation) and irrigation, agricultural practices, and edaphic conditions jointly affect nutrient use efficiencies in 110 agricultural catchments in the United States. We consider N and P use efficiencies (nitrogen use efficiency [NUE] and phosphorous use efficiency [PUE]) defined as ratios of catchment-scale N and P in harvested products over their respective inputs, as well as the NUE/PUE ratio, as an indication of catchment-scale N and P imbalance. Both efficiencies increase through time because of changes in climate and agronomic practices. Setting all else at the median value of the data set, NUE and PUE increased with evaporative ratio by 0.5% and 0.2% when increasing the evaporative ratio by 20% and by 4.9% and 18.8% in the presence of irrigation. NUE was also higher in catchments where maize and soybean were dominant (increasing by 2.3% for a 20% increase in maize and soybean fractional area). Soil properties, represented by mineral soil texture and organic matter content, had only small effects on the efficiencies. Our results show that both climatic conditions and crop choice are important drivers of nutrient use efficiencies in agricultural catchments.
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49. |
- Smith, Monique, et al.
(författare)
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Increasing crop rotational diversity can enhance cereal yields
- 2023
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Ingår i: Communications earth & environment. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2662-4435. ; 4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Diversifying agriculture by rotating a greater number of crop species in sequence is a promising practice to reduce negative impacts of crop production on the environment and maintain yields. However, it is unclear to what extent cereal yields change with crop rotation diversity and external nitrogen fertilization level over time, and which functional groups of crops provide the most yield benefit. Here, using grain yield data of small grain cereals and maize from 32 long-term (10–63 years) experiments across Europe and North America, we show that crop rotational diversity, measured as crop species diversity and functional richness, enhanced grain yields. This yield benefit increased over time. Only the yields of winter-sown small grain cereals showed a decline at the highest level of species diversity. Diversification was beneficial to all cereals with a low external nitrogen input, particularly maize, enabling a lower dependence on nitrogen fertilisers and ultimately reducing greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen pollution. The results suggest that increasing crop functional richness rather than species diversity can be a strategy for supporting grain yields across many environments.
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50. |
- St-Martin, Audrey, et al.
(författare)
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Crop rotations sustain cereal yields under a changing climate
- 2020
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Ingår i: Environmental Research Letters. - : IOP Publishing. - 1748-9326. ; 15
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Agriculture is facing the complex challenge of satisfying increasing food demands, despite the current and projected negative impacts of climate change on yields. Increasing crop diversity at a national scale has been suggested as an adaptive measure to better cope with negative climate impacts such as increasing temperatures and drought, but there is little evidence to support this hypothesis at the field scale. Using seven long-term experiments across a wide latitudinal gradient in Europe, we showed that growing multiple crop species in a rotation always provided higher yields for both winter and spring cereals (average +860 and +390 kg ha(-1) per year, respectively) compared with a continuous monoculture. In particular, yield gains in diverse rotations were higher in years with high temperatures and scant precipitations, i.e. conditions expected to become more frequent in the future, rendering up to c. 1000 kg ha(-1) per year compared to monocultures. Winter cereals yielded more in diverse rotations immediately after initiation of the experiment and kept this advantage constant over time. For spring cereals, the yield gain increased over time since diversification adoption, arriving to a yearly surplus of c. 500 kg ha(-1) after 50-60 years with still no sign of plateauing. Diversified rotations emerge as a promising way to adapt temperate cropping systems and contribute to food security under a changing climate. However, novel policies need to be implemented and investments made to give means and opportunities for farmers to adopt diversified crop rotations.
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