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| 2. |
- Blasko, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Impacts of tree species identity and species mixing on ecosystem carbon and nitrogen stocks in a boreal forest
- 2020
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 458
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Forest management practices, such as selection or mixing of particular tree species, may enhance forests' carbon (C) sinks and resilience against climate change. While a majority of research on this subject has focused on aboveground production, far less is known about how these management decisions impact belowground C storage, as well as the C and nitrogen (N) stocks of the whole ecosystem. We used a well-replicated 60-year-old experiment in boreal Sweden comparing monocultures and a mixture of the two dominant coniferous species: Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris (L.), set up at a site that was assessed as equally suitable for the growth of either species. Our aim was to evaluate the species identity and species mixing effects on ecosystem C and N stocks. We measured total standing volume, aboveground tree biomass, fine-root biomass, C and N pools in tree biomass and soil, litterfall inputs, and soil CO2 emissions. Our results show major differences in C allocation and growth patterns between spruce and pine. We found almost twice as high total standing volume and litterfall inputs in the pine stands than in the spruce stands. Higher proportion and amount of needle biomass resulted in larger amounts of N retained in the canopy and smaller accumulation of C and N in the humus in the spruce compared to pine stands. The C sinks in aboveground tree biomass and soil were larger in the pine compared to spruce stands at this site. In addition, a significantly higher soil CO2 efflux rate and fineroot biomass in the spruce compared to pine stands suggested greater tree internal allocation of C belowground to roots and ectomycorrhizal fungi in response to stronger N limitation. We found no significant mixing effect in the mixed stands, given the levels of the measured variables did not exceed levels of the most productive monoculture, with an exception of higher SOC stocks in the deeper (10-20 cm) mineral soil layer in the mixed stands. Our results do not support the idea of higher productivity and C sinks of forest mixtures compared to the best performing monoculture on the given site suggesting that these tree species are not complementary from a forest management perspective. However, in many cases the mixed stands performed equally well as the best monoculture, indicating that management for multi-species stands may not result in any loss in C uptake and storage.
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| 3. |
- Blasko, Robert
(författare)
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Plant-microbe-soil interactions and soil nitrogen dynamics in boreal forests : development of nitrogen limitation
- 2014
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Widespread nitrogen (N) limitation of plant growth in boreal forests is a well recognized phenomenon. Yet, the mechanisms responsible for the development of N limitation are unknown. By exploring the linkage between N cycling and microbial community structure, this thesis examines the role of soil microorganisms in N limitation development. The first part of the thesis addresses effects of long-term N additions on microbial communities and N cycling in Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) forests and if the effects are reversible after termination of N addition. The second part of the thesis explores the role soil microbes play in the development of N limitation in primary forest ecosystems. The general structure and biomass of soil microbial communities was assessed by phospholipid fatty acid analyses. Soil and ecosystem N cycling were inferred from gross N mineralisation measurements and 15N natural abundance in soil and foliage. Retention of the 15N label by soil microorganisms was used to infer N retention capacity of the ecosystems. Despite unique responses in microbial communities and gross N mineralisation to long-term N additions between the two studies, some common patterns emerged. Gross N mineralisation, microbial community structure, and N retention were strongly linked. Microbial biomass decreased but gross N mineralisation increased after N addition. The increased biotic N retention after termination of N addition coincided with increased functional role ectomycorrhizal fungi play in ecosystem N cycle as inferred from changes in 15N natural abundance. In the land uplift chronosequence, large inputs of N through N2-fixation resulted in soil N accumulation but a decline in N supply rates. This coincided with increasing microbial N-immobilisation and increasing abundance of ectomycorrhizal fungi suggesting their importance in N retention. I suggest that the strong N limitation typical of boreal forests can develop in about 150 years. This thesis provides strong evidence that ectomycorrhizal fungi played an important role both in the return of N limitation two decades after termination of N addition and in the development of N limitation in a primary boreal forest.
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| 5. |
- Blasko, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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Shifts in soil microbial community structure, nitrogen cycling and the concomitant declining N availability in ageing primary boreal forest ecosystems
- 2015
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Ingår i: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0038-0717 .- 1879-3428. ; 91, s. 200-211
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant growth in boreal forests is commonly limited by a low supply of nitrogen, a condition that may be aggravated by high tree below-ground allocation of carbon to ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi and associated microorganisms. These in turn immobilise N and reduce its availability to plants as boreal ecosystems develop. Here, we studied a boreal forest ecosystem chronosequence created by new land rising out of the sea due to iso-static rebound along the coast of northern Sweden. We used height over the ocean to estimate ecosystem age and examined its relationship to soil microbial community structure and the gross turnover of N. The youngest soils develop with meadows by the coast, followed by a zone of N2-fixing alder trees, and primary boreal conifer forest on ground up to 560 years old. The young soils in meadows contained little organic matter and microbial biomass per unit area. Nitrogen was turned over at low rates when expressed per area (m(-2)), but specific rates (per gram soil carbon (C)) were the highest found along the transect. In the zone with alder, the amounts of soil C and microbial biomass were much higher (bacterial biomass had doubled and fungal biomass quadrupled). Rates of gross N mineralisation (expressed on an area basis) were highest, but the retention of added labelled NH4+ was lowest in this soil as compared to other ages. The alder zone also had the largest extractable pools of inorganic N in soil and highest N % in plant foliage. In the older conifer forest ecosystems the amounts of soil C and N, as well as biomass of both bacteria and fungi increased. Data on organic matter C-14 suggested that the largest input of recently fixed plant C occurred in the younger coniferous forest ecosystems. With increasing ecosystem age, the ratio of microbial C to total soil C was constant, whereas the ratio of microbial N to total soil N increased and gross N mineralization declined. Simultaneously, plant foliar N % decreased and the natural abundance of N-15 in the soil increased. More specifically, the difference in delta N-15 between plant foliage and soil increased, which is related to relatively greater retention of N-15 relative to N-14 by ECM fungi as N is taken up from the soil and some N is transferred to the plant host. In the conifer forest, where these changes were greatest, we found increased fungal biomass in the F- and H-horizons of the mor-layer, in which ECM fungi are known to dominate (the uppermost horizon with litter and moss is dominated by saprotrophic fungi). Hence, we propose that the decreasing availability of N to the plants and the subsequent decline in plant production in ageing boreal forests is linked to high tree belowground C allocation to ECM fungi, a strong microbial sink for available soil N. (C) 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
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| 6. |
- Blasko, Robert, et al.
(författare)
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The carbon sequestration response of aboveground biomass and soils to nutrient enrichment in boreal forests depends on baseline site productivity
- 2022
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Ingår i: Science of the Total Environment. - : Elsevier BV. - 0048-9697 .- 1879-1026. ; 838
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Nutrient enrichment can alleviate productivity limitations and thus substantially increase carbon (C) uptake in northern coniferous forests. Yet, factors controlling stand-to-stand variation of forest ecosystem responses to nutrient enrichment remain unclear. We used five long-term (13 years) nutrient-enrichment experiments across Sweden, where nitrogen (N), phosphorus, and potassium were applied annually to young Norway spruce forests that varied in their baseline ecosystem properties. We measured tree biomass and soil C and N stocks, litterfall C inputs, soil CO2 efflux, and shifts in composition and biomass of soil microbial communities to understand the links between above and belowground responses to nutrient enrichment. We found that the strongest responses in tree biomass occurred when baseline site productivity was lowest. High increases in tree biomass C stocks were generally balanced by weaker responses in organic soil C stocks. The average ecosystem C-N response rate was 35 kg C kg-1 N added, with a nearly five-fold greater response rate in tree biomass than in soil. The positive nutrient enrichment effects on ecosystem C sinks were driven by a 95% increase in tree biomass C stocks, 150% increase in litter production, 67% increase in organic layer C stocks, and a 46% reduction in soil CO2 efflux accompanied by compositional changes in soil microbial communities. Our results show that ecosystem C uptake in spruce forests in northern Europe can be substantially enhanced by nutrient enrichment; however, the strength of the responses and whether the enhancement occurs mainly in tree biomass or soils are dependent on baseline forest productivity.
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| 7. |
- Högberg, Mona N, et al.
(författare)
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The return of an experimentally N-saturated boreal forest to an N-limited state : observations on the soil microbial community structure, biotic N retention capacity and gross N mineralisation
- 2014
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Ingår i: Plant and Soil. - : Springer Netherlands. - 0032-079X .- 1573-5036. ; 381:1-2, s. 45-60
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To find out how N-saturated forests can return to an N-limited state, we examined the recovery of biotic N sinks under decreasing N supply. We studied a 40-year-old experiment in Pinus sylvestris forest, with control plots, N0, three N treatments, N1-N3, of which N3 was stopped after 20 years, allowing observation of recovery. In N3, the N concentration in foliage was still slightly elevated, but the N uptake capacity of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) roots in N3 was no longer lower than in N0. Per area the amount of a biomarker for fungi, here mainly attributed ECM, was higher in N3 and N0 than in N1 and N2. Retention of labeled (NH4)-N-15 (+) by the soil was greater in the control (99 %) and N3 (86 %), than in N1 (45 %) and N2 (29 %); we ascribe these differences to biotic retention because cation exchange capacity did not vary. Gross N mineralisation and retention of N correlated, negatively and positively, respectively, with abundance of ECM fungal biomarker. The results suggest a key role for ECM fungi in regulating the N cycle. We propose, in accordance with plant C allocation theory, that recovery is driven by increased tree below-ground C allocation to ECM roots and fungi.
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| 8. |
- Lutter, Reimo, et al.
(författare)
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Belowground resource utilization in monocultures and mixtures of Scots pine and Norway spruce
- 2021
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Ingår i: Forest Ecology and Management. - : Elsevier BV. - 0378-1127 .- 1872-7042. ; 500
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mixed forests have been recommended to replace monocultures, often being more productive and resilient ecosystems. Those benefits of species mixing have been suggested to be attributed to lower competition (aboveand belowground) due to potential separation of resource acquisition strategies, yet a mechanistic understanding of belowground processes has largely been missing. We applied an isotopic-labelling technique using N-15 and H-2 at similar to 5 cm soil depth to study acquisition of two important resources, nitrogen (N) and water, in a replicated field experiment including mature Scots pine and Norway spruce monocultures and their mixture in boreal Sweden. Based on the isotopic data, we modelled distance-dependent N and water uptake and described the horizontal reach of active rooting areas around trees. The active root area for both N and water uptake in monocultures of both species was approximately 6-10 m(2). Substantially wider areas were observed inside the mixture for N acquisition (27 m(2) for pine and 21 m(2) for spruce). Water was mainly acquired from within a 12-15 m(2) area in mixture. The mixture and the pine monocultures exhibited similar recovery of the added N-15 (3.8-4.5%) and its uptake per unit of foliage mass. The recovery of N-15 for the spruce monocultures was generally lower (2.1%) but no difference was noted in the uptake per unit of foliage mass between spruce monoculture and mixture. No differences were found for recovery of H-2 between the stand types. Mixing pine and spruce did not improve the resource uptake in comparison with the estimated theoretical mixture (according to the normalized basal area in monocultures). However, the mixing revealed significant differences between tree species whereas pines inside the mixture recovered 11.3-fold more N-15 than accompanying spruce. Root overlap of 3-11 trees on 1 m(2) was observed in all stand types, far exceeding the degree of canopy overlap. We discuss this overlap in terms of competition between individual trees. Spruces have proportionally larger horizontal rooting area relative to their aboveground size than pines. Scots pine and Norway spruce mixing in this type of boreal forest does not significantly enhance resource acquisition but leads to compensatory partitioning of growth, suggesting fierce interspecific competition, rather than niche separation.
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| 9. |
- Noc, Marko, et al.
(författare)
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A multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled trial to assess the safety and effectiveness of cooling as an adjunctive therapy to percutaneous intervention in patients with acute myocardial infarction : The COOL AMI EU Pivotal Trial
- 2021
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Ingår i: EuroIntervention. - 1774-024X. ; 17:6, s. 466-473
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Despite primary PCI (PPCI), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can still result in large infarct size (IS). New technology with rapid intravascular cooling showed positive signals for reduction in IS in anterior STEMI. Aims: We investigated the effectiveness and safety of rapid systemic intravascular hypothermia as an adjunct to PPCI in conscious patients, with anterior STEMI, without cardiac arrest. Methods: Hypothermia was induced using the ZOLL® Proteus™ intravascular cooling system. After randomisation of 111 patients, 58 to hypothermia and 53 to control groups, the study was prematurely discontinued by the sponsor due to inconsistent patient logistics between the groups resulting in significantly longer total ischaemic delay in the hypothermia group (232 vs 188 minutes; p<0.001). Results: There were no differences in angiographic features and PPCI result between the groups. Intravascular temperature at wire crossing was 33.3+0.9°C. Infarct size/left ventricular (IS/LV) mass by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) at day 4-6 was 21.3% in the hypothermia group and 20.0% in the control group (p=0.540). Major adverse cardiac events at 30 days increased non-significantly in the hypothermia group (8.6% vs 1.9%; p=0.117) while cardiogenic shock (10.3% vs 0%; p=0.028) and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (43.1% vs 3.8%; p<0.001) were significantly more frequent in the hypothermia group. Conclusions: The ZOLL Proteus intravascular cooling system reduced temperature to 33.3°C before PPCI in patients with anterior STEMI. Due to inconsistent patient logistics between the groups, this hypothermia protocol resulted in a longer ischaemic delay, did not reduce IS/LV mass and was associated with increased adverse events.
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