Abstract
Peatlands are important sinks for atmospheric carbon (C), yet the role of plant functional types (PFTs) for C sequestration under climatic perturbations is still unclear. A plant-removal experiment was used to study the importance of vascular PFTs for the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) during (i.e., resistance) and after (i.e., recovery) an experimental drought. The removal of PFTs caused a decrease of NEE, but the rate differed between microhabitats (i.e., hummocks and lawns) and the type of PFTs. Ericoid removal had a large effect on NEE in hummocks, while the graminoids played a major role in the lawns. The removal of PFTs did not affect the resistance or the recovery after the experimental drought. We argue that the response of Sphagnum mosses (the only PFT present in all treatments) to drought is dominant over that of coexisting PFTs. However, we observed that the moment in time when the system switched from C sink to C source during the drought was controlled by the vascular PFTs. In the light of climate change, the shifts in species composition or even the loss of certain PFTs are expected to strongly affect the future C dynamics in response to environmental stress.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Removing plant functional types decreased net ecosystem CO2 exchange, with variation among microhabitats and types.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The removal of PFTs caused a decrease of NEE, but the rate differed between microhabitats (i.e., hummocks and lawns) and the type of PFTs.”
t0“Plant functional types”
Claim · model-written summary
Ericoid removal had a large effect on NEE in hummocks.
- Taxon
- Plant functional typest0
- Material
- Ericoide0
- Treatment
- Ericoid removale0
- Outcome
- NEEe0
- Setting
- hummockse0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“Ericoid removal had a large effect on NEE in hummocks”
t0“Plant functional types”
Claim · model-written summary
Graminoids played a major role in lawn NEE.
Verbatim
e0“the graminoids played a major role in the lawns”
t0“Plant functional types”
Claim · model-written summary
Removing plant functional types did not affect drought resistance or recovery.
- Taxon
- Plant functional typest0
- Treatment
- removal of PFTse0
- Outcome
- resistance or the recoverye0
- Direction
- did not affecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“The removal of PFTs did not affect the resistance or the recovery after the experimental drought.”
t0“Plant functional types”
Claim · model-written summary
Vascular plant functional types controlled when the system switched from carbon sink to source during drought.
Verbatim
e0“the moment in time when the system switched from C sink to C source during the drought was controlled by the vascular PFTs”
t0“Plant functional types”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors expect shifts or loss of plant functional types to affect future carbon dynamics under stress.
Verbatim
e0“the shifts in species composition or even the loss of certain PFTs are expected to strongly affect the future C dynamics in response to environmental stress”
t0“Plant functional types”