Collaborative research on below-ground ecosystem function: Merging long-term climate monitoring with soil, root, and foodweb dynamics to understand mechanisms regulating C and N transformations in Olympic National Park Final Technical Report
Pregitzer KS, Rygiewicz PT, Stottlemyer R, Greene SA, Chen J, Burton AJ, Hobbie EA. 2002. Collaborative research on below-ground ecosystem function: Merging long-term climate monitoring with soil, root, and foodweb dynamics to understand mechanisms regulating C and N transformations in Olympic National Park Final Technical Report. Michican Technological University. Houghton, MI
This project investigated the influences of climatic variability and N deposition on below-ground indicators of ecosystem integrity in Olympic National Park. Eleven diverse study sites were used to learn how soil CO2 efflux (soil respiration) and the production of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were affected by seasonal changes in termperature and moisture availability at a given location and by climatic differences that existed along mountain elevation gradients. At seven of the sites, experimental N additions (1.0 and 2.0 g urea-N M-2 yr-1) were made to learn how below ground C cycling would respond to increased availability of this limiting nutrient. Plot-level results were linked to the larger watershed scale by examining DOC/DON and ions in streams draining the study areas. In order to gain a more mechanistic understanding of the factors that might underlie observed responses in soil respiration and DOC/DON production, soil foodweb dynamics were examined by using natural abundance isotopic signatures and experimental 15N tracer additions to examine the flow of C and N into soil microarthropods and mycorrhizal fungi.
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Pregitzer, Kurt; Rygiewicz, Paul; Stottlemyer, Robert; Greene, Sarah; Chen, Jiquan; Burton, Andrew; Hobbie, Erik
- Date of Issue
- 2002-07-30
- Publisher
- Michican Technological University
- Units
- OLYM
- Keywords
- Ecosystem Studies, Elwha River Watershed, Gray Wolf River Watershed, Hoh River Watershed, microarthropods, Monitoring, Morse Creek Watershed, mycorrhizal fungi, Nutrient Cycling, primenet, soil respiration, Water Chemistry