1. Long-term nitrogen deposition reduces the diversity of nitrogen-fixing plants.
- Author
-
Moreno-García P, Montaño-Centellas F, Liu Y, Reyes-Mendez EY, Jha RR, Guralnick RP, Folk R, Waller DM, Verheyen K, Baeten L, Becker-Scarpitta A, Berki I, Bernhardt-Römermann M, Brunet J, Van Calster H, Chudomelová M, Closset D, De Frenne P, Decocq G, Gilliam FS, Grytnes JA, Hédl R, Heinken T, Jaroszewicz B, Kopecký M, Lenoir J, Macek M, Máliš F, Naaf T, Orczewska A, Petřík P, Reczyńska K, Schei FH, Schmidt W, Stachurska-Swakoń A, Standovár T, Świerkosz K, Teleki B, Vild O, and Li D
- Subjects
- Forests, Climate Change, United States, Europe, Ecosystem, Nitrogen metabolism, Nitrogen Fixation, Biodiversity, Plants metabolism, Phylogeny
- Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation is a fundamental part of ecosystem functioning. Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition and climate change may, however, limit the competitive advantage of nitrogen-fixing plants, leading to reduced relative diversity of nitrogen-fixing plants. Yet, assessments of changes of nitrogen-fixing plant long-term community diversity are rare. Here, we examine temporal trends in the diversity of nitrogen-fixing plants and their relationships with anthropogenic nitrogen deposition while accounting for changes in temperature and aridity. We used forest-floor vegetation resurveys of temperate forests in Europe and the United States spanning multiple decades. Nitrogen-fixer richness declined as nitrogen deposition increased over time but did not respond to changes in climate. Phylogenetic diversity also declined, as distinct lineages of N-fixers were lost between surveys, but the "winners" and "losers" among nitrogen-fixing lineages varied among study sites, suggesting that losses are context dependent. Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition reduces nitrogen-fixing plant diversity in ways that may strongly affect natural nitrogen fixation.
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF