Abstract
AimsTrade-offs between slow and fast nutrient turnover rates among plants may affect soil properties and biomass production. We examined how plant traits interact with abiotic variables to modulate ecosystem properties (soil C, soil C/N ratio, aboveground biomass) in peatlands.MethodsWe determined the interacting effects of abiotic variables (vegetation management, water table height) and leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf dry-matter content, leaf C/N ratio) on ecosystem properties in two lowland fens in East Anglia, UK using structural equation modelling.ResultsOur models explained between 21% and 95% of the variability in ecosystem properties. Leaf traits directly influenced soil nutrient content and plant biomass and mediated the effects of abiotic variables on ecosystem properties. Abiotic variables exerted larger effects on ecosystem properties among herbaceous communities, but leaf traits were equally important when modelling all communities in combination.ConclusionsThe expected trade-offs between exploitative and conservative life strategies among species scaled-up to changes in soil properties and biomass production, even in fen habitats where abiotic variables play an important role through marked seasonal variations. Our findings suggest an important role of leaf economics in the functioning of fens, but their effects on ecosystems may be highly dependent on local conditions.
Highlights
Determining the response of ecosystem properties to changing environmental conditions in peatlands is becoming increasingly important, for informing conservation policies for ecosystem management (Mainstone et al 2016)
Variability in soil C was generally low across both fens (Fig. 2f), though soil C/N ratio was noticeably lower at the reedswamp in Upton (Fig. 2g)
Our hypothesis of slow turnover rates in fen peatlands being driven by high intensity management that results in plant communities characterized by conservative strategies was generally confirmed
Summary
Determining the response of ecosystem properties to changing environmental conditions in peatlands is becoming increasingly important, for informing conservation policies for ecosystem management (Mainstone et al 2016). Despite some evidence that changes in plant trait composition can alter ecosystem properties in peatlands (Ward et al 2009), abiotic variables have been typically considered the primary drivers of ecosystem properties in wet environments (Keddy 2010; Mitsch and Gosselink 2015) This may be especially true for water table height (Bellisario et al 1998) and vegetation management (Minden et al 2016). Wet conditions may adversely affect plant productivity and aboveground biomass (AGB) owing to a decrease of the oxic zone that hinders the release of soil nutrients by mineralization and decreases the space for plant roots (Morris et al 2011) It can positively influence soil C content due to slower organic matter turnover under anaerobic conditions (Mitsch and Gosselink 2015). Today, mowing is generally undertaken for conservation management in open herbaceous fens to prevent scrub encroachment and succession into fen carr (Wheeler and Shaw 1995), which results in plant communities with distinct functional identity that is dependent on the intensity of mowing
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