U.S. Department of Agriculture: Agricultural Research Service, Lincoln, Nebraska

 

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

2012

Citation

New Phytologist (2012) 196: 807–815; doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04349.x

Abstract

  • Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are essential nutrients for primary producers and decomposers in terrestrial ecosystems. Although climate change affects terrestrial N cycling with important feedbacks to plant productivity and carbon sequestration, the impacts of climate change on the relative availability of N with respect to P remain highly uncertain.
  • In a semiarid grassland in Wyoming, USA, we studied the effects of atmospheric CO2 enrichment (to 600 ppmv) and warming (1.5/3.0°C above ambient temperature during the day/night) on plant, microbial and available soil pools of N and P.
  • Elevated CO2 increased P availability to plants and microbes relative to that of N, whereas warming reduced P availability relative to N. Across years and treatments, plant N : Pratios varied between 5 and 18 and were inversely related to soil moisture.
  • Our results indicate that soil moisture is important in controlling P supply from inorganic sources, causing reduced P relative to N availability during dry periods. Both wetter soil conditions under elevated CO2 and drier conditions with warming can further alter N : P. Although warming may alleviate N constraints under elevated CO2, warming and drought can exacerbate P constraints on plant growth and microbial activity in this semiarid grassland.

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