Journal article
A global experiment suggests climate warming will not accelerate litter decomposition in streams but might reduce carbon sequestration
Ecology Letters, Vol.14(3), pp.289-294
2011
Abstract
The decomposition of plant litter is one of the most important ecosystem processes in the biosphere and is particularly sensitive to climate warming. Aquatic ecosystems are well suited to studying warming effects on decomposition because the otherwise confounding influence of moisture is constant. By using a latitudinal temperature gradient in an unprecedented global experiment in streams, we found that climate warming will likely hasten microbial litter decomposition and produce an equivalent decline in detritivore-mediated decomposition rates. As a result, overall decomposition rates should remain unchanged. Nevertheless, the process would be profoundly altered, because the shift in importance from detritivores to microbes in warm climates would likely increase CO2 production and decrease the generation and sequestration of recalcitrant organic particles. In view of recent estimates showing that inland waters are a significant component of the global carbon cycle, this implies consequences for global biogeochemistry and a possible positive climate feedback. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd/CNRS.
Details
- Title
- A global experiment suggests climate warming will not accelerate litter decomposition in streams but might reduce carbon sequestration
- Authors
- L Boyero (Author)R G Pearson (Author)M O Gessner (Author)L A Barmuta (Author)V Ferreira (Author)M A S Graça (Author)D Dudgeon (Author)A J Boulton (Author)M Callisto (Author)E Chauvet (Author)J E Helson (Author)A Bruder (Author)R J Albariño (Author)Catherine M Yule (Author) - Monash University Malaysia, MalaysiaM Arunachalam (Author)J N Davies (Author)R Figueroa (Author)A S Flecker (Author)A Ramírez (Author)R G Death (Author)T Iwata (Author)J M Mathooko (Author)C Mathuriau (Author)J F Gonçalves Jr (Author)M S Moretti (Author)T Jinggut (Author)S Lamothe (Author)C M'Erimba (Author)L Ratnarajah (Author)M H Schindler (Author)J Castela (Author)L M Buria (Author)A Cornejo (Author)V D Villanueva (Author)D C West (Author)
- Publication details
- Ecology Letters, Vol.14(3), pp.289-294
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
- Date published
- 2011
- DOI
- 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01578.x
- ISSN
- 1461-023X
- Copyright note
- Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd. This is the accepted version of the following article: Boyero, L; Pearson, R G; Gessner, M O; Barmuta, L A; Ferreira, V; Graça, M A S; Dudgeon, D; Boulton, A J; Callisto, M; Chauvet, E; Helson, J E; Bruder, A; Albariño, R J; Yule, Catherine M; Arunachalam, M; Davies, J N; Figueroa, R; Flecker, A S; Ramírez, A; Death, R G; Iwata, T; Mathooko, J M; Mathuriau, C; Gonçalves Jr, J F; Moretti, M S; Jinggut, T; Lamothe, S; M'Erimba, C; Ratnarajah, L; Schindler, M H; Castela, J; Buria, L M; Cornejo, A; Villanueva, V D; West, D C (2011) A global experiment suggests climate warming will not accelerate litter decomposition in streams but might reduce carbon sequestration, 14:3, pp.289-294, which has been published in final form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01578.x
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99450671602621
- Output Type
- Journal article
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