Journal article
Positive Feedback on Climate Warming by Stream Microbial Decomposers Indicated by a Global Space-For-Time Substitution Study
Global Change Biology, Vol.31(4), pp.1-12
2025
PMID: 40186595
Abstract
Decomposition of plant litter is a key ecological process in streams, whose contribution to the global carbon cycle is large relative to their extent on Earth. We examined the mechanisms underlying the temperature sensitivity (TS) of instream decomposition and forecast effects of climate warming on this process. Comparing data from 41 globally distributed sites, we assessed the TS of microbial and total decomposition using litter of nine plant species combined in six mixtures. Microbial decomposition conformed to the metabolic theory of ecology and its TS was consistently higher than that of total decomposition, which was higher than found previously. Litter quality influenced the difference between microbial and total decomposition, with total decomposition of more recalcitrant litter being more sensitive to temperature. Our projections suggest that (i) warming will enhance the microbial contribution to decomposition, increasing CO2 outgassing and intensifying the warming trend, especially in colder regions; and (ii) riparian species composition will have a major influence on this process.
Details
- Title
- Positive Feedback on Climate Warming by Stream Microbial Decomposers Indicated by a Global Space-For-Time Substitution Study
- Authors
- Javier Pérez (Corresponding Author) - University of the Basque CountryLuz Boyero (Corresponding Author) - University of the Basque CountryRichard G Pearson - James Cook UniversityMark O Gessner - Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesAlan Tonin - Universidade de BrasíliaNaiara López-Rojo - Laboratoire d'Écologie AlpineJuan Rubio-Ríos - University of AlmeríaFrancisco Correa-Araneda - Universidad Autónoma de ChileAlberto Alonso - University of the Basque CountryAydeé Cornejo - Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la SaludRicardo J Albariño - National University of ComahueSankarappan AnbalaganLeon A Barmuta - University of TasmaniaAndrew J Boulton - University of New EnglandFrancis J Burdon - Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAdriano Caliman - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do NorteMarcos Callisto - Universidade Federal de Minas GeraisIan C CampbellBradley J Cardinale - Pennsylvania State UniversityLuciana S Carneiro - Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do NorteJ Jesús Casas - University of AlmeríaAna M Chará-Serna - Centro para la Investigación en Sistemas Sostenibles de Producción AgropecuariaEric Chauvet - Université de ToulouseCheco Colón-Gaud - Georgia Southern UniversityAaron M Davis - James Cook UniversityElvira de Eyto - Marine InstituteMonika Degebrodt - Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland FisheriesMaría E Díaz - University of ConcepciónMichael M Douglas - University of Western AustraliaAndrea C Encalada - Universidad San Francisco de QuitoRicardo Figueroa - University of ConcepciónAlexander S Flecker - Cornell UniversityTadeusz Fleituch - Institute of Nature ConservationAndré Frainer - UiT The Arctic University of NorwayErica A García - Charles Darwin UniversityGabriela García - Instituto Conmemorativo Gorgas de Estudios de la SaludPavel E García - University of San Carlos of GuatemalaPaul S Giller - University College CorkJesús E Gómez - University of Puerto Rico SystemJose F Gonçalves, Jr - Universidade de BrasíliaManuel A S Graça - University of CoimbraRobert O Hall, Jr - University of MontanaNeusa Hamada - National Institute of Amazonian ResearchLuiz U Hepp - Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do SulCang Hui - Stellenbosch UniversityDaichi Imazawa - University of YamanashiTomoya Iwata - University of YamanashiEdson S A Junior - Universidade Federal da BahiaAndrea Landeira-Dabarca - University of CoimbraMaría Leal - University of ZuliaKaisa Lehosmaa - University of OuluCharles M M'Erimba - Egerton UniversityRichard Marchant - Museums VictoriaRenato T Martins - National Institute of Amazonian ResearchFrank O Masese - University of EldoretMegan Maul - Pennsylvania State UniversityBrendan G McKie - Swedish University of Agricultural SciencesAdriana O Medeiros - Universidade Federal da BahiaJen A Middleton - University of Western AustraliaTimo Muotka - University of OuluJunjiro N Negishi - Hokkaido UniversityAlonso Ramírez - North Carolina State UniversityRenan S Rezende - Program of Postgraduate in Environmental Science, Communitarian University of Chapecó Region, Chapecó, BrazilJohn S Richardson - University of British ColumbiaJosé Rincón - University of ZuliaClaudia SerranoAngela R Shaffer - Georgia Southern UniversityFran Sheldon - Griffith UniversityChristopher M Swan - University of Maryland, BaltimoreNathalie S D Tenkiano - Julius Nyerere University of KankanScott D Tiegs - Oakland UniversityJanine R Tolod - Hokkaido UniversityMichael Vernasky - Griffith UniversityElizabeth W Wanderi - University of EldoretAnne Watson - University of TasmaniaCatherine M Yule - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Publication details
- Global Change Biology, Vol.31(4), pp.1-12
- Publisher
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
- Date published
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1111/gcb.70171
- ISSN
- 1365-2486
- PMID
- 40186595
- Data Availability
- The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
- Grant note
- This study was part of the DecoDiv project conducted by the GLoBE network (www.globenetwork.es), which is coordinated by L.B. Field work was based on crowdfunding (see Boyero et al., https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abe7860 for details). Project coordination was funded by Basque Government funds (refs. IT951-16 to Jesús Pozo and IT1471-22 to L.B.). J.P. was supported by UAL—HIPATIA contract. Litter trait analyses were funded by the 2014–2020 Operational Programme FEDER Andalusia, Spain (ref. UAL18-RNM-B006-B to J.J.C.) and the Portuguese Science Foundation, Portugal (ref. UIDB/04292/2020 to M.A.S.G.).
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 991119448402621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
5 Record Views
InCites Highlights
These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output
- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Web Of Science research areas
- Biodiversity Conservation
- Ecology
- Environmental Sciences
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:
Source: InCites