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Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands

Author

Listed:
  • Robert B. Jackson

    (Duke University)

  • Jay L. Banner

    (University of Texas at Austin)

  • Esteban G. Jobbágy

    (Duke University)

  • William T. Pockman

    (Duke University
    University of New Mexico)

  • Diana H. Wall

    (Colorado State University)

Abstract

The invasion of woody vegetation into deserts, grasslands and savannas is generally thought to lead to an increase in the amount of carbon stored in those ecosystems. For this reason, shrub and forest expansion (for example, into grasslands) is also suggested to be a substantial, if uncertain, component of the terrestrial carbon sink1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14. Here we investigate woody plant invasion along a precipitation gradient (200 to 1,100 mm yr-1) by comparing carbon and nitrogen budgets and soil δ13C profiles between six pairs of adjacent grasslands, in which one of each pair was invaded by woody species 30 to 100 years ago. We found a clear negative relationship between precipitation and changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen content when grasslands were invaded by woody vegetation, with drier sites gaining, and wetter sites losing, soil organic carbon. Losses of soil organic carbon at the wetter sites were substantial enough to offset increases in plant biomass carbon, suggesting that current land-based assessments may overestimate carbon sinks. Assessments relying on carbon stored from woody plant invasions to balance emissions may therefore be incorrect.

Suggested Citation

  • Robert B. Jackson & Jay L. Banner & Esteban G. Jobbágy & William T. Pockman & Diana H. Wall, 2002. "Ecosystem carbon loss with woody plant invasion of grasslands," Nature, Nature, vol. 418(6898), pages 623-626, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:418:y:2002:i:6898:d:10.1038_nature00910
    DOI: 10.1038/nature00910
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Rodolfo Picchio & Farzam Tavankar & Hamid Rafie & Aezam Rezae Kivi & Meghdad Jourgholami & Angela Lo Monaco, 2022. "Carbon Storage in Biomass and Soil after Mountain Landscape Restoration: Pinus nigra and Picea abies Plantations in the Hyrcanian Region," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-15, March.
    2. Li Gao & Xin Wen & Yuntong Guo & Tianming Gao & Yi Wang & Lei Shen, 2014. "Spatiotemporal Variability of Carbon Flux from Different Land Use and Land Cover Changes: A Case Study in Hubei Province, China," Energies, MDPI, vol. 7(4), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Linhe Chen & Yanhong Hang & Quanfeng Li, 2023. "Spatial-Temporal Characteristics and Influencing Factors of Carbon Emissions from Land Use and Land Cover in Black Soil Region of Northeast China Based on LMDI Simulation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-25, June.
    4. Olenick, Keith L. & Kreuter, Urs P. & Conner, J. Richard, 2005. "Texas landowner perceptions regarding ecosystem services and cost-sharing land management programs," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(2), pages 247-260, April.
    5. Zhiyong Zhang & Bo Zhang & Xiao Zhang & Xiaohui Yang & Zhongjie Shi & Yanshu Liu, 2019. "Grazing Altered the Pattern of Woody Plants and Shrub Encroachment in a Temperate Savanna Ecosystem," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-18, January.
    6. Adhikari, Arjun & White, Joseph D., 2016. "Climate change impacts on regenerating shrubland productivity," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 337(C), pages 211-220.
    7. Wei Wang & Wenjing Zeng & Weile Chen & Hui Zeng & Jingyun Fang, 2013. "Soil Respiration and Organic Carbon Dynamics with Grassland Conversions to Woodlands in Temperate China," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(8), pages 1-10, August.
    8. Ondřej HOLUBÍK & Vilém PODRÁZSKÝ & Jan VOPRAVIL & Tomáš KHEL & Jiří REMEŠ, 2014. "Effect of agricultural lands afforestation and tree species composition on the soil reaction, total organic carbon and nitrogen content in the uppermost mineral soil profile," Soil and Water Research, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 9(4), pages 192-200.

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