Decoupling of soil nutrients cycles as a function of aridity in global drylands

• Autores: Delgado Baquerizo, Manuel; Maestre, Fernando T.; Gallardo, Antonio; Bowker, Matthew A.; Wallenstein, Matthew D.; Bran, Donaldo Eduardo; Gatica, Mario Gabriel; Hepper, Estela Noemí; Prina, Anibal Oscar; Pucheta, Eduardo Raúl; Huber Sannwald, Elisabeth; Jankju, Mohammad; Liu, Jushan; Mau, Rebecca L.; Miriti, Maria; Monerris, Jorge; Naseri, Kamal; Noumi, Zouhaier; Polo, Vicente; Ramírez Collantes, David A.; Romão, Roberto; Tighe, Matthew; Torres, Duilio; Torres Díaz, Cristian; Ungar, Eugene D.; Val, James; Wamiti, Wanyoike; Wang, Deli; Zaady, Eli
• Año de publicación: 2013
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Materia: Drylands; Earth Sciences; Biogeochemistry; Carbon, Nitrogen And Phosphorus
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

The biogeochemical cycles of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are interlinked by primary production, respiration and decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. It has been suggested that the C, N and P cycles could become uncoupled under rapid climate change because of the different degrees of control exerted on the supply of these elements by biological and geochemical processes. Climatic controls on biogeochemical cycles are particularly relevant in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid ecosystems (drylands) because their biological activity is mainly driven by water availability. The increase in aridity predicted for the twenty-first century in many drylands worldwide may therefore threaten the balance between these cycles, differentially affecting the availability of essential nutrients. Here we evaluate how aridity affects the balance between C, N and P in soils collected from 224 dryland sites from all continents except Antarctica. Wefind a negative effect of aridity on the concentration of soil organic C and total N, but a positive effect on the concentration of inorganic P. Aridity is negatively related to plant cover, which may favour the dominance of physical processes such as rock weathering, a major source of P to ecosystems, over biological processes that provide more C and N, such as litter decomposition1. Our findings suggest that any predicted increase in aridity with climate change will probably reduce the concentrations of N and C in global drylands, but increase that of P. These changes would uncouple the C, N and P cycles in drylands and could negatively affect the provision of key services provided by these ecosystems.
Fil: Delgado Baquerizo, Manuel. Universidad Pablo de Olavide; España. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Departamento de Biología y Geología. Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; España
Fil: Maestre, Fernando T.. Universidad Pablo de Olavide; España. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Departamento de Biología y Geología. Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; España
Fil: Gallardo, Antonio. Universidad Pablo de Olavide; España
Fil: Bowker, Matthew A.. No especifíca;
Fil: Wallenstein, Matthew D.. Northern Arizona University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Bran, Donaldo Eduardo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Patagonia Norte. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria San Carlos de Bariloche; Argentina. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Departamento de Biología y Geología. Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; España
Fil: Gatica, Mario Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina
Fil: Hepper, Estela Noemí. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Prina, Anibal Oscar. Universidad Nacional de La Pampa. Facultad de Agronomía; Argentina
Fil: Pucheta, Eduardo Raúl. Universidad Nacional de San Juan. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina
Fil: Huber Sannwald, Elisabeth. Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica; México
Fil: Jankju, Mohammad. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad; Irán
Fil: Liu, Jushan. Northeast Normal University. Institute of Grassland Science,; China
Fil: Mau, Rebecca L.. Northern Arizona University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Miriti, Maria. Ohio State University; Estados Unidos
Fil: Monerris, Jorge. Université du Québec a Montreal; Canadá
Fil: Naseri, Kamal. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad; Irán
Fil: Noumi, Zouhaier. Université de Sfax; Túnez
Fil: Polo, Vicente. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Departamento de Biología y Geología. Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; España
Fil: Ramírez Collantes, David A.. International Potato Center; Perú
Fil: Romão, Roberto. Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana. Departamento de Ciencias Biológica, Herbario; Brasil
Fil: Tighe, Matthew. University of New England; Australia
Fil: Torres, Duilio. Universidad Centroccidental ‘‘Lisandro Alvarado’’; Venezuela
Fil: Torres Díaz, Cristian. Universidad del Bio Bio. Facultad de Ciencias. Departamento de Ciencias Básicas. Laboratorio de Genómica y Biodiversidad; Chile
Fil: Ungar, Eugene D.. The Volcani Center. Agricultural Research Organization. Institute of Plant Sciences; Israel
Fil: Val, James. Office of Environment and Heritage; Australia
Fil: Wamiti, Wanyoike. National Museums of Kenya. Zoology Department; Kenia
Fil: Wang, Deli. Northeast Normal University. Institute of Grassland Science; China
Fil: Zaady, Eli. Gilat Research Center; Israel