Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2020
Abstract
The categorical and qualitative nature of currently available soil structural data along with the lack of a geographically broad dataset have impeded progress in understanding the development of soil structure. In this study, we assembled a soil, climate, and ecological dataset for the USA, and used it to analyze relationships between soil structure (ped type, shape, size, and grade) and exogenous and endogenous variables influencing the development of soil structure. We analyzed a subset of the National Cooperative Soil Survey (NCSS) Soil Characterization database after merging this information with climatological and ecological data. The merged and cleaned dataset contains >4400 observations from approximately 1600 pedons. We found that climate, as an exogenous factor was the most important predictor of ped shape and size. Cold and/or dry climates promoted the development of larger anisotropic peds with rougher surfaces whereas warmer and more humid climates promoted the development of finer equidimensional peds with smoother surfaces. Based on these findings, we argue that climate promotes the development of soil structure along either fragmentation or aggregation pathways. The former pathway is characterized by largely mechanical processes in cold and dry environments, whereas aggregation is promoted by predominately biological and chemical mechanisms found in warmer and wet environments. This connection between climate and the development of soil structure represents a potentially important effect of climate on a morphological property strongly linked to soil hydrology that warrants further investigation with continental-scale soil data.
Authors
Anna M. Basinska Monika K. Reczuga Maciej Gabka Marcin Strozecki Dominika Lucow Mateusz Samson Marek Urbaniak Jacek Lesny Bogdan H. Chojnicki Daniel Gilbert Tadeusz Sobczynski Janusz Olejnik Hanna Marika Silvennoinen Radoslaw Juszczak Mariusz LamentowiczAbstract
Due to their unique flora, hydrology and environmental characteristics, peatlands are precious and specific habitats for microorganisms and microscopic animals. Their microbial network structure and their biomass are crucial for peatland carbon cycling, through primary production, as well as decomposition and mineralization of organic matter. Wetlands are one of the ecosystems most at risk from anthropogenic activities and climate change. Most recent scenarios of climate change for Central Europe predict an increase in air temperature and a decrease in annual precipitation. These changes may disturb the biodiversity of aquatic organisms, and the peat carbon sink. Considering the above climatic scenarios, we aimed to: i) assess the response of microbial community biomass to warming and reduced precipitation through the lens of a manipulative experiment in a peatland ecosystem ii) predict how global warming might affect microbial biodiversity on peatlands exposed to warmer temperatures and decreased precipitation conditions. Additionally, we wanted to identify ecological indicators of warming among microorganisms living in Sphagnum peatland. The result of a manipulative experiment carried out at Rzecin peatland (W Poland) suggested that the strongest reduction in microbial biomass was observed in heated plots and plots where heating was combined with a reduction of precipitation. The most pronounced changes were observed in the case of the very abundant mixotrophic testate amoeba Hyalosphenia papilio and cyanobacteria. Shifts in the Sphagnum microbial network can be used as an early warning indicator of peatland warming, especially a decrease in the biomass of important phototrophic microbes living on the Sphagnum capitula, e.g. Hyalosphenia papilio.
Authors
Matthias KoeslingAbstract
The LCA-model FARMnor (Flow Analysis and Resource Management for Norway) was updated to run using the new Umberto LCA+ version. This update allows also to get access to the new ecoinvent LCA-database version 3.x.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Trygve S. AamlidAbstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Identification of stocktype attributes that speed up field establishment has potential to reduce rotation time of Christmas tree productions. Such morphological and physiological attributes can be targeted in the nursery production. This study tested the effects of container type and nursery seedling density on stocktype attributes at planting and the effects of these on field performance over two years in Abies lasiocarpa and A. nordmanniana Christmas tree stock. Nursery conditions had a considerable impact on seedling attributes at planting. Although sets of these correlated stocktype attributes contributed to forecast field performance, the predictive power was low. No simple relationships were found between plant biomass, stem diameter or height at planting and biomass at final harvest in either of the two species under the range of stocktype variation and field conditions tested. Contrary, stem diameter and stem height at planting explained some of the responses in stem diameter and height after two years in the field. Thus, any target seedling approach would have to be based on a combined set of stocktype attributes exploring more productive stocktypes. The differences observed between stocktypes were largely due to size differences and ontogenetic drift, and stocktypes converged towards a similar field phenotype over time.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
No abstract has been registered