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Margareta Johansson

Researcher

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Increased photosynthesis compensates for shorter growing season in subarctic tundra - 8 years of snow accumulation manipulations

Author

  • Julia Bosiö
  • Christian Stiegler
  • Margareta Johansson
  • Herbert N. Mbufong
  • Torben Christensen

Summary, in English

This study was initiated to analyze the effect of increased snow cover on plant photosynthesis in subarctic mires underlain by permafrost. Snow fences were used to increase the accumulation of snow on a subarctic permafrost mire in northern Sweden. By measuring reflected photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) the effect of snow thickness and associated delay of the start of the growing season was assessed in terms of absorbed PAR and estimated gross primary production (GPP). Six plots experienced increased snow accumulation and six plots were untreated. Incoming and reflected PAR was logged hourly from August 2010 to October 2013. In 2010 PAR measurements were coupled with flux chamber measurements to assess GPP and light use efficiency of the plots. The increased snow thickness prolonged the duration of the snow cover in spring. The delay of the growing season start in the treated plots was 18 days in 2011, 3 days in 2012 and 22 days in 2013. Results show higher PAR absorption, together with almost 35 % higher light use efficiency, in treated plots compared to untreated plots. Estimations of GPP suggest that the loss in early season photosynthesis, due to the shortening of the growing season in the treatment plots, is well compensated for by the increased absorption of PAR and higher light use efficiency throughout the whole growing seasons. This compensation is likely to be explained by increased soil moisture and nutrients together with a shift in vegetation composition associated with the accelerated permafrost thaw in the treatment plots.

Department/s

  • Dept of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science
  • MERGE: ModElling the Regional and Global Earth system
  • BECC: Biodiversity and Ecosystem services in a Changing Climate

Publishing year

2014

Language

English

Pages

321-334

Publication/Series

Climatic Change

Volume

127

Issue

2

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Springer

Topic

  • Physical Geography

Keywords

  • subarctic
  • snow
  • PAR
  • photosynthesis
  • light use efficiency
  • peatland

Status

Published

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 0165-0009