LTER Cross-Site: Interactions between Climate and Nutrient Cycling in Arctic and Subarctic Tundras

Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

" LTER Cross site 2000: Interactions between climate and nutrient cycling in Arctic and Subarctic tundras" The proposed project would continue a long history of arctic ecosystem science by the PI and collaborators. The climate of high latitude ecosystems strongly limits the inputs and turnover of essential elements like N and P. The broad aims of this research are to: 1) improve understanding of the causes and consequences of variability in climate-nutrient interactions and in the availability and plant uptake of N and P among contrasting arctic and Subarctic tundra ecosystems and 2) to apply this understanding to better develop large-area, long-term predictions of their responses to climate change. The research will compare ecosystems at two sites: Abisko in Sweden and Toolik Lake in Alaska. The proposed work involves: two workshops focused on comparisons at the sties; field research on N and P turnover in soil, plant microbe interactions, and amino acid uptake; and modeling of primary production, biomass accumulation, and organic matter turnover. The new experimental component of the project includes a deeper examination of the importance of organic N uptake by arctic vegetation and extends many ongoing measurements to the "tails" of the growing season during which time there is indication of important, but previously under appreciated biological activity.