Legacy Effects of Plant Community Structure Are Manifested in Microbial Biofilm Development With Consequences for Ecosystem CO₂ Emissions.

ABSTRACT: To better understand linkages between hydrology and ecosystem carbon flux in northern aquatic ecosystems, we evaluated the relationship between plant communities, biofilm development, and carbon dioxide (CO₂) exchange following long-term changes in hydrology in an Alaskan fen. We quantified seasonal variation in biofilm composition and CO₂ exchange in response to lowered and raised water table position (relative to a control) during years with varying levels of background dissolved organic carbon (DOC). We then used nutrient-diffusing substrates (NDS) to evaluate cause-effect relationships between changes in plant subsidies (i.e., leachates) and biofilm composition among water table treatments. We found that background DOC concentration determined whether plant subsid

SUBMITTER: Wyatt KH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11605497 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature