Effects of Elevated Carbon Dioxide and Increased Nitrogen Deposition on Bog Vegetation in the Netherlands

• Published in: The Journal of ecology 2001-04, Vol.89 (2), p.268-279
• Main Authors: Monique M. P. D. Heijmans, Berendse, Frank, Arp, Wim J., Masselink, Ab K., Klees, Herman, de Visser, Willem, van Breemen, Nico
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Bogs; Carbon dioxide; competitive interactions; depositie; deposition; Ecologie (algemeen); Ecology; Ecology (General); Ecosystems; Flowers & plants; Growing seasons; Human ecology; kooldioxide; nederland; Netherlands; Nitrogen; Peat; peatlands; plant species composition; Plants; Sphagnum; stikstof; Terrestrial ecosystems; Vascular plants; veengebieden; veenmoerassen; Vegetation; Wetland ecology
• ISSN: 0022-0477; 1365-2745
• DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2745.2001.00547.x

1 We studied the effects of elevated atmospheric CO2and increased N deposition on the plant species composition of a Sphagnum-dominated bog ecosystem in the Netherlands. Large peat monoliths (surface area 1 m2, depth 0.6 m) with intact bog vegetation were kept outdoors in large containers and were exposed to elevated CO2or increased N deposition for three growing seasons. Elevated CO2conditions (target concentration 560 (μ mol CO2mol-1) were created using MiniFACE technology. In a separate experiment, N deposition was increased by 5 g N m-2year-1by adding dissolved NH4NO 3at 3 week intervals during the growing season. 2 Elevated atmospheric CO2increased height growth of Sphagnum magellanicum, the dominant Sphagnum species, in the second and third growing seasons. Vascular plant biomass was not significantly affected by elevated CO2, but growth of species growing close to the moss surface was influenced negatively by the increased Sphagnum height growth. Elevated CO2did not change allocation to below-ground plant parts. 3 Adding N increased above-ground vascular plant biomass. The shallow-rooted species Vaccinium oxycoccus responded most to the increased N deposition. Sphagnum growth was significantly reduced in the third growing season. This reduction was likely the result of the increased vascular plant cover, given the observed negative relation between vascular plant cover and Sphagnum growth. 4 The observed shifts in species composition as a result of species-specific responses to treatments, and interactions between peat mosses and vascular plants will have important consequences for the sequestration of carbon in the bog ecosystem.