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Divergent responses of belowground carbon investment in Quercus spp. and Acer saccharum to reduced precipitation

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Abstract

With global change already enhancing drought frequency and severity, there is a critical need to determine if temperate forests will continue to act as carbon (C) sinks. The degree to which belowground strategies sustain tree growth under water stress remains uncertain. We examined differences between two temperate forest tree species in their belowground response to experimentally reduced precipitation over three years. We chose trees that are dominant in temperate forests and have different belowground resource acquisition strategies. We tested our hypothesis that in response to reduced precipitation, sugar maple trees would reduce belowground C investment while oak trees would show resiliency belowground. We found that oak trees maintained belowground C investment at the same level, likely reflecting an ability to leverage a higher baseline level of investment to enhance water and nutrient uptake. By contrast, sugar maple trees initially responded with increased investment in roots and mycorrhizae, but mycorrhizal colonization faded over time. Moreover, the treatment reduced rhizodeposition belowground by sugar maple trees, suggesting that the belowground C investment we observed does not lead to increased mobilization of nutrients. Our findings indicate that there are species specific responses of C investment in roots, mycorrhizae, and rhizodeposits to reduced precipitation.

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Data availability

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available in the EDI data repository. doi: https://doi.org/10.6073/pasta/4de59d4a3e7e4d81ed4398720f02202b.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge Rick Landenberger and the West Virginia Land Trust for logistical assistance and access to the experimental site in Tom’s Run Natural Area. We would like to acknowledge Kimberly Novick, Richard Phillips and Michael Chitwood for their assistance with throughfall exclusion shelter design. We thank Luis Andrés Guillen and Brittany Casey for their work in the field. We also thank Joanna Ridgeway, Emel Kangi, Hayden Starcher, Christopher Hughes, Dominick Cifelli, Stephen Oberle, Jordan Taylor, Muhammad Shammaa, Molly Chlovechok, Aaron Hull, Jessica Ries, Rachel McCoy, Sian Eisenhut, Hannah Minihan, and Kara Allen for assistance in the field and in the laboratory.

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This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Nanette C. Raczka

  2. Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

    Nanette C. Raczka, Christopher A. Walter, Joseph E. Carrara & Edward R. Brzostek

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  1. Nanette C. Raczka
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  2. Christopher A. Walter
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Contributions

NCR and ERB developed core ideas and experimental design for this manuscript. NCR and JEC carried out field sample collection and experimental throughfall shelter upkeep. NCR completed sample analysis. NCR and CAW performed data analysis. All authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Nanette C. Raczka.

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Raczka, N.C., Walter, C.A., Carrara, J.E. et al. Divergent responses of belowground carbon investment in Quercus spp. and Acer saccharum to reduced precipitation. Biogeochemistry 165, 227–238 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-023-01078-z

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