Evidence for a non-linear carbon accumulation pattern along an Alpine glacier retreat chronosequence in Northern Italy.

BACKGROUND: The glaciers in the Alps, as in other high mountain ranges and boreal zones, are generally retreating and leaving a wide surface of bare ground free from ice cover. This early stage soil is then colonized by microbes and vegetation in a process of primary succession. It is rarely experimentally examined whether this colonization process is linear or not at the ecosystem scale. Thus, to improve our understanding of the variables involved in the carbon accumulation in the different stages of primary succession, we conducted this research in three transects on the Matsch glacier forefield (Alps, N Italy) at an altitude between 2,350 and 2,800 m a.s.l. METHODS: In three field campaigns (July, August and September 2014) a closed transparent chamber was used to quantify the net ecosystem exchange (NEE) between the natural vegetation and the atmosphere. On the five plots established in each of the three transects, shading nets were used to determine ecosystem response function to variable light conditions. Ecosystem respiration (Reco) and gross ecosystem exchange (GEE) was partitioned from NEE. Following the final flux measurements, biometric sampling was conducted to establish soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content and the biomass components for each transect. RESULTS: A clear difference was found between the earlier and the later successional stage. The older successional stages in the lower altitudes acted as a stronger C sink, where NEE, GEE and Reco were significantly higher than in the earlier successional stage. Of the two lower transects, the sink capacity of intermediate-succession plots exceeded that of the plots of older formation, in spite of the more developed soil. Total biomass (above- and belowground) approached its maximum value in the intermediate ecosystem, whilst the later stage of succession predominated in the corresponding belowground organic mass (biomass, N and C). OUTLOOK: We found that the process of carbon accumulation along a glacier retreat chronosequence is not linear, and after a quite rapid increase in carbon accumulation capacity in the first 150 years, in average 9 g C m-2 year-1, it slows down, taking place mainly in the belowground biomass components. Concurrently, the photosynthetic capacity peaks in the intermediate stage of ecosystem development. If confirmed by further studies on a larger scale, this study would provide evidence for a predominant effect of plant physiology over soil physical characteristics in the green-up phase after glacier retreat, which has to be taken into account in the creation of scenarios related to climate change and future land use.

Timescale effects on the environmental control of carbon and water fluxes of an apple orchard.

Model parameterization and validation of earth-atmosphere interactions are generally performed using a single timescale (e.g., nearly instantaneous, daily, and annual), although both delayed responses and hysteretic effects have been widely recognized. The lack of consideration of these effects hampers our capability to represent them in empirical- or process-based models. Here we explore, using an apple orchard ecosystem in the North of Italy as a simplified case study, how the considered timescale impacts the relative importance of the single environmental variables in explaining observed net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and evapotranspiration (ET). Using 6 years of eddy covariance and meteorological information as input data, we found a decay of the relative importance of the modeling capability of photosynthetically active radiation in explaining both NEE and ET moving from half-hourly to seasonal timescale and an increase in the relative importance of air temperature (T) and VPD. Satellite NDVI, used as proxy of leaf development, added little improvement to overall modeling capability. Increasing the timescale, the number of variables needed for parameterization decreased (from 5 to 1), while the proportion of variance explained by the model increased (r2 from 0.56-0.78 to 0.85-0.90 for NEE and ET respectively). The wavelet coherence and the phase analyses showed that the two variables that increased their relative importance when the scale increased (T, VPD) were not in phase at the correlation peak of both ET and NEE. This phase shift in the time domain corresponds to a hysteretic response in the meteorological variables domain. This work confirms that the model parameterization should be performed using parameters calculated at the appropriate scale. It suggests that in managed ecosystems, where the interannual variability is minimized by the agronomic practices, the use of timescales large enough to include hysteretic and delayed responses reduces the number of required input variables and improves their explanatory capacity.

Colonization of a Deglaciated Moraine: Contrasting Patterns of Carbon Uptake and Release from C3 and CAM Plants.

INTRODUCTION: Current glacier retreat makes vast mountain ranges available for vegetation establishment and growth. As a result, carbon (C) is accumulated in the soil, in a negative feedback to climate change. Little is known about the effective C budget of these new ecosystems and how the presence of different vegetation communities influences CO2 fluxes. METHODS: On the Matsch glacier forefield (Alps, Italy) we measured over two growing seasons the Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) of a typical grassland, dominated by the C3 Festuca halleri All., and a community dominated by the CAM rosettes Sempervivum montanum L. Using transparent and opaque chambers, with air temperature as the driver, we partitioned NEE to calculate Ecosystem Respiration (Reco) and Gross Ecosystem Exchange (GEE). In addition, soil and vegetation samples were collected from the same sites to estimate the Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance (NECB). RESULTS: The two communities showed contrasting GEE but similar Reco patterns, and as a result they were significantly different in NEE during the period measured. The grassland acted as a C sink, with a total cumulated value of -46.4±35.5 g C m-2 NEE, while the plots dominated by the CAM rosettes acted as a source, with 31.9±22.4 g C m-2. In spite of the different NEE, soil analysis did not reveal significant differences in carbon accumulation of the two plant communities (1770±130 for F. halleri and 2080±230 g C m-2 for S. montanum), suggesting that processes often neglected, like lateral flows and winter respiration, can have a similar relevance as NEE in the determination of the Net Ecosystem Carbon Balance.

Leaf water potential, nutritional status and must composition in grapes 'Pinot Nero' with and without irrigation / Potencial de água em folhas, estado nutricional e composição do mosto em viníferas 'Pinot Nero' com e sem irrigação

Irrigating vineyard soils can affect grapevine water potential, nutritional status, and must composition. This study aimed to evaluate leaf water potential, nutritional status, and must composition in cv. 'Pinot Nero' grapevines grown with and without irrigation. The experiment was conducted at a commercial vineyard of 'Pinot Nero' 828 grafted on SO4 rootstock, established in 2002 in Trento, Northern Italy. The treatments were irrigated (I) and non-irrigated (NI) throughout the 2013 crop season. The criteria evaluated were the water potential of the leaves, total nutrient content in the leaves and berries, and weight of 100 berries, as well as the total soluble solids content, pH, and total titratable acidity of the must. Despite providing a less negative water potential for the grapevine leaves, irrigation did not affect the nutritional status or must composition, and it only slightly interfered with berry nutrient content. .

A irrigação em solos de vinhedos pode afetar o potencial hídrico da videira, o estado nutricional e a composição do mosto. O trabalho objetivou avaliar o potencial de água em folhas, o estado nutricional e a composição do mosto, em videiras da cv. 'Pinot Nero', cultivadas com e sem irrigação. O experimento foi conduzido em um vinhedo comercial de 'Pinot Nero' 828, enxertada sobre o porta enxerto SO4, implantado em 2002 em Trento, Norte da Itália. Os tratamentos foram com irrigação (I) e sem irrigação (SI) ao longo da safra de 2013. Avaliou-se o potencial hídrico das folhas, o teor total de nutrientes em folhas e bagas, a massa de 100 bagas e, no mosto, foram avaliados o teor de sólidos solúveis totais, pH e acidez total titulável. A irrigação, apesar de proporcionar potencial de água menos negativo nas folhas da videira, não afetou o estado nutricional, a composição do mosto e pouco interferiu no teor de nutrientes na baga.