Download NSERC Stakeholders Presentation - Climate Change

Understanding and mitigating the impacts
of altered temperature and precipitation
regimes on the function and biodiversity
of rangeland communities
April 15th, 2008
Stakeholders Meeting
Objectives of Today



Introduce researchers, supporting
organizations, stakeholders, and other
interested parties
Provide an overview of project objectives,
progress to date, and future goals.
Exchange ideas between stakeholders and
research team
Project Objectives



Understand how linkages between aspects of
climate change and native rangeland ecology.
Use this information to develop management
suggestions to mitigate the negative aspects of
climate change in these systems.
Disseminate this information amongst
stakeholders, the research community, and
other interested parties
Research Team
Understanding Interactions
Precipitation
Forage Production?
Rising CO2
Carbon Sequestration?
Warming
Grazing
Experimental Design
Field Sites
Kinsella, AB
PFRA GAP Community Pasture, SK
Riding Mountain NP, MB
Warming Treatment
Precipitation
Defoliation
Environmental
Monitoring
Radiation
PRS
Shields
Probes
1
3
PRS
Probes
PRS
Probes
Soil
Respiration
Collar
PRS
Probes
2
cm
0
20
Vegetation Sampling (Non-Destructive)
Vegetation Sampling (Aboveground)
Biomass Calibration
Defoliation
Harvest
Vegetation Sampling (Belowground)
Soil Chemistry Sampling
Microbial Respiration
Invertebrate Sampling
Additions - 2008


+75% precipitation addition treatment
Minirhizotron imaging
Here come the grad students!
Shannon White
Introduction

Little research has explored the effects of
climate change and grazing on vegetation in
temperature grasslands

Critical for land managers

Following a disturbance, seed bank and seed
rain influences may become important
factors in the formation of plant communities
Research Questions
1)
How will climate change (temperature and precipitation) interact with
defoliation to alter primary production and associated forage
quality in northern temperate grasslands?
2)
How will these changes cause shifts in plant community
composition and range health?
3)
How will these changes alter the community reproductive output?
4)
What role will current year seed rain, versus seed bank, play in
population dynamics?
5)
How will these changes alter subsequent germination and
recruitment?
Methods
1)
Primary production and forage quality
2)
Community composition and range health
Methods
3) Reproductive output
4) Seed rain, versus seed bank
5) Germination and recruitment
Questions?
Samson Nyanumba
Education:
University of Nairobi (Kenya)
Ben Gurion University of the Negev (Israel)
Litter decomposition and,
Carbon and Nitrogen flux
Decomposition of litter (including root litter)
contribute approximately 70% to the total
annual carbon flux
Climate > Litter quality > Soil organisms
Climate
(3)
(1)
(2)
Litter quality
Soil organisms
Litter decomposition
29
30
Research questions
1. Do climate effects and defoliation interact
to
affect
litter
decomposition,
and
belowground carbon storage?
2. How do rates of soil flux (e.g. N
mineralization) change in response to
defoliation and climate effects?
31
Behnaz Attaeian
Biological Fingerprints
of Climate Change and Grazing
Management on Carbon and
Nitrogen Cycling
1- How
warming,
precipitation
and defoliation
would affect
composition
and function
of soil
microbial
community in
rough fescue
grassland?
2- How
warming,
precipitation
and defoliation
regulate in
situ soil
carbon and
nitrogen
dynamics in
rough fescue
grassland?
1234-
Soil properties
Rangeland productivity
Rangeland health
Environmental policies:
carbon trading
"We accept the views of most scientists
that enough is known about the science
and environmental impacts of climate
change for us to take actions to address
its consequences."
Business Environmental Leadership Council, Pew Center on Global
Climate Change
Jeffrey Newton
Sint Maarten?
Education

Wageningen University
(Netherlands)

Dutch Ecological Institute
(NIOO)
Research question

What is the effect of climate change on
(rangeland) soil arthropod communities?
Microbivore
Predator
Fungivore
Soil Critters
•Species richness to date:
40 RRTU’s out of <1600 individuals
•Abundance
e.g. Fescue grassland (Stavely, AB)
Mites:
426,000/ m^2 (0-8cm depth)
Springtails: 6,000/ m^2 (0-8cm depth)
•Organic C (detritus) decomposition
•Temporary nutrient storage
•Fungal propagule dispersers
Field Sites – AB (Kinsella)

240 mm precipitation during field season (May-Oct)

32 vascular plant spp.

Agropyron smithii, Stipa curtiseta dominant grasses (Carex spp. also abundant)

Artemisia frigida, Oxytropis campestris most common forbs

Koeleria macrantha, Festuca hallii, Bouteloua gracilis also common
Field Sites – SK (GAP Pasture)

260 mm precipitation during field season (May-Oct)

32 vascular plant spp.

Agropyron smithii, Stipa curtiseta dominant grasses (Carex spp. also abundant)

Artemisia frigida, Sphaeralcea coccinea most common forbs

Bouteloua gracilis, Koeleria macrantha also common
Field Sites – MB (Riding Mountain)

309 mm precipitation during field season (May-Oct)

44 vascular plant spp.

Poa secunda dominant grass

Galium boreale, Monarda fistulosa most common forbs

Achillea millefolium, Artemisia ludoviciana, Aster laevis, Rosa arkansana,
Solidago rigida, Symphoricarpos occidentalis, Thalictrum venulosum, Vicia
americana also common
Air temperature
Air temperature in non-defoliated plots (3 PM)
40
Temperature (degrees Celsius)
35
30
25
Control
20
Warm
15
10
5
0
May
June
July
August
September
October
Soil temperature
Soil temperature at 3 PM (0-5 cm depth)
35
25
Control
20
Warm
Dry
15
Warm&Dry
Soil temperature at 3 PM (5-15 cm depth)
10
35
5
0
Undefol
LightDef
Defoliation Treatment
30
HeavyDef
Soil Temperature (°C)
Soil Temperature (°C)
30
25
Control
20
Warm
Dry
15
Warm&Dry
10
5
0
Undefol
LightDef
Defoliation Treatment
HeavyDef
Soil moisture
Soil Volumetric Water Content (August 2007)
35
30
Volumetric Water Content (%)
25
Drought, Control
20
Drought, Warming
Ambient, Control
15
Ambient, Warming
10
5
0
Undef ol
Lightdef
Defoliation Treatment
Heavydef
Species richness
Number of Species per 4 m2
Species Richness in July 2007
12
10
8
C ontrol
6
W arm
Dry
4
W arm&Dry
2
0
Undefol
L ightDef
HeavyDef
Shannon-Weiner diversity
Number of Species per 4 m2
Species Diversity in July 2007
2.15
2.1
2.05
C ontrol
W arm
2
Dry
1.95
W arm&Dry
1.9
1.85
Undefol
L ightDef
HeavyDef
Range Health in Droughted Plots (July 2007)
5
4.5
4
3.5
3
2.5
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
1 - Healthy with
P roblems
Range Health in Ambient Precip Plots (July 2007)
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
1 - Unhealthy
2 - Healthy with
P roblems
D
ef
ef
W
vy
ar
m
H
*H
ea
ea
vy
tD
gh
*L
i
ar
m
W
D
ef
ef
tD
gh
Li
ar
m
W
tro
l
3 - Healthy
on
C
vy
ea
*H
W
ar
m
H
Number of plots in categ ory
D
ef
ef
ea
vy
tD
gh
*L
i
ar
m
W
D
ef
ef
tD
gh
Li
ar
m
W
tro
l
2 - Healthy
on
C
Number of plots in categ ory
Range health
Total shoot biomass
The effect of defoliation, precipitation, and warming treatments on
total live biomass
140
Live biomass (g/m²)
120
100
Control
80
Warm
60
Dry
40
Warm&Dry
20
0
Undefol
LightDef
HeavyDef
Graminoid biomass
The effect of defoliation, precipitation, and warming treatments on
total graminoid biomass
Graminoid biomass (g/m²)
120
100
80
Control
Warm
60
Dry
40
Warm&Dry
20
0
Undefol
LightDef
HeavyDef
Moss and lichen biomass
The effect of defoliation, precipitation, and warming treatments on
moss/lichens biomass
14.0
Biomass (g/m²)
12.0
10.0
Control
8.0
Warm
6.0
Dry
4.0
Warm&Dry
2.0
0.0
Undefol
LightDef
HeavyDef
Total soil N
Total nitrogen (µg/10cm2/burial length)
Total nitrogen for mid-June to mid-July burial period
80
70
60
Control
50
Warm
40
Dry
30
Warm&Dry
20
10
0
Undefol
LightDef
HeavyDef
Soil organisms
Communication efforts to date

Webpage is launched
–


http://climate.biology.ualberta.ca
Reports written for SRD, and are publicly
available
Talks at SRM, Agronomy update, upcoming soil
science.
climate.biology.ualberta.ca
Goals for website:
1)
2)
3)
Public outreach
Communication portal
Internal uses
climate.biology.ualberta.ca
1)
Public outreach
–
–
–
–
Hello world!
General goals/research questions
Introduce researchers
Results!
climate.biology.ualberta.ca
1)
Communication portal
–
–
2)
Questions about project
Contact information, websites of individual
researchers
Internal use
–
Data/file storage and transfer
climate.biology.ualberta.ca
Increasing visibility:
1) Biological Sciences dept. webpage link
2) Google/Yahoo
–
–
3)
General searches
Directories
Links from other pages
–
–
Supporting organizations
Feedback to Google ranking
climate.biology.ualberta.ca
Measuring effectiveness:
1) Active feedback
–
2)
Email
Passive feedback
–
StatCounter.com
NSERC Reporting Requirments

Progress Report
–
–

Prepared by PIs
Due to NSERC, and stakeholders, June 30th
Comments on report
–
–
Prepared by participating organizations
Due directly to NSERC July 15th
Comments by Supporting
Organizations
i)
ii)
the amount and type of interaction their organization has had with the
academic members and trainees working on the project;
the progress achieved toward the project's objectives;
iii)
the level of support committed (cash and/or in-kind, if applicable) as
indicated in the original proposal;
iv)
the significance and usefulness of the results (advancement of
knowledge, technology transfer) to their organization;
v)
their satisfaction with the overall direction of the research;
vi)
their efforts towards exploiting the research results.
The future


Gearing up for year 2!
Ongoing studies
–

Funding options
Communication
–
–
–
Field day
Email updates
Meetings