Ecosystems under impact of global changes and disturbances studied by LTER Slovakia

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Ecology SAS, Slovakia 2 ) Research station of the State Forests of the

1 Ecosystems under impact of global changes and disturbances studied by Slovakia Ľuboš Halada 1, Peter Fleischer 2 1 ) Institute of Landscape Ecology SAS, Slovakia 2 ) Research station of the State Forests of the Tatra National Park, Slovakia lubos.halada@savba.sk; fleischer@post.sk

2 In memory of RNDr. Ferko Kohút, PhD

3 Structure TARGET 2 of the Biodiversity Strategy Risks to ecosystems in Tatra Mts. Alpine grasslands nitrogen manipulation experiment Forest - wind disturbance 2004 imoact to ecosystem structure and functioning Consequences for ecosystem services Conclusions

4 EU 2020 Biodiversity Strategy TARGET 2 Maintain and restore ecosystems and their services Action 5: Improve knowledge of ecosystems and their services in the EU How can contribute to this target and action? Examples from 2 -Slovakia sites

5 dif % Down-slope wind Bora - anemo-orographic phenomenon Forests: Naturaly low species diversity (trees: spruce 75%) Climate - air temperature, precipitation Pests Ecosystems in Tatra Mts. Natural risks May-September avg T, R T R Forest weakening favorable for insect infestation temperature o C ,5 12, ,5 16, Red: average Black: individual years

6 Ecosystems in Tatra Mts. Human-driven/modified risks Air pollution: nitrogen, sulphur, ozone Nitrogen Nitrogen deposition remains excessive worldwide and exceedance of critical loads are widespread in Europe Harmens et al. 2013

7 Nitrogen No general threshold for critical load of nitrogen it depends on species or habitat in focus Empirical CL: acid alpine grasslands 5-10 kg/ha, coniferous spruce forests kg/ha (Bobbink et Hetteling 2010) N deposition in Tatra Mts. N [kg/ha] Source: Fleischer et al. 2011

8 Nitrogen deposition manipulation Alpine grasslands site Jalovecká dolina

Nitrogen deposition in High Tatra Mts manipulative experiment site

deposition Decomposition of plant litter Soil availability of nitrogen

9 Nitrogen deposition in High Tatra Mts manipulative experiment site Jalovecká dolina Since 2002 Habitat: Acid alpine grassland Treatments 2N - 20 kg.ha -2 N addition 6N - 60 kg.ha-2 N addition Measurements: Climate Chemistry Wet atmosperic deposition Decomposition of plant litter Soil availability of nitrogen Vegetation structure Plant biomass Epigeic invertebrates 15N kg.ha-2 N addition P - 50 kg.ha-2 P addition C control

10 concentration (mg.kg-1) Nitrogen deposition in High Tatra Mts manipulative experiment Primary production C P N2 N6 N Cations in individual treatments Ca2+ K+ Mg2+ Mn2+ C 2N 6N 15N Acidification Nutrient cycling

11 Nitrogen deposition in High Tatra Mts manipulative experiment Several decades of acid deposition decreased soil ph and the site reached a transition stage in which Fe dominates buffering of soils Current levels of N deposition inhibit plant growth due to a combination of loss of base cations and Al and Fe toxicity The cumulative effect of high acid deposition over six decades causes Tatra Mts. sensitive to elevated rates of N deposition and brought them dangerously close to toxic conditions This can have negative consequences to the integrity of ecosystem services provided by the alpine and high-mountain ecosystems Bowman et al Nature Geosciences

12 Nitrogen deposition Nitrogen deposition in excess of critical loads causes adverse effects on structure and function of ecosystems UNECE Convention on Large-range Transboundary Air Pollution, 2013 Nitrogen decreases the resilience of forests to other environmental stresses such as drought, high wind, frost, pests and diseases. UNECE Convention on Large-range Transboundary Air Pollution, 2013

13 Large-scale disturbance effects to ecosystem services Alpine grasslands site Tatra National Park

14 2004: forest disturbance by wind ha of forest destroyed 2,3 mil. m 3 of timber

15 Risks after the windstorm 2004 floods due to reduced retention capacity and blocked streams erosion fires insect outbreak extreme microclimate Air quality regulation Therapeutic function

Post-windstorm research site Tatra National Park Climate Hydric conditions Energy balance Bioproduction Biogeochemical cycles Soil, humus, erosion Regeneration processes Succession Plant, animal

16 Post-windstorm research site Tatra National Park Climate Hydric conditions Energy balance Bioproduction Biogeochemical cycles Soil, humus, erosion Regeneration processes Succession Plant, animal communities Forest management REF EXT 4 sites, 100 ha each: FIR NEX REF: control, not disturbed NEX: timber not extracted, unmanaged EXT: timber extracted, afforested FIR: timber extracted + fire

17 Regeneration Plot Dead wood [m 3 /ha] Regeneration [ind/ha] REF NEX EXT FIR Soil Soil moisture Mineralisation Nutrient leaching Some results NEX > EXT > REF max monthly avg T: max daily temperature annual mean air temperature at open sites NEX > REF > EXT > FIRE drought periods (7> days) daily transpiration continuous fire risk Climate min monthly precipit sum Nutrient cycling 17,4 o C (07/2007) +2 o C 33,5 o C (07/2007) +1,2 o C > closed forest 6,7 mm (04/2007) 5x (2007) 3 mm wind speed increased 30-50% on windfall area Climate regulation

Some results Stream water chemistry Elevated N: 1,4 x N-NO 3- ;

Primary production Monospecies community Intensive

respiration Significantly lower in disturbed sites Increasing

18 Some results Stream water chemistry Elevated N: 1,4 x N-NO 3- ; 2,2 x N-NH 4+ Nutrient cycling Vegetation Moss layer died Primary production Monospecies community Intensive recolonisation Invasive species Reyunoutria japonica Soil respiration Significantly lower in disturbed sites Increasing trend Nutrient cycling Soil respiration (µmol CO 2 m -2 s -1 ) Fleischer et al. 2012

19 Forest damage by bark-beetle Red: forest with dead trees because of bark beetle Black: sites damaged by windstorm where timber was left 2009 Pest regulation

Forest damage by bark-beetle Water regulation Retention capacity lower by 20-30% than in living forest, it is lower than in plots damaged by windstorm Carbon budget Increased C02 respiration

20 Forest damage by bark-beetle Water regulation Retention capacity lower by 20-30% than in living forest, it is lower than in plots damaged by windstorm Carbon budget Increased C02 respiration Recreation Some impacts to ecosystem functions Water regulation Nutrient cycling Recreation Dead forest increase yearly by 1000 ha Aesthetic and recreation value heavily impacted, consequences to supporting and regulating services But also: security of visitors and fire risk Pest regulation

21 Ecosystem services changes after windstorm Ecosystem Service Change Ecosystem Service Change Provisioning Services Cultural Services Fiber Spiritual values Food Educational values Fresh Water Aesthetic values Regulating Services Sense of place Air quality regulation Climate regulation Water regulation Erosion regulation Pest regulation Natural hazard regulation Cultural heritage values Recreation and ecotourism Therapeutic service Supporting Services Primary production Nutrient cycling Water cycling

Ecosystem services changes Change against pre-disturbance state Fibre (Provisioning) 1 Primary Production (Supporting) 0 Water (Provisioning) -1 2008 2013 Recreation

22 Ecosystem services changes Change against pre-disturbance state Fibre (Provisioning) 1 Primary Production (Supporting) 0 Water (Provisioning) Recreation (Cultural) Air Quality (Regulating) Aesthetic (Cultural) Trend of crucial services change: 0 stable; positive values: increasing trend; negative values: decreasing trend

23 research: provides knowledge for understanding of ecosystem fuctioning and processes that determine ecosystem services regular, long-term measurements allow identification of changes in ecosystem provision and their reasons experiments in sites can test potential effects of driving factors (e.g. climate, pollution, disturbances) to ecosystem services this enables scientists to provide relevant feedback to policy and propose solutions of current and future environmental problems

24 Thank you for attention

N Deposition Effects on Vegetation and Soils in Alpine Ecosystems

N Deposition Effects on Vegetation and Soils in Alpine Ecosystems William D. Bowman Mountain Research Station, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder thanks to Cory Cleveland,