Global climate changes, such
as increasing nitrogen deposition and CO2 concentrations, are
impacting temperate deciduous forests of the lower Great Lakes region, yet the effects of these changes on soil processes
are not fully understood. In forest ecosystems, the largest carbon flux
influencing net ecosystem productivity is soil CO2 efflux, which is
a product of both autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration. Consequently, the effect of global climate
changes on terrestrial ecosystems may be greatly influenced by the response of
belowground processes. This study
examined the effects of nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon additions to
belowground processes associated with white oak and sugar maple in a field and
mesocosm setting. The study site was
located at the Ameriflux site in Southern Indiana
and treatments have been applied for three growing seasons. Treatments were applied in a factorial design
and dissolved in water to simulate wet deposition. Preliminary results from the third year of
treatment show strong species-specific interactions. Soil respiration was increased in maple plots
by phosphorus additions, while oak plots were increased by carbon
additions. Similarly, nitrogen and
phosphorus additions increased fine root biomass, but had little effect on
oaks. Soil carbon content was decreased
by phosphorus additions and the soil microbial biomass was not significantly
altered by any resource addition. These
results show that belowground processes are differentially altered by tree species
and more research is needed to make predictions of the long-term effects of
global climate changes in this ecosystem.