Effets de la diversité des arbres sur le fonctionnement de l'écosystème dans deux plantations de forêts tempérées

La grande majorité des scientifiques s’accordent depuis deux décennies sur le fait que les actions anthropiques sont responsables d’une grande perte de biodiversité à l’échelle terrestre via l’élimination de gènes, d’espèces et de traits biologiques à un rythme alarmant. Ce fait les a conduits à se questionner sur les impacts de la perte de la biodiversité sur le fonctionnement des écosystèmes. Bien qu’aujourd’hui les connaissances sur le lien entre biodiversité et fonctionnement des écosystèmes (BEF) commencent à être bien documentées, nous en savons encore très peu sur les mécanismes sous-jacents à la relation entre BEF, et en particulier concernant les mécanismes appuyant les processus souterrains des écosystèmes forestiers. L’objectif de ce projet de doctorat était de développer les connaissances sur le lien entre la biodiversité des parties aériennes et le fonctionnement souterrain des écosystèmes artificiels (plantations d’arbres). Nous avons pour cela examiné l’implication de différents acteurs et paramètres du compartiment souterrain susceptibles d’intervenir dans le cycle du C - et de l’N - en lien avec la biodiversité (notamment via le recours à l’approche des traits fonctionnels). D’une part nous avons étudié la productivité des racines fines, leur chimie ainsi que le fonctionnement et la composition des communautés microbiennes du sol en lien avec des mesures de diversité (la richesse spécifique et la diversité fonctionnelle) dans une jeune plantation (4 ans). D’autre part, nous avons étudié la décomposition des racines fines en lien avec les communautés d’arbres et de végétation du sous-bois subséquentes à l’application de traitements dans une plantation plus âgée (27 ans). Dans tous les cas, nous avons étudié le lien entre ces différents paramètres et processus et les C et N du sol (totaux et dans les fractions). Les feuillus et les conifères diffèrent quant à la productivité des racines fines ainsi que par rapport à la métabolisation des sources de C. Les conifères étaient plus productifs que les feuillus (racines fines), et les feuillus métabolisaient un plus grand nombre de sources de C que les conifères. Par ailleurs, la richesse spécifique a influencé le fonctionnement des microbes mais pas leur composition ni la productivité des racines fines, tandis que l’identité des arbres (et de leurs traits fonctionnels) ont influencé tous ces paramètres et processus. La valeur moyenne des traits a plus influencé la productivité des racines fines, la respiration basale et la biomasse microbienne que la variance de ces traits. La diversité fonctionnelle (considérée en tant que gradient) n’a quant à elle pas eu d’effet sur aucun des paramètres et processus étudiés. Finalement, notre étude a révélé que la végétation du sous-bois (couvert de type fonctionnel et certaines espèces) plus que les arbres, les propriétés du sol ou la chimie des racines fines influençait la décomposition de ces dernières. De manière générale, cette thèse a permis de découvrir et de mettre en évidence des aspects jusqu’alors inconnus du lien entre BEF, notamment en ce qui concerne le lien entre la diversité des parties aériennes et le fonctionnement des parties souterraines. Nos résultats ont permis d’identifier avec précision les espèces d’arbres, de végétation du sous-bois ou encore les traits fonctionnels et les processus sur lesquels ils interviennent. Ceci pourrait permettre d’affiner les modèles de prédiction des cycles du C et de l’N ou encore de prodiguer des conseils avisés aux gestionnaires forestiers.In the last two decades, the vast majority of scientists have agreed that anthropogenic actions are responsible for an important and rapid loss of biodiversity at a global scale, through the elimination of genes, species and biological traits. This fact led to remarkable progress towards understanding how the loss of biodiversity affects the functioning of ecosystems. Although the link between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) is now well documented, the mechanisms underlying this relationship are still poorly understood, especially with regards to belowground processes in treed ecosystems. The objective of this Ph.D. project was to improve our understanding of the link between aboveground biodiversity and belowground functioning in two artificial ecosystems (tree plantations). For this purpose, we examined the implication of different actors and parameters of the belowground compartment that are likely to influence the C - and N - cycles, in relation to aboveground biodiversity (through the functional trait-based approach). On the one hand we studied the productivity of fine roots, their chemistry, the functioning and composition of soil microbial communities in relation to diversity measures (specific richness and functional diversity) in a young plantation (4 years). On the other hand, we studied the decomposition of fine roots in relation to over- and understory vegetation following the application of silvicultural treatments in an older plantation (27 years). In all cases, we studied the relationship between these parameters and processes, as well as soil C and N (total and in fractions). Deciduous and conifer species differed in fine root productivity and in microbial community catabolic activity. Conifers were more productive than deciduous (fine roots), and soil microbial communities associated with deciduous trees used a greater number of carbon sources than those associated with conifers. Moreover, although tree specific richness influenced the functioning of microbes, it had no effect on their composition or the productivity of the fine roots, while tree identities (and their functional traits) influenced all these parameters and processes. The mean value of traits had a greater influence on fine root productivity, basal respiration and microbial biomass than the variance of these traits. The functional diversity (considered as a gradient) had no effect on any of the parameters and processes studied. Finally, our study revealed that the understory vegetation (cover of functional type and some species), more than overstory vegetation, soil properties or fine root chemistry influences the fine root decomposition. In general, this thesis has uncovered and highlighted unknown aspects of the relationship between BEF, in particular with regard to the link between aboveground diversity and belowground functioning. Our results precisely identified tree species, understory vegetation and functional traits and the processes on which they intervene. This could help to refine predictive models of C and N cycles or provide advice to forest managers

Balsam Fir and American Beech Influence Soil Respiration Rates in Opposite Directions in a Sugar Maple Forest Near Its Northern Range Limit

Conifers and deciduous trees greatly differ in regard to their phylogenetics and physiology as well as their influence on soil microclimate and chemical properties. Soil respiration (Rs) in forests can therefore differ depending on tree species composition, and assessments of the variation in Rs in various forest types will lead to a more thorough understanding of the carbon cycle and more robust long-term simulations of soil carbon. We measured Rs in 2019 and 2020 in stands of various species composition in a sugar maple forest near the northern range limit of temperate deciduous forests in Quebec, Canada. Seasonal variations in soil temperature had the largest influence on Rs, but conditions created by the stands also exerted a significant effect. Relative to the typical sugar maple-yellow birch forest (hardwoods), Rs in stands with >20% of basal area from balsam fir (mixedwoods) was increased by 21%. Whilst, when American beech contributed >20% of litterfall mass (hardwood-beech stands), Rs was decreased by 11 and 36% relative to hardwoods and mixedwoods, respectively. As a whole, Rs was significantly higher in mixedwoods than in other forest types, and Rs was significantly higher in hardwoods than in hardwood-beech stands. Sugar maple and American beech at the study site are near their northern range limit, whereas balsam fir is near its southern limit. Rs in mixedwoods was therefore higher than in hardwoods and hardwood-beech stands due to high root activity in the presence of fir, despite colder and drier soils. We estimated that root respiration in mixedwoods was more than threefold that in hardwoods and hardwood-beech stands. The lower Rs in hardwood-beech stands compared to hardwoods points to the lower soil temperature as well as the poor quality of beech litter (low decomposability) as indicated by a generally lower heterotrophic respiration. Other than soil temperature, regression models identified mixedwoods, soil water potential and Mg2+ activity in the soil solution as important predictor variables of Rs with about 90% of its variation explained. Our study shows the benefits of combining forest-specific properties to climatic data for more robust predictions of Rs

Thermal acclimation of photosynthetic activity and RuBisCO content in two hybrid poplar clones

The mechanistic bases of thermal acclimation of net photosynthetic rate (A n ) are still difficult to discern, and the data sets available are scarce, particularly for hybrid poplar. In the present study, we examined the contribution of a number of biochemical and biophysical traits on thermal acclimation of A n for two hybrid poplar clones. We grew cuttings of Populus maximowiczii × Populus nigra (M×N) and Populus maximowiczii × Populus balsamifera (M×B) clones under two day/night temperature of 23°C/18°C and ◦33°C /27°C and under low and high soil nitrogen level. After ten weeks, we measured leaf RuBisCO (RAR) and RuBisCO activase (RARCA) amounts and the temperature response of A n , dark respiration (R d ), stomatal conductance, (g s ), apparent maximum carboxylation rate of CO 2 (V cmax ) and apparent photosynthetic electron transport rate (J). Results showed that a 10°C increase in growth temperature resulted in a shift in thermal optimum (T opt ) of A n of 6.2±1.6 °C and 8.0±1.2 °C for clone M×B and M×N respectively, and an increased A n and g s at the growth temperature for clone M×B but not M×N. RuBisCO amount was increased by N level but was insensitive to growth temperature while RARCA amount and the ratio of its short to long isoform was stimulated by the warm condition for clone M×N and at low N for clone M×B. The activation energy of apparent V cmax and apparent J decreased under the warm condition for clone M×B and remained unchanged for clone M×N. Our study demonstrated the involvement of both RARCA, the activation energy of apparent V cmax and stomatal conductance in thermal acclimation of A n

Stability of carbon pools and fluxes of a Technosol along a 7-year reclamation chronosequence at an asbestos mine in Canada

Improved land stewardship is necessary for climate change mitigation. As such, actions are needed to increase carbon (C) sinks and reduce C emissions from land use activities. Residual materials with fertilizing capacity can be used to reconstruct severely degraded soils and recreate a sustainable vegetation cover, leading to reductions in atmospheric CO2 levels. We studied the temporal dynamics of CO2 sequestration potential in soils reconstructed with 1200 Mg ha−1 biosolids along a young chronosequence ranging from 0 to 7 years after initiating reclamation of a decommissioned asbestos mine in southern Québec, Canada. We measured in situ soil CO2 fluxes, soil C pools and soil physicochemical properties. Since bacterial communities are highly responsive to soil physicochemical properties, we also analyzed both their diversity and community structure. The age since soil reclamation did not have a clear effect on soil properties, but it exerted greater control over soil C fluxes and soil bacterial community diversity and structure. Our results suggest large C fluxes to the atmosphere within the first year following soil reconstruction, but soils constitute a stable C pool thereafter

Inconsistent effects of nitrogen canopy enrichment and soil warming on black spruce epiphytic phyllosphere bacterial communities, taxa, and functions

Phyllosphere microbial communities have received considerable attention given their important influence on their plant hosts and on ecosystem functioning. In a context where climate change threatens the sustainability of ecosystems, it is important to understand how phyllosphere microbes will respond to changes in their environment. We used 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to quantify phyllosphere bacterial communities of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) exposed to nitrogen canopy enrichment and soil warming in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. The treatments were applied from April to September 2015 and the sampling was done in September. Neither treatment influenced the overall community structure and diversity of black spruce phyllosphere bacterial communities. However, some bacterial taxa and inferred microbial functions did differ among treatments, revealing in particular a stronger response of some bacteria to soil warming rather than nitrogen enrichment. Our results suggest that soil warming could potentially induce more changes in phyllosphere bacterial taxa abundances and functions than could nitrogen addition, with potential consequences for microbial diversity and boreal forest ecosystem function under likely climate change scenarios. Our study suggests avenues for further research to integrate a more mechanistic understanding of the importance of phyllosphere microbes for black spruce and boreal forest ecosystems

Data from: Do temperate tree species diversity and identity influence soil microbial community function and composition?

Studies of biodiversity-ecosystem function in treed ecosystems have generally focused on aboveground functions. The present study investigates inter-trophic links between tree diversity and soil microbial community function and composition.We examined how microbial communities in surface mineral soil responded to experimental gradients of tree species richness (SR), functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean trait value (CWM) and tree identity. The site was a 4-yr-old common garden experiment near Montreal, Canada, consisting of deciduous and evergreen tree species mixtures. Microbial community composition, community-level physiological profiles (CLPP) and respiration were evaluated using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and the MicroRespTM system, respectively. The relationship between tree species richness and glucose induced respiration (GIR), basal respiration (BR), metabolic quotient (qCO2) followed a positive but saturating shape. Microbial communities associated with species mixtures were more active (basal respiration (BR)), with higher biomass (glucose induced respiration (GIR)), and used a greater number of carbon sources than monocultures. Communities associated with deciduous tree species used a greater number of carbon sources than those associated with evergreen species, suggesting a greater soil carbon storage capacity. There were no differences in microbial composition (PLFA) between monocultures and SR mixtures. The FD and the CWM of several functional traits affected both BR and GIR. In general, the CWM of traits had stronger effects than did FD, suggesting that certain traits of dominant species have more effect on ecosystem processes than does FD. Both the functions of GIR and BR were positively related to aboveground tree community productivity. Both tree diversity (SR) and identity (species and functional identity – leaf habit) affected soil microbial community respiration, biomass and composition. For the first time, we identified functional traits related to life history strategy, as well as root traits that influence another trophic level, soil microbial community function, via effects on BR and GIR

Do temperate tree species diversity and identity influence soil microbial community function and composition?

Studies of biodiversity–ecosystem function in treed ecosystems have generally focused on aboveground functions. This study investigates intertrophic links between tree diversity and soil microbial community function and composition. We examined how microbial communities in surface mineral soil responded to experimental gradients of tree species richness (SR), functional diversity (FD), community-weighted mean trait value (CWM), and tree identity. The site was a 4-year-old common garden experiment near Montreal, Canada, consisting of deciduous and evergreen tree species mixtures. Microbial community composition, community-level physiological profiles, and respiration were evaluated using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis and the MicroResp™ system, respectively. The relationship between tree species richness and glucose-induced respiration (GIR), basal respiration (BR), metabolic quotient (qCO2) followed a positive but saturating shape. Microbial communities associated with species mixtures were more active (basal respiration [BR]), with higher biomass (glucose-induced respiration [GIR]), and used a greater number of carbon sources than monocultures. Communities associated with deciduous tree species used a greater number of carbon sources than those associated with evergreen species, suggesting a greater soil carbon storage capacity. There were no differences in microbial composition (PLFA) between monocultures and SR mixtures. The FD and the CWM of several functional traits affected both BR and GIR. In general, the CWM of traits had stronger effects than did FD, suggesting that certain traits of dominant species have more effect on ecosystem processes than does FD. Both the functions of GIR and BR were positively related to aboveground tree community productivity. Both tree diversity (SR) and identity (species and functional identity—leaf habit) affected soil microbial community respiration, biomass, and composition. For the first time, we identified functional traits related to life-history strategy, as well as root traits that influence another trophic level, soil microbial community function, via effects on BR and GIR

Tree species richness and water availability interact to affect soil microbial processes

The objective of this study was to examine the interactive influence of tree diversity and water availability on microbial functioning in surface soil (0-10 cm). The study was conducted at two field experiments (ages 4.2 and 9.0 years, respectively) of the TreeDivNet platform that established plantations with a gradient of tree species richness exposed to high and low water availability treatments. Soil microbial biomass, activity, functional diversity and functional identity were estimated using the MicroResp (TM) method. Soil organic carbon and several other variables potentially associated with soil processes (soil moisture, soil and air temperature, soil pH, soil C:N ratio, tree biomass) were also measured. Our results indicate that tree species richness significantly increased soil microbial biomass and, to a lesser extent, soil microbial activity in the high water availability treatment, at both trial sites. However, tree species richness effects on microbial processes were not expressed in the low water availability treatment, contrary to the stress-gradient hypothesis. Tree species richness and water treatment interaction impacted microbial biomass and activity through their effects on microbial functional diversity and identity at one site and air temperature at the other site. In conclusion, the mechanisms through which tree diversity creates bottom-up effects on biological soil processes depend on environmental conditions and time following the establishment of tree communities. Future research relating diversity and water availability effects on soil microbial processes should consider functional traits of tree species and a larger range of trophic levels including herbivores and soil fauna to better understand biodiversity-soil ecosystem function relationships in forest ecosystems.Diversité et Productivité des forêTs impactées par le Changement Climatiqu

Long-Term Simulated Nitrogen Deposition Has Moderate Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities across Three Bioclimatic Domains of the Eastern Canadian Forest

The soil microbiome plays major roles in the below-ground processes and productivity of forest ecosystems. Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is predicted to increase globally and might create disturbances in soil microbial communities, essentially by modifying soil chemistry. However, the impacts of higher N deposition on the soil microbiome in N-limited northern forests are still unclear. For 16 years, we simulated N deposition by adding ammonium nitrate at rates of 3 and 10 times the ambient N deposition directly into soils located in three bioclimatic domains of the eastern Canadian forest (i.e., sugar maple–yellow birch, balsam fir–white birch, and black spruce–feather moss). We identified changes in the microbial communities by isolating the DNA of the L, F, and H soil horizons, as well as by sequencing amplicons of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene and the fungal ITS region. We found that long-term increased N deposition had no effect on soil microbial diversity, but had moderate impacts on the composition of the bacterial and fungal communities. The most noticeable change was the increase in ectomycorrhizal fungi ASV abundance, potentially due to increased tree root growth on fertilized plots. Our work suggests that, in N-limited northern forests, extra N is rapidly mobilized by vegetation, thus minimizing impacts on the soil microbiome

Biomass and nutrients in tree root systems-sustainable harvesting of an intensively managed Pinus pinaster (Ait.) planted forest

To develop sources of renewable energy and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increasing attention has been given to the extraction of forest biomass, especially in the form of harvest residues. However, increasing the removal of biomass, and hence nutrients, has raised concerns about the sustainability of site fertility and forest productivity. The environmental cost of harvesting belowground biomass is still not fully understood. The objectives of this study were to (i) estimate the stocks of belowground biomass that potentially can be collected; (ii) measure the nutrient (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) concentrations of the different root compartments (stumps, coarse and thin roots); and to (iii) quantify the biomass and nutrient exports under different scenarios, including harvests of above and belowground compartments. The study was carried out on Pinus pinaster stands located in southwestern France. Results showed that roots could be a significant fuelwood resource, particularly at forest clear cutting. Negative relationships between root diameter and root nutrient concentration were observed, independently of root function or tree age. Such relationships can be used to accurately simulate nutrient concentrations in roots as well as nutrient exports. Combining our original results on roots with previously published data on the aboveground compartments showed that nutrient losses were higher in canopy harvest scenarios than in root harvest scenarios. This was mainly due to high nutrient concentrations of needles. We concluded that stump and root harvest could be sustainable in our study context, conversely to foliage harvest. Because thin roots have higher nutrient concentrations than coarse roots and the proportion of thin roots increased with an increase in the distance from the tree, collecting roots only in the close vicinity of the stumps should limit nutrient exports (particularly N) without unnecessarily reducing fuelwood biomass