Are free amino acids in soils BIO-indicators of climate change effects in ecosystems?
World-wide observations of current climate change, such as increased temperature and severe rain events and droughts are caused by release of CO2 by human activities using fossil fuels and by biogeochemical feed-back mechanisms (Solomon et al. 2007, Wesssel et al. 2004, Melillo et al. 2011). Such changes may disrupt the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems on our planet, which are vulnerable to disturbance (Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005, Elmendorf 2012).
The OTCs on top of Sanddalsnuten, were the fieldwork were carried out.
With our study we wish to help understand the impact of primary producers for belowground processes and the plant control on feedback mechanisms to global climate change.
The research objective is to determine indirect effects through plants from experimental manipulation of climate change factors and climatic gradients on the concentration and flux of individual free amino acids into soil solution in nutrient poor ecosystems.
At Finse, the fieldwork were carried out in the OTCs located on top of Sanddalsnuten (for more information and approval for use of the OTCs contact Kari Klanderud)