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Inspire Session

Session: From the Desert to the Arctic: Ecological Significance of Bryophytes Across Systems

INS 15-3 - Sphagnum-shrub interactions in a changing climate

Thursday, August 18, 2022

10:00 AM – 11:30 AM EDT

Location: 520A

Presenting Author(s)

RN

Richard Norby

University of Tennessee, Knoxville, United States

Co-author(s)

TB

Taylor Baxter

Research assistant
University of Tennessee
DW

David J. Weston, PhD

Staff Scientist
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, United States
TZ

Tatjana Zivkovic

Postdoctoral Researcher
McGill University

Sphagnum productivity declined in response to imposed warming treatments in an ombrotrophic bog in northern Minnesota (https://mnspruce.ornl.gov). Nearly complete loss of Sphagnum cover occurred at the highest temperature in the experiment (+9°C), and growth was reduced in response to elevated CO₂. Some of this response may be due to reduced light availability with increasing shrub cover. We conducted a side experiment to determine the response of Sphagnum to shading similar to that created by the shrubs using shade cloth of different density (0-90%). Sphagnum production decreased in response to increasing shade, but addition of shrub leaf litter had no effect.