DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Combined Effects of Plant Species Loss and Increased Nitrogen Availability on Ecosystem Processes in Montane Meadow Habitat

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Human activities are increasingly stressing the global environment, leading to a warmer climate, increased nitrogen deposition, and the loss of biodiversity. These global changes have the potential to significantly affect local ecosystems. For example, climate warming can have direct effects on ecosystem processes such as plant productivity, carbon sequestration and nitrogen cycling. Warming can also have indirect effects on those processes via its effect on plant species diversity and soil nitrogen availability. My research draws on results from an on-going warming experiment, and completes a triad of climate manipulation, pattern analysis, and plant species/nitrogen manipulations by crossing plant species removal with nitrogen addition treatments in a montane meadow ecosystem. I am removing those plant species with relatively shallow rooting structures, which on the basis of the warming manipulation are the ones most likely to be stressed by future warming. The level of nitrogen addition is motivated by an observed increase in soil nitrogen availability in the warming experiment. By monitoring how the loss of species and the addition of nitrogen affect plant productivity, carbon sequestration and nitrogen cycling, my research will improve our ability to make predictions about how the anthropogenic stress of climate change may affect important ecosystem processes.