'One physical system' : Tansley's ecosystem as Earth's critical zone
© 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust.
| Veröffentlicht in: | The New phytologist. - 1979. - 206(2015), 3 vom: 16. Mai, Seite 900-912 |
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| Format: | Online-Aufsatz |
| Sprache: | English |
| Veröffentlicht: |
2015
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| Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk: | The New phytologist |
| Schlagworte: | Historical Article Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Review biogeochemistry biogeosciences ecohydrology ecosystem ecology ecosystem metabolism mehr... |
| Zusammenfassung: | © 2015 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2015 New Phytologist Trust. Integrative concepts of the biosphere, ecosystem, biogeocenosis and, recently, Earth's critical zone embrace scientific disciplines that link matter, energy and organisms in a systems-level understanding of our remarkable planet. Here, we assert the congruence of Tansley's (1935) venerable ecosystem concept of 'one physical system' with Earth science's critical zone. Ecosystems and critical zones are congruent across spatial-temporal scales from vegetation-clad weathering profiles and hillslopes, small catchments, landscapes, river basins, continents, to Earth's whole terrestrial surface. What may be less obvious is congruence in the vertical dimension. We use ecosystem metabolism to argue that full accounting of photosynthetically fixed carbon includes respiratory CO₂ and carbonic acid that propagate to the base of the critical zone itself. Although a small fraction of respiration, the downward diffusion of CO₂ helps determine rates of soil formation and, ultimately, ecosystem evolution and resilience. Because life in the upper portions of terrestrial ecosystems significantly affects biogeochemistry throughout weathering profiles, the lower boundaries of most terrestrial ecosystems have been demarcated at depths too shallow to permit a complete understanding of ecosystem structure and function. Opportunities abound to explore connections between upper and lower components of critical-zone ecosystems, between soils and streams in watersheds, and between plant-derived CO₂ and deep microbial communities and mineral weathering |
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| Beschreibung: | Date Completed 19.05.2016 Date Revised 18.04.2021 published: Print-Electronic CommentIn: New Phytol. 2015 May;206(3):883-5. - PMID 25865163 Citation Status MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1469-8137 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/nph.13338 |