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Boreal forest soils function as a terrestrial net sink in the global carbon cycle. The prevailing dogma has focused on aboveground plant litter as a principal source of soil organic matter. Using C-14 bomb-carbon modeling, we show that 50 to 70% of stored carbon in a chronosequence of boreal forested islands derives from roots and root-associated microorganisms. Fungal biomarkers indicate impaired

Forests are important from many perspectives. Forestry delivers products such as timber, fiber and fuel; forests are also important for recreational activities as well as for the global carbon balance. Consequently, it is important to develop methods that enable efficient monitoring of disturbances, such as insect attacks, over vast forested areas. These methods can be based on remote sensing, sin

Plants can influence methane emissions from wetland ecosystems by altering its production, consumption and transport in the soil. The aim of this study was to investigate how eight vascular plant species from mesotrophic to eutrophic wetlands vary in their influence on CH4 emissions from peat cores, under low and high N supply. Additionally, we measured the production of low-molecular-weight organ

Bioavailable phosphorus (BAP) concentrations were determined nine times between April and October 2010 in two humic boreal headwater streams draining forest-and mire-dominated catchments. BAP was analyzed in a bioassay in which natural P-limited bacterioplankton grew with natural P as the sole P source. In both streams, approximately 90% of the BAP occurred as dissolved species (passing a 0.2-mu m

Increased snow depth already observed, and that predicted for the future are of critical importance to many geophysical and biological processes as well as human activities. The future characteristics of sub-arctic landscapes where permafrost is particularly vulnerable will depend on complex interactions between snow cover, vegetation and permafrost. An experimental manipulation was, therefore, se

Bacterial and fungal growth rate measurements are sensitive variables to detect changes in environmental conditions. However, while methods to assess the species composition and biomass of fungi and bacteria has made much progress, information about growth rates remains surprisingly rudimentary. We review the recent history of approaches to assess bacterial and fungal growth rates, leading up to c

Beyond the effects of temperature increase on local population trends and on species distribution shifts, how populations of a given species are affected by climate change along a species range is still unclear. We tested whether and how species responses to climate change are related to the populations locations within the species thermal range. We compared the average 20 year growth rates of 62

It is generally recognised that agricultural intensification has lead to simplification of landscape structure, but it has not been clarified if this is a ubiquitous relationship. That is, it has been an open question whether agricultural intensity and landscape simplicity should be regarded as one single or as two separate dimensions. To evaluate this we analysed landscape data in 136 different 1

The boreal forest carbon balance is predicted to be particularly sensitive to climate change. Carbon balance estimates of these biomes stem mainly from eddy-covariance measurements of net ecosystem exchange (NEE). However, a full net ecosystem carbon balance (NECB) must include the lateral carbon export (LCE) through discharge. We show that annual LCE at a boreal forest site ranged from 4 to 28%,

In this study, we quantify the effect of uncertainties in climate projections on an impact model (IPS) that describes the temperature-dependent swarming and development of Ips typographus. Three forcing climate data sets (ensembles) were used: (1) E-Obs gridded observations, (2) ERA-40 reanalysis data downscaled by eight regional climate models (RCMs) and (3) regional scenarios from one RCM forced

The structuring of quantitative genetic variation can have a significant impact on the adaptive potential and long-term viability of species in changing landscapes. The present study of the grass Briza media investigated the relationships between patterns of heritable variation in phenotypic characters and descriptors of landscape structure, land-use history and local habitat conditions in a lands

The grey partridge Perdix perdix has suffered a severe decline in numbers and contraction in range during the last half century. The loss of landscape heterogeneity through agricultural intensification has often been indicated as a cause. By preserving and managing small biotopes and creating uncropped border zones, some ecological heterogeneity is maintained and recreated with the aid of agri-env

Dabbling ducks (Anas spp.) are important migratory quarry species, protected as a shared resource under international legislation. However, there is a lack of sufficient high-quality data on vital demographic rates and long-term trends in numbers to judge the conservation status of many duck populations at the flyway level. In response to reported declines in the North-West European flyway populat

There is growing evidence of the importance of extramatrical mycelium (EMM) of mycorrhizal fungi in carbon (C) cycling in ecosystems. However, our understanding has until recently been mainly based on laboratory experiments, and knowledge of such basic parameters as variations in mycelial production, standing biomass and turnover as well as the regulatory mechanisms behind such variations in fores

Mycorrhizal fungi constitute a considerable sink for carbon in most ecosystems. This carbon is used for building extensive mycelial networks in the soil as well as for metabolic activity related to nutrient uptake. A number of methods have been developed recently to quantify production, standing biomass and turnover of extramatrical mycorrhizal mycelia (EMM) in the field. These methods include min

The Eurasian spruce bark beetle, Ips typographus, is one of the major forest insect pests in Europe, capable of mass-attacking and killing mature Norway spruce trees. The initiation and development of a new generation are strongly controlled by temperature and a warmer climate may affect the number of generations that is produced per year and hence the outbreak dynamics. Experimental knowledge reg

Northern hemisphere peatlands play an important role in the global carbon (C) cycle, accounting for about 30% of global soil C and similar to 10-25% of global natural methane (CH4) emissions. Satellite remote sensing has the potential for extracting continuous information related to C exchange rates at regional and global extents, yet, few studies have focused on peatlands. In this study we examin

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are plant symbionts capable of enhancing nutrient uptake and improving soil structure. These features have brought AMF into focus as a component of soil restoration practices in ecosystems with degraded or highly eroded soils. It has been suggested that increasing the levels of organic material in the soil will enhance the production of AMF biomass, and that orga

Microbial enzyme diversity is a key to understand many ecosystem processes. Whole metagenome sequencing (WMG) obtains information on functional genes, but it is costly and inefficient due to large amount of sequencing that is required. In this study, we have applied a captured metagenomics technique for functional genes in soil microorganisms, as an alternative to WMG. Large-scale targeting of fun