The role of mosses in ecosystem succession and function in Alaska’s boreal forestThis article is one of a selection of papers from The Dynamics of Change in Alaska’s Boreal Forests: Resilience and Vulnerability in Response to Climate Warming.

• DOI: 10.1139/x10-072
• Publication Date: 2010-07-14T17:27:47Z
• Authors: Merritt R. Turetsky; Michelle C. Mack; Teresa N. Holling...; Jennifer W. Harden
• Keywords: Sphagnum; Bryophyte; Biogeochemical Cycle; Fire regime

Shifts in moss communities may affect the resilience of boreal ecosystems to a changing climate because role species regulating soil and biogeochemical cycling. Here, we use long-term data analysis literature synthesis examine ecosystem succession, productivity, decomposition. In Alaskan forests, abundance showed unimodal distribution with time since fire, peaking 30–70 years post-fire. We found no evidence mosses compensating for low vascular productivity low-fertility sites at large scales, although trade-off between was evident intermediate-productivity sites. Mosses contributed 48% 20% wetland upland respectively, but produced tissue that decomposed more slowly than both nonwoody woody tissues. Increasing fire frequency Alaska is likely favor feather proliferation decrease Sphagnum abundance, which will reduce moisture retention peat accumulation, leading deeper burning during wildfire accelerated permafrost thaw. The roles traits key aspects performance (ecosystem N supply, C sequestration, stability, severity) represent critical areas understanding Alaska’s forest region under disturbance regimes.