Forest defoliator outbreaks alter nutrient cycling in northern waters

Samuel G. Woodman (), Sacha Khoury, Ronald E. Fournier, Erik J. S. Emilson, John M. Gunn, James A. Rusak and Andrew J. Tanentzap
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Samuel G. Woodman: Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge
Sacha Khoury: Forest Ecology and Conservation Group, University of Cambridge Conservation Research Institute, University of Cambridge
Ronald E. Fournier: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre
Erik J. S. Emilson: Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service, Great Lakes Forestry Centre
John M. Gunn: Cooperative Freshwater Ecology Unit, Vale Living with Lakes Centre, Laurentian University
James A. Rusak: Dorset Environmental Science Centre, Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Andrew J. Tanentzap: Ecosystems and Global Change Group, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Cambridge

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-8

Abstract: Abstract Insect defoliators alter biogeochemical cycles from land into receiving waters by consuming terrestrial biomass and releasing biolabile frass. Here, we related insect outbreaks to water chemistry across 12 boreal lake catchments over 32-years. We report, on average, 27% lower dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and 112% higher dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentrations in lake waters when defoliators covered entire catchments and reduced leaf area. DOC reductions reached 32% when deciduous stands dominated. Within-year changes in DOC from insect outbreaks exceeded 86% of between-year trends across a larger dataset of 266 boreal and north temperate lakes from 1990 to 2016. Similarly, within-year increases in DIN from insect outbreaks exceeded local, between-year changes in DIN by 12-times, on average. As insect defoliator outbreaks occur at least every 5 years across a wider 439,661 km2 boreal ecozone of Ontario, we suggest they are an underappreciated driver of biogeochemical cycles in forest catchments of this region.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26666-1

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