Epihov, D.Z., Batterman, S.A., Hedin, L.O. et al. (3 more authors) (2017) N-2-fixing tropical legume evolution: a contributor to enhanced weathering through the Cenozoic? Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 284 (1860). ISSN 0962-8452
Abstract
Fossil and phylogenetic evidence indicates legume-rich modern tropical forests replaced Late Cretaceous palm-dominated tropical forests across four continents during the early Cenozoic (58–42 Ma). Tropical legume trees can transform ecosystems via their ability to fix dinitrogen (N2 ) and higher leaf N compared with non-legumes (35–65%), but it is unclear how their evolutionary rise contributed to silicate weathering, the long-term sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). Here we hypothesize that the increasing abundance of N2 -fixing legumes in tropical forests amplified silicate weathering rates by increased input of fixed nitrogen (N) to terrestrial ecosystems via interrelated mechanisms including increasing microbial respiration and soil acidification, and stimulating forest net primary productivity. We suggest the high CO2 early Cenozoic atmosphere further amplified legume weathering. Evolution of legumes with high weathering rates was probably driven by their high demand for phosphorus and micronutrients required for N2-fixation and nodule formation.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2017 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. |
Keywords: | tropical forests; N-2-fixation; legume trees; rock weathering; CO2 sequestration; Cenozoic |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > School of Biosciences (Sheffield) > Department of Animal and Plant Sciences (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 25 Sep 2017 15:04 |
Last Modified: | 02 Oct 2019 13:10 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0370 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | The Royal Society |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1098/rspb.2017.0370 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:121655 |