The impact of warming on peak-season ecosystem carbon uptake is influenced by dominant species in warmer sites

Climatic warming affects ecosystem-scale carbon fluxes directly through its impact on photosynthesis and respiration, and indirectly by altering the plant community.
This study reports on a 10-year factorial warming and dominant plant species removal experiment, conducted in a high- and a low-elevation montane meadow, to explore how dominant plants modify the effect of warming on the carbon cycle over time and in different locations.
At the low-elevation site, warming increased peak-season net carbon uptake in most years, primarily due to higher primary productivity. This effect was observed only in plots where the dominant species was present. Net ecosystem carbon uptake was generally positive, but it often shifted from net carbon uptake to net carbon release when the dominant species was removed, particularly in dry years. Surprisingly, the high-elevation site showed no response to the warming or plant removal treatments.
Synthesis: These findings highlight that dominant plant species..., We conducted this experiment in the Gunnison National Forest in southern Colorado, USA at a low-elevation (Fig. 1a; 38.71, -106.82; 2740 m), and high-elevation (Fig. 1b;38.99, -107.06; 3460 m) site. The climate at both sites is classified as subarctic, defined by cool summers and year-round precipitation. Both sites are montane meadows and have a mean summertime temperature of 14.9 and 10.9°C, respectively, and a mean summertime precipitation of 143 and 151 mm (Prager et al., 2022). The low-elevation site is dominated by the perennial herb Wyethia × magna (Fig. 1a), which is a stable hybrid of W. amplexicaulis and W. arizonica (Weaver, 1915). Common grasses at the site are in the genera Poa and Fetusca, and common herbaceous species include Taraxacum officinale, Erigeron speciosus, and Achillea millefolium. The high-elevation site is dominated by Juncus drummondii (Fig. 1b), a perennial rush that grows in thick bunches. Other common species include Sibbaldia procumbens, Arctostaphylos u..., , # The impact of warming on peak-season ecosystem carbon uptake is influenced by dominant species in warmer sites

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6hdr7sr91](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.6hdr7sr91)

## Description of the data and file structure

#### File: Brinkhoff_FluxData.csv

**Description:** 

##### Variables

| Column name | Description |
| :-------------------- | :----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Plot | Plot number (1-32) |
| NE...,