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Wang R, Dijkstra FA, Han X, Jiang Y. Root nitrogen reallocation: what makes it matter? TRENDS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024:S1360-1385(24)00114-6. [PMID: 38825557 DOI: 10.1016/j.tplants.2024.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Root nitrogen (N) reallocation involves remobilization of root N-storage pools to support shoot growth. Representing a critical yet underexplored facet of plant function, we developed innovative frameworks to elucidate its connections with key ecosystem components. First, root N reallocation increases with plant species richness and N-acquisition strategies, driven by competitive stimulation of plant N demand and synergies in N uptake. Second, competitive root traits and mycorrhizal symbioses, which enhance N foraging and uptake, exhibit trade-offs with root N reallocation. Furthermore, root N reallocation is attenuated by N-supply attributes such as increasing litter quality, soil fungi-to-bacteria ratios, and microbial recruitment in the hyphosphere/rhizosphere. These frameworks provide new insights and research avenues for understanding the ecological roles of root N reallocation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruzhen Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Feike A Dijkstra
- Sydney Institute of Agriculture, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia
| | - Xingguo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- School of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, China; Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Ecosystem Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Wang Z, Tao T, Wang H, Chen J, Small GE, Johnson D, Chen J, Zhang Y, Zhu Q, Zhang S, Song Y, Kattge J, Guo P, Sun X. Forms of nitrogen inputs regulate the intensity of soil acidification. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:4044-4055. [PMID: 37186143 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Soil acidification induced by reactive nitrogen (N) inputs can alter the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems. Because different N-transformation processes contribute to the production and consumption of H+ , the magnitude of acidification likely depends on the relative amounts of organic N (ON) and inorganic N (IN) inputs. However, few studies have explicitly measured the effects of N composition on soil acidification. In this study, we first conducted a meta-analysis to test the effects of ON or IN inputs on soil acidification across 53 studies in grasslands. We then compared soil acidification across five different ON:IN ratios and two input rates based on long-term field N addition experiments. The meta-analysis showed that ON had weaker effects on soil acidification than IN when the N addition rate was above 20 g N m-2 year-1 . The field experiment confirmed the findings from meta-analysis: N addition with proportions of ON ≥ 20% caused less soil acidification, especially at a high input rate (30 g N m-2 year-1 ). Structural equation model analysis showed that this result was largely due to a relatively low rate of H+ production from ON as NH3 volatilization and uptake of ON and NH4 + by the dominant grass species Leymus chinensis (which are both lower net contributors to H+ production) result in less NH4 + available for nitrification (which is a higher net contributor to H+ production). These results indicate that the evaluation of soil acidification induced by N inputs should consider N forms and manipulations of relative composition of N inputs may provide an effective approach to alleviate the N-induced soil acidification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ze Wang
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tingting Tao
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hu Wang
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Gaston E Small
- Department of Biology, University of St Thomas, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jihui Chen
- College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China
| | - Yingjun Zhang
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qichao Zhu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Lab of Plant-Soil Interactions, MOE, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengmin Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin, China
| | - Yantao Song
- College of Environment and Resources, Dalian Minzu University, Dalian, China
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany
| | - Peng Guo
- School of Biological Science and Engineering, Hebei University of Science and Technology, Shijiazhuang, China
| | - Xiao Sun
- College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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Liu Q, Song M, Kou L, Li Q, Wang H. Contrasting effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on nitrogen competition between coniferous and broadleaf seedlings. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 861:160661. [PMID: 36473665 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a major element limiting plant growth and metabolism. Nitrogen addition can influence plant growth, N uptake, and species interactions, while phosphorus (P) addition may affect N acquisition. However, knowledge of how nutrient availability influences N uptake and species interactions remains limited and controversial. Here, pot experiments were conducted for 14 months, in which conifers (Pinus massoniana and Pinus elliottii) and broadleaved trees (Michelia maudiae and Schima superba) were planted in monoculture or mixture, and provided additional N and P in a full-factorial design. Nitrogen addition increased the biomass, but P addition did not significantly affect the biomass of the four subtropical species. Combined N and P (NP) addition had no additive effect on plant biomass over N addition. Total plant biomass was significantly positively correlated to root traits (branching intensity and root tissue density) and leaf traits (net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration rate), but negatively correlated to root diameter in response to nutrient addition. Plant uptake rates of NH4+ or NO3- were not altered by N addition, but P or NP additions decreased NH4+ uptake rates and increased NO3- uptake rates. Neighboring conifers significantly inhibited NH4+ and NO3- uptake rates of the two broadleaf species, but neighboring broadleaves had no effects on the N uptake rates of pine species. The effects of nutrient additions on interspecific interactions differed among species. Nitrogen addition altered the interaction of P. elliottii and M. maudiae from neutral to competition, while P addition altered the interaction of P. massoniana and M. maudiae from neutral to favorable effects. Increasing nutrient availability switched the direction of interspecific interaction in favor of pines. This study provides insights into forest management for productivity improvement and optimizing the selection of broadleaf species regarding differences in soil fertility of subtropical plantations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianyuan Liu
- School of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Key Laboratory of Environmental Change and Ecological Construction, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei 050024, China; Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Minghua Song
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Liang Kou
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qingkang Li
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Zhongke Ji'an Institute for Eco-environmental Sciences, Jiangxi Province 343016, China
| | - Huimin Wang
- Qianyanzhou Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Zhongke Ji'an Institute for Eco-environmental Sciences, Jiangxi Province 343016, China.
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Pang B, Ma X, Hong J, Xu X, Zhang X, Wang X. Acquisition pattern of nitrogen by microorganisms and plants affected by gravel mulch in a semiarid Tibetan grassland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 830:154635. [PMID: 35314218 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
As an important coarse inorganic fraction of soil, gravel may regulate the effects of the interaction between above- and belowground communities and affect the relationship between microorganisms and plants in alpine ecosystems. However, comparatively little is known about the effects of gravel on the acquisition pattern of nitrogen (N) by microorganisms and plants in alpine ecosystems. In this study, a 15N-labelling experiment was conducted to investigate the acquisition pattern of organic (15N-glycine) and inorganic N (15N-NO3- and 15N-NH4+) by microorganisms and plants under three particle sizes of gravel mulch (fine: 2-10 mm, medium: 10-20 mm, coarse: 20-40 mm) on a semiarid Tibetan grassland. Gravel mulch significantly improved the 15N recovery of Stipa purpurea, but had no significant impacts on A. nanschanica. Therefore, gravel mulch decreased the ratio of microbial biomass 15N recovery to plant biomass 15N recovery for S. purpurea, but caused little effect on the state of N competition between plants and soil microbes for A. nanschanica. The N absorption preference of plants from both species shifted from an individual preference for 15N-NO3- in the natural (i.e., control) microplots to a common preference for 15N-NO3-and 15N-NH4+ in the fine- and medium-sized gravel mulch microplots, while there were no significant differences in microbial N recovery between 15N-NO3- and 15N-NH4+ across all treatments. The results helped to improve the understanding of the acquisition pattern of N by microorganisms and plants under the influence of gravel mulch in alpine ecosystems, and provide theoretical support for revegetation in alpine ecosystems in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Pang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolution and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Xainza Alpine Steppe and Wetland Ecosystem Observation Station, Xainza 853100, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xingxing Ma
- College of Geographical Science, Shanxi Normal University, Taiyuan 030031, China
| | - Jiangtao Hong
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolution and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Xainza Alpine Steppe and Wetland Ecosystem Observation Station, Xainza 853100, China.
| | - Xin Xu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolution and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Xainza Alpine Steppe and Wetland Ecosystem Observation Station, Xainza 853100, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoke Zhang
- School of Public Administration, Hohai university, Nanjing 210098, China
| | - Xiaodan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolution and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Xainza Alpine Steppe and Wetland Ecosystem Observation Station, Xainza 853100, China.
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Hu X, Li W, Liu Q, Yin C. Interactions between species change the uptake of ammonium and nitrate in Abies faxoniana and Picea asperata. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:1396-1410. [PMID: 34962272 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plant nitrogen (N) uptake is affected by plant-plant interactions, but the mechanisms remain unknown. A 15N-labeled technique was used in a pot experiment to analyze the uptake rate of ammonium (NH4+) and nitrate (NO3-) by Abies faxoniana Rehd. et Wils and Picea asperata Mast. in single-plant mode, intraspecific and interspecific interactions. The results indicated that the effects of plant-plant interactions on N uptake rate depended on plant species and N forms. Picea asperata had a higher N uptake rate of both N forms than A. faxoniana, and both species preferred NO3-. Compared with single-plant mode, intraspecific interaction increased NH4+ uptake for A. faxoniana but reduced that for P. asperata, while it did not change NO3- uptake for the two species. The interspecific interaction enhanced N uptake of both N forms for A. faxoniana but did not affect the P. asperata compared with single-plant mode. NH4+ and NO3- uptake rates for the two species were regulated by root N concentration, root nitrate reductase activity, root vigor, soil pH and soil N availability under plant-plant interactions. Decreased NH4+ uptake rate for P. asperata under intraspecific interaction was induced by lower root N concentration and nitrate reductase activity. The positive effects of interspecific interaction on N uptake for A. faxoniana could be determined mainly by positive rhizosphere effects, such as high soil pH. From the perspective of root-soil interactions, our study provides insight into how plant-plant interactions affect N uptake, which can help to understand species coexistence and biodiversity maintenance in forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuefeng Hu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 416, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Wanting Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 416, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, P. R. China
| | - Qinghua Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 416, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
| | - Chunying Yin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, PO Box 416, Chengdu 610041, P. R. China
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Li J, Zhao Q, Li W, He J, Xu X. Distinct kin strategies of the legume soybean and the non-legume balsam by accomplishing different nitrogen acquisition and rhizosphere microbiome composition. THE PLANT JOURNAL : FOR CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 2022; 110:103-113. [PMID: 34967078 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARYKin selection has been proposed vvto be an important mechanism for plant relatives growing together. To reveal kin recognition, we used 15N labeling to assess the short‐term nitrogen (N) acquisition (uptake of nitrate and ammonium), long‐term N utilization (recovery of added urea), N‐use efficiency (NUE) and rhizosphere microbiome in leguminous Glycine max and non‐leguminous Impatiens balsamina. Individuals of each species were planted pairwise with either a sibling or a stranger. Enzyme activity and soil microbial composition were compared between kinship groups. Compared with strangers, G. max siblings increased aboveground biomass, NUE, and nitrogenase activity, whereas I. balsamina siblings decreased root biomass and increased uptake rate of nitrate and potential nitrification rate. Plant kinship affected soil bacterial communities by enriching specific groups possessing explicit eco‐functions (Rhizobiales for G. max and Nitrospira for I. balsamina). Kinship‐sensitive operational taxonomic units formed independent modules in the bacterial co‐occurrence network and were positively correlated with plant growth performance, N acquisition and enzymatic activity. Plant kin recognition may depend on the growth strategies of the plant species. Kin selection was dominant in G. max by enhancing biological N fixation through the enrichment of symbiotic rhizobia (demonstrated by aboveground growth and NUE superiority among siblings). Kin selection and niche partitioning occurred simultaneously in I. balsamina, expressed through reduced root allocation but increased nitrate uptake, and enhanced soil N nitrification, by enriching functional microbial groups. Kin recognition responses are the consequence of complex interactions among the host plant, the microbiome, and soil nutrient cycling and utilization processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mycology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Qingxia Zhao
- Institute of New Rural Development, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
| | - Weilin Li
- Public Technology Service Center, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jizheng He
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia
| | - Xingliang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, 100101, China
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Li H, Luo L, Tang B, Guo H, Cao Z, Zeng Q, Chen S, Chen Z. Dynamic changes of rhizosphere soil bacterial community and nutrients in cadmium polluted soils with soybean-corn intercropping. BMC Microbiol 2022; 22:57. [PMID: 35168566 PMCID: PMC8845239 DOI: 10.1186/s12866-022-02468-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Soybean-corn intercropping is widely practised by farmers in Southwest China. Although rhizosphere microorganisms are important in nutrient cycling processes, the differences in rhizosphere microbial communities between intercropped soybean and corn and their monoculture are poorly known. Additionally, the effects of cadmium (Cd) pollution on these differences have not been examined. Therefore, a field experiment was conducted in Cd-polluted soil to determine the effects of monocultures and soybean-corn intercropping systems on Cd concentrations in plants, on rhizosphere bacterial communities, soil nutrients and Cd availability. Plants and soils were examined five times in the growing season, and Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes was used to analyze the rhizosphere bacterial communities. RESULTS Intercropping did not alter Cd concentrations in corn and soybean, but changed soil available Cd (ACd) concentrations and caused different effects in the rhizosphere soils of the two crop species. However, there was little difference in bacterial community diversity for the same crop species under the two planting modes. Proteobacteria, Chloroflexi, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were the dominant phyla in the soybean and corn rhizospheres. In ecological networks of bacterial communities, intercropping soybean (IS) had more module hubs and connectors, whereas intercropped corn (IC) had fewer module hubs and connectors than those of corresponding monoculture crops. Soil organic matter (SOM) was the key factor affecting soybean rhizosphere bacterial communities, whereas available nutrients (N, P, K) were the key factors affecting those in corn rhizosphere. During the cropping season, the concentration of soil available phosphorus (AP) in the intercropped soybean-corn was significantly higher than that in corresponding monocultures. In addition, the soil available potassium (AK) concentration was higher in intercropped soybean than that in monocropped soybean. CONCLUSIONS Intercropped soybean-corn lead to an increase in the AP concentration during the growing season, and although crop absorption of Cd was not affected in the Cd-contaminated soil, soil ACd concentration was affected. Intercropped soybean-corn also affected the soil physicochemical properties and rhizosphere bacterial community structure. Thus, intercropped soybean-corn was a key factor in determining changes in microbial community composition and networks. These results provide a basic ecological framework for soil microbial function in Cd-contaminated soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Li
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Luyun Luo
- Yangtze Normal University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Bin Tang
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Huanle Guo
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China.
| | - Zhongyang Cao
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Qiang Zeng
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Songlin Chen
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China
| | - Zhihui Chen
- Crop Research Institute, Hunan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changsha, China.
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8
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Effects of Different Soils on the Biomass and Photosynthesis of Rumex nepalensis in Subalpine Region of Southwestern China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13010073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The performance of Rumex nepalensis, an important medicinal herb, varies significantly among subalpine grasslands, shrublands and forest ecosystems in southwestern China. Plant–soil feedback is receiving increasing interest as an important driver influencing plant growth and population dynamics. However, the feedback effects of soils from different ecosystems on R. nepalensis remain poorly understood. A greenhouse experiment was carried out to identify the effects of different soil sources on the photosynthesis and biomass of R. nepalensis. R. nepalensis was grown in soils collected from the rooting zones of R. nepalensis (a grassland soil, RS treatment), Hippophae rhamnoides (a shrub soil, HS treatment), and Picea asperata (a forest soil, PS treatment). The chlorophyll contents, net photosynthetic rates, and biomasses of R. nepalensis differed significantly among the three soils and followed the order of RS > HS > PS. After soil sterilization, these plant parameters followed the order of RS > PS > HS. The total biomass was 16.5 times higher in sterilized PS than in unsterilized PS, indicating that the existence of soil microbes in P. asperata forest ecosystems could strongly inhibit R. nepalensis growth. The root to shoot biomass ratio of R. nepalensis was the highest in the sterilized PS but the lowest in the unsterilized PS, which showed that soil microbes in PS could change the biomass allocation. Constrained redundancy analysis and path analysis suggested that soil microbes could impact the growth of R. nepalensis via the activities of soil extracellular enzymes (e.g., β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase (NAG)) in live soils. The soil total soluble nitrogen concentration might be the main soil factor regulating R. nepalensis performance in sterilized soils. Our findings underline the importance of the soil microbes and nitrogen to R. nepalensis performance in natural ecosystems and will help to better predict plant population dynamics.
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Chaves R, Ferrandis P, Escudero A, Luzuriaga AL. Diverse phylogenetic neighborhoods enhance community resistance to drought in experimental assemblages. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22499. [PMID: 34795359 PMCID: PMC8602379 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01991-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the role played by phylogeny in the assembly of plant communities remains as a priority to complete the theory of species coexistence, experimental evidence is lacking. It is still unclear to what extent phylogenetic diversity is a driver or a consequence of species assembly processes. We experimentally explored how phylogenetic diversity can drive the community level responses to drought conditions in annual plant communities. We manipulated the initial phylogenetic diversity of the assemblages and the water availability in a common garden experiment with two irrigation treatments: average natural rainfall and drought, formed with annual plant species of gypsum ecosystems of Central Spain. We recorded plant survival and the numbers of flowering and fruiting plants per species in each assemblage. GLMMs were performed for the proportion of surviving, flowering, fruiting plants per species and for total proportion of surviving species and plants per pot. In water limited conditions, high phylogenetic diversity favored species coexistence over time with higher plant survival and more flowering and fruiting plants per species and more species and plants surviving per pot. Our results agree with the existence of niche complementarity and the convergence of water economy strategies as major mechanisms for promoting species coexistence in plant assemblages in semiarid Mediterranean habitats. Our findings point to high phylogenetic diversity among neighboring plants as a plausible feature underpinning the coexistence of species, because the success of each species in terms of surviving and producing offspring in drought conditions was greater when the initial phylogenetic diversity was higher. Our study is a step forward to understand how phylogenetic relatedness is connected to the mechanisms determining the maintenance of biodiversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocío Chaves
- Department of Biology and Geology, Rey Juan Carlos University, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pablo Ferrandis
- Botanic Institute of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla-La Mancha Botanic Garden, Avda. de La Mancha s/n, 02006, Albacete, Spain
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Department of Biology and Geology, Rey Juan Carlos University, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain
| | - Arantzazu L Luzuriaga
- Department of Biology and Geology, Rey Juan Carlos University, C/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain.
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Yu L, Dong H, Huang Z, Korpelainen H, Li C. Elevated CO2 causes different growth stimulation, water- and nitrogen-use efficiencies, and leaf ultrastructure responses in two conifer species under intra- and interspecific competition. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:2082-2095. [PMID: 33891044 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpab054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The continuously increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]) has substantial effects on plant growth, and on the composition and structure of forests. However, how plants respond to elevated [CO2] (e[CO2]) under intra- and interspecific competition has been largely overlooked. In this study, we employed Abies faxoniana Rehder & Wilson and Picea purpurea Mast. seedlings to explore the effects of e[CO2] (700 p.p.m.) and plant-plant competition on plant growth, physiological and morphological traits, and leaf ultrastructure. We found that e[CO2] stimulated plant growth, photosynthesis and nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC), affected morphological traits and leaf ultrastructure, and enhanced water- and nitrogen (N)- use efficiencies in A. faxoniana and P. purpurea. Under interspecific competition and e[CO2], P. purpurea showed a higher biomass accumulation, photosynthetic capacity and rate of ectomycorrhizal infection, and higher water- and N-use efficiencies compared with A. faxoniana. However, under intraspecific competition and e[CO2], the two conifers showed no differences in biomass accumulation, photosynthetic capacity, and water- and N-use efficiencies. In addition, under interspecific competition and e[CO2], A. faxoniana exhibited higher NSC levels in leaves as well as more frequent and greater starch granules, which may indicate carbohydrate limitation. Consequently, we concluded that under interspecific competition, P. purpurea possesses a positive growth and adjustment strategy (e.g. a higher photosynthetic capacity and rate of ectomycorrhizal infection, and higher water- and N-use efficiencies), while A. faxoniana likely suffers from carbohydrate limitation to cope with rising [CO2]. Our study highlights that plant-plant competition should be taken into consideration when assessing the impact of rising [CO2] on the plant growth and physiological performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang Road 2318, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Haojie Dong
- Department of Ecology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang Road 2318, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Zongdi Huang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang Road 2318, Hangzhou 311121, China
| | - Helena Korpelainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, PO Box 27, Latokartanonkaari 5 FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Chunyang Li
- Department of Ecology, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Yuhangtang Road 2318, Hangzhou 311121, China
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11
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The SV, Snyder R, Tegeder M. Targeting Nitrogen Metabolism and Transport Processes to Improve Plant Nitrogen Use Efficiency. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 11:628366. [PMID: 33732269 PMCID: PMC7957077 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.628366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
In agricultural cropping systems, relatively large amounts of nitrogen (N) are applied for plant growth and development, and to achieve high yields. However, with increasing N application, plant N use efficiency generally decreases, which results in losses of N into the environment and subsequently detrimental consequences for both ecosystems and human health. A strategy for reducing N input and environmental losses while maintaining or increasing plant performance is the development of crops that effectively obtain, distribute, and utilize the available N. Generally, N is acquired from the soil in the inorganic forms of nitrate or ammonium and assimilated in roots or leaves as amino acids. The amino acids may be used within the source organs, but they are also the principal N compounds transported from source to sink in support of metabolism and growth. N uptake, synthesis of amino acids, and their partitioning within sources and toward sinks, as well as N utilization within sinks represent potential bottlenecks in the effective use of N for vegetative and reproductive growth. This review addresses recent discoveries in N metabolism and transport and their relevance for improving N use efficiency under high and low N conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Mechthild Tegeder
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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12
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Jia X, Huangfu C, Hui D. Nitrogen Uptake by Two Plants in Response to Plant Competition as Regulated by Neighbor Density. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:584370. [PMID: 33362813 PMCID: PMC7758497 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.584370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Plant species may acquire different forms of nitrogen (N) to reduce competition for the same resource, but how plants respond to neighbors with different densities in their N uptake is still poorly understood. We investigated the effects of competition regime on the uptake of different N forms by two hygrophytes, Carex thunbergii and Polygonum criopolitanum, by conducting a hydroponic test of excised roots and an in situ experiment in a subtropical wetland ecosystem. The two species were grown either in monocultures or mixtures with various neighbor densities. Root functional traits and N uptake rates of different N forms were measured. Our results showed that N uptake was mainly determined by N form, rather than species identity. Both species were able to use organic N sources, but they took up relatively more N supplied as NO 3 - than as NH 4 + or glycine, irrespective of competition treatments. Both species preferred NO 3 - when grown in monoculture, but in the presence of competitors, the preference of fast-growing C. thunbergii persisted while P. criopolitanum acquired more NH 4 + and glycine, with stronger responses being observed at the highest neighbor density. The hydroponic test suggested that these divergences in N acquisition between two species might be partially explained by different root functional traits. To be specific, N uptake rates were significantly positively correlated with root N concentration and specific root length, but negatively correlated with root dry matter content. Our results implicated that C. thunbergii has a competitive advantage with relatively more stable N acquisition strategy despite a lower N recovery than P. criopolitanum, whereas P. criopolitanum could avoid competition with C. thunbergii via a better access to organic N sources, partly mediated by competition regimes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuan Jia
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Chaohe Huangfu
- Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei, China
| | - Dafeng Hui
- Department of Biological Sciences, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN, United States
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13
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Huang J, Hu X, Wang L, Zhou Q, Huang X. Effects of exogenous lanthanum(III) exposure on the positive interaction between mutually beneficial populations. CHEMOSPHERE 2020; 242:125142. [PMID: 31669987 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.125142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2019] [Revised: 10/15/2019] [Accepted: 10/16/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Rare earth elements (REEs) are widely used in various fields, and their accumulation has been reported to pose environmental risks. Most studies confirmed the damage of excessive REE exposure to individual plants; however, little attention has been given to their effects on plant populations. A positive interaction indicates a mutually beneficial relationship between two populations, which is beneficial to the survival and growth of the populations. However, it remains unknown whether exogenous REEs affect the positive interactions between populations. This study investigated the effects of exogenous lanthanum(III) [La(III)] exposure on the positive interaction between soybean (Glycine max L.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) populations by their modules. At normal nutrient level (½-strength Hoagland), the inhibition of excessive La(III) on population modules decreased with increasing population density. Decreases of 39.26 to 1.05% for soybean and 41.45 to 2.41% for wheat indicated the inhibition of La(III) on the positive interaction of both populations weakened with increasing population density. At low nutrient level (¼-strength Hoagland), the inhibition of excessive La(III) on population modules increased with increasing population density. Decreases of 5.82-57.14% for soybean and 4.22-59.04% for wheat indicated the inhibition of La(III) on the positive interaction of both population was strengthened with increasing population density. In summary, the inhibitory effects of exogenous La(III) exposure on the positive interaction between populations vary with both nutrient level and population density. This is a new factor that needs to be considered when evaluating the safety risks of REEs in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Xianda Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Lihong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, 214122, China; Jiangsu Cooperative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Materials, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, China.
| | - Xiaohua Huang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210046, China.
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14
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Huang J, Li Y, Shi Y, Wang L, Zhou Q, Huang X. Effects of nutrient level and planting density on population relationship in soybean and wheat intercropping populations. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0225810. [PMID: 31790485 PMCID: PMC6886861 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
A positive interaction between plant populations is a type of population relationship formed during long-term evolution. This interaction can alleviate population competition, improve resource utilization in populations, and promote population harmony and community stability. However, cultivated plant populations may have insufficient time to establish a positive interaction, thereby hindering the formation of the positive interaction. As current studies have not fully addressed these issues, our study established soybean/wheat intercropping populations beneficial for growth and explored the effects of nutrient level and planting density on the positive interaction between the two crops. Changes across population modules in both sole cropping and intercropping populations of soybean and wheat were analyzed. Results using nutrient levels of ½- or ¼-strength Hoagland solution indicated that soybean/wheat intercropping population modules significantly increased at low planting densities (D20 and D26) and significantly decreased at high planting densities (D32 and D60). Therefore, as planting density increased, the modules of both intercropping populations initially increased before decreasing. Similarly, positive interaction initially strengthened before weakening. Moreover, at an intermediate planting density, the population modules reached their maxima, and the positive interaction was the strongest. Under the same planting density, ¼-strength Hoagland solution recorded better growth for the soybean/wheat intercropping population modules compared to results using the ½-strength Hoagland solution. These findings indicated that low nutrient level can increase the positive interaction of intercropping populations at a given planting density, and that environmental nutrient level and population planting densities constrain the positive interaction between soybean and wheat populations in the intercropping system. This study highlights issues that need to be addressed when constructing intercropping populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jialing Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yihang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Lihong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
| | - Qing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, School of Environment and Civil Engineering, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Anaerobic Biotechnology, Jiangnan University, Wuxi, China
- Jiangsu Cooperative Innovation Center of Water Treatment Technology and Materials, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiaohua Huang
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Biomedical Functional Materials, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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15
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Urza AK, Weisberg PJ, Chambers JC, Sullivan BW. Shrub facilitation of tree establishment varies with ontogenetic stage across environmental gradients. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 223:1795-1808. [PMID: 31125432 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Plant-plant interactions are important drivers of ecosystem structure and function, yet predicting interaction outcomes across environmental gradients remains challenging. Understanding how interactions are affected by ontogenetic shifts in plant characteristics can provide insight into the drivers of interactions and improve our ability to anticipate ecosystem responses to environmental change. We developed a conceptual framework of nurse shrub facilitation of tree establishment. We used a combination of field experiments and environmental measurements to test the framework with a shrub (Artemisia tridentata) and a tree (Pinus monophylla), two foundation species in a semiarid environment. Shrub microsites allowed trees to overcome an early population bottleneck and successfully establish in areas without tree cover. Shrubs facilitated trees at multiple ontogenetic stages, but the net outcome of the interaction shifted from strongly positive to neutral after the transition of P. monophylla from juvenile to adult foliage. Microhabitat conditions varied across a broad elevational gradient, but interaction outcomes were not strongly related to elevation. Favorable microsites provided by A. tridentata cover are crucial for P. monophylla recovery after stand-replacing disturbance. Models of vegetation response to rapid global environmental change should incorporate the critically important role of nurse shrub interactions for ameliorating population bottlenecks in tree establishment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra K Urza
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 920 Valley Rd, Reno, NV, 89512, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Peter J Weisberg
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Jeanne C Chambers
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 920 Valley Rd, Reno, NV, 89512, USA
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA
| | - Benjamin W Sullivan
- Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St., Reno, NV, 89557, USA
- Global Water Center, University of Nevada-Reno, 1664 N. Virginia St, Reno, NV, 89557, USA
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16
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Yu L, Song M, Xia Z, Korpelainen H, Niinemets Ü, Li C. Elevated temperature differently affects growth, photosynthetic capacity, nutrient absorption and leaf ultrastructure of Abies faxoniana and Picea purpurea under intra- and interspecific competition. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 39:1342-1357. [PMID: 30977829 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpz044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
There is a limited understanding of the impacts of global warming on intra- and interspecific plant competition. Resolving this knowledge gap is important for predicting the potential influence of global warming on forests, particularly on high-altitude trees, which are more sensitive to warming. In the present study, effects of intra- and interspecific competition on plant growth and associated physiological, structural and chemical traits were investigated in Abies faxoniana and Picea purpurea seedlings under control (ambient temperature) and elevated temperature (ET, 2 °C above ambient temperature) conditions for 2 years. We found that A. faxoniana and P. purpurea grown under intra- and interspecific competition showed significant differences in dry matter accumulation (DMA), photosynthetic capacity, nutrient absorption, non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) contents and leaf ultrastructure under ET conditions. ET increased leaf, stem and root DMA of both conifers under both competition patterns. Moreover, under ET and interspecific competition, P. purpurea had overall superior competitive capacity characterized by higher organ (leaf, stem and root) and total DMA, height growth rate, net photosynthetic rate, specific leaf area, water use efficiency (δ13C), leaf and root N and NSC concentrations and greater plasticity for absorption of different soil N forms. Thus, the growth of P. purpurea benefitted from the presence of A. faxoniana under ET. Our results demonstrated that ET significantly affects the asymmetric competition patterns in subalpine conifer species. Potential alteration of plant competitive interactions by global warming can influence the composition, structure and functioning of subalpine coniferous forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Yu
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Mengya Song
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, Henan, China
| | - Zhichao Xia
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Helena Korpelainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
- Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Chunyang Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
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17
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Michelaki C, Fyllas NM, Galanidis A, Aloupi M, Evangelou E, Arianoutsou M, Dimitrakopoulos PG. An integrated phenotypic trait-network in thermo-Mediterranean vegetation describing alternative, coexisting resource-use strategies. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 672:583-592. [PMID: 30965269 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 04/02/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Vascular plants have been found to align along globally-recognised resource-allocation trade-offs among specific functional traits. Genetic constrains and environmental pressures limit the spectrum of viable resource-use strategies employed by plant species. While conspecific plants have often been described as identical, intraspecific variation facilitates species coexistence and evolutionary potential. This study attempts to link an individual's phenotype to its environmental tolerance and ecosystem function. We hypothesised that: (1) seasonal variation in water availability has selected for tight phenotypic integration patterns that shape Mediterranean vegetation; however, (2) coexisting species employ alternative resource-use strategies to avoid competitive exclusion; specifically (3) species with smaller climatic niches (i.e. potential distributions) display higher functional diversity. We examined the interdependence among and the sources of variation within 11 functional traits, reflecting whole-plant economics (e.g. construction costs, hydraulics, defences, water storage capacity), from nine dominant, thermo-Mediterranean species measured across a wide environmental and geographic gradient. Furthermore, we delineated the phenotypic and climatic hypervolumes of each studied species to test for climatic niche overlap and functional distinctiveness. By adopting this multidimensional trait-based approach we detected fundamental phenotypic integration patterns that define thermo-Mediterranean species regardless of life history strategy. The studied traits emerged intercorrelated shaping a resource-allocation spectrum. Significant intraspecific variability in most measured traits allowed for functional distinctiveness among the measured species. Higher functional diversity was observed in species restricted within narrower climatic niches. Our results support our initial hypotheses. The studied functional traits collectively formed an integrated space of viable phenotypic expressions; however, phenotypic plasticity enables functionally distinctive species to succeed complementary in a given set of environmental conditions. Functional variability among coexisting individuals defined species' climatic niches within the trait-spectrum permitted by Mediterranean conditions. Ultimately, a species establishment in a locality depends on the extent that it can shift its trait values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chrysanthi Michelaki
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece.
| | - Nikolaos M Fyllas
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece
| | - Alexandros Galanidis
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece
| | - Maria Aloupi
- Water and Air Quality Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece
| | | | - Margarita Arianoutsou
- Department of Ecology and Systematics, Faculty of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 15784, Greece
| | - Panayiotis G Dimitrakopoulos
- Biodiversity Conservation Laboratory, Department of Environment, University of the Aegean, 81100 Mytilene, Lesbos, Greece
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18
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Luo X, Xu X, Zheng Y, Guo H, Hu S. The role of phenotypic plasticity and rapid adaptation in determining invasion success of Plantago virginica. Biol Invasions 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-019-02004-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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19
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Bueno A, Pritsch K, Simon J. Species-Specific Outcome in the Competition for Nitrogen Between Invasive and Native Tree Seedlings. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:337. [PMID: 30984215 PMCID: PMC6449475 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The outcome of competition for nitrogen (N) between native and invasive tree species is a major concern when considering increasing anthropogenic N deposition. Our study investigated whether three native (i.e., Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, and Pinus sylvestris) and two invasive woody species (i.e., Prunus serotina and Robinia pseudoacacia) showed different responses regarding morphological and physiological parameters (i.e., biomass and growth indices, inorganic vs. organic N acquisition strategies, and N allocation to N pools) depending on the identity of the competing species, and whether these responses were mediated by soil N availability. In a greenhouse experiment, tree seedlings were planted either single or in native-invasive competition at low and high soil N availability. We measured inorganic and organic N acquisition using 15N labeling, total biomass, growth indices, as well as total soluble amino acid-N and protein-N levels in the leaves and fine roots of the seedlings. Our results indicate that invasive species have a competitive advantage via high growth rates, whereas native species could avoid competition with invasives via their higher organic N acquisition suggesting a better access to organic soil N sources. Moreover, native species responded to competition with distinct species- and parameter-specific strategies that were partly mediated by soil N availability. Native tree seedlings in general showed a stronger response to invasive P. serotina than R. pseudoacacia, and their strategies to cope with competition reflect the different species' life history strategies and physiological traits. Considering the responses of native and invasive species, our results suggest that specifically Q. robur seedlings have a competitive advantage over those of R. pseudoacacia but not P. serotina. Furthermore, native and invasive species show stronger responses to higher soil N availability under competition compared to when growing single. In conclusion, our study provides insights into the potential for niche differentiation between native and invasive species by using different N forms available in the soil, the combined effects of increased soil N availability and competition on tree seedling N nutrition, as well as the species-specific nature of competition between native and invasive tree seedlings which could be relevant for forest management strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bueno
- Plant Interactions Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt GmbH, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Judy Simon
- Plant Interactions Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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20
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Moreau D, Bardgett RD, Finlay RD, Jones DL, Philippot L. A plant perspective on nitrogen cycling in the rhizosphere. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Moreau
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
| | - Richard D. Bardgett
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences The University of Manchester Manchester UK
| | - Roger D. Finlay
- Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology Uppsala Biocenter, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - David L. Jones
- Environment Centre Wales Bangor University Gwynedd UK
- UWA School of Agriculture and Environment University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Laurent Philippot
- Agroécologie, AgroSup Dijon INRA, Université Bourgogne Franche‐Comté Dijon France
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21
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Bueno A, Greenfield L, Pritsch K, Schmidt S, Simon J. Responses to competition for nitrogen between subtropical native tree seedlings and exotic grasses are species-specific and mediated by soil N availability. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2019; 39:404-416. [PMID: 30184191 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpy096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 05/25/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Competitive interactions between native tree seedlings and exotic grasses frequently hinder forest restoration. We investigated the consequences of competition with exotic grasses on the growth and net nitrogen (N) uptake capacity of native rainforest seedlings used for reforestation depending on soil N availability and N source. Tree seedlings and grasses were grown in the greenhouse in different competition regimes (one tree species vs one grass species) and controls (grass monocultures or single tree seedlings) at low and high soil N. After 8 weeks, we quantified net N uptake capacity using 15N-labelled organic (i.e., glutamine and arginine) and inorganic (i.e., ammonium and nitrate) N sources and biomass indices. Depending on soil N availability, we observed different species-specific responses to growth and N acquisition. Tree seedlings generally increased their net N uptake capacity in response to competition with grasses, although overall seedling growth was unaffected. In contrast, the responses to competition by the grasses were species-specific and varied with soil N availability. The different N acquisition strategies suggest the avoidance of competition for N between trees and grasses. Overall, the results highlight that quantifying underlying mechanisms of N acquisition complements the information on biomass allocation as a measure of responses to competition, particularly with varying environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bueno
- Plant Interactions Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Lucy Greenfield
- Plant Nutrition and Ecophysiology Group, School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld, Australia
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, HelmholtzZentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Oberschleiβheim, Germany
| | - Susanne Schmidt
- Plant Nutrition and Ecophysiology Group, School of Agriculture and Food Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld, Australia
| | - Judy Simon
- Plant Interactions Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, Konstanz, Germany
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22
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Zhou M, Yan G, Xing Y, Chen F, Zhang X, Wang J, Zhang J, Dai G, Zheng X, Sun W, Wang Q, Liu T. Nitrogen deposition and decreased precipitation does not change total nitrogen uptake in a temperate forest. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 651:32-41. [PMID: 30223219 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Decreased precipitation and increased anthropogenical by derived nitrogen (N) are important climate change factors that alter the availability of soil water and N which are crucial to root function and morphological traits. However, these factors are seldom explored in forests. To clarify how altered precipitation and N addition affect the uptake of organic and inorganic N by fine roots, a field hydroponic experiment using brief 15N exposures was conducted in a temperate forest in northern China. The root traits related to nutrient foraging (root morphology and mycorrhizal colonization) were measured simultaneously. Our results showed that all three tree species preferred ammonium (NH4+) over glycine and nitrate (NO3-), and NH4+ contributed 73% to the total N uptake from the soil. Uptake of glycine was higher than that of NO3-. Decreased precipitation, N addition, and their interaction increased NH4+ uptake rate compared with the control. Decreased precipitation decreased the glycine and NO3- uptake rate. Moreover, N addition, decreased precipitation and their interaction changed root morphological traits and significantly decreased mycorrhizal colonization. Although our treatments resulted in changes to the root traits and the forms of N uptake by plants, the total amount of N uptake did not change among all treatments. We conclude that although fine root traits of dominant tree species in temperate forests have high plasticity in response to climate change, nutrient balance in plants causes the total amount of N uptake to remain unchanged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingxin Zhou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Guoyong Yan
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Yajuan Xing
- College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China; Institute of Forestry Science of Heilongjiang Province, 134 Haping Road, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Fei Chen
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Jianyu Wang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Junhui Zhang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Guanhua Dai
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xingbo Zheng
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenjing Sun
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qinggui Wang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China.
| | - Tong Liu
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
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Xu HJ, Chen H, Wang XL, Zhang YL, Wang JJ, Li N, Li YT. Earthworms stimulate nitrogen transformation in an acidic soil under different Cd contamination. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2018; 165:564-572. [PMID: 30236918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2018.09.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2018] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/08/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
In acidic Cd-contaminated soils, soil nitrogen conversion is inhibited and usually block nitrogen supply for plants. Earthworms are well known for improving soil properties and regulating various soil biogeochemical processes including nitrogen cycling. To figure out the effect and mechanisms of earthworms on soil nitrogen transformation in Cd-contaminated soil, ten treatments with and without A. robustus in five soil Cd concentration gradients were established. The tolerant concentration of A. robustus to Cd in the acidic soil is about 6 mg kg-1. The potential ammonia oxidation of the acidic soils was very low, ranging from 0.05 to 0.1 µg NO2--N g-1 d-1. Although AOA was more abundant in the acidic soil than AOB, AOA was inhibited by Cd pollution, while AOB showed some increase under Cd-stress. AOA may play a dominant role in ammonia oxidation in acidic soil, but the recovery of nitrification in Cd-contaminated acidic soil was probably due to the effect of AOB. Earthworms significantly increased soil pH, DOC, ammonium and PAO, thus promoted soil ammonification and potential nitrification, but had no significant effect on soil net nitrification. Correlation analysis results demonstrate that earthworms may promote soil PAO by increasing soil pH, NH4+-N content, and AOB abundance. This study could provide a theoretical basis for solving the problem of nitrogen-cycling-functional degradation and nitrogen supply in the process of phytoremediation of heavy metals-contaminated soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Juan Xu
- Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
| | - Hao Chen
- Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Xue-Li Wang
- College of Agriculture, Guangxi University, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, China
| | - Yu-Long Zhang
- Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Jin-Jin Wang
- Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Ning Li
- Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Environmental Monitoring Centre, Nanning 530028, China
| | - Yong-Tao Li
- Joint Institute for Environmental Research & Education, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
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24
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Bittebiere A, Saiz H, Mony C. New insights from multidimensional trait space responses to competition in two clonal plant species. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hugo Saiz
- UMR 6553 EcobioCNRS—University of Rennes Rennes Cedex France
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y TecnologíaUniversidad Rey Juan Carlos Móstoles Spain
| | - Cendrine Mony
- UMR 6553 EcobioCNRS—University of Rennes Rennes Cedex France
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25
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Luo S, Schmid B, De Deyn GB, Yu S. Soil microbes promote complementarity effects among co‐existing trees through soil nitrogen partitioning. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shan Luo
- Department of EcologySchool of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of BiocontrolSun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of Zürich Zürich Switzerland
| | - Gerlinde B. De Deyn
- Department of Environmental SciencesWageningen University Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Shixiao Yu
- Department of EcologySchool of Life Sciences/State Key Laboratory of BiocontrolSun Yat‐sen University Guangzhou China
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26
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Song M, Yu L, Jiang Y, Lei Y, Korpelainen H, Niinemets Ü, Li C. Nitrogen-controlled intra- and interspecific competition between Populus purdomii and Salix rehderiana drive primary succession in the Gongga Mountain glacier retreat area. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:799-814. [PMID: 28338926 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpx017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In this study, intra- and interspecific competition were investigated in early successional Salix rehderiana Schneider and later-appearing Populus purdomii Rehder under non-fertilized (control) and nitrogen (N)-fertilized conditions in the Hailuogou glacier retreat area. Our aim was to discover whether N is a key factor in plant-plant competition and whether N drives the primary succession process in a glacier retreat area. We analyzed differences in responses to intra- and interspecific competition and N fertilization between P. purdomii and S. rehderiana, including parameters such as biomass accumulation, nutrient absorption, non-structural carbohydrates, photosynthetic capacity, hydrolysable amino acids and leaf ultrastructure. In the control treatments, S. rehderiana individuals subjected to interspecific competition benefited from the presence of P. purdomii plants, as indicated by higher levels of biomass accumulation, photosynthetic capacity, N absorption, amino acid contents and photosynthetic N-use efficiency. However, in the N-fertilized treatments, P. purdomii individuals exposed to interspecific competition benefited from the presence of S. rehderiana plants, as shown by a higher growth rate, enhanced carbon gain capacity, greater amino acid contents, and elevated water-use efficiency, whereas the growth of S. rehderiana was significantly reduced. Our results demonstrate that N plays a pivotal role in determining the asymmetric competition pattern among Salicaceae species during primary succession. We argue that the interactive effects of plant-plant competition and N availability are key mechanisms that drive primary succession in the Gongga Mountain glacier retreat area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengya Song
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yonglei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Yanbao Lei
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Helena Korpelainen
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, Viikki Plant Science Centre, P.O. Box 27,University of Helsinki, HelsinkiFI-00014, Finland
| | - Ülo Niinemets
- Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Kreutzwaldi 1, 51014 Tartu, Estonia
| | - Chunyang Li
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, Zhejiang, China
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27
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Ushio M, Aiba SI, Takeuchi Y, Iida Y, Matsuoka S, Repin R, Kitayama K. Plant-soil feedbacks and the dominance of conifers in a tropical montane forest in Borneo. ECOL MONOGR 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Ushio
- Center for Ecological Research; Kyoto University; 2-509-3, Hirano Otsu 520-2113 Japan
- Department of Environmental Solution Technology; Faculty of Science and Technology; Ryukoku University; 1-5 Yokotani, Seta Oe-cho Otsu 520-2194 Japan
- Joint Research Center for Science and Technology; Ryukoku University; Otsu 520-2194 Japan
| | - Shin-ichiro Aiba
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering; Kagoshima University; Kagoshima 890-0065 Japan
| | - Yayoi Takeuchi
- Center for Environmental Biology and Ecosystem Studies; National Institute for Environmental Studies; Onogawa 16-2 Tsukuba 305-8506 Japan
| | - Yoshiko Iida
- Kyushu Research Center; Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute; 4-11-16 Kurokami, Chuo-ku Kumamoto 860-0862 Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture; Kyoto University; Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku Kyoto 606-8502 Japan
| | - Shunsuke Matsuoka
- Center for Ecological Research; Kyoto University; 2-509-3, Hirano Otsu 520-2113 Japan
| | - Rimi Repin
- Sabah Parks; Lot 45 & 46, Level 1-5, Blok H, KK Times Square 88806 Kota Kinabalu Sabah Malaysia
| | - Kanehiro Kitayama
- Center for Ecological Research; Kyoto University; 2-509-3, Hirano Otsu 520-2113 Japan
- Graduate School of Agriculture; Kyoto University; Oiwake-cho, Kitashirakawa, Sakyo-ku Kyoto 606-8502 Japan
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28
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Franklin O, Cambui CA, Gruffman L, Palmroth S, Oren R, Näsholm T. The carbon bonus of organic nitrogen enhances nitrogen use efficiency of plants. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2017; 40:25-35. [PMID: 27241731 PMCID: PMC5217072 DOI: 10.1111/pce.12772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Revised: 05/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The importance of organic nitrogen (N) for plant nutrition and productivity is increasingly being recognized. Here we show that it is not only the availability in the soil that matters, but also the effects on plant growth. The chemical form of N taken up, whether inorganic (such as nitrate) or organic (such as amino acids), may significantly influence plant shoot and root growth, and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). We analysed these effects by synthesizing results from multiple laboratory experiments on small seedlings (Arabidopsis, poplar, pine and spruce) based on a tractable plant growth model. A key point is that the carbon cost of assimilating organic N into proteins is lower than that of inorganic N, mainly because of its carbon content. This carbon bonus makes it more beneficial for plants to take up organic than inorganic N, even when its availability to the roots is much lower - up to 70% lower for Arabidopsis seedlings. At equal growth rate, root:shoot ratio was up to three times higher and nitrogen productivity up to 20% higher for organic than inorganic N, which both are factors that may contribute to higher NUE in crop production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oskar Franklin
- Ecosystems Services and Management ProgramInternational Institute for Applied Systems AnalysisA‐2361LaxenburgAustria
- Department of Forest Ecology and ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 83UmeåSweden
| | - Camila Aguetoni Cambui
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 85UmeåSweden
| | - Linda Gruffman
- Department of Forest Ecology and ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 83UmeåSweden
| | - Sari Palmroth
- Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNC27708USA
| | - Ram Oren
- Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth SciencesDuke UniversityDurhamNC27708USA
| | - Torgny Näsholm
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology, Umeå Plant Science CentreSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 85UmeåSweden
- Department of Forest Ecology and ManagementSwedish University of Agricultural SciencesSE‐901 83UmeåSweden
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29
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Ren G, Li L, Hu H, Li Y, Liu C, Wei S. Influence of the Environmental Factors on the Accumulation of the Bioactive Ingredients in Chinese Rhubarb Products. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0154649. [PMID: 27138597 PMCID: PMC4854418 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0154649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
To provide a basis for controlling the quality of rhubarb under artificial cultivation, the present work was designed to evaluate the contents of 14 active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) of rhubarb in major rhubarb production areas in China and analyze the correlations between the contents of API and such factors as species, geographic distribution and soil. The levels of fourteen API in rhubarb were measured using HPLC. The geographic distributions were collected using GPS and the nutrients in the soil were measured using the methods in the literature. The results showed that the levels of major API vary significantly among plants of different locations according to variance analysis. The species factor has few obvious effect on the overall properties of the rhubarb by the cluster analysis because of the two source species occurring in all divided three groups. However, Rheum tanguticum Maxim.ex Balf. is less effective at synthesizing and accumulating 9 API out of 14 than Rheum palmatum L. The correlation analysis and regression analysis also indicated that a lower latitude should be considered in the accumulation of API and a lower longitude should be considered to produce more compound anthraquinones. Lower levels of total P, rapidly available P and available molybdenum (Mo) and higher available K and available Zn in the soil were significantly correlated to accumulation of API in rhubarb. These results provide a basis for the clinical application and controlling the levels of the major API of rhubarb during artificial cultivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangxi Ren
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Li Li
- Beijing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Capital Medical University Beijing, P. R. China
- Beijing Institute of Chinese Medicine, No. 13 Shuiche Hutong, Xinjiekou, Xicheng District, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Huijuan Hu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Chunsheng Liu
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Shengli Wei
- School of Chinese Materia Medica, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, P. R. China
- Engineering Research Center of Good Agricultural Practice for Chinese Crude Drugs, Ministry of Education, Beijing, P. R. China
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30
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Li X, Rennenberg H, Simon J. Seasonal variation in N uptake strategies in the understorey of a beech-dominated N-limited forest ecosystem depends on N source and species. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 36:589-600. [PMID: 26786538 PMCID: PMC4886285 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpv132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
In forest ecosystems, species use different strategies to increase their competitive ability for nitrogen (N) acquisition. The acquisition of N by trees is regulated by tree internal and environmental factors including mycorrhizae. In this study, we investigated the N uptake strategies of three co-occurring tree species [European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.)] in the understorey of a beech-dominated, N-limited forest on calcareous soil over two consecutive seasons. For this purpose, we studied (15)N uptake capacity as well as the allocation to N pools in the fine roots. Our results show that European beech had a higher capacity for both inorganic and organic N acquisition throughout the whole growing season compared with sycamore maple and Norway maple. The higher capacity of N acquisition in beech indicates a better adaption of beech to the understorey conditions of beech forests compared with the seedlings of other tree competitors under N-limited conditions. Despite these differences, all three species preferred organic over inorganic N sources throughout the growing season and showed similar seasonal patterns of N acquisition with an increased N uptake capacity in summer. However, this pattern varied with N source and year indicating that other environmental factors not assessed in this study further influenced N acquisition by the seedlings of the three tree species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuyuan Li
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Heinz Rennenberg
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Judy Simon
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, 79098 Freiburg, Germany Plant Physiology and Biochemistry, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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31
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Ma Q, Cao X, Wu L, Mi W, Feng Y. Light intensity affects the uptake and metabolism of glycine by pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.). Sci Rep 2016; 6:21200. [PMID: 26882864 PMCID: PMC4756379 DOI: 10.1038/srep21200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2015] [Accepted: 01/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The uptake of glycine by pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.), when supplied as single N-source or in a mixture of glycine and inorganic N, was studied at different light intensities under sterile conditions. At the optimal intensity (414 μmol m(-2) s(-1)) for plant growth, glycine, nitrate, and ammonium contributed 29.4%, 39.5%, and 31.1% shoot N, respectively, and light intensity altered the preferential absorption of N sources. The lower (15)N-nitrate in root but higher in shoot and the higher (15)N-glycine in root but lower in shoot suggested that most (15)N-nitrate uptake by root transported to shoot rapidly, with the shoot being important for nitrate assimilation, and the N contribution of glycine was limited by post-uptake metabolism. The amount of glycine that was taken up by the plant was likely limited by root uptake at low light intensities and by the metabolism of ammonium produced by glycine at high light intensities. These results indicate that pakchoi has the ability to uptake a large quantity of glycine, but that uptake is strongly regulated by light intensity, with metabolism in the root inhibiting its N contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingxu Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropic Soil and Plant Nutrition, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Xiaochuang Cao
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Lianghuan Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropic Soil and Plant Nutrition, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Wenhai Mi
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropic Soil and Plant Nutrition, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Ying Feng
- Ministry of Education Key Lab of Environmental Remediation and Ecosystem Health, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
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32
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Beans CM. The case for character displacement in plants. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:852-65. [PMID: 24683467 PMCID: PMC3967910 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2013] [Revised: 12/28/2013] [Accepted: 01/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The evidence for character displacement as a widespread response to competition is now building. This progress is largely the result of the establishment of rigorous criteria for demonstrating character displacement in the animal literature. There are, however, relatively few well-supported examples of character displacement in plants. This review explores the potential for character displacement in plants by addressing the following questions: (1) Why aren't examples of character displacement in plants more common? (2) What are the requirements for character displacement to occur and how do plant populations meet those requirements? (3) What are the criteria for testing the pattern and process of character displacement and what methods can and have been used to address these criteria in the plant literature? (4) What are some additional approaches for studying character displacement in plants? While more research is needed, the few plant systems in which character displacement hypotheses have been rigorously tested suggest that character displacement may play a role in shaping plant communities. Plants are especially amenable to character displacement studies because of the experimental ease with which they can be used in common gardens, selection analyses, and breeding designs. A deeper investigation of character displacement in plants is critical for a more complete understanding of the ecological and evolutionary processes that permit the coexistence of plant species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolyn M Beans
- Department of Biology, University of VirginiaCharlottesville, Virginia
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33
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Sheng W, Yu G, Fang H, Liu Y, Wang Q, Chen Z, Zhang L. Regional patterns of (15)N natural abundance in forest ecosystems along a large transect in eastern China. Sci Rep 2014; 4:4249. [PMID: 24576905 PMCID: PMC3937787 DOI: 10.1038/srep04249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2013] [Accepted: 02/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The regional determining factors underlying inter- and intra-site variation of (15)N natural abundance in foliage, O horizon and mineral soil were investigated in eastern China.(15)N natural abundance values for these forest ecosystems were in the middle of the range of values previously found for global forest ecosystems. In contrast to commonly reported global patterns, temperate forest ecosystems were significantly more(15)N-enriched than tropical forest ecosystems, and foliage δ(15)N was negatively correlated with increasing mean annual temperature and net soil N mineralisation in eastern China. Tight N cycling in forest ecosystems and the use of atmospheric N deposition by trees might underlie the δ(15)N distribution patterns in eastern China. The existence of mycorrhizal fungi and root distribution profiles in the soil may also influence the(15)N natural abundance patterns in forest ecosystems of eastern China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenping Sheng
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Huajun Fang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Yingchun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Qiufeng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Zhi Chen
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
| | - Li Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, PR China
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34
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Rubio-Asensio JS, López-Berenguer C, García-de la Garma J, Burger M, Bloom AJ. Root Strategies for Nitrate Assimilation. SOIL BIOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-54276-3_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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35
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McNickle GG, Deyholos MK, Cahill Jr JF. Ecological implications of single and mixed nitrogen nutrition in Arabidopsis thaliana. BMC Ecol 2013; 13:28. [PMID: 23875896 PMCID: PMC3723926 DOI: 10.1186/1472-6785-13-28] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2013] [Accepted: 07/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ecologists recognize that plants capture nitrogen in many chemical forms that include amino acids. Access to multiple nitrogen types in plant communities has been argued to enhance plant performance, access to nitrogen and alter ecological interactions in ways that may promote species coexistence. However, data supporting these arguments have been limited. While it is known that plants uptake amino acids from soil, long term studies that link amino acid uptake to measures of plant performance and potential reproductive effort are not typically performed. Here, a series of experiments that link uptake of nitrate, glutamine or asparagine with lifetime reproductive effort in Arabidopsis thaliana are reported. Nitrogen was offered either singly or in mixture and at a variety of combinations. Traits related to reproductive output were measured, as was the preference for each type of nitrogen. RESULTS When plants were supplied with a single nitrogen type at concentrations from 0.1-0.9 mM, the ranking of nitrogen types was nitrate > glutamine > asparagine in terms of the relative performance of plants. When plants were supplied with two types of nitrogen in mixture at ratios between 0.1:0.9-0.9:0.1 mM, again plants performed best when nitrate was present, and poorly when amino acids were mixed. Additionally, stable isotopes revealed that plants preferentially captured nitrogen types matching the hierarchy of nitrate > glutamine > asparagine. Comparing between the two experiments revealed that mixed nitrogen nutrition was a net cost to the plants. CONCLUSIONS Plant performance on mixed nitrogen was less than half the performance on equal amounts of any single nitrogen type. We asked: why did A. thaliana capture amino acids when doing so resulted in a net cost? We argue that available data cannot yet answer this question, but hypothesize that access to lower quality forms of nitrogen may become important when plants compete.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon G McNickle
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW405, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
- Current address: Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, 75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5, Canada
| | - Michael K Deyholos
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW405, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
| | - James F Cahill Jr
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, CW405, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E9, Canada
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36
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Gruffman L, Palmroth S, Näsholm T. Organic nitrogen uptake of Scots pine seedlings is independent of current carbohydrate supply. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2013; 33:590-600. [PMID: 23824240 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpt041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
In boreal forests, seedling establishment is limited by various factors including soil nitrogen (N) availability. Seedlings may absorb N from soil in a variety of inorganic and organic forms; however, the energy and thus carbohydrate requirements for uptake and assimilation of N vary with N source. We studied the importance of current photoassimilates for the acquisition and allocation of different N sources by Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris (L.)) seedlings. Girdling was used as a tool to impair phloem transport of photoassimilates, and hence gradually deprive roots of carbohydrates. Seedlings were cultivated in a greenhouse on equimolar N concentrations of one of the N sources-arginine, ammonium or nitrate-and then girdled prior to a pulse-chase uptake experiment with isotopically labeled N sources. Girdling proved to be efficient in decreasing levels of soluble sugars and starch in the roots. Uptake rate of arginine N was highest, intermediate for ammonium N and lowest for nitrate N. Moreover, the uptake of arginine N was unaffected by girdling, while the uptake of the two inorganic N sources decreased to 45-56% of the ungirdled controls. In arginine-treated seedlings, 95-96% of the acquired arginine N resided in the roots, whereas a significant shift in the N distribution toward the shoot was evident in girdled seedlings treated with inorganic N. This spatial shift was especially pronounced in nitrate-treated seedlings suggesting that the reduction and following incorporation into roots was limited by the availability of current photoassimilates. These results suggest that there are energetic benefits for seedlings to utilize organic N sources, particularly under circumstances where carbohydrate supply is limited. Hence, these putative benefits might be of importance for the survival and growth of seedlings when carbohydrate reserves are depleted in early growing season, or in light-limited environments, such as those sustained by continuous cover forestry systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda Gruffman
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
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Medina-Roldán E, Bardgett RD. Inter-specific competition, but not different soil microbial communities, affects N chemical forms uptake by competing graminoids of upland grasslands. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51193. [PMID: 23236451 PMCID: PMC3517470 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2012] [Accepted: 10/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence that plants differ in their ability to take up both organic (ON) and inorganic (IN) forms of nitrogen (N) has increased ecologists' interest on resource-based plant competition. However, whether plant uptake of IN and ON responds to differences in soil microbial community composition and/or functioning has not yet been explored, despite soil microbes playing a key role in N cycling. Here, we report results from a competition experiment testing the hypothesis that soil microbial communities differing in metabolic activity as a result of long-term differences to grazing exposure could modify N uptake of Eriophorum vaginatum L. and Nardus stricta L. These graminoids co-occur on nutrient-poor, mountain grasslands where E. vaginatum decreases and N. stricta increases in response to long-term grazing. We inoculated sterilised soil with soil microbial communities from continuously grazed and ungrazed grasslands and planted soils with both E. vaginatum and N. stricta, and then tracked uptake of isotopically labelled NH(4) (+) (IN) and glycine (ON) into plant tissues. The metabolically different microbial communities had no effect on N uptake by either of the graminoids, which might suggest functional equivalence of soil microbes in their impacts on plant N uptake. Consistent with its dominance in soils with greater concentrations of ON relative to IN in the soluble N pool, Eriophorum vaginatum took up more glycine than N. stricta. Nardus stricta reduced the glycine proportion taken up by E. vaginatum, thus increasing niche overlap in N usage between these species. Local abundances of these species in mountain grasslands are principally controlled by grazing and soil moisture, although our results suggest that changes in the relative availability of ON to IN can also play a role. Our results also suggest that coexistence of these species in mountain grasslands is likely based on non-equilibrium mechanisms such as disturbance and/or soil heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo Medina-Roldán
- Soil and Ecosystem Ecology Laboratory, Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, United Kingdom.
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von Felten S, Niklaus PA, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Hector A, Buchmann N. Do grassland plant communities profit from N partitioning by soil depth? Ecology 2012; 93:2386-96. [DOI: 10.1890/11-1439.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Song MH, Yu FH, Ouyang H, Cao GM, Xu XL, Cornelissen JHC. Different inter-annual responses to availability and form of nitrogen explain species coexistence in an alpine meadow community after release from grazing. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2012; 18:3100-3111. [PMID: 28741827 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2012.02738.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 04/26/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Plant species and functional groups in nitrogen (N) limited communities may coexist through strong eco-physiological niche differentiation, leading to idiosyncratic responses to multiple nutrition and disturbance regimes. Very little is known about how such responses depend on the availability of N in different chemical forms. Here we hypothesize that idiosyncratic year-to-year responses of plant functional groups to availability and form of nitrogen explain species coexistence in an alpine meadow community after release from grazing. We conducted a 6 year N addition experiment in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau released from grazing by livestock. The experimental design featured three N forms (ammonium, nitrate, and ammonium nitrate), crossed with three levels of N supply rates (0.375, 1.500 and 7.500 g N m-2 yr-1 ), with unfertilized treatments without and with light grazing as controls. All treatments showed increasing productivity and decreasing species richness after cessation of grazing and these responses were stronger at higher N rates. Although N forms did not affect aboveground biomass at community level, different functional groups did show different responses to N chemical form and supply rate and these responses varied from year to year. In support of our hypothesis, these idiosyncratic responses seemed to enable a substantial diversity and biomass of sedges, forbs, and legumes to still coexist with the increasingly productive grasses in the absence of grazing, at least at low and intermediate N availability regimes. This study provides direct field-based evidence in support of the hypothesis that idiosyncratic and annually varying responses to both N quantity and quality may be a key driver of community structure and species coexistence. This finding has important implications for the diversity and functioning of other ecosystems with spatial and temporal variation in available N quantity and quality as related to changing atmospheric N deposition, land-use, and climate-induced soil warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Hua Song
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hua Ouyang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guang-Min Cao
- Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 59 Xiguan Dajie, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Xing-Liang Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Johannes H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Dept. of Ecological Science, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, VU University, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Gundale MJ, Hyodo F, Nilsson MC, Wardle DA. Nitrogen niches revealed through species and functional group removal in a boreal shrub community. Ecology 2012; 93:1695-706. [DOI: 10.1890/11-1877.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Violle C, Enquist BJ, McGill BJ, Jiang L, Albert CH, Hulshof C, Jung V, Messier J. The return of the variance: intraspecific variability in community ecology. Trends Ecol Evol 2012; 27:244-52. [PMID: 22244797 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2011.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 732] [Impact Index Per Article: 61.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2010] [Revised: 11/25/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Despite being recognized as a promoter of diversity and a condition for local coexistence decades ago, the importance of intraspecific variance has been neglected over time in community ecology. Recently, there has been a new emphasis on intraspecific variability. Indeed, recent developments in trait-based community ecology have underlined the need to integrate variation at both the intraspecific as well as interspecific level. We introduce new T-statistics ('T' for trait), based on the comparison of intraspecific and interspecific variances of functional traits across organizational levels, to operationally incorporate intraspecific variability into community ecology theory. We show that a focus on the distribution of traits at local and regional scales combined with original analytical tools can provide unique insights into the primary forces structuring communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyrille Violle
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA.
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Trinder CJ, Brooker RW, Davidson H, Robinson D. A new hammer to crack an old nut: interspecific competitive resource capture by plants is regulated by nutrient supply, not climate. PLoS One 2012; 7:e29413. [PMID: 22247775 PMCID: PMC3256146 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2011] [Accepted: 11/28/2011] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Although rarely acknowledged, our understanding of how competition is modulated by environmental drivers is severely hampered by our dependence on indirect measurements of outcomes, rather than the process of competition. To overcome this, we made direct measurements of plant competition for soil nitrogen (N). Using isotope pool-dilution, we examined the interactive effects of soil resource limitation and climatic severity between two common grassland species. Pool-dilution estimates the uptake of total N over a defined time period, rather than simply the uptake of ¹⁵N label, as used in most other tracer experiments. Competitive uptake of N was determined by its available form (NO₃⁻ or NH₄⁺). Soil N availability had a greater effect than the climatic conditions (location) under which plants grew. The results did not entirely support either of the main current theories relating the role of competition to environmental conditions. We found no evidence for Tilman's theory that competition for soil nutrients is stronger at low, compared with high nutrient levels and partial support for Grime's theory that competition for soil nutrients is greater under potentially more productive conditions. These results provide novel insights by demonstrating the dynamic nature of plant resource competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare J Trinder
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom.
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The effects of nitrogen addition on the growth of two exotic and two native forest understory plants. Biol Invasions 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-011-0034-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Gubsch M, Roscher C, Gleixner G, Habekost M, Lipowsky A, Schmid B, Schulze ED, Steinbeiss S, Buchmann N. Foliar and soil δ15N values reveal increased nitrogen partitioning among species in diverse grassland communities. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2011; 34:895-908. [PMID: 21332507 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-3040.2011.02287.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Plant and soil nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N) were studied in experimental grassland plots of varying species richness. We hypothesized that partitioning of different sources of soil nitrogen among four plant functional groups (legumes, grasses, small herbs, tall herbs) should increase with diversity. Four years after sowing, all soils were depleted in ¹⁵N in the top 5 cm whereas in non-legume plots soils were enriched in ¹⁵N at 5-25 cm depth. Decreasing foliar δ¹⁵N and Δδ¹⁵N (= foliar δ¹⁵N-soil δ¹⁵N) values in legumes indicated increasing symbiotic N₂ fixation with increasing diversity. In grasses, foliar Δδ¹⁵N also decreased with increasing diversity suggesting enhanced uptake of N depleted in ¹⁵N. Foliar Δδ¹⁵N values of small and tall herbs were unaffected by diversity. Foliar Δδ¹⁵N values of grasses were also reduced in plots containing legumes, indicating direct use of legume-derived N depleted in ¹⁵N. Increased foliar N concentrations of tall and small herbs in plots containing legumes without reduced foliar δ¹⁵N indicated that these species obtained additional mineral soil N that was not consumed by legumes. These functional group and species specific shifts in the uptake of different N sources with increasing diversity indicate complementary resource use in diverse communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlén Gubsch
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Christiane Roscher
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Gerd Gleixner
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Maike Habekost
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Annett Lipowsky
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Ernst-Detlef Schulze
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Sibylle Steinbeiss
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Nina Buchmann
- Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany
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Fraterrigo JM, Strickland MS, Keiser AD, Bradford MA. Nitrogen uptake and preference in a forest understory following invasion by an exotic grass. Oecologia 2011; 167:781-91. [PMID: 21625979 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2030-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 05/12/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Plant-soil interactions have been proposed as a causative mechanism explaining how invasive plant species impact ecosystem processes. We evaluate whether an invasive plant influences plant and soil-microbe acquisition of nitrogen to elucidate the mechanistic pathways by which invaders might alter N availability. Using a (15)N tracer, we quantify differences in nitrogen uptake and allocation in communities with and without Microstegium vimineum, a shade-tolerant, C(4) grass that is rapidly invading the understories of eastern US deciduous forests. We further investigate if plants or the microbial biomass exhibit preferences for certain nitrogen forms (glycine, nitrate, and ammonium) to gain insight into nitrogen partitioning in invaded communities. Understory native plants and M. vimineum took up similar amounts of added nitrogen but allocated it differently, with native plants allocating primarily to roots and M. vimineum allocating most nitrogen to shoots. Plant nitrogen uptake was higher in invaded communities due primarily to the increase in understory biomass when M. vimineum was present, but for the microbial biomass, nitrogen uptake did not vary with invasion status. This translated to a significant reduction (P < 0.001) in the ratio of microbial biomass to plant biomass nitrogen uptake, which suggests that, although the demand for nitrogen has intensified, microbes continue to be effective nitrogen competitors. The microbial biomass exhibited a strong preference for ammonium over glycine and nitrate, regardless of invasion status. By comparison, native plants showed no nitrogen preferences and M. vimineum preferred inorganic nitrogen species. We interpret our findings as evidence that invasion by M. vimineum leads to changes in the partitioning of nitrogen above and belowground in forest understories, and to decreases in the microbial biomass, but it does not affect the outcome of plant-microbe-nitrogen interactions, possibly due to functional shifts in the microbial community as a result of invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Fraterrigo
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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Nie M, Lu M, Yang Q, Zhang XD, Xiao M, Jiang LF, Yang J, Fang CM, Chen JK, Li B. Plants' use of different nitrogen forms in response to crude oil contamination. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2011; 159:157-163. [PMID: 20951484 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.09.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2010] [Revised: 09/03/2010] [Accepted: 09/06/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we investigated Phragmites australis' use of different forms of nitrogen (N) and associated soil N transformations in response to petroleum contamination. 15N tracer studies indicated that the total amount of inorganic and organic N assimilated by P. australis was low in petroleum-contaminated soil, while the rates of inorganic and organic N uptake on a per-unit-biomass basis were higher in petroleum-contaminated soil than those in un-contaminated soil. The percentage of organic N in total plant-assimilated N increased with petroleum concentration. In addition, high gross N immobilization and nitrification rates relative to gross N mineralization rate might reduce inorganic-N availability to the plants. Therefore, the enhanced rate of N uptake and increased importance of organic N in plant N assimilation might be of great significance to plants growing in petroleum-contaminated soils. Our results suggest that plants might regulate N capture under petroleum contamination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Nie
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China; Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, PR China
| | - Meng Lu
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
| | - Qiang Yang
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
| | - Xiao-Dong Zhang
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
| | - Ming Xiao
- College of Life and Environment Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, PR China
| | - Li-Fen Jiang
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
| | - Ji Yang
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
| | - Chang-Ming Fang
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China
| | - Jia-Kuan Chen
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China; Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, PR China
| | - Bo Li
- Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China; Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, PR China.
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Spasojevic MJ, Suding KN. Contrasting effects of hemiparasites on ecosystem processes: can positive litter effects offset the negative effects of parasitism? Oecologia 2011; 165:193-200. [PMID: 20658151 PMCID: PMC3015203 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1726-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2009] [Accepted: 07/08/2010] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Hemiparasites are known to influence community structure and ecosystem functioning, but the underlying mechanisms are not well studied. Variation in the impacts of hemiparasites on diversity and production could be due to the difference in the relative strength of two interacting pathways: direct negative effects of parasitism and positive effects on N availability via litter. Strong effects of parasitism should result in substantial changes in diversity and declines in productivity. Conversely, strong litter effects should result in minor changes in diversity and increased productivity. We conducted field-based surveys to determine the association of Castilleja occidentalis with diversity and productivity in the alpine tundra. To examine litter effects, we compared the decomposition of Castilleja litter with litter of four other abundant plant species, and examined the decomposition of those four species when mixed with Castilleja. Castilleja was associated with minor changes in diversity but almost a twofold increase in productivity and greater foliar N in co-occurring species. Our decomposition trials suggest litter effects are due to both the rapid N loss of Castilleja litter and the effects of mixing Castilleja litter with co-occurring species. Castilleja produces litter that accelerates decomposition in the alpine tundra, which could accelerate the slow N cycle and boost productivity. We speculate that these positive effects of litter outweigh the effects of parasitism in nutrient-poor systems with long-lived hemiparasites. Determining the relative importance of parasitism and litter effects of this functional group is crucial to understand the strong but variable roles hemiparasites play in affecting community structure and ecosystem processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko J Spasojevic
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697-2525, USA.
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48
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Ashton IW, Miller AE, Bowman WD, Suding KN. Niche complementarity due to plasticity in resource use: plant partitioning of chemical N forms. Ecology 2010; 91:3252-60. [DOI: 10.1890/09-1849.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 253] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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49
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Maire V, Gross N, da Silveira Pontes L, Picon-Cochard C, Soussana JF. Trade-off between root nitrogen acquisition and shoot nitrogen utilization across 13 co-occurring pasture grass species. Funct Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2009.01557.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Karagatzides JD, Butler JL, Ellison AM. The pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea can directly acquire organic nitrogen and short-circuit the inorganic nitrogen cycle. PLoS One 2009; 4:e6164. [PMID: 19582167 PMCID: PMC2702169 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0006164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2009] [Accepted: 06/11/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the large stocks of organic nitrogen in soil, nitrogen availability limits plant growth in many terrestrial ecosystems because most plants take up only inorganic nitrogen, not organic nitrogen. Although some vascular plants can assimilate organic nitrogen directly, only recently has organic nitrogen been found to contribute significantly to the nutrient budget of any plant. Carnivorous plants grow in extremely nutrient-poor environments and carnivory has evolved in these plants as an alternative pathway for obtaining nutrients. We tested if the carnivorous pitcher plant Sarracenia purpurea could directly take up intact amino acids in the field and compared uptake of organic and inorganic forms of nitrogen across a gradient of nitrogen deposition. We hypothesized that the contribution of organic nitrogen to the nitrogen budget of the pitcher plant would decline with increasing nitrogen deposition. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS At sites in Canada (low nitrogen deposition) and the United States (high nitrogen deposition), individual pitchers were fed two amino acids, glycine and phenylalanine, and inorganic nitrogen (as ammonium nitrate), individually and in mixture. Plants took up intact amino acids. Acquisition of each form of nitrogen provided in isolation exceeded uptake of the same form in mixture. At the high deposition site, uptake of organic nitrogen was higher than uptake of inorganic nitrogen. At the low deposition site, uptake of all three forms of nitrogen was similar. Completeness of the associated detritus-based food web that inhabits pitcher-plant leaves and breaks down captured prey had no effect on nitrogen uptake. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE By taking up intact amino acids, Sarracenia purpurea can short-circuit the inorganic nitrogen cycle, thus minimizing potential bottlenecks in nitrogen availability that result from the plant's reliance for nitrogen mineralization on a seasonally reconstructed food web operating on infrequent and irregular prey capture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jim D. Karagatzides
- Harvard University, Harvard Forest, Petersham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Jessica L. Butler
- Harvard University, Harvard Forest, Petersham, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Aaron M. Ellison
- Harvard University, Harvard Forest, Petersham, Massachusetts, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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