scholarly journals Root foraging of birch and larch in heterogeneous soil nutrient patches under water deficit

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255848
Author(s):  
Long Tan ◽  
Ruifeng Fan ◽  
Huifeng Sun ◽  
Shenglei Guo

Water and nutrient are two critical factors that limit plant growth to spatial-temporal extents. Tree root foraging behavior has not received adequate attention in heterogeneous soil environments in temperate forest under drought pressure. In this study, birch (Betula platyphylla) and larch (Larix olgensis) seedlings were raised in pots in a split-root system with artificially heterogeneous soil environments to study the root foraging response to drought. Potted space was split into two halves where substrates were mixed with fertilizers in 67.5 mg nitrogen (N) plant-1 (N-P2O5-K2O, 14-13-13) to both halves as to create a homogeneous condition. Otherwise, a rate of 135 mg N plant-1 of fertilizers was delivered to a random half to create a heterogeneous condition. Half of seedlings were fully sub-irrigated every three days with the other half received the drought treatment by being watered every six days. Both birch and larch seedlings showed greater net shoot growth and biomass increment in well-watered condition, while root morphology was promoted by drought. Both species placed more fine roots with higher root N concentration in nutrient-enriched patches. In the heterogeneous pattern, birch showed a higher foraging precision assessed by biomass and greater foraging plasticity assessed in morphology and physiology. In contrast, larch seedlings had higher root N concentration in the well-watered condition. Neither species showed a significant response of N utilization to the heterogeneous pattern, but both used more N when water supply was improved. Overall, birch is better at acclimating to heterogeneous soil conditions, but its ability to seize N was lower than larch when drought was alleviated.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Pellitier ◽  
Inés Ibáñez ◽  
Donald R. Zak ◽  
William A. Argiroff ◽  
Kirk Acharya

AbstractPlant–mycorrhizal interactions mediate plant nitrogen (N) limitation and can inform model projections of the duration and strength of the effect of increasing CO2 on plant growth. We present dendrochronological evidence of a positive, but context-dependent fertilization response of Quercus rubra L. to increasing ambient CO2 (iCO2) along a natural soil nutrient gradient in a mature temperate forest. We investigated this heterogeneous response by linking metagenomic measurements of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal N-foraging traits and dendrochronological models of plant uptake of inorganic N and N bound in soil organic matter (N-SOM). N-SOM putatively enhanced tree growth under conditions of low inorganic N availability, soil conditions where ECM fungal communities possessed greater genomic potential to decay SOM and obtain N-SOM. These trees were fertilized by 38 years of iCO2. In contrast, trees occupying inorganic N rich soils hosted ECM fungal communities with reduced SOM decay capacity and exhibited neutral growth responses to iCO2. This study elucidates how the distribution of N-foraging traits among ECM fungal communities govern tree access to N-SOM and subsequent growth responses to iCO2.


2008 ◽  
Vol 16 (NA) ◽  
pp. 157-179 ◽  
Author(s):  
David P. Kreutzweiser ◽  
Paul W. Hazlett ◽  
John M. Gunn

Logging disturbances in boreal forest watersheds can alter biogeochemical processes in soils by changing forest composition, plant uptake rates, soil conditions, moisture and temperature regimes, soil microbial activity, and water fluxes. In general, these changes have often led to short-term increases in soil nutrient availability followed by increased mobility and losses by leaching to receiving waters. Among the studies we reviewed, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) exports usually increased after logging, and nitrogen (N) mineralization and nitrification often increased with resulting increased N availability and exports to receiving waters. Similar processes and responses occurred for phosphorus (P), but to a lesser extent than for N. In most cases, base cations were released and exported to receiving waters after logging. Several studies demonstrated that stem-only or partial-harvest logging reduced the impacts on nutrient release and exports in comparison to whole-tree clear-cutting. Despite these logging-induced increases in soil nutrient availability and movement to receiving waters, most studies reported little or no change in soil chemical properties. However, responses to logging were highly variable and often site specific. The likelihood, extent and magnitude of logging impacts on soil nutrient cycling and exports in boreal forest watersheds will be dependent on soil types, stand and site conditions, hydrological connectivity, post-logging weather patterns, and type and timing of harvest activities. Additionally, logging impacts can interact with, and be confounded by, atmospheric pollutant deposition and climate change. Further watershed-level empirical studies and modeling efforts are required to elucidate these interactions, to improve predictive capabilities, and to advance forest management guidelines for sustaining forest soil productivity and limiting nutrient exports.


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 212-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter J. Turner ◽  
John K. Scott ◽  
Helen Spafford

AbstractBridal creeper has become a serious environmental weed in southern Australia. Historically the invaded areas had low soil nutrient levels. However, our field surveys indicate that soils in bridal creeper–invaded areas have higher phosphorus and iron levels than soils in nearby native reference areas regardless of the proximity to agriculture or other disturbances. A glasshouse experiment was undertaken to determine the influence of increased nutrients on plants that co-occur with bridal creeper in order to (1) assess the impact of changed soil conditions and (2) predict the response of dominant species following the biological control of bridal creeper. The relative growth rate (RGR) of bridal creeper, two native shrubs (narrow-leaved thomasia [Thomasia angustifolia] and bluebell creeper [Billardiera heterophylla]), and an invasive exotic grass (annual veldt grass [Ehrharta longiflora]) were determined in three soil types: soil collected within a bridal creeper stand, soil collected from a nearby reference area, and a potting mix with nutrient levels higher than that recorded in the field. The plant species were chosen due to their association with bridal creeper. For example, the native species narrow-leaved thomasia was identified in a previous survey as the most abundant shrub at the invaded site where the soil was collected. The two other species, bluebell creeper and annual veldt grass, were identified from a previous seedbank trial as being abundant (in the seedbank) and able to readily germinate in invaded areas. When grown in either the bridal creeper–invaded soil or reference soil, bluebell creeper had significantly lower RGRs than narrow-leaved thomasia and annual veldt grass. However, as all these species showed increases in RGRs between reference soil and bridal creeper soil, this study indicates that for at least these three species the impact of increased nutrients may not be a barrier to the recovery of invaded areas following the control of bridal creeper.


2008 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 639-646 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro Sousa-Souto ◽  
José H. Schoereder ◽  
Carlos Ernesto G. R. Schaefer ◽  
Washington L. Silva

Abstract:High-nutrient patches are important for regulating the structure and physiognomy of dystrophic habitats. Leaf-cutting ants create these rich patches in many neotropical habitats. Burning, however, could diminish or even annul the effects of ant nests on soil properties. To test this hypothesis, we compared the nutrient concentrations at various depths in soil samples near three nests of the leaf-cutting ant Atta laevigata and three non-nest soils, located in 10-ha plots subjected to burning or with fire-protection within a Brazilian cerrado. Root density in ant-nest soil was greater than in non-nest soil in both unburned and burned plots. Besides, the concentration of Ca, Mg, K and P increased 2–50-fold in ant nests from the unburned area compared to non-nest soils. In contrast, nutrient concentrations and pH in burned ant nests were similar to or lower than non-nest soils, but the nests maintained higher values of organic matter and cation exchange capacity. The positive effect of leaf-cutting ant nests as high-nutrient patches may be strongly reduced in habitats with frequent burning. In this case, the negative effects of leaf-cutter herbivory on a plant community could surpass the benefits of local nutrient enrichment by their nests.Resumo: Sauveiros modificam as propriedades físicas e químicas do solo, alterando a estrutura e fisionomia local. Entretanto, queimadas podem reduzir os efeitos dos formigueiros nesses ambientes como, por exemplo, pela diminuição do forrageamento das formigas e, conseqüentemente, pela baixa incorporação de material orgânico ao solo. Este estudo testou o efeito do fogo sobre a concentração de nutrientes no solo de colônias de Atta laevigata em área de cerrado. A densidade de raízes foi maior nas colônias do que áreas controle, independentemente da presença do fogo. Na ausência de queimadas, as concentrações de nutrientes foram até 50 vezes superiores nos sauveiros. Contudo, queimadas reduzem a concentração de nutrientes e pH nas colônias. Possivelmente, essa baixa concentração seja atribuída à maior demanda pela vegetação remanescente, em resposta à perturbação provocada pelo fogo. Nesse caso, os efeitos negativos da herbivoria podem superar os benefícios causados por meio da disponibilização de nutrientes pelos sauveiros.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Y Podzikowski ◽  
Marissa Lee ◽  
Catherine Fahey ◽  
Justin Wright ◽  
S. Luke Flory ◽  
...  

Abstract There is an increasing need to better understand how and why invasion impacts differ across heterogeneous landscapes. One hypothesis predicts invader impacts are greatest where the invader is most abundant (the mass ratio hypothesis; MRH). Alternatively, invader impacts may be greatest in communities where the nutrient acquisition strategies of the invader are most dissimilar from those of native species (the nutrient economy dissimilarity hypothesis; NEDH). We tested whether the effects of an invasive grass, Microstegium vimineum, on soil biogeochemistry were best explained by MRH, NEDH, or both. At three locations (Indiana, North Carolina, and Georgia), invaded and reference plots were established across a nutrient economy gradient. Plots varied in the relative abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) vs. ectomycorrhizal (ECM) associated overstory trees, reflecting gradients in biotic nutrient acquisition strategies and edaphic factors. At two locations, we found NEDH predicted invader effects on soil conditions. The net effect of M. vimineum homogenized soil properties across the nutrient economy gradient towards conditions consistent with AM-dominated stands; as such, the nutrient economy gradients observed in uninvaded plots were mostly absent in invaded plots. At one location with high N availability and intermediate acidity, both ECM-dominance (NEDH) and invader abundance (MRH) predicted differences in soil moisture, pH, and nitrification rates. Collectively, these results suggest the biogeochemical consequences of M. vimineum depend, in part, on pre-invasion soil nutrient economies. Where pre-invasion conditions are known, we provide a scalable and predictive approach to determine where impacts on biogeochemical cycling of C and N may be greatest.


2015 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 18973-18998 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Yang ◽  
X. Chi ◽  
C. Ji ◽  
H. Liu ◽  
W. Ma ◽  
...  

Abstract. Concentrations of leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are key leaf traits in ecosystem functioning and dynamics. Foliar stoichiometry varies remarkably among life forms. However, previous studies have focused on trees and grasses, leaving the knowledge gap for the stoichiometric patterns of shrubs. In this study, we explored the intra- and interspecific variations of leaf N and P concentration in relation to climate, soil property and evolutionary history based on 1486 samples composed of 163 shrub species from 361 shrubland sites in northern China expanding 46.1° (86.7–132.8° E) in longitude and 19.8° (32.6–52.4° N) in latitude. The results showed that leaf N concentration decreased with precipitation, leaf P concentration decreased with temperature and increased with precipitation and soil P concentration. Both leaf N and P concentrations were phylogenetically conserved, but leaf P concentration was less conserved than leaf N concentration. At community level, climates explained more interspecific, while soil nutrient explained more intraspecific, variation of leaf nutrient concentrations. These results suggested that leaf N and P concentrations responded to climate, soil, and phylogeny in different ways. Climate influenced the community chemical traits through the shift in species composition, whereas soil directly influenced the community chemical traits.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 38-40
Author(s):  
Siti Mutmainah

The Ministry of Agriculture through the Agricultural Quarantine Agency (2019) stated that Robusta coffee has contributed 41% of the country's foreign exchange, with an average export frequency of 102 times per month, and will continue to increase. In connection with the growth in export volume of robusta coffee, coffee farmers need additional substances for the soil in the form of nutrients to be able to meet the soil nutrient needs for coffee from planting to harvest. Organic fertilizer in liquid form is one type of fertilizer that can be an option, in addition to facilitating nutrient absorption. This study aims to determine the response of various liquid organic fertilizers at certain concentrations to the vegetative growth of robusta coffee. The content of C-organic and total Nitogen in the soil which has been given the addition of gamal liquid organic fertilizer and tofu wastewater with the addition of citronella can provide a very significant difference in the vegetative growth of robusta coffee plants at the age of 60 HSP at plant height, and 90 HSP in diameter. stem and number of leaves (strands). Based on the results of laboratory tests carried out, it was also known that the macro and micro nutrient content in the soil with the addition of poc of tofu wastewater which was given citronella had a good content compared to the control and soil conditions with the addition of gamal liquid organic fertilizer.


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