scholarly journals Interactions between leaf nitrogen status and longevity in relation to N cycling in three contrasting European forest canopies

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 999-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wang ◽  
A. Ibrom ◽  
J. F. J. Korhonen ◽  
K. F. Arnoud Frumau ◽  
J. Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Vegetation Period ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
N Content ◽  
Translocation Efficiency ◽  
Peak Summer

Abstract. Seasonal and spatial variations in foliar nitrogen (N) parameters were investigated in three European forests with different tree species, viz. beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) growing in Denmark, the Netherlands and Finland, respectively. The objectives were to investigate the distribution of N pools within the canopies of the different forests and to relate this distribution to factors and plant strategies controlling leaf development throughout the seasonal course of a vegetation period. Leaf N pools generally showed much higher seasonal and vertical variability in beech than in the coniferous canopies. However, also the two coniferous tree species behaved very differently with respect to peak summer canopy N content and N re-translocation efficiency, showing that generalisations on tree internal vs. ecosystem internal N cycling cannot be made on the basis of the leaf duration alone. During phases of intensive N turnover in spring and autumn, the NH4+ concentration in beech leaves rose considerably, while fully developed green beech leaves had relatively low tissue NH4+, similar to the steadily low levels in Douglas fir and, particularly, in Scots pine. The ratio between bulk foliar concentrations of NH4+ and H+, which is an indicator of the NH3 emission potential, reflected differences in foliage N concentration, with beech having the highest values followed by Douglas fir and Scots pine. Irrespectively of the leaf habit, i.e. deciduous versus evergreen, the majority of the canopy foliage N was retained within the trees. This was accomplished through an effective N re-translocation (beech), higher foliage longevity (fir) or both (boreal pine forest). In combination with data from a literature review, a general relationship of decreasing N re-translocation efficiency with the time needed for canopy renewal was deduced, showing that leaves which live longer re-translocate relatively less N during senescence. The Douglas fir stand, exposed to relatively high atmospheric N deposition, had by far the largest peak summer canopy N content and also returned the largest amount of N in foliage litter, suggesting that higher N fertility leads to increased turnover in the ecosystem N cycle with higher risks of losses such as leaching and gas emissions.

Nitrification in tree canopies of European forests: evidence from oxygen isotopes in nitrate and microbial analyses in rainfall and throughfall water. 

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rossella Guerrieri ◽  
Anna Barceló ◽  
Stefania Mattana ◽  
Joan Calíz ◽  
Emilio Casamayor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Icp Forests ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
Tree Canopies ◽  
Water And Soil Samples ◽  
N Compounds

<p>There is mounting evidence demonstrating that fluxes and chemical composition of precipitation is substantially changed after passing through tree canopies, particularly in the case of atmospheric nitrogen (N) compounds, with important implications on forest N cycling. However, the processes underpinning those changes – beyond the leaf retention and/or leaching of N compounds - have been less investigated. In a previous study we provided isotopic evidence that biological nitrification in tree canopies was responsible for significant changes in the amount of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> from rainfall to throughfall across two UK forests at high nitrogen (N) deposition. This finding strongly suggested that forest canopies are not just passive filters for precipitation water and dissolved nutrients, and that the microbial life hidden within them can be responsible for transforming atmospheric N before it reaches the soil. We extended the isotopic approach at the European scale, and combined it to next-generation sequence analyses with the aim of elucidating canopy nitrification and identify phyllosphere microbes responsible for it. Specifically, in this study we: 1) estimated the relative contribution of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> derived from biological canopy nitrification vs. atmospheric deposition by using δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>17</sup>O of NO<sub>3</sub><sup>-</sup> in rainfall and throughfall water; 2) quantified the functional genes related to nitrification, and finally 3) characterized the microbial communities harboured in tree canopies (i.e., phyllosphere) and in the underlying soils for two dominant tree species in Europe (Fagus sylvatica L. and Pinus sylvestris L.) using metabarcoding techniques. We considered twelve sites included in the European ICP Forests monitoring network, chosen along climate and N deposition gradients, spanning from Fennoscandia to the Mediterranean. We will show that presence of nitrifying microbes (as assessed through qPCR) and their activity (as derived from δ<sup>18</sup>O and δ<sup>17</sup>O) were detected in the tree canopies across most of the sites, and that canopy nitrification was significantly correlated with atmospheric N deposition. Finally, we will discuss differences in microbial community structure and composition across phyllosphere (and between the two tree species considered), water and soil samples in the investigated forests. Our study demonstrates the potential of integrating stable isotopes with microbial analyses to advance our understanding on canopy-atmosphere interactions and their contribution to N cycling.</p>

scholarly journals Interactions between leaf nitrogen status and longevity in relation to N cycling in three contrasting European forest canopies

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 9759-9790 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wang ◽  
A. Ibrom ◽  
J. F. J. Korhonen ◽  
K. F. Arnoud Frumau ◽  
J. Wu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Leaf Nitrogen ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
N Cycling ◽  
General Tendency ◽  
N Content ◽  
Leaf Habit ◽  
Needle Longevity ◽  
Ph Decrease ◽  
Coniferous Needles

Abstract. Seasonal and spatial variations in foliar nitrogen (N) parameters were investigated in three European forests with different tree species, viz. beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Mirb., Franco) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Denmark, The Netherlands and Finland, respectively. This was done in order to obtain information about functional acclimation, tree internal N conservation and its relevance for both ecosystem internal N cycling and foliar N exchange with the atmosphere. Leaf N pools generally showed much higher seasonal variability in beech trees than in the coniferous canopies. The concentrations of N and chlorophyll in the beech leaves were synchronized with the seasonal course of solar radiation implying close physiological acclimation, which was not observed in the coniferous needles. During phases of intensive N metabolism in the beech leaves, the NH4+ concentration rose considerably. This was compensated for by a strong pH decrease resulting in relatively low Γ values (ratio between tissue NH4+ and H+). The Γ values in the coniferous were even smaller than in beech, indicating low probability of NH3 emissions from the foliage to the atmosphere as an N conserving mechanism. The reduction in foliage N content during senescence was interpreted as N re-translocation from the senescing leaves into the rest of the trees. The N re-translocation efficiency (ηr) ranged from 37 to 70% and decreased with the time necessary for full renewal of the canopy foliage. Comparison with literature data from in total 23 tree species showed a general tendency for ηr to on average be reduced by 8% per year the canopy stays longer, i.e. with each additional year it takes for canopy renewal. The boreal pine site returned the lowest amount of N via foliage litter to the soil, while the temperate Douglas fir stand which had the largest peak canopy N content and the lowestηr returned the highest amount of N to the soil. These results support the hypothesis that a high N status, e.g. as a consequence of chronically high atmospheric N inputs, increases ecosystem internal over tree-bulk-tissue internal N cycling in conifer stands. The two evergreen tree species investigated in the present study behaved very differently in all relevant parameters, i.e. needle longevity, Nc and ηr, showing that generalisations on tree internal vs. ecosystem internal N cycling cannot be made on the basis of the leaf habit alone.

scholarly journals Nitrogen balance of a boreal Scots pine forest

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 11201-11237 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. J. Korhonen ◽  
M. Pihlatie ◽  
J. Pumpanen ◽  
H. Aaltonen ◽  
P. Hari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Organic N ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Drainage Flow ◽  
Nutrient Pools ◽  
Scots Pine Forest

Abstract. The productivity of boreal forests is considered to be limited by low nitrogen (N) availability. Increased atmospheric N deposition has altered the functioning and N cycling of these N-sensitive ecosystems. The most important components of N pools and fluxes were measured in a boreal Scots pine stand in Hyytiälä, Southern Finland. The measurement at the site allowed direct estimations of nutrient pools in the soil and biomass, inputs from the atmosphere and outputs as drainage flow and gaseous losses from two micro-catchments. N was accumulating to the system with a rate of 7 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Nitrogen input as atmospheric deposition was 7.4 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Dry deposition and organic N in wet deposition contributed over half of the input in deposition. Total outputs were 0.4 kg N ha−1 yr−1, the most important outputs being N2O emission to the atmosphere and organic N flux in drainage flow. Nitrogen uptake and retranslocation were as important sources of N for plant growth. Most of the uptaken N originated from decomposition of organic matter, and the fraction of N that could originate directly from deposition was about 30%. In conclusion, atmospheric N deposition fertilizes the site considerably.

scholarly journals The Effect of Climate on Tree-Ring Chronologies of Native and Nonnative Tree Species Growing Under Homogenous Site Conditions

2009 ◽  
Vol 33 (-1) ◽  
pp. 49-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward Feliksik ◽  
Sławomir Wilczyński
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Scots Pine ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Sitka Spruce ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Site Conditions ◽  
Diameter Increment

The Effect of Climate on Tree-Ring Chronologies of Native and Nonnative Tree Species Growing Under Homogenous Site ConditionsDendroclimatic studies were carried out in the experimental stands composed of many tree species situated in the Polish part of the Baltic sea-coast. Increment cores were taken from a 100-years old trees of 2 native species: Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestrisL.) and 3 nonnative species: Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii(Mirb.) Franco), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis(Bong.) Carr.) and Silver fir (Abies albaMill.). Thirty trees of each species were cored. The relationships between the diameter increment and the thermal and pluvial conditions during the period from 1925 to 2005 were analyzed on the basis of standardized tree-ring chronologies and climatic data. It was found that precipitation and temperature of the growing season and months preceding that season affected the annual diameter increment of all investigated tree species. The current year winter and early spring temperatures as well as February and August precipitation had a similar effect on the variation of diameter increment of trees. On the other hand thermal and pluvial conditions of the current year June differentiated the increment rhythm of individual species. A very strong negative effect on diameter growth of trees was observed in the case of winter and early spring frosts. Norway spruce turned out to be a species most resistant to low temperatures. The investigated tree species, especially Norway spruce, was susceptible to water deficiency in the soil during spring and summer. In the case of Scots pine a high precipitation in June stimulated its growth. The diameter increments of Douglas fir, Sitka spruce, Scots pine, and Silver fir were more strongly connected with air temperature than with precipitation. So called all-species chronology of tree-ring width, constructed during this study, permitted to verify the factors having a similar effect on growth response of the investigated tree species. It reflected the mutual characteristics of diameter increments of trees of various species.

scholarly journals Nitrogen balance of a boreal Scots pine forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1083-1095 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. J. Korhonen ◽  
M. Pihlatie ◽  
J. Pumpanen ◽  
H. Aaltonen ◽  
P. Hari ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
N2o Emission ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Organic N ◽  
N Availability ◽  
N Saturation ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Drainage Flow ◽  
Nutrient Pools

Abstract. The productivity of boreal forests is considered to be limited by low nitrogen (N) availability. Increased atmospheric N deposition has altered the functioning and N cycling of these N-sensitive ecosystems by increasing the availability of reactive nitrogen. The most important components of N pools and fluxes were measured in a boreal Scots pine stand in Hyytiälä, Southern Finland. The measurements at the site allowed direct estimations of nutrient pools in the soil and biomass, inputs from the atmosphere and outputs as drainage flow and gaseous losses from two micro-catchments. N was accumulating in the system, mainly in woody biomass, at a rate of 7 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Nitrogen input as atmospheric deposition was 7.4 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Dry deposition and organic N in wet deposition contributed over half of the inputs in deposition. Total outputs were 0.4 kg N ha−1 yr−1, the most important outputs being N2O emission to the atmosphere and organic N flux in drainage flow. Nitrogen uptake and retranslocation were equally important sources of N for plant growth. Most of the assimilated N originated from decomposition of organic matter, and the fraction of N that could originate directly from deposition was about 30%. In conclusion, atmospheric N deposition fertilizes the site considerably, but there are no signs of N saturation. Further research is needed to estimate soil N2 fluxes (emission and fixation), which may amount up to several kg N ha−1 yr−1.

ATMOSPHERIC N DEPOSITION TO THE COASTAL AREA OF THE BLACK SEA: SOURCES, INTRA-ANNUAL VARIATIONS AND IMPORTANCE FOR BIOGEOCHEMISTRY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE SURFACE LAYER

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Varenik ◽  
Alla Varenik ◽  
Sergey Konovalov ◽  
Sergey Konovalov
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Local Source ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Urban Location

Atmospheric precipitations can be an important source of nutrients to open and coastal zones of marine ecosystem. Jickells [1] has published that atmospheric depositions can sup-port 5-25% of nitrogen required to primary production. Bulk atmospheric precipitations have been collected in a rural location at the Black Sea Crimean coast – Katsiveli settlement, and an urban location – Sevastopol city. Samples have been analyzed for inorganic fixed nitrogen (IFN) – nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium. Deposi-tions have been calculated at various space and time scales. The monthly volume weighted mean concentration of IFN increases from summer to winter in both locations. A significant local source of IFN has been revealed for the urban location and this source and its spatial influence have been quantified. IFN deposition with atmospheric precipitations is up to 5% of its background content in the upper 10 m layer of water at the north-western shelf of the Black Sea. Considering Redfield C:N ratio (106:16) and the rate of primary production (PP) in coastal areas of the Black Sea of about 100-130 g C m-2 year-1 we have assessed that average atmospheric IFN depositions may intensify primary production by 4.5% for rural locations, but this value is increased many-fold in urban locations due to local IFN sources.

ATMOSPHERIC N DEPOSITION TO THE COASTAL AREA OF THE BLACK SEA: SOURCES, INTRA-ANNUAL VARIATIONS AND IMPORTANCE FOR BIOGEOCHEMISTRY AND PRODUCTIVITY OF THE SURFACE LAYER

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alla Varenik ◽  
Alla Varenik ◽  
Sergey Konovalov ◽  
Sergey Konovalov
Keyword(s):  
Primary Production ◽  
Black Sea ◽  
Marine Ecosystem ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Local Source ◽  
The Black Sea ◽  
Coastal Zones ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Urban Location

Atmospheric precipitations can be an important source of nutrients to open and coastal zones of marine ecosystem. Jickells [1] has published that atmospheric depositions can sup-port 5-25% of nitrogen required to primary production. Bulk atmospheric precipitations have been collected in a rural location at the Black Sea Crimean coast – Katsiveli settlement, and an urban location – Sevastopol city. Samples have been analyzed for inorganic fixed nitrogen (IFN) – nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium. Deposi-tions have been calculated at various space and time scales. The monthly volume weighted mean concentration of IFN increases from summer to winter in both locations. A significant local source of IFN has been revealed for the urban location and this source and its spatial influence have been quantified. IFN deposition with atmospheric precipitations is up to 5% of its background content in the upper 10 m layer of water at the north-western shelf of the Black Sea. Considering Redfield C:N ratio (106:16) and the rate of primary production (PP) in coastal areas of the Black Sea of about 100-130 g C m-2 year-1 we have assessed that average atmospheric IFN depositions may intensify primary production by 4.5% for rural locations, but this value is increased many-fold in urban locations due to local IFN sources.

scholarly journals Soil carbon and nutrient stocks under Scots pine plantations in comparison to European beech forests: a paired-plot study across forests with different management history and precipitation regimes

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Diers ◽  
Robert Weigel ◽  
Heike Culmsee ◽  
Christoph Leuschner
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Species Identity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Nutrient Pools ◽  
Total N ◽  
Precipitation Regimes ◽  
Pine Stands

Abstract Background Organic carbon stored in forest soils (SOC) represents an important element of the global C cycle. It is thought that the C storage capacity of the stable pool can be enhanced by increasing forest productivity, but empirical evidence in support of this assumption from forests differing in tree species and productivity, while stocking on similar substrate, is scarce. Methods We determined the stocks of SOC and macro-nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, potassium and magnesium) in nine paired European beech/Scots pine stands on similar Pleistocene sandy substrates across a precipitation gradient (560–820 mm∙yr− 1) in northern Germany and explored the influence of tree species, forest history, climate, and soil pH on SOC and nutrient pools. Results While the organic layer stored on average about 80% more C under pine than beech, the pools of SOC and total N in the total profile (organic layer plus mineral soil measured to 60 cm and extrapolated to 100 cm) were greater under pine by about 40% and 20%, respectively. This contrasts with a higher annual production of foliar litter and a much higher fine root biomass in beech stands, indicating that soil C sequestration is unrelated to the production of leaf litter and fine roots in these stands on Pleistocene sandy soils. The pools of available P and basic cations tended to be higher under beech. Neither precipitation nor temperature influenced the SOC pool, whereas tree species was a key driver. An extended data set (which included additional pine stands established more recently on former agricultural soil) revealed that, besides tree species identity, forest continuity is an important factor determining the SOC and nutrient pools of these stands. Conclusion We conclude that tree species identity can exert a considerable influence on the stocks of SOC and macronutrients, which may be unrelated to productivity but closely linked to species-specific forest management histories, thus masking weaker climate and soil chemistry effects on pool sizes.

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