Nutrient resorption in Claytonia virginica L.: implications for deciduous forest nutrient cycling

2000 ◽  
Vol 78 (6) ◽  
pp. 832-839 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy B Anderson ◽  
William G Eickmeier

According to the vernal dam hypothesis, spring ephemeral herbs temporarily sequester large nutrient pools in deciduous forests prior to canopy closure and return the nutrients to the soil following senescence of aboveground tissues. However, many species resorb nutrients from their leaves back to belowground tissues during senescence, and the degree of resorption is often associated with soil nutrient availability. Species that store large proportions of their absorbed nutrients between years are not participating in the temporary sequestering and rapid recycling of nutrients implied by the vernal dam. We investigated the extent to which Claytonia virginica L. sequestered and returned nutrients to the soil in response to nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability. We tested the effect of nutrient availability on nutrient use efficiency, resorption efficiency, and resorption proficiency (% nutrient in senescent leaves) of Claytonia. Nutrient additions significantly decreased N but not P use efficiency of Claytonia, particularly as the growing season progressed. Nutrient additions also significantly reduced N resorption efficiency from 80 to 47% and decreased P resorption efficiency from 86 to 56%. N and P resorption proficiencies were also significantly lower in senesced leaves of fertilized plants: N concentrations were 2.33% when unfertilized and 4.13% when fertilized, while P concentrations were 0.43% when unfertilized versus 0.57% when fertilized. When unfertilized, Claytonia was more efficient at resorption compared with other spring herbs, but similar to other species when fertilized. However, Claytonia was much less proficient in resorbing nutrients than other reported plants, because senescent tissues maintained substantially higher concentrations of N and P, particularly when fertilized. In conclusion, Claytonia, an important spring ephemeral species, exhibits physiological responses that emphasize its role in the vernal dam by its temporary sequestration and substantial, rapid return of nutrients in deciduous forests. Adding nutrients to the site increases the total mass and the relative proportion of nutrients that Claytonia returns to the soil rather than sequestering between seasons, which ultimately increases nutrient recycling rates within the entire system.Key words: Claytonia virginica, nutrient response, resorption efficiency, nutrient cycling, spring ephemerals, vernal dam.

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 1340-1349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy B Anderson ◽  
William G Eickmeier

Because of their unique phenology and physiology, spring ephemeral herbs are believed to play an important role in intrasystem nutrient cycling in deciduous forest ecosystems. It was hypothesized that they function as a "vernal dam" by temporarily sequestering nutrients and preventing leaching from the system during a period of high nutrient availability. However, spring ephemerals require high-irradiance growing conditions. How do their physiological and morphological responses to ambient light and shade limit their ability to sequester excess nutrients? We performed field experiments using Claytonia virginica L. as a model to test several responses to shade and increasing levels of nutrient additions. We also examined the biomass responses and nutrient storage capacities of other spring ephemeral herbs. In C. virginica, shading reduced ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase-oxygenase (Rubisco) activity, photosynthesis rate, specific leaf weight, leaf width/length (W/L), and biomass; nutrient additions increased W/L and biomass only under unshaded conditions. Other herbs responded similarly but reached maximum biomass at lower nutrient addition levels than C. virginica. Shading reduced and nutrient additions increased nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in both C. virginica and other herbs. Shaded herbs generally reached nutrient saturation at lower nutrient addition levels than unshaded herbs. Overall, unshaded plants sequestered larger amounts of nutrients than shaded plants. This pattern is best explained by a reduction in biomass under shaded conditions. We concluded that C. virginica and other spring herbs, although important components in forest nutrient cycling in the early spring, are limited in their capacity to store excess nutrients, particularly when shaded.Key words: Claytonia virginica, nutrient cycling, spring ephemerals, vernal dam.


2019 ◽  
Vol 67 (8) ◽  
pp. 585
Author(s):  
John Turner

Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) has been used as a method to evaluate the utilisation and processes of cycling of nutrient in forests. In publications, different methods have been used to calculate NUE, but as efficiency they are all expressed as ratios and these cover the basic areas of: (1) absorption from the soil and uptake, (2) efficiency in their requirement or utilisation of nutrients including physiological efficiency and (3) efficiency in the retention and internal re-utilisation of nutrients. Few studies address NUE based on complete nutrient cycling information but use indices based on litterfall or foliage nutrient concentrations. In this study different expressions of NUE were defined and evaluated for N and P using data on nutrient cycles on species in the genus Eucalyptus in regrowth and mature native eastern Australian forests. It has been hypothesised that NUE increases with decreasing nutrient availability however increasing such efficiency has a cost reflected in reduced productivity. The hypothesis was proven for all expressions of NUE correlating NUE against estimates of soil N or P availability but there were differences between coastal and tableland Eucalyptus forests. The level of significance varied for different types of NUE and in these ecosystems P was of greater significance than N. This reflected the importance of P in relation to productivity on many of the weathered soils or the limited value of the soil available N indices. It is suggested that the difference expressions of NUE differ in their significance with species so some will be relatively more efficient in terms of uptake, others in utilisation and others in redistribution. Only in extreme situations of nutrient availability do species have relatively high efficiency for all methods NUE calculation. It is proposed that these differences are of importance in site/species distribution and more importantly in mixed stands where they provide advantages either at different stages of stand development or after significant disturbances such as fire.


Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 390
Author(s):  
Ramiro Recena ◽  
Ana M. García-López ◽  
Antonio Delgado

Zinc (Zn) deficiency constrains crop yield and quality, but soil factors influencing Zn availability to plants and reactions of applied Zn fertilizer are not fully understood. This work is aimed at studying Zn availability in soil and the use efficiency of Zn fertilizers by plants as affected by soil properties and particularly by soil available P. We performed a pot experiment involving four consecutive crops fertilized with Zn sulfate using 36 soils. The cumulative Zn uptake and dry matter yield in the four crops increased with increased initial diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid extraction of Zn (DTPA-Zn) (R2 = 0.75 and R2 = 0.61; p < 0.001). The initial DTPA-Zn increased with increased Olsen P (R2 = 0.41; p < 0.001) and with increased ratio of Fe in poorly crystalline to Fe in crystalline oxides (R2 = 0.58; p < 0.001). DTPA-Zn decreased with increased cumulative Zn uptake, but not in soils with DTPA-Zn < 0.5 mg kg−1. Overall, the available Zn is more relevant in explaining Zn uptake by plants than applied Zn sulfate. However, in Zn-deficient soils, Zn fertilizer explained most of the Zn uptake by crops. Poorly crystalline Fe oxides and P availability exerted a positive role on Zn availability to plants in soil.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tongrui Zhang ◽  
Frank Yonghong Li ◽  
Hao Wang ◽  
Lin Wu ◽  
Chunjun Shi ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Nutrient resorption is a key plant nutrient conservation strategy, and its response to environmental and management changes is linked to nutrient cycling and production of ecosystems. Defoliation is a major pathway of mowing affecting plant nutrient resorption and production in grasslands, while the effect of defoliation timing has not been unexplored. The aim of this study was to examine the effect of defoliation timing on plant nutrient resorption and production in a steppe ecosystem. Methods We conducted a field experiment in a semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia including four treatments: early defoliation, peak defoliation, late defoliation and non-defoliation. We measured plant nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption at species and community levels, and quantified plant N and P fluxes in resorption, litter return and hay output. Plant production in the mowing system was assessed by hay production and quality. Important Findings Peak and late defoliation, but not early defoliation, reduced plant community N and P resorption proficiency (RP); and late defoliation reduced N resorption efficiency (RE) but not P resorption efficiency. Peak and late defoliation, but not early defoliation, reduced plant nutrient resorption flux and litter nutrient return flux. Defoliation timing did not alter root nutrient accumulation as nutrient uptake from soil likely compensated the deficit of nutrient resorption. Peak defoliation had the highest hay production and quality, while early defoliation had the lowest. Our results provide new insights into the nutrient cycling in mowing grassland, and imply that the mowing timing can be used as a tool to mediate the balance between conservation and production of steppes, and the early mowing before plant peak biomass period is recommended for conservation of the steppes while keeping sustainable pastoral production.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leangsrun Chea ◽  
Ana Meijide ◽  
Catharina Meinen ◽  
Elke Pawelzik ◽  
Marcel Naumann

The limited availability of phosphorus (P) in soils causes a major constraint in the productivity of potatoes, which requires increased knowledge of plant adaptation responses in this condition. In this study, six potato cultivars, namely, Agria, Lady Claire, Milva, Lilly, Sieglinde, and Verdi, were assessed for their responses on plant growth, leaf physiology, P use efficiency (PUE), and tuber quality with three P levels (Plow, Pmed, and Phigh). The results reveal a significant variation in the cultivars in response to different P availabilities. P-efficient cultivars, Agria, Milva, and Lilly, possessed substantial plant biomass, tuber yield, and high P uptake efficiency (PUpE) under low P supply conditions. The P-inefficient cultivars, Lady Claire, Sieglinde, and Verdi, could not produce tubers under P deprivation conditions, as well as the ability to efficiently uptake P under low-level conditions, but they were efficient in P uptake under high soil P conditions. Improved PUpE is important for plant tolerance with limited P availability, which results in the efficient use of the applied P. At the leaf level, increased accumulations of nitrate, sulfate, sucrose, and proline are necessary for a plant to acclimate to P deficiency-induced stress and to mobilize leaf inorganic phosphate to increase internal PUE and photosynthesis. The reduction in plant biomass and tuber yield under P-deficient conditions could be caused by reduced CO2 assimilation. Furthermore, P deficiency significantly reduced tuber yield, dry matter, and starch concentration in Agria, Milva, and Lilly. However, contents of tuber protein, sugars, and minerals, as well as antioxidant capacity, were enhanced under these conditions in these cultivars. These results highlight the important traits contributing to potato plant tolerance under P-deficient conditions and indicate an opportunity to improve the P efficiency and tuber quality of potatoes under deficient conditions using more efficient cultivars. Future research to evaluate molecular mechanisms related to P and sucrose translocation, and minimize tuber yield reduction under limited P availability conditions is necessary.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreu Cera ◽  
Estephania Duplat ◽  
Gabriel Montserrat-Martí ◽  
Antonio Gómez-Bolea ◽  
Susana Rodríguez-Echeverría ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims Gypsum soils are P-limited atypical soils that harbour a rich endemic flora. These singular soils are usually found in drylands, where plant activity and soil nutrient availability are seasonal. No previous studies have analysed the seasonality of P nutrition and its interaction with the arbuscular mycorrhiza fungi (AMF) colonisation in gypsum plants. Our aim was to evaluate the seasonal changes in plant nutrient status, AMF colonisation and rhizospheric soil nutrient availability in gypsum specialist and generalist species. Methods We evaluated seasonal variation in the proportion of root length colonised by AMF structures (hyphae, vesicules and arbuscules), plant nutrient status (leaf C, N and P and fine root C and N) and rhizospheric soil content (P, organic matter, nitrate and ammonium) of three gypsum specialists and two generalists throughout a year. Results All species showed arbuscules within roots, including species of Caryophyllaceae and Brassicaceae. Root colonisation by arbuscules (AC) was higher in spring than in other seasons, when plants showed high leaf P-requirements. Higher AC was decoupled from inorganic N and P availability in rhizospheric soil, and foliar nutrient content. Generalists showed higher AC than specialists, but only in spring. Conclusions Seasonality was found in AMF colonisation, rhizospheric soil content and plant nutrient status. The mutualism between plants and AMF was highest in spring, when P-requirements are higher for plants, especially in generalists. However, AMF decoupled from plant demands in autumn, when nutrient availability increases in rhizospheric soil.


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 817-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. M. Kamble ◽  
D. K. Kathmale

A field experiment was conducted to study the effect of different levels of customized fertilizer (CF) on soil nutrient availability, yield and economics of onion. The results revealed that the significantly highest plant height (57.77cm), stem diameter (6.03cm) and bulb diameter (15.13cm) at the time of harvest, fertilizer use efficiency,bulb yield (22.34 t ha-1) and benefit:cost ratio (2.56) of onion were recorded in 100 % recommended dose of NPK through CF in three equal split doses. The significantly highest available nitrogen (213 kg ha-1), phosphorus (14.42 kg ha-1) were recorded in 125 % recommended dose of NPK through CF in two equal split doses and available K (804 kg ha-1) in 100 % recommended dose of NPK through CF in three equal split doses over the rest of the other treatments. The application of 100% recommended dose of fertilizer (100:50:50 N:P2O5:K20 kg ha-1) either two or three splits through CF to onion appears to be improving soil fertility, yield and yield contributing character of onion and getting higher net monetary returns.


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