Dynamics of mineral nitrogen released from feathermosses after dehydration or handling stress

Startsev, N. A.; Lieffers, Victor J.

doi:10.1639/0007-2745(2006)109[551:domnrf]2.0.co;2

Cited by 14 publications

(9 citation statements)

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“…Upon rehydration from a desiccated state, plants of Pleurozium schreberi begin to release N into the bathing solution, with peak N release at 2 h, after which N uptake occurs efficiently (Startsev and Lieffers, 2006). Membrane repair was estimated by the authors at w16 h. In the present experiment, in all likelihood the rapid-dry treatments interrupted membrane repair processes by re-desiccating the plants, thus compounding membrane damage and explaining the differences observed between the rapid-dry treatments and the hydrated controls.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of increased summer precipitation and N deposition on Mojave Desert populations of the biological crust moss Syntrichia caninervis

Stark

Brinda

McLetchie

2011

Journal of Arid Environments

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of increased summer precipitation and N deposition on Mojave Desert populations of the biological crust moss Syntrichia caninervis

Stark

Brinda

McLetchie

2011

Journal of Arid Environments

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“…Further studies are required to quantify the amount of Wxed N that is acquired and recycled by feather mosses and how that is inXuenced by other N sources available for moss growth (cf. Ayres et al 2006;Startsev and LieVers 2006;Salemää et al 2008;Mankovska and Oszlanyi 2008). Experiments that include the N-budgets of these two feather mosses must also take into account the potential N input of epiphytic cyanobacterial associations.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen fixation in mixed Hylocomium splendens moss communities

et al. 2009

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The pleurocarpus feather moss, Hylocomium splendens, is one of two co-dominant moss species in boreal forest ecosystems and one of the most common mosses on earth, yet little is known regarding its capacity to host cyanobacterial associates and thus contribute total ecosystem N. In these studies, we evaluated the N-fixation potential of the H. splendens-cyanobacteria association and contrasted the N-fixation activity with that of the putative N-fixing moss-cyanobacteria association of Pleurozium schreberi. Studies were conducted to: quantify N-fixation in H. splendens and P. schreberi in sites ranging from southern to northern Fennoscandia; assess N and P availability as drivers of N-fixation rates; contrast season-long N-fixation rates for both mosses; and characterize the cyanobacteria that colonize shoots of H. splendens. Nitrogen-fixation rates were generally low at southern latitudes and higher at northern latitudes (64-69 degrees N) potentially related to anthropogenic N deposition across this gradient. Nitrogen fixation in H. splendens appeared to be less sensitive to N deposition than P. schreberi. The season-long assessment of N-fixation rates at a mixed feather moss site in northern Sweden showed that H. splendens fixed a substantial quantity of N, but about 50% less total N compared to the contribution from P. schreberi. In total, both species provided 1.6 kg fixed N ha(-1) year(-1). Interestingly, H. splendens demonstrated somewhat higher N-fixation rates at high fertility sites compared to P. schreberi. Nostoc spp. and Stigonema spp. were the primary cyanobacteria found to colonize H. splendens and P. schreberi. These results suggest that H. splendens with associated Nostoc or Stigonema communities contributes a significant quantity of N to boreal forest ecosystems, but the contribution is subordinate to that of P. schreberi at northern latitudes. Epiphytic cyanobacteria are likely a key factor determining the co-dominant presence of these two feather mosses across the boreal biome.

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“…This may be related to the heavy rainfall shortly after application of the fertilizer in the field flushing the fertilizer through the organic substrates. Secondly, it might also relate to the osmotic stress from the higher levels of N in the field experiment damaging or killing the feather moss and likely the microflora in both substrates (Söderström et al 1983;Parrent and Vilgalys 2007;Demoling et al 2008) thereby inhibiting their capacity to take up the fertilizer (Startsev and Lieffers 2006). This allowed nutrients to be moved unimpeded down through the forest floor layers either to the resin or the mineral soil.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In boreal forests, forest floor may be derived from deciduous broadleaf litter (typically moder humus types) or from feather mosses and slowly decomposing conifer litter (predominant mor humus types). The living layer of feather moss adds another level of complexity, as mosses can actively take up N into its tissues (Carleton and Read 1991;Startsev and Lieffers 2006). There is a need to understand the fate of the applied N following fertilization.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

N-transfer through aspen litter and feather moss layers after fertilization with ammonium nitrate and urea

et al. 2008

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When fertilizer is broadcast in boreal forest stands, the applied nutrients must pass through a thick layer of either feather moss or leaf litter which covers the forest floor. In a growth chamber experiment we tested the transfer of N through living feather moss or aspen litter when fertilized with urea ((NH 2 ) 2 CO) or NH 4 NO 3 at a rate of 100 kg ha −1 and under different watering regimes. When these organic substrates were frequently watered to excess they allowed the highest transfer of nutrients through, although 72% of the applied fertilizer was captured in the substrates. In a field experiment we also fertilized moss and aspen litter with urea ((NH 2 ) 2 CO) or NH 4 NO 3 at a more operationally relevant rate of 330 kg ha −1 . We captured the NO 3 − or NH 4 + by ion exchange resin at the substrate-mineral soil interface. In contrast to the growth chamber experiment, this fertilizer rate killed the moss and there was no detectable increase in nutrient levels in the aspen litter or feather moss layers. Instead, the urea was more likely transferred into the mineral soil; mineral soil of the urea treatment had 1.6 times as much extractable N compared to the NH 4 NO 3 treatment. This difference between the growth chamber and field studies was attributed to observed fertilizerdamage to the living moss and possibly damage to the litter microflora due to the higher rate of fertilization in the field. In addition, the early and substantial rainfall after fertilization in the field experiment produced conditions for rapid leaching of N through the organic layers into the mineral soil. In the field, only 8% of the urea-N that was applied was captured by the ion exchange resin, while 34% was captured in for the NH 4 NO 3 fertilization. Thus, the conditions for rapid leaching in the field moved much of the N in the form of urea through the organic layers and into the mineral soil before it was hydrolyzed.

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Dynamics of mineral nitrogen released from feathermosses after dehydration or handling stress

Cited by 14 publications

References 1 publication

Effects of increased summer precipitation and N deposition on Mojave Desert populations of the biological crust moss Syntrichia caninervis

Effects of increased summer precipitation and N deposition on Mojave Desert populations of the biological crust moss Syntrichia caninervis

Nitrogen fixation in mixed Hylocomium splendens moss communities

N-transfer through aspen litter and feather moss layers after fertilization with ammonium nitrate and urea

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