The effect of enhanced nitrogen on aboveground biomass allocation and nutrient resorption in the fern Athyrium distentifolium

Abstract

We measured aboveground biomass allocation and resorption of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the fronds of a winter-deciduous fern Athyrium distentifolium in ambient and N-enhanced treatments. Studies were done in the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mts. (Czech Republic) during 2007 and 2008. Athyrium distentifolium formed taller fronds and petioles and allocated more biomass to supporting tissue relative to photosynthetically active leaf tissue in response to N addition. Resorption of P from green fronds was more efficient than N resorption (on average 50% P, 21% N from supporting and 44% P, 24% N from photosynthetic tissues were withdrawn during senescence). The N/P-ratios were higher in photosynthetic tissue (10.8 in 2007 and 13.0 in 2008) in comparison with supporting tissue (5.5 and 7.7, respectively). In N-enhanced treatment, a positive relationship was found between the amount of supporting tissue relative to photosynthetic tissue and resorption of nutrients from photosynthetic tissue. However, higher N availability resulted in a significant decrease of N resorption efficiency in photosynthetic tissue of A. distentifolium.

Dinitrogen‐fixing Acacia species from phosphorus‐impoverished soils resorb leaf phosphorus efficiently

“…The present Acacia shrubs were probably not limited by N, because most of them fixed N2, and there was an abundant N supply from the soil (Evans et al 1989;Ladd et al 1994). High soil N availability down-regulates N resorption (Siddique et al 2008), thus resulting in a decreased NRE (Norris & Reich 2009;Holub & Tuma 2010). According to Aerts & Chapin (2000), <5 to 80% of leaf N may be resorbed.…”

“…High soil N availability down‐regulates N resorption (Siddique et al . 2008), thus resulting in a decreased NRE (Norris & Reich 2009; Holub & Tuma 2010). According to Aerts & Chapin (2000), <5 to 80% of leaf N may be resorbed.…”

N resorption efficiency and proficiency in response to winter cold in three evergreen species

“…Soil nutrient availability and the nutritional status of the leaves are among the determinants of nutrient resorption most studied, although the results are so divergent that they prevent any generalization. Thus, while some evidence suggests that nitrogen resorption can be determined by the availability of this nutrient in the soil, with more resorption in low-fertility soils (Enoki and Kawaguchi 1999;Holub and Tuma 2010;Lovelock et al 2007;Yuan et al 2005), in many others cases no relationship has been observed (Aerts 1996;Diehl et al 2003;Eckstein et al 1999;Vergutz et al 2012). Similarly, while some studies failed to find any relationship between resorption efficiency and nutrient concentrations in green leaves (Aerts 1996;Huang et al 2007;Niinemets and Tamm 2005), other studies have found resorption efficiency to be related to plant nutrient status (Fife et al 2008;Kobe et al 2005;Vergutz et al 2012;Wright and Westoby 2003).…”

The biological activity of soil in Norway spruce forests and in fern Athyrium distentifolium Tausch ex Opiz stands on deforested polluted sites in the Beskydy Mts.

“…Expanding fern (Athyrium distentifolium) also occurred on deforested areas of the Mt. Kněhyně (Holub, Tůma 2010) and was described in other mountains of the Central Europe (Vacek et al 1999).…”

“…Method uses p-nitrophenylphosphate (pNPP) as the substrate. It is a chromogenic substrate, which is during reaction changed in yellow coloured 4-nitrophenolate anion, emerged as pnitrophenol (pNP) (Horáková et al 2007). pNP is subsequently determined spectrometrically.…”