Palmqvist, Kristin and Nordin, Annika and Giesler, Reiner
(2020).
Contrasting Effects of Long-Term Nitrogen Deposition on Plant Phosphorus in a Northern Boreal Forest.
Frontiers in forests and global change. 3
, 65
, 1-13
[Research article]
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Abstract
Ecosystem responses of carbon and nitrogen (N) biogeochemistry to N deposition have a high variation across sites. Phosphorus (P), which can interact strongly with N, can be the cause of some of this variation. We quantified plant N and P concentrations and estimated P stocks in aboveground foliage, and soil O-horizon P concentrations and stocks after 18 years in a long-term stand-scale (0.1 ha) N addition experiment [12.5 kg (N1) and 50 kg (N2) N ha−1 year−1] in a c. 100-years-old boreal spruce [Picea abies (L.) Karst] forest. Basal area growth had increased by 65% in the N2 treatment compared to control, along with a higher leaf area index, and lower litter decomposition rates. The higher tree growth occurred during the initial c. 10-years period thereafter resuming to control rates. We hypothesized that increased plant demand for P together with decreased recycling of organic matter in this initially N limited system may have decreased plant-available P, with possible consequences for longer-term biogeochemistry and ecosystem production. However, resin-extractable P did not differ between the three treatments (0.32 kg P ha−1), and plant NP ratios and P concentrations and O-horizon P characteristics were similar in the N1 and control treatments. The N2 treatment doubled total P in the O-horizon (100 vs. 54 kg P ha−1), explained by an increase in organic P. The N concentration, NP ratio, and spruce needle biomass were higher in N2, while the P stock in current year needles was similar as in the control due to a lower P concentration. In addition to P dilution, increased light competition and/or premature aging may have caused the reduction of N-stimulated growth of the trees. For the dominant understory shrub [Vaccinium myrtillus (L.)] no changes in growth was apparent in N2 despite a significantly higher NP ratio compared to control (15 vs. 9, respectively). We therefore conclude that increased NP ratio of vegetation cannot be used as a sole indicator of P limitation. The vegetation and O-horizon changes in N2 were still large enough to merit further studies addressing whether such high N loads may alter ecosystem biogeochemistry toward P limitation. For the lower N addition rate, relevant from an anthropogenic N deposition perspective, we suggest it had no such effect.
Authors/Creators: | Palmqvist, Kristin and Nordin, Annika and Giesler, Reiner | ||||
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Title: | Contrasting Effects of Long-Term Nitrogen Deposition on Plant Phosphorus in a Northern Boreal Forest | ||||
Series Name/Journal: | Frontiers in forests and global change | ||||
Year of publishing : | 2020 | ||||
Volume: | 3 | ||||
Article number: | 65 | ||||
Number of Pages: | 13 | ||||
Publisher: | Frontiers | ||||
ISSN: | 2624-893X | ||||
Language: | English | ||||
Publication Type: | Research article | ||||
Article category: | Scientific peer reviewed | ||||
Version: | Published version | ||||
Copyright: | Creative Commons: Attribution 4.0 | ||||
Full Text Status: | Public | ||||
Subjects: | (A) Swedish standard research categories 2011 > 4 Agricultural Sciences > 401 Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries > Forest Science | ||||
Keywords: | boreal forest, nitrogen deposition, phosphorus, soil, spruce (Picea abies), understory plants | ||||
URN:NBN: | urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-106510 | ||||
Permanent URL: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:slu:epsilon-p-106510 | ||||
Additional ID: |
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ID Code: | 17209 | ||||
Faculty: | S - Faculty of Forest Sciences | ||||
Department: | (S) > Dept. of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology | ||||
Deposited By: | SLUpub Connector | ||||
Deposited On: | 26 Jun 2020 08:13 | ||||
Metadata Last Modified: | 15 Jan 2021 19:44 |
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