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PLANT UPTAKE OF INORGANIC AND ORGANIC NITROGEN: NEIGHBOR IDENTITY MATTERS

PLANT UPTAKE OF INORGANIC AND ORGANIC NITROGEN: NEIGHBOR IDENTITY MATTERS The importance of interspecific competition as a cause of resource partitioning among species has been widely assumed but rarely tested. Using neighbor removals in combination with 15 N tracer additions in the field, we examined variation among three alpine species in the uptake of 15 N-NH 4 ++ , 15 N-NO 3 −− , and 15 N- 13 C-((2))-glycine in intact neighborhoods, when paired with a specific neighbor, and when all neighbors were removed. Species varied in the capacity to take up 15 N-labeled NH 4 ++ , NO 3 −− , and glycine in intact neighborhoods and in interspecific pairs. When interspecific neighbor pairs were compared with no neighbor controls, neighbors reduced 15 N uptake in target species by as much as 50%%, indicating competition for N. Furthermore, neighbor identity influenced the capacity of species to take up different forms of N. Thus, competition within interspecific neighbor pairs often caused reduced uptake of a particular form of N, as well as shifts to uptake of an alternative form of N. Such shifts in resource use as a result of competition are an implicit assumption in studies of resource partitioning but have rarely been documented. Our study suggests that plasticity in the uptake of different forms of N may be a mechanism by which co-occurring plants reduce competition for N. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Ecology Ecological Society of America

PLANT UPTAKE OF INORGANIC AND ORGANIC NITROGEN: NEIGHBOR IDENTITY MATTERS

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References (50)

Publisher
Ecological Society of America
Copyright
Copyright © 2007 by the Ecological Society of America
Subject
Articles
ISSN
0012-9658
DOI
10.1890/06-0946.1
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The importance of interspecific competition as a cause of resource partitioning among species has been widely assumed but rarely tested. Using neighbor removals in combination with 15 N tracer additions in the field, we examined variation among three alpine species in the uptake of 15 N-NH 4 ++ , 15 N-NO 3 −− , and 15 N- 13 C-((2))-glycine in intact neighborhoods, when paired with a specific neighbor, and when all neighbors were removed. Species varied in the capacity to take up 15 N-labeled NH 4 ++ , NO 3 −− , and glycine in intact neighborhoods and in interspecific pairs. When interspecific neighbor pairs were compared with no neighbor controls, neighbors reduced 15 N uptake in target species by as much as 50%%, indicating competition for N. Furthermore, neighbor identity influenced the capacity of species to take up different forms of N. Thus, competition within interspecific neighbor pairs often caused reduced uptake of a particular form of N, as well as shifts to uptake of an alternative form of N. Such shifts in resource use as a result of competition are an implicit assumption in studies of resource partitioning but have rarely been documented. Our study suggests that plasticity in the uptake of different forms of N may be a mechanism by which co-occurring plants reduce competition for N.

Journal

Ecology – Ecological Society of America

Published: Jul 1, 2007

Keywords: alpine dry meadow community ; ammonium ; 15 N uptake ; glycine ; neighbor removals ; nitrate ; nutrient limitation ; plant competition ; resource partitioning ; species coexistence

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