Reiner Giesler

Boreal forest plants take up organic nitrogen

Plant growth in the boreal forest, the largest terrestrial biome, is generally limited by the availability of nitrogen. The presumed cause of this limitation is slow mineralization of soil organic nitrogen,. Here we demonstrate, to our knowledge for the first time, the uptake of organic nitrogen in the field by the trees Pinus sylvestris and Picea abies, the dwarf shrub Vaccinium myrtillus and the grass Deschampsia flexuosa. These results show that these plants, irrespective of their different types of root–fungal associations (mycorrhiza), bypass nitrogen mineralization. A trace of the amino acid glycine, labelled with the stable isotopes 13C and 15N, was injected into the organic (mor) layer of an old successional boreal coniferous forest. Ratios of 13C:15N in the roots showed that at least 91, 64 and 42% of the nitrogen from the absorbed glycine was taken up in intact glycine by the dwarf shrub, the grass and the trees, respectively. Rates of glycine uptake were similar to those of 15N-ammonium. Our data indicate that organic nitrogen is important for these different plants, even when they are competing with each other and with non-symbiotic microorganisms. This has major implications for our understanding of the effects of nitrogen deposition, global warming and intensified forestry.

Low molecular weight organic acids and their Al-complexes in soil solution - composition, distribution and seasonal variation in three podzolized soils.

Low molecular weight organic acids have been determined qualitatively and quantitatively over a growing season in the soil solution of three podzolized soil profiles. Several low molecular weight (LMW) acids such as citric, shikimic, oxalic, fumaric, formic, acetic, malonic, malic, lactic and t-aconitic acids were identified in the range < 1-1100 μM. Citric acid was the acid generally present at the highest concentrations (15-250 μM) in the upper layers while shikimic and oxalic acids could be observed in all horizons at lower concentrations. The levels of LMW organic acids were always greatest in the organic (O) horizon, and declined in the deeper layers. The fraction of the dissolved organic carbon and total acidity made up by LMW acids was generally in the range 0.5-5% and 0.5-15%, respectively. No apparent seasonal variations were observed, and the differences between the sites were little. The fraction of Al in soil solution bound to LMW organic acids was evaluated using ultrafiltration (< 1000D) and size exclusion chromatography. Fe < 1000D was also determined. For the O1 horizon about 40% and 20% of the Al and Fe, respectively, were detected in the LMW fraction (< 1000D). The LMW fraction of the two elements decreased deeper down in the profile, but relative increases were sometimes observed in the B1 horizon. Labile and LMW (< 1000D) Si were determined by FIA and ultrafiltration, respectively. The results show that a major fraction (80-100%) of the Si is labile and of low molecular weight, most likely silicic acid

SOIL CHEMISTRY AND PLANTS IN FENNOSCANDIAN BOREAL FOREST AS EXEMPLIFIED BY A LOCAL GRADIENT

In Fennoscandian boreal forests, in which productivity in general is N lim- ited, there are regular, topographically related variations in forest productivity and plant community composition. Regional surveys have demonstrated strong correlations among soil pH, N content, and base saturation on the one hand and plant productivity and com- munity composition on the other, but the nature of these relationships is poorly understood. We studied in detail the variation in and controls of soil acidity, availability of N and P, and changes in community composition and plant nutrition along a short (only 90 m long) but extreme forest productivity gradient in northern Sweden, which ranged from a ground- water recharge area with low productivity to a very productive discharge area. The pH in the soil solution of the mor layer ranged from 3.5 in the recharge area to 6.4 in the discharge area, and it was strongly correlated with the base saturation of the exchange complex. Neither the acid strength of organic matter, the ionic strength of the soil solution, nor the quantity of acids could explain more than a minor part of this variation in pH. There were strong correlations between total N in the mor layer and soil solution pH (r = 0.97) and base saturation of the exchange complex (r = 0.88). At the poor end of the transect the concentration of inorganic N was very low in the mor, and plants with either ectomycorrhizae (ECM) or ericoid mycorrhizae (EM) dominated. With increasing pH, there was an increase in NH4 concentrations, while plants that potentially have arbus- cular mycorrhizae (AM) became prominent along with ECM and EM species. In the dis- charge area, which comprised only the last 10 m of the transect, NO3 dominated over NH4 in the soil solution, the soil had a high capacity for net nitrification, and the vegetation was totally dominated by potentially AM or nonmycorrhizal herbs, some of which had high foliar nitrate reductase activity. Foliar and root N concentrations increased steeply towards the discharge area, but foliar P/N ratios declined below critical levels at the end of the transect. Root 32P uptake bioassays also indicated a P deficiency in the discharge area, where the soil total P content was high, while the concentration of P04 in the soil solution was very low. The high capacity of the mor in the discharge area to adsorb P04, due to the presence of organically complexed Fe and Fe-oxihydroxides, may explain the low P04 concentrations. Our data indicate that the underlying factors influencing both productivity and com- munity composition are pH and supply of base cations. Fundamental differences in exchange characteristics of soil and soil water underlie other related nutrient supply features, in particular the amount and availability of N. Our study of a single short topographic transect supported a previous suggestion based on a regional survey in Norway that variability in soil pH and the supply of base cations affects plant productivity and community composition via effects on N supply. Our data also encompass the interrelations between soil pH, soil N turnover, and the mycorrhizal type of dominant plant species, which, according to Read (1991), occur along long latitudinal or altitudinal climatic gradients. Through millennia discharge areas like the one observed by us have probably provided a relatively stable environment for plants demanding high soil pH and N supply, at the same time as sur- rounding recharge areas have been acidified naturally through podzolization.

Advances in understanding the podzolization process resulting from a multidisciplinary study of three coniferous forest soils in the Nordic Countries

Advances in understanding the podzolisation process resulting from a multidisciplinary study at three coniferous forest soils in the Nordic countries

Lake secondary production fueled by rapid transfer of low molecular weight organic carbon from terrestrial sources to aquatic consumers

Carbon of terrestrial origin often makes up a significant share of consumer biomass in unproductive lake ecosystems. However, the mechanisms for terrestrial support of lake secondary production are largely unclear. By using a modelling approach, we show that terrestrial export of dissolved labile low molecular weight carbon (LMWC) compounds supported 80% (34-95%), 54% (19-90%) and 23% (7-45%) of the secondary production by bacteria, protozoa and metazoa, respectively, in a 7-km(2) boreal lake (conservative to liberal estimates in brackets). Bacterial growth on LMWC was of similar magnitude as that of primary production (PP), and grazing on bacteria effectively channelled the LMWC carbon to higher trophic levels. We suggest that rapid turnover of forest LMWC pools enables continuous export of fresh photosynthates and other labile metabolites to aquatic systems, and that substantial transfer of LMWC from terrestrial sources to lake consumers can occur within a few days. Sequestration of LMWC of terrestrial origin, thus, helps explain high shares of terrestrial carbon in lake organisms and implies that lake food webs can be closely dependent on recent terrestrial PP.

Distribution and mobilization of Al, Fe and Si in three podzolic soil profiles in relation to the humus layer.

Distribution and mobilization of Al, Fe and Si in three podzolic soil profiles in relation to the humus layer

Phosphorus limitation in boreal forests: Effects of aluminum and iron accumulation in the humus layer

Plant growth in boreal forests is generally considered to be predominantly nitrogen (N) limited, but forested groundwater discharge areas may be exceptions. In this study, we conducted tests to determine whether highly productive forested groundwater discharge areas generally differ from adjacent groundwater recharge areas in terms of humus chemistry and the availability of phosphorus (P) and N to plants. We investigated six forested sites, divided into groundwater discharge and adjacent groundwater recharge areas, in northern Sweden. The humus layers of the forested groundwater discharge areas were clearly distinguished from the adjacent groundwater recharge areas by having higher acid-digestible calcium (Ca) and/or aluminium (Al) and iron (Fe) content and higher organic P and N content. Soil solution inorganic N (NH4+ and NO3−) and pH were higher in the groundwater discharge areas than in the groundwater recharge areas. The organic P content showed a positive linear relationship to the Al and Fe content in the humus layer, indicating that organic P is associated with Al and Fe compounds in the humus. A plant bioassay using humus substrate from one groundwater discharge area and the adjacent groundwater recharge area found that plants grown in groundwater discharge area humus (with a high P-fixation capacity) increased their biomass upon P fertilization, whereas no growth response was found for N additions. By contrast, plants grown in humus from the groundwater recharge area did not respond to added P unless N was added too. This study suggests that groundwater discharge can affect the nutrient availability of N and P both directly, via increased P fixation due to the redistribution of Al and Fe, and indirectly, via the inflow of groundwater high in Ca and alkalinity, maintaining a high pH in the humus layer that favors in situ N turnover processes.

Changes in soil chemical and microbial properties after a wildfire in a tropical rainforest in Sabah, Malaysia

Abstract Changes in soil caused by drought and wildfire in a Dipterocarp rainforest in Sabah, Malaysia were assessed by phosphorus fractionation, extractable nitrogen and nutrient limited respiration kinetics (after addition of glucose+N or P). Fire increased the concentration of total phosphorus (P) in the litter layer (per ha and per dry soil) by raising the 0.2 M NaOH extractable-P. In the soil organic layer, membrane exchangeable P was reduced by fire while 1.0 M HCl extractable-P, and 0.5 M NaHCO 3 extractable-P increased. Microbially available P increased after the fire and was most closely related to NaOH extractable-P that has been considered available to plants only over long time-scales. Total nitrogen (N) increased in the litter layer (per ha and per dry soil) due to post-fire litter fall, while the NO 3 − increased up to 10-fold down to the 10 cm mineral soil. In contrast, the microbially available N decreased by 50%. Basal respiration and substrate-induced respiration increased in the litter layer and decreased in the organic horizon (per dry soil and per organic matter). P limited microbial growth resulted in a slow and non-exponential increase in respiration, presumably reflecting the P-fixing nature of the soils, while N limitation resulted in a fast exponential increase. However, higher respiration rates were eventually achieved under P limitation than under N limitation.

Contrasting patterns of soil N-cycling in model ecosystems of Fennoscandian boreal forests

The low plant productivity of boreal forests in general has been attributed to low soil N supply and low temperatures. Exceptionally high productivity occurs in toe-slope positions, and has been ascribed to influx of N from surrounding areas and higher rates of soil N turnover in situ. Despite large apparent natural variations in forest productivity, rates of gross soil N mineralization and gross nitrification have never been compared in Fennoscandian boreal forests of contrasting productivity. We report contrasting patterns of soil N turnover in three model ecosystems, representing the range in soil C-to-N ratios (19–41) in Fennoscandian boreal forests and differences in forest productivity by a factor close to 3. Gross N mineralization was seven times higher when soil, microbial, and plant C-to-N ratios were the lowest compared to the highest. This process, nitrification and potential denitrification correlated with inorganic, total and microbial biomass N, but not microbial C. There was a constant ratio between soil and microbial C-to-N ratio of 3.7±0.2, across wide ratios of soil C-to-N and fungi-to-bacteria. Soil N-cycling should be controlled by the supplies of C and N to the microbes. In accordance with plant allocation theory, we discuss the possibility that the high fungal biomass at high soil C-to-N ratio reflects a particularly high supply of plant photosynthates, substrates of high-quality C, to mycorrhizal fungi. Methods to study soil N turnover and N retention should be developed to take into account the impact of mycorrhizal fungi on soil N-cycling.

General description of the sampling techniques and the sites investigated in the Fennoscandinavian podzolization project

A 3-year project focusing on the fundamental processes of podzolization was carried out on three sampling sites in northern Fennoscandinavia. The soils were selected based on the previous information of the soil properties to represent typical soils in the area. In this article, the post-glacial history of the sites, site vegetation and general properties of the soils, as well as the methods used are presented. Two of the sites were classified as Typic Haplocryods and one as an Entic Haplocryod. The post-glacial age of the sites was between 9000 and 9500 years BP and the parent material was glacial till in one of the sites and glaciofluvial material in two of them.