Nitrogen deposition increases susceptibility to drought - experimental evidence with the perennial grass Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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in: Plant and Soil, Jahrgang 353, Nr. 1-2, 04.2012, S. 59-71.
Publikation: Beiträge in Zeitschriften › Zeitschriftenaufsätze › Forschung › begutachtet
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Nitrogen deposition increases susceptibility to drought - experimental evidence with the perennial grass Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench
AU - Friedrich, Uta
AU - Oheimb, Goddert
AU - Kriebitzsch, Wolf-Ulrich
AU - Schleßelmann, Kristina
AU - Weber, Malte Sebastian
AU - Härdtle, Werner
PY - 2012/4
Y1 - 2012/4
N2 - Aims: We investigated the response of the perennial grass Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench to combined effects of fertilization (N, P) and drought events. We hypothesized that N fertilization increases, and drought decreases productivity, but that N addition strengthens negative effects caused by drought. Methods: Within a full-factorial 2-year greenhouse experiment we measured biomass productivity and allocation, tissue nutrient concentrations and nitrogen allocation patterns using 15N as a tracer. Results: N fertilization caused a strong increase in productivity, but effects of drought were almost insignificant. However, we found strongly interrelated, non-additive effects of fertilization and drought, expressed by a strong increase of necrotic tissue. Dead aboveground biomass showed the highest values for N and 15N. Conclusions: Accelerated productivity of aboveground tissue under N fertilization resulted in increased evaporative demands and thus higher drought susceptibility. In addition 15N allocation patterns showed that fertilization-drought treatments disenabled plants' control of their N allocation. Molinia was unable to withdraw leaf N during the dieback of aboveground tissue. Due to the lack of an adaptive strategy to the combined effects of fertilization and drought, increasing summer drought may weaken the competitive performance of species with traits comparable to those of Molinia in N-fertilized environments.
AB - Aims: We investigated the response of the perennial grass Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench to combined effects of fertilization (N, P) and drought events. We hypothesized that N fertilization increases, and drought decreases productivity, but that N addition strengthens negative effects caused by drought. Methods: Within a full-factorial 2-year greenhouse experiment we measured biomass productivity and allocation, tissue nutrient concentrations and nitrogen allocation patterns using 15N as a tracer. Results: N fertilization caused a strong increase in productivity, but effects of drought were almost insignificant. However, we found strongly interrelated, non-additive effects of fertilization and drought, expressed by a strong increase of necrotic tissue. Dead aboveground biomass showed the highest values for N and 15N. Conclusions: Accelerated productivity of aboveground tissue under N fertilization resulted in increased evaporative demands and thus higher drought susceptibility. In addition 15N allocation patterns showed that fertilization-drought treatments disenabled plants' control of their N allocation. Molinia was unable to withdraw leaf N during the dieback of aboveground tissue. Due to the lack of an adaptive strategy to the combined effects of fertilization and drought, increasing summer drought may weaken the competitive performance of species with traits comparable to those of Molinia in N-fertilized environments.
KW - Biology
KW - Biomass allocation
KW - Climate change
KW - Heathland
KW - allocation Molinia caerulea
KW - 15N tracer
KW - Nutrient allocation
KW - Ecosystems Research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84858340741&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11104-011-1008-3
DO - 10.1007/s11104-011-1008-3
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 353
SP - 59
EP - 71
JO - Plant and Soil
JF - Plant and Soil
SN - 0032-079X
IS - 1-2
ER -