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Wang X, Guo X, Ding W, Du N, Guo W, Pang J. Precipitation pattern alters the effects of nitrogen deposition on the growth of alien species Robinia pseudoacacia. Heliyon 2023; 9:e21822. [PMID: 38034734 PMCID: PMC10685202 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aims Nitrogen (N) supply and precipitation pattern (amount and frequency) both affect plant growth. However, N deposition is increasing and precipitation regimes are changing in the context of global change. An experiment was conducted to access how the growth of Robinia pseudoacacia, a widely distributed and cultivated N2-fixing alien species, is affected by both the pattern of precipitation and N supplies. Methods Seedlings were grown in a glasshouse at four different N levels combined with different precipitation regimes, including three precipitation amounts, and two precipitation frequencies. After treatment for 75 days, plant height, biomass allocation, leaf and soil nutrient concentrations were measured. Results Plants under high precipitation frequency had greater biomass compared with plants lower precipitation frequency, despite receiving the same amount of precipitation. Higher N supply reduced biomass allocation to nodules. Under low precipitation level, nodule growth and N2 fixation of R. pseudoacacia was more inhibited by high N deposition compared with plants under higher precipitation level. Even slightly N deposition under higher precipitation inhibited N2 fixation but it was insufficient to meet the N needs of the plants. Conclusions Even at low levels, N deposition might inhibit N2 fixation of plants but low N in soil cannot meet the N requirements of plants, and caused N2 fixation limitation in plants during seedling stage. There was likely a transition from N2 fixation to acquisition of N from soil directly with root when N supply was increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao Wang
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Gonglu, Qingdao, 266237, China
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009, Australia
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009, Australia
| | - Xiao Guo
- College of Landscape Architecture and Forestry, Qingdao Agricultural University, 700 Changcheng Road, Qingdao, 266109, China
| | - Wenli Ding
- School of Grassland Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Ning Du
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Gonglu, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Weihua Guo
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Sciences, Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, 72 Binhai Gonglu, Qingdao, 266237, China
| | - Jiayin Pang
- The UWA Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009, Australia
- School of Agriculture and Environment, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, 6009, Australia
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2
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Csiszár Á, Winkler D, Bartha D, Zagyvai G. Diverse Interactions: Root-Nodule Formation and Herb-Layer Composition in Black Locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia) Stands. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3253. [PMID: 37765417 PMCID: PMC10534852 DOI: 10.3390/plants12183253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
The black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) is the second-most abundant deciduous tree in forest plantations, and one of the most important invasive woody species worldwide. The species has a strong transformer capacity, especially expressed by its nitrogen enrichment effect caused by nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in its root-nodules. The aim of this study was to explore the mutually interacting factors of nitrogen-fixing root-nodules, site characteristics, and herb-layer composition of 28 North Hungarian black locust stands. In the herb-layers of the study sites, a total of 121 plant species were identified, representing a relatively low species richness. The studied black locust stands showed high variability both in their herb-layer compositions and root-nodule formation, but no clear relationship could be demonstrated between these characteristics. The PCA component with which the species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity index were strongly correlated was negatively associated with all root-nodule parameters (number, surface area, and weight), supporting the biodiversity-reducing effect of black locust by its nitrogen-fixing bacteria. All of the root-nodule parameters were negatively correlated with the PCA factor predominantly determined by stand age, confirming that the root-nodule biomass decreases as time progresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágnes Csiszár
- Institute of Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation, 9400 Sopron, Hungary; (D.B.); (G.Z.)
| | - Dániel Winkler
- Institute of Wildlife Biology and Management, University of Sopron, 9400 Sopron, Hungary;
| | - Dénes Bartha
- Institute of Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation, 9400 Sopron, Hungary; (D.B.); (G.Z.)
| | - Gergely Zagyvai
- Institute of Environmental Protection and Nature Conservation, 9400 Sopron, Hungary; (D.B.); (G.Z.)
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3
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Ottinger SL, Miniat CF, Wurzburger N. Nitrogen and light regulate symbiotic nitrogen fixation by a temperate forest tree. Oecologia 2023; 201:565-574. [PMID: 36637524 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05313-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF) is a critical mechanism of ecosystem recovery, and in forests of the eastern United States, the most common tree species that supports SNF is black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.). Despite its prevalence, black locust's fixation strategy-whether it maintains fixation at a constant rate (obligate fixation) or reduces its fixation rate (facultative fixation)-is unknown. Here, we examined how nitrogen and light control SNF by black locust, by growing seedlings under two nitrogen levels and across four levels of light. Seedlings were harvested after 12 weeks to determine biomass changes, nodule activity, and photosynthetic rates. Black locust seedlings increased biomass growth with increasing light, but only in the absence of nitrogen addition, while seedling root:shoot (biomass) modestly declined with increasing light regardless of nitrogen level. We found that black locust behaved like a facultative fixer, and regulated fixation by excising or maintaining nodules, and by controlling nodule biomass and activity. Specifically, nitrogen addition reduced seedling investment in nodule biomass (g g-1) by 63%, and reduced seedling allocation to nitrogen fixation (µmol C2H4 g-1 h-1) by 66%. In contrast, light affected nitrogen fixation through two indirect pathways. First, light increased plant growth, and hence nitrogen demands, which caused an increase in nitrogen fixation proportional to biomass. Second, light increasd photosynthetic activity, which was positively associated with nodule activity, but only in the absence of nitrogen addition. Our findings for how black locust regulates SNF can improve predictions of ecosystem SNF under the changing environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chelcy Ford Miniat
- USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Nina Wurzburger
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
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4
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Host-Associated Rhizobial Fitness: Dependence on Nitrogen, Density, Community Complexity, and Legume Genotype. Appl Environ Microbiol 2022; 88:e0052622. [PMID: 35852362 PMCID: PMC9361818 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00526-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The environmental context of the nitrogen-fixing mutualism between leguminous plants and rhizobial bacteria varies over space and time. Variation in resource availability, population density, and composition likely affect the ecology and evolution of rhizobia and their symbiotic interactions with hosts. We examined how host genotype, nitrogen addition, rhizobial density, and community complexity affected selection on 68 rhizobial strains in the Sinorhizobium meliloti–Medicago truncatula mutualism. As expected, host genotype had a substantial effect on the size, number, and strain composition of root nodules (the symbiotic organ). The understudied environmental variable of rhizobial density had a stronger effect on nodule strain frequency than the addition of low nitrogen levels. Higher inoculum density resulted in a nodule community that was less diverse and more beneficial but only in the context of the more selective host genotype. Higher density resulted in more diverse and less beneficial nodule communities with the less selective host. Density effects on strain composition deserve additional scrutiny as they can create feedback between ecological and evolutionary processes. Finally, we found that relative strain rankings were stable across increasing community complexity (2, 3, 8, or 68 strains). This unexpected result suggests that higher-order interactions between strains are rare in the context of nodule formation and development. Our work highlights the importance of examining mechanisms of density-dependent strain fitness and developing theoretical predictions that incorporate density dependence. Furthermore, our results have translational relevance for overcoming establishment barriers in bioinoculants and motivating breeding programs that maintain beneficial plant-microbe interactions across diverse agroecological contexts. IMPORTANCE Legume crops establish beneficial associations with rhizobial bacteria that perform biological nitrogen fixation, providing nitrogen to plants without the economic and greenhouse gas emission costs of chemical nitrogen inputs. Here, we examine the influence of three environmental factors that vary in agricultural fields on strain relative fitness in nodules. In addition to manipulating nitrogen, we also use two biotic variables that have rarely been examined: the rhizobial community's density and complexity. Taken together, our results suggest that (i) breeding legume varieties that select beneficial strains despite environmental variation is possible, (ii) changes in rhizobial population densities that occur routinely in agricultural fields could drive evolutionary changes in rhizobial populations, and (iii) the lack of higher-order interactions between strains will allow the high-throughput assessments of rhizobia winners and losers during plant interactions.
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5
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Freschet GT, Pagès L, Iversen CM, Comas LH, Rewald B, Roumet C, Klimešová J, Zadworny M, Poorter H, Postma JA, Adams TS, Bagniewska‐Zadworna A, Bengough AG, Blancaflor EB, Brunner I, Cornelissen JHC, Garnier E, Gessler A, Hobbie SE, Meier IC, Mommer L, Picon‐Cochard C, Rose L, Ryser P, Scherer‐Lorenzen M, Soudzilovskaia NA, Stokes A, Sun T, Valverde‐Barrantes OJ, Weemstra M, Weigelt A, Wurzburger N, York LM, Batterman SA, Gomes de Moraes M, Janeček Š, Lambers H, Salmon V, Tharayil N, McCormack ML. A starting guide to root ecology: strengthening ecological concepts and standardising root classification, sampling, processing and trait measurements. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:973-1122. [PMID: 34608637 PMCID: PMC8518129 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In the context of a recent massive increase in research on plant root functions and their impact on the environment, root ecologists currently face many important challenges to keep on generating cutting-edge, meaningful and integrated knowledge. Consideration of the below-ground components in plant and ecosystem studies has been consistently called for in recent decades, but methodology is disparate and sometimes inappropriate. This handbook, based on the collective effort of a large team of experts, will improve trait comparisons across studies and integration of information across databases by providing standardised methods and controlled vocabularies. It is meant to be used not only as starting point by students and scientists who desire working on below-ground ecosystems, but also by experts for consolidating and broadening their views on multiple aspects of root ecology. Beyond the classical compilation of measurement protocols, we have synthesised recommendations from the literature to provide key background knowledge useful for: (1) defining below-ground plant entities and giving keys for their meaningful dissection, classification and naming beyond the classical fine-root vs coarse-root approach; (2) considering the specificity of root research to produce sound laboratory and field data; (3) describing typical, but overlooked steps for studying roots (e.g. root handling, cleaning and storage); and (4) gathering metadata necessary for the interpretation of results and their reuse. Most importantly, all root traits have been introduced with some degree of ecological context that will be a foundation for understanding their ecological meaning, their typical use and uncertainties, and some methodological and conceptual perspectives for future research. Considering all of this, we urge readers not to solely extract protocol recommendations for trait measurements from this work, but to take a moment to read and reflect on the extensive information contained in this broader guide to root ecology, including sections I-VII and the many introductions to each section and root trait description. Finally, it is critical to understand that a major aim of this guide is to help break down barriers between the many subdisciplines of root ecology and ecophysiology, broaden researchers' views on the multiple aspects of root study and create favourable conditions for the inception of comprehensive experiments on the role of roots in plant and ecosystem functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grégoire T. Freschet
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleCNRS2 route du CNRS09200MoulisFrance
| | - Loïc Pagès
- UR 1115 PSHCentre PACA, site AgroparcINRAE84914Avignon cedex 9France
| | - Colleen M. Iversen
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science InstituteOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Louise H. Comas
- USDA‐ARS Water Management Research Unit2150 Centre Avenue, Bldg D, Suite 320Fort CollinsCO80526USA
| | - Boris Rewald
- Department of Forest and Soil SciencesUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesVienna1190Austria
| | - Catherine Roumet
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
| | - Jitka Klimešová
- Department of Functional EcologyInstitute of Botany CASDukelska 13537901TrebonCzech Republic
| | - Marcin Zadworny
- Institute of DendrologyPolish Academy of SciencesParkowa 562‐035KórnikPoland
| | - Hendrik Poorter
- Plant Sciences (IBG‐2)Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbHD‐52425JülichGermany
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNSW2109Australia
| | | | - Thomas S. Adams
- Department of Plant SciencesThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
| | - Agnieszka Bagniewska‐Zadworna
- Department of General BotanyInstitute of Experimental BiologyFaculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityUniwersytetu Poznańskiego 661-614PoznańPoland
| | - A. Glyn Bengough
- The James Hutton InstituteInvergowrie, Dundee,DD2 5DAUK
- School of Science and EngineeringUniversity of DundeeDundee,DD1 4HNUK
| | | | - Ivano Brunner
- Forest Soils and BiogeochemistrySwiss Federal Research Institute WSLZürcherstr. 1118903BirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Johannes H. C. Cornelissen
- Department of Ecological ScienceFaculty of ScienceVrije Universiteit AmsterdamDe Boelelaan 1085Amsterdam1081 HVthe Netherlands
| | - Eric Garnier
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
| | - Arthur Gessler
- Forest DynamicsSwiss Federal Research Institute WSLZürcherstr. 1118903BirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Institute of Terrestrial EcosystemsETH Zurich8092ZurichSwitzerland
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt PaulMN55108USA
| | - Ina C. Meier
- Functional Forest EcologyUniversity of HamburgHaidkrugsweg 122885BarsbütelGermany
| | - Liesje Mommer
- Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation GroupDepartment of Environmental SciencesWageningen University and ResearchPO Box 476700 AAWageningenthe Netherlands
| | | | - Laura Rose
- Station d’Ecologie Théorique et ExpérimentaleCNRS2 route du CNRS09200MoulisFrance
- Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F)Senckenberganlage 2560325Frankfurt am MainGermany
| | - Peter Ryser
- Laurentian University935 Ramsey Lake RoadSudburyONP3E 2C6Canada
| | | | - Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia
- Environmental Biology DepartmentInstitute of Environmental SciencesCMLLeiden UniversityLeiden2300 RAthe Netherlands
| | - Alexia Stokes
- INRAEAMAPCIRAD, IRDCNRSUniversity of MontpellierMontpellier34000France
| | - Tao Sun
- Institute of Applied EcologyChinese Academy of SciencesShenyang110016China
| | - Oscar J. Valverde‐Barrantes
- International Center for Tropical BotanyDepartment of Biological SciencesFlorida International UniversityMiamiFL33199USA
| | - Monique Weemstra
- CEFEUniv Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD1919 route de MendeMontpellier34293France
| | - Alexandra Weigelt
- Systematic Botany and Functional BiodiversityInstitute of BiologyLeipzig UniversityJohannisallee 21-23Leipzig04103Germany
| | - Nina Wurzburger
- Odum School of EcologyUniversity of Georgia140 E. Green StreetAthensGA30602USA
| | - Larry M. York
- Biosciences Division and Center for Bioenergy InnovationOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Sarah A. Batterman
- School of Geography and Priestley International Centre for ClimateUniversity of LeedsLeedsLS2 9JTUK
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem StudiesMillbrookNY12545USA
| | - Moemy Gomes de Moraes
- Department of BotanyInstitute of Biological SciencesFederal University of Goiás1974690-900Goiânia, GoiásBrazil
| | - Štěpán Janeček
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western Australia35 Stirling HighwayCrawley (Perth)WA 6009Australia
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Biological SciencesThe University of Western AustraliaCrawley (Perth)WAAustralia
| | - Verity Salmon
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science InstituteOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTN37831USA
| | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant and Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
| | - M. Luke McCormack
- Center for Tree ScienceMorton Arboretum, 4100 Illinois Rt. 53LisleIL60532USA
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Moreira JCF, Brum M, de Almeida LC, Barrera-Berdugo S, de Souza AA, de Camargo PB, Oliveira RS, Alves LF, Rosado BHP, Lambais MR. Asymbiotic nitrogen fixation in the phyllosphere of the Amazon forest: Changing nitrogen cycle paradigms. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 773:145066. [PMID: 33582326 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 01/06/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation is a key process for the maintenance of natural ecosystems productivity. In tropical forests, the contribution of asymbiotic nitrogen fixation (ANF) to the nitrogen (N) input has been underestimated, even though few studies have shown that ANF may be as important as symbiotic nitrogen fixation in such environments. The inputs and abiotic modulators of ANF in the Amazon forest are not completely understood. Here, we determined ANF rates and estimated the N inputs from ANF in the phyllosphere, litter and rhizospheric soil of nine tree species in the Amazon forest over time, including an extreme drought period induced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Our data showed that ANF rates in the phyllosphere were 2.8- and 17.6-fold higher than in the litter and rhizospheric soil, respectively, and was highly dependent on tree taxon. Sampling time was the major factor modulating ANF in all forest compartments. At the driest period, ANF rates were approximately 1.8-fold and 13.1-fold higher than at periods with higher rainfall, before and after the extreme drought period, respectively. Tree species was a key modulator of ANF in the phyllosphere, as well as N and Vanadium concentrations. Carbon, molybdenum and vanadium concentrations were significant modulators of ANF in the litter. Based on ANF rates at the three sampling times, we estimated that the N input in the Amazon forest through ANF in the phyllosphere, litter and rhizospheric soil, was between 0.459 and 0.714 kg N ha-1 yr-1. Our results highlight the importance of ANF in the phyllosphere for the N input in the Amazon forest, and suggest that changes in the patterns of ANF driven by large scale climatic events may impact total N inputs and likely alter forest productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mauro Brum
- Department of Plant Biology, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas -UNICAMP, PO Box 6109, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Lidiane Cordeiro de Almeida
- Department of Ecology, IBRAG, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), R. São Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, Sala 220, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Silvia Barrera-Berdugo
- Soil Science Department, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - André Alves de Souza
- Soil Science Department, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil
| | - Plínio Barbosa de Camargo
- Center for Nuclear Energy in Agriculture, University of São Paulo, 303 Centenário Avenue, Piracicaba, SP 13400-970, Brazil
| | - Rafael Silva Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas -UNICAMP, PO Box 6109, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Ferreira Alves
- Department of Plant Biology, Programa de Pós Graduação em Ecologia, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas -UNICAMP, PO Box 6109, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Bruno Henrique Pimentel Rosado
- Department of Ecology, IBRAG, Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), R. São Francisco Xavier, 524, PHLC, Sala 220, Maracanã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Marcio Rodrigues Lambais
- Soil Science Department, University of São Paulo, Av. Pádua Dias 11, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil.
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Cao Y, Tie D, Zhao JL, Wang XB, Yi JJ, Chai YF, Wang KF, Wang ET, Yue M. Diversity and distribution of Sophora davidii rhizobia in habitats with different irradiances and soil traits in Loess Plateau area of China. Syst Appl Microbiol 2021; 44:126224. [PMID: 34218028 DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2021.126224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the diversity and distribution of rhizobia associated with Sophora davidii in habitats with different light and soil conditions at the Loess Plateau, we isolated rhizobia from root nodules of this plant grown at 14 sites at forest edge or understory in Shaanxi Province. Based on PCR-RFLP and phylogenies of 16S rRNA gene, housekeeping genes (atpD, dnaK, recA), and symbiosis genes (nodC and nifH), a total of 271 isolates were identified as 16 Mesorhizobium genospecies, belonging to four nodC lineages, and three nifH lineages. The dominance of M. waimense in the forest edge and of M. amorphae/Mesorhizobium sp. X in the understory habitat evidenced the illumination as a possible factor to affect the diversity and biogeographic patterns of rhizobia. However, the results of Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) among the environmental factors and distribution of rhizobial genospecies illustrated that soil pH and contents of total phosphorus, total potassium and total organic carbon were the main determinants for the community structure of S. davidii rhizobia, while the illumination conditions and available P presented similar and minor effects. In addition, high similarity of nodC and nifH genes between Mesorhizobium robiniae and some S. davidii rhizobia under the forest of Robinia pseudoacacia might be evidence for symbiotic gene lateral transfer. These findings firstly brought an insight into the diversity and distribution of rhizobia associated with S. davidii, and revealed illumination conditions a possible factor with impacts less than the soil traits to drive the symbiosis association between rhizobia and their host legumes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Cao
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China.
| | - Dan Tie
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jia Le Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Xu Bo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Jun Jie Yi
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Yong Fu Chai
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Ke Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - En Tao Wang
- Departamento de Microbiología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, 11340, Cd. México, Mexico
| | - Ming Yue
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China; Department of Life Science, Northwest University, Taibai North Rd. 229, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, China.
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8
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Bueno A, Pritsch K, Simon J. Responses of native and invasive woody seedlings to combined competition and drought are species-specific. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:343-357. [PMID: 33079201 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/08/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Woody species invasions are a major threat to native communities with intensified consequences during increased periods of summer drought as predicted for the future. Competition for growth-limiting nitrogen (N) between native and invasive tree species might represent a key mechanism underlying the invasion process, because soil water availability and N acquisition of plants are closely linked. To study whether the traits of invasive species provide an advantage over natives in Central Europe in the competition for N under drought, we conducted a greenhouse experiment. We analyzed the responses of three native (i.e., Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus robur L. and Pinus sylvestris L.) and two invasive woody species (i.e., Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Robinia pseudoacacia L.) to competition in terms of their organic and inorganic N acquisition, as well as allocation of N to N pools in the leaves and fine roots. In our study, competition resulted in reduced growth and changes in internal N pools in both native and invasive species mediated by the physiological characteristics of the target species, the competitor, as well as soil water supply. Nitrogen acquisition, however, was not affected by competition indicating that changes in growth and N pools were rather linked to the remobilization of stored N. Drought led to reduced N acquisition, growth and total soluble protein-N levels, while total soluble amino acid-N levels increased, most likely as osmoprotectants as an adaptation to the reduced water supply. Generally, the consequences of drought were enhanced with competition across all species. Comparing the invasive competitors, P. serotina was a greater threat to the native species than R. pseudoacacia. Furthermore, deciduous and coniferous native species affected the invasives differently, with the species-specific responses being mediated by soil water supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Bueno
- Plant Interactions Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Karin Pritsch
- Institute of Biochemical Plant Pathology, Helmholtz Zentrum München, Deutsches Forschungszentrum für Gesundheit und Umwelt GmbH, Ingolstädter Landstrasse 1, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Neuherberg, Germany
| | - Judy Simon
- Plant Interactions Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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9
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McCulloch LA, Piotto D, Porder S. Drought and soil nutrients effects on symbiotic nitrogen fixation in seedlings from eight Neotropical legume species. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay A. McCulloch
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Brown University Providence Rhode Island USA
| | - Daniel Piotto
- Centro de Formação em Ciências Agroflorestais Universidade Federal do Sul da Bahia Ilhéus Bahia Brasil
| | - Stephen Porder
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Brown University Providence Rhode Island USA
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10
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McCulloch LA, Porder S. Lower nodule biomass with increased nitrogenase efficiency in Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings when grown under low soil phosphorus conditions. SN APPLIED SCIENCES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s42452-020-03518-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractSymbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation is the largest non-anthropogenic N input to many terrestrial ecosystems. The energetic expense of symbiotic N fixation suggests soil phosphorus (P) availability may regulate symbiotic nitrogen fixation directly through nodule development and function, and/or indirectly through plant growth. Since P availability is heterogenous in the landscape, we sought to understand if symbiotic nitrogen fixation responds to both P availability and heterogeneity. To test how P availability affects symbiotic nitrogen fixation, we grew Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings under high (8.1 g P m−2) and low (0.2 g P m−2) conditions. Soil P heterogeneity was simulated by splitting roots into soil patches receiving P or no-P fertilizer. At the whole plant level, P availability limited seedling and nodule biomass. However, the low P treatment had higher nitrogenase efficiency (acetylene reduced (AR) g−1 nodule; a nodule efficiency proxy). High P seedlings had significantly more root and nodule biomass in the patches directly receiving P fertilizer, but patch proliferation was absent in the low P treatment. AR g−1 seedling did not differ between P treatments, suggesting P indirectly limited symbiotic nitrogen fixation through plant growth, rather than directly limiting symbiotic nitrogen fixation. This relatively consistent AR g−1 seedling across treatments demonstrates the ability of seedlings to respond to low P conditions with increased nitrogenase efficiency.
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11
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More Than a Functional Group: Diversity within the Legume–Rhizobia Mutualism and Its Relationship with Ecosystem Function. DIVERSITY-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/d12020050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Studies of biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) have long focused on the role of nitrogen (N)-fixing legumes as a functional group that occupies a distinct and important niche relative to other plants. Because of their relationship with N-fixing rhizobial bacteria, these legumes access a different pool of N than other plants and therefore directly contribute to increases in productivity and N-cycling. Despite their recognized importance in the BEF literature, the field has not moved far beyond investigating the presence/absence of the legume functional group in species mixtures. Here, we synthesize existing information on how the diversity (species richness and functional diversity) of both legumes and the rhizobia that they host impact ecosystem functions, such as nitrogen fixation and primary productivity. We also discuss the often-overlooked reciprocal direction of the BEF relationship, whereby ecosystem function can influence legume and rhizobial diversity. We focus on BEF mechanisms of selection, complementarity, facilitation, competitive interference, and dilution effects to explain how diversity in the legume–rhizobia mutualism can have either positive or negative effects on ecosystem function—mechanisms that can operate at scales from rhizobial communities affecting individual legume functions to legume communities affecting landscape-scale ecosystem functions. To fully understand the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function, we must incorporate the full diversity of this mutualism and its reciprocal relationship with ecosystem function into our evolving BEF framework.
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12
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Minucci JM, Miniat CF, Wurzburger N. Drought sensitivity of an N 2 -fixing tree may slow temperate deciduous forest recovery from disturbance. Ecology 2019; 100:e02862. [PMID: 31386760 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Increased drought intensity and frequency due to climate change may reduce the abundance and activity of nitrogen (N2 )-fixing plants, which supply new N to terrestrial ecosystems. As a result, drought may indirectly reduce ecosystem productivity through its effect on the N cycle. Here, we manipulated growing season net rainfall across a series of plots in an early successional mesic deciduous forest to understand how drought affects the aboveground productivity of the N2 -fixing tree Robinia pseudoacacia and three co-occurring nonfixing tree species. We found that lower soil moisture was associated with reduced productivity of R. pseudoacacia but not of nonfixing trees. As a result, the relative biomass and density of R. pseudoacacia declined in drier soils over time. Greater aboveground biomass of R. pseudoacacia was also associated with greater total soil N, extractable inorganic N, N mineralization rates, and productivity of nonfixing trees. These soil N effects may reflect current N2 fixation by R. pseudoacacia saplings, or the legacy effect of former trees in the same location. Our results suggest that R. pseudoacacia promotes the growth of nonfixing trees in early succession through its effect on the N cycle. However, the sensitivity of R. pseudoacacia to dry soils may reduce N2 fixation under scenarios of increasing drought intensity and frequency, demonstrating a mechanism by which drought may indirectly diminish potential forest productivity and recovery rate from disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Minucci
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 East Green Street, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
| | - Chelcy F Miniat
- Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 3160 Coweeta Lab Road, Otto, North Carolina, 28763, USA
| | - Nina Wurzburger
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 East Green Street, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA
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13
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Bytnerowicz TA, Min E, Griffin KL, Menge DNL. Repeatable, continuous and real‐time estimates of coupled nitrogenase activity and carbon exchange at the whole‐plant scale. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A. Bytnerowicz
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York NY
| | - Elizabeth Min
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Columbia University Palisades NY
| | - Kevin L. Griffin
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York NY
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Columbia University Palisades NY
| | - Duncan N. L. Menge
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology Columbia University New York NY
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A Batterman
- School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. .,Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK. .,Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancon, Panama.
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15
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Dovrat G, Sheffer E. Symbiotic dinitrogen fixation is seasonal and strongly regulated in water-limited environments. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2019; 221:1866-1877. [PMID: 30299536 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 09/25/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Plants, especially perennials, growing in drylands and seasonally dry ecosystems are uniquely adapted to dry conditions. Legume shrubs and trees, capable of symbiotic dinitrogen (N2 ) fixation, often dominate in drylands. However, the strategies that allow symbiotic fixation in these ecosystems, and their influence on the nitrogen cycle, are largely unresolved. We evaluated the climatic, biogeochemical and ontogenetic factors influencing nitrogen fixation in an abundant Mediterranean legume shrub, Calicotome villosa. We measured nodulation, fixation rate, nitrogen allocation and soil biogeochemistry in three field sites over a full year. A controlled experiment evaluated differences in plant regulation of fixation as a function of soil nutrient availability and seedling and adult developmental stages. We found a strong seasonal pattern, shifting between high fixation rates during the rainy season at flowering and seed-set times to almost none in the rainless season. Under controlled conditions, plants downregulated fixation in response to soil nitrogen availability, but this response was stronger in seedlings than in adult shrubs. Finally, we did not find elevated soil nitrogen under N2 -fixing shrubs. We conclude that seasonal nitrogen fixation, regulation of fixation, and nitrogen conservation are key adaptations influencing the dominance of dryland legumes in the community, with broader consequences on the ecosystem nitrogen cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Dovrat
- Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
- Department of Natural Resources, Beef Cattle Section, Newe Ya'ar Research Center, Agricultural Research Organization, Ramat Yishay, 30095, Israel
| | - Efrat Sheffer
- Institute of Plant Science and Genetics in Agriculture, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, 7610001, Israel
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16
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Taylor BN, Menge DNL. Light regulates tropical symbiotic nitrogen fixation more strongly than soil nitrogen. NATURE PLANTS 2018; 4:655-661. [PMID: 30127409 DOI: 10.1038/s41477-018-0231-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/23/2018] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen limits primary production in almost every biome on Earth1,2. Symbiotic nitrogen fixation, conducted by certain angiosperms and their endosymbiotic bacteria, is the largest potential natural source of new nitrogen into the biosphere3, influencing global primary production, carbon sequestration and element cycling. Because symbiotic nitrogen fixation represents an alternative to soil nitrogen uptake, much of the work on symbiotic nitrogen fixation regulation has focused on soil nitrogen availability4-8. However, because symbiotic nitrogen fixation is an energetically expensive process9, light availability to the plant may also regulate symbiotic nitrogen fixation rates10,11. Despite the importance of symbiotic nitrogen fixation to biosphere functioning, the environmental factors that most strongly regulate this process remain unresolved. Here we show that light regulates symbiotic nitrogen fixation more strongly than does soil nitrogen and that light mediates the response of symbiotic nitrogen fixation to soil nitrogen availability. In a shadehouse experiment, low light levels (comparable with forest understories) completely shut down symbiotic nitrogen fixation, whereas soil nitrogen levels that far exceeded plant demand did not fully downregulate symbiotic nitrogen fixation at high light. For in situ forest seedlings, light was a notable predictor of symbiotic nitrogen fixation activity, but soil-extractable nitrogen was not. Light as a primary regulator of symbiotic nitrogen fixation is a departure from decades of focus on soil nitrogen availability. This shift in our understanding of symbiotic nitrogen fixation regulation can resolve a long-standing biogeochemical paradox12, and it will improve our ability to predict how symbiotic nitrogen fixation will fuel the global forest carbon sink and respond to human alteration of the global nitrogen cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benton N Taylor
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Duncan N L Menge
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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17
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Legume abundance along successional and rainfall gradients in Neotropical forests. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1104-1111. [PMID: 29807995 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0559-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The nutrient demands of regrowing tropical forests are partly satisfied by nitrogen-fixing legume trees, but our understanding of the abundance of those species is biased towards wet tropical regions. Here we show how the abundance of Leguminosae is affected by both recovery from disturbance and large-scale rainfall gradients through a synthesis of forest inventory plots from a network of 42 Neotropical forest chronosequences. During the first three decades of natural forest regeneration, legume basal area is twice as high in dry compared with wet secondary forests. The tremendous ecological success of legumes in recently disturbed, water-limited forests is likely to be related to both their reduced leaflet size and ability to fix N2, which together enhance legume drought tolerance and water-use efficiency. Earth system models should incorporate these large-scale successional and climatic patterns of legume dominance to provide more accurate estimates of the maximum potential for natural nitrogen fixation across tropical forests.
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18
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Drought Decreases Growth and Increases Mortality of Coexisting Native and Introduced Tree Species in a Temperate Floodplain Forest. FORESTS 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/f9040205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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19
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Ibáñez I, Zak DR, Burton AJ, Pregitzer KS. Anthropogenic nitrogen deposition ameliorates the decline in tree growth caused by a drier climate. Ecology 2018; 99:411-420. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2017] [Revised: 08/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Inés Ibáñez
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan 48109 USA
| | - Donald R. Zak
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology School for Environment and Sustainability University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan 48109 USA
| | - Andrew J. Burton
- School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science Michigan Technological University Houghton Michigan 49937 USA
| | - Kurt S. Pregitzer
- College of Natural Resources University of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844 USA
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20
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Liao W, Menge DNL, Lichstein JW, Ángeles-Pérez G. Global climate change will increase the abundance of symbiotic nitrogen-fixing trees in much of North America. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:4777-4787. [PMID: 28386964 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2016] [Revised: 01/30/2017] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Symbiotic nitrogen (N)-fixing trees can drive N and carbon cycling and thus are critical components of future climate projections. Despite detailed understanding of how climate influences N-fixation enzyme activity and physiology, comparatively little is known about how climate influences N-fixing tree abundance. Here, we used forest inventory data from the USA and Mexico (>125,000 plots) along with climate data to address two questions: (1) How does the abundance distribution of N-fixing trees (rhizobial, actinorhizal, and both types together) vary with mean annual temperature (MAT) and precipitation (MAP)? (2) How will changing climate shift the abundance distribution of N-fixing trees? We found that rhizobial N-fixing trees were nearly absent below 15°C MAT, but above 15°C MAT, they increased in abundance as temperature rose. We found no evidence for a hump-shaped response to temperature throughout the range of our data. Rhizobial trees were more abundant in dry than in wet ecosystems. By contrast, actinorhizal trees peaked in abundance at 5-10°C MAT and were least abundant in areas with intermediate precipitation. Next, we used a climate-envelope approach to project how N-fixing tree relative abundance might change in the future. The climate-envelope projection showed that rhizobial N-fixing trees will likely become more abundant in many areas by 2080, particularly in the southern USA and western Mexico, due primarily to rising temperatures. Projections for actinorhizal N-fixing trees were more nuanced due to their nonmonotonic dependence on temperature and precipitation. Overall, the dominant trend is that warming will increase N-fixing tree abundance in much of the USA and Mexico, with large increases up to 40° North latitude. The quantitative link we provide between climate and N-fixing tree abundance can help improve the representation of symbiotic N fixation in Earth System Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenying Liao
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Duncan N L Menge
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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21
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Minucci JM, Miniat CF, Teskey RO, Wurzburger N. Tolerance or avoidance: drought frequency determines the response of an N 2 -fixing tree. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:434-442. [PMID: 28394097 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 03/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is increasing drought frequency, which may affect symbiotic N2 fixation (SNF), a process that facilitates ecosystem recovery from disturbance. Here, we assessed the effect of drought frequency on the ecophysiology and SNF rate of a common N2 -fixing tree in eastern US forests. We grew Robinia pseudoacacia seedlings under the same mean soil moisture, but with different drought frequency caused by wet-dry cycles of varying periodicity. We found no effect of drought frequency on final biomass or mean SNF rate. However, seedlings responded differently to wet and dry phases depending on drought frequency. Under low-frequency droughts, plants fixed carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) at similar rates during wet and dry phases. Conversely, under high-frequency droughts, plants fixed C and N at low rates during dry phases and at high rates during wet phases. Our findings suggest that R. pseudoacacia growth is resistant to increased drought frequency because it employs two strategies - drought tolerance or drought avoidance, followed by compensation. SNF may play a role in both by supplying N to leaf tissues for acclimation and by facilitating compensatory growth following drought. Our findings point to SNF as a mechanism for plants and ecosystems to cope with drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey M Minucci
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green St, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Chelcy Ford Miniat
- Coweeta Hydrologic Lab, USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 3160 Coweeta Lab Rd, Otto, NC, 28763, USA
| | - Robert O Teskey
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, 180 E. Green St, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Nina Wurzburger
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 140 E. Green St, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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22
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Ji ZJ, Yan H, Cui QG, Wang ET, Chen WF, Chen WX. Competition between rhizobia under different environmental conditions affects the nodulation of a legume. Syst Appl Microbiol 2017; 40:114-119. [DOI: 10.1016/j.syapm.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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23
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Aridity, not fire, favors nitrogen‐fixing plants across tropical savanna and forest biomes. Ecology 2016; 97:2177-2183. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.1504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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24
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Schlesinger WH, Dietze MC, Jackson RB, Phillips RP, Rhoades CC, Rustad LE, Vose JM. Forest biogeochemistry in response to drought. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:2318-2328. [PMID: 26403995 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Trees alter their use and allocation of nutrients in response to drought, and changes in soil nutrient cycling and trace gas flux (N2 O and CH4 ) are observed when experimental drought is imposed on forests. In extreme droughts, trees are increasingly susceptible to attack by pests and pathogens, which can lead to major changes in nutrient flux to the soil. Extreme droughts often lead to more common and more intense forest fires, causing dramatic changes in the nutrient storage and loss from forest ecosystems. Changes in the future manifestation of drought will affect carbon uptake and storage in forests, leading to feedbacks to the Earth's climate system. We must improve the recognition of drought in nature, our ability to manage our forests in the face of drought, and the parameterization of drought in earth system models for improved predictions of carbon uptake and storage in the world's forests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C Dietze
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Robert B Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Y2E2 Building, 379B, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Richard P Phillips
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1 E 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Charles C Rhoades
- U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Lindsey E Rustad
- U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 271 Mast Rd, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - James M Vose
- U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Southern Research Station, NC State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
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25
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Adams MA, Turnbull TL, Sprent JI, Buchmann N. Legumes are different: Leaf nitrogen, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:4098-103. [PMID: 27035971 PMCID: PMC4839396 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1523936113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 134] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Using robust, pairwise comparisons and a global dataset, we show that nitrogen concentration per unit leaf mass for nitrogen-fixing plants (N2FP; mainly legumes plus some actinorhizal species) in nonagricultural ecosystems is universally greater (43-100%) than that for other plants (OP). This difference is maintained across Koppen climate zones and growth forms and strongest in the wet tropics and within deciduous angiosperms. N2FP mostly show a similar advantage over OP in nitrogen per leaf area (Narea), even in arid climates, despite diazotrophy being sensitive to drought. We also show that, for most N2FP, carbon fixation by photosynthesis (Asat) and stomatal conductance (gs) are not related to Narea-in distinct challenge to current theories that place the leaf nitrogen-Asat relationship at the center of explanations of plant fitness and competitive ability. Among N2FP, only forbs displayed an Narea-gs relationship similar to that for OP, whereas intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi; Asat/gs) was positively related to Narea for woody N2FP. Enhanced foliar nitrogen (relative to OP) contributes strongly to other evolutionarily advantageous attributes of legumes, such as seed nitrogen and herbivore defense. These alternate explanations of clear differences in leaf N between N2FP and OP have significant implications (e.g., for global models of carbon fluxes based on relationships between leaf N and Asat). Combined, greater WUE and leaf nitrogen-in a variety of forms-enhance fitness and survival of genomes of N2FP, particularly in arid and semiarid climates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Andrew Adams
- Centre for Carbon Water and Food, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, University of Sydney, Brownlow Hill, 2570 NSW, Australia;
| | - Tarryn L Turnbull
- Centre for Carbon Water and Food, Faculty of Agriculture and Environment, University of Sydney, Brownlow Hill, 2570 NSW, Australia
| | - Janet I Sprent
- Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at James Hutton Institute, Dundee DD2 5DA, Scotland
| | - Nina Buchmann
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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26
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Molina-Montenegro MA, Galleguillos C, Oses R, Acuña-Rodríguez IS, Lavín P, Gallardo-Cerda J, Torres-Díaz C, Diez B, Pizarro GE, Atala C. Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and competitive ability deployed under a climate change scenario may promote the invasion of Poa annua in Antarctica. Biol Invasions 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-015-1033-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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