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Inter‐specific variability in organic nitrogen uptake of three temperate grassland species
Author(s) -
Weigelt Alexandra,
King Rosalind,
Bol Roland,
Bardgett Richard D.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
journal of plant nutrition and soil science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.644
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1522-2624
pISSN - 1436-8730
DOI - 10.1002/jpln.200320322
Subject(s) - holcus lanatus , lolium perenne , agronomy , soil fertility , soil water , biology , grassland , temperate climate , festuca rubra , nutrient , pasture , botany , agrostis , poaceae , chemistry , ecology
We tested the inter‐specific variability in the ability of three dominant grasses of temperate grasslands to take up organic nitrogen (N) in the form of amino acids in soils of differing fertility. Amino acid uptake was determined by injecting dual labeled glycine‐2‐ 13 C‐ 15 N into the soil, and then measuring the enrichment of both 13 C and 15 N in plant tissue after 50 hours. We found enrichment of both 13 C and 15 N in root and shoot material of all species in both soils, providing first evidence for direct uptake of glycine. We show that there was considerable inter‐specific variability in amino acid uptake in the low fertility soil. Here, direct uptake of amino acid was greater in the grass Agrostis capillaris , which typically dominates low fertility grassland, than Lolium perenne , which inhabits more fertile sites. Direct uptake of amino acid for Holcus lanatus. was intermediate between the above two species. Unlike in the low fertility soil, there was no difference in uptake of either 13 C or 15 N by grasses in the high fertility soil, where uptake of mineral N is thought to be the major mechanism of N uptake of these grasses. Overall, our findings may contribute to our understanding of differences in competitive interactions between grasses in soils of different fertility status.