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Spatial and physical heterogeneity of N supply from soil does not influence N capture by two grass species
Author(s) -
Hodge A.,
Stewart J.,
Robinson D.,
Griffiths B. S.,
Fitter A. H.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
functional ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.272
H-Index - 154
eISSN - 1365-2435
pISSN - 0269-8463
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2435.2000.t01-1-00470.x
Subject(s) - lolium perenne , poa pratensis , monoculture , shoot , biology , agronomy , perennial plant , botany , poaceae
Abstract 1. Plant responses after addition of nitrogen‐rich complex organic material ( Lolium perenne L. shoots), differing in physical (coarsely cut or finely ground) and spatial (uniform dispersion or discrete patches) heterogeneity, were examined. 2. The organic material was added to microcosm units containing L. perenne and Poa pratensis L. as monocultures or mixed swards in order to examine how species composition affected exploitation of the added 15 N‐labelled N source. 3. Capture of N (as 15 N) from the organic material was followed by harvesting individual shoots. Poa pratensis captured more N from the added material when in mixtures with L. perenne than when in monoculture, particularly from the milled material. Capture of N by L. perenne shoots was not affected by either sward composition or method of organic material placement. 4. At final harvest (70 days after addition of the organic material), roots from P. pratensis monocultures had greater dry weights, lengths and N contents than those from L. perenne monocultures; P. pratensis shoot dry weights were also greater. 5. Capture by swards of N from the added organic material was the same (≈26% of that originally available) regardless of sward composition or organic material placement. However, within the mixed swards P. pratensis captured more N than L. perenne (≈18 and 9%, respectively).