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Nitrogen dynamics in oak model ecosystems subjected to air warming and drought on two different soils
Author(s) -
Kuster T. M.,
Schleppi P.,
Hu B.,
Schulin R.,
GünthardtGoerg M. S.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 1435-8603
DOI - 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2012.00686.x
Subject(s) - soil water , ecosystem , biomass (ecology) , global warming , agronomy , precipitation , environmental science , biology , climate change , quercus robur , atmospheric sciences , ecology , geography , meteorology , geology
Being tolerant to heat and drought, oaks are promising candidates for future forestry in view of climate change in C entral E urope. Air warming is expected to increase, and drought decrease soil N availability and thus N supply to trees. Here, we conducted a model ecosystem experiment, in which mixed stands of young oaks ( Q uercus robur , Q . petraea and Q . pubescens ) were grown on two different soils and subjected to four climate treatments during three growing seasons: air warming by 1–2 °C, drought periods (average precipitation reduction of 43–60%), a combination of these two treatments, and a control. In contrast to our hypotheses, neither air warming nor drought significantly affected N availability, whereas total amounts, vertical distribution and availability of soil N showed substantial differences between the two soils. While air warming had no effect on tree growth and N accumulation, the drought treatment reduced tree growth and increased, or tended to increase, N accumulation in the reduced biomass, indicating that growth was not limited by N . Furthermore, 15 N ‐labelling revealed that this accumulation was associated with an increased uptake of nitrate. On the basis of our results, climate change effects on N dynamics are expected to be less important in oak stands than reduced soil water availability.