Nitrogen and phosphorus translocation of forest floor mosses as affected by a pulse of these nutrients

Aims Mosses are dominant in many ecosystems where nutrients from deposition are one of the main nutrient sources. However, it is difficult to evaluate mosses’ role in nutrient cycling without knowledge of how mosses use deposited nutrient inputs. To fill this gap, the present study aims to investigate: (i) how nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations of new-grown segments change along a gradient of N or P amount in a pulse treatment? (ii) how do a pulse of major nutrient (N or P) affect N or P translocation rate along a moss shoot? and (iii) to what extent do N or P translocation rates link to nutrient status of the new-grown segments of mosses?