Differential water resource use by herbaceous and woody plant life-forms in a shortgrass steppe community

We conducted a study to test the predictions of Walter's two-layer model in the shortgrass steppe of northeastern Colorado. The model suggests that grasses and woody plants use water resources from different layers of the soil profile. Four plant removal treatments were applied in the spring of 1996 within a plant community codominated by Atriplex canescens (a C₄ shrub) and Bouteloua gracilis (a C₄ grass). During the subsequent growing season, soil water content was monitored to a depth of 180 cm. In addition, stem and leaf tissue of Atriplex, Bouteloua and the streamside tree Populus sargentii were collected monthly during the growing seasons of 1995 and 1996 for analysis of the δ¹⁸O value of plant stem water (for comparison with potential water sources) and the δ¹³C value of leaves (as an indicator of plant water status). Selective removal of shrubs did not significantly increase water storage at any depth in the measured soil profile. Selective removal of the herbaceous understory (mainly grasses) increased water storage in the top 60 cm of the soil. Some of this water gradually percolated to lower layers, where it was utilized by the shrubs. Based on stem water δ¹⁸O values, grasses were exclusively using spring and summer rain extracted from the uppermost soil layers. In contrast, trees were exclusively using groundwater, and the consistent δ¹³C values of tree leaves over the course of the summer indicated no seasonal changes in gas exchange and therefore minimal water stress in this life-form. Based on anecdotal rooting-depth information and initial measurements of stem water δ¹⁸O, shrubs may have also had access to groundwater. However, their overall δ¹⁸O values indicated that they mainly used water from spring and summer precipitation events, extracted from subsurface soil layers. These findings indicate that the diversity of life-forms found in this shortgrass steppe community may be a function of the spatial partitioning of soil water resources, and their differential use by grasses, shrubs, and trees. Consequently, our findings support the two-layer model in a broad sense, but indicate a relatively flexible strategy of water acquisition by shrubs. Received: 23 December 1997 / Accepted: 16 September 1998     

Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities associated with Pinus thunbergii in the eastern coastal pine forests of Korea

We investigated the ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungal colonization status of Pinus thunbergii mature trees and regenerating seedlings varying in age in coastal pine forests on the east coast of Korea. We established one 20 × 20-m plot at each of two study sites at P. thunbergii coastal forests in Samcheok. Fifty soil blocks (5 × 5 × 15 cm) were sampled at regular intervals, and ten P. thunbergii seedlings of age 0, 1–3, 3–5, and 5–10 years were sampled in each study plot. In total of 27 ECM fungal taxa, Cenococcum geophilum was dominant, followed by Russula sp., Sebacina sp., and unidentified Cortinuris sp. in mature trees. In 0-year-old seedlings, some fungal species such as Sebacina sp., C. geophilum, and unidentified Cortinarius sp. were dominant whereas only C. geophilum was dominant after 1 year, and there were no apparent succession patterns in ECM fungal compositions beyond a host age of 1 year. Most ECM fungal taxa that had colonized seedlings of each age class were also observed in roots of mature trees in each site. These taxa accounted for 86.7–100% and 96.4–98.4% of ECM abundance in seedlings and mature trees, respectively. The results indicate that the species composition of ECM fungal taxa colonizing seedlings of different age in forests is similar to that of surrounding mature trees. Our results also showed that C. geophilum is a common and dominant ECM fungus in P. thunbergii coastal forests and might play a significant role in their regeneration.     

Tree proximity,soil pathways and common mycorrhizal networks: their influence on the utilization of redistributed water by understory seedlings

Hydraulic redistribution (HR) is a process by which water moves through plant roots from moist to dry soils. An experiment was conducted to quantify the influence of common mycorrhizal networks (CMNs) and proximity to mature HR-source trees on the water relations of surrounding seedlings. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var glauca (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings were planted at four distances (0.5, 1, 2.5, and 5 m) from six mature Douglas-fir trees, either directly into soil (soil plus CMN pathway) or inside 0.5 μm mesh bags (soil-only pathway). Deuterated water was used to irrigate soil beside mature trees in order to identify different HR water pathways to surrounding seedlings. This was followed by measurements of seedling deuterium enrichment, seedling water potential, soil water potential_, gravimetric soil water content, and tree root density surrounding the seedlings. There was no significantly detectable difference in the quantity of HR water transferred to seedlings having access to soil and CMN pathways or soil-only pathways of water movement. Water from the irrigation plot contributed up to 1.4% of the water of Douglas-fir seedlings. Based on the assumption that the only pathway through which seedlings could access irrigation water was through the mature trees, we estimate that as much as 21.6% of the seedling water was supplied by the nearby tree. Seedling water potential was not significantly affected either by proximity to mature trees or pathway, suggesting HR may have compensated for increasing tree competitive effects with proximity. It is also possible that the lack of difference was due to a relatively moist summer. Our results suggest that residual mature trees are potentially important for hydraulic redistribution to regenerating seedlings in harvested dry interior Douglas-fir forests.     

Root niche partitioning among grasses, saplings, and trees measured using a tracer technique

Niche partitioning of resources by plants is believed to be a fundamental aspect of plant coexistence and biogeochemical cycles; however, measurements of the timing and location of resource use are often lacking because of the difficulties of belowground research. To measure niche partitioning of soil water by grasses, planted saplings, and trees in a mesic savanna (Kruger National Park, South Africa), we injected deuterium oxide into 102,000 points in 15, 154-m² plots randomly assigned to one of five depths (0–120 cm) and one of three time periods during the 2008/2009 growing season. Grasses, saplings and trees all demonstrated an exponential decline in water uptake early in the season when resources were abundant. Later in the season, when resources were scarce, grasses continued to extract the most water from the shallowest soil depths (5 cm), but saplings and trees shifted water uptake to deeper depths (30–60 cm). Saplings, in particular, rapidly established roots to at least 1 m and used these deep roots to a greater extent than grasses or trees. Helping to resolve contradictory observations of the relative importance of deep and shallow roots, our results showed that grasses, saplings and trees all extract the most water from shallow soils when it is available but that woody plants can rapidly shift water uptake to deeper soils when resources are scarce. Results highlight the importance of temporal changes in water uptake and the problems with inferring spatial and temporal partitioning of soil water uptake from root biomass measurements alone.     

Ectomycorrhizal fungal communities on seedlings and conspecific trees of Pinus mugo grown on the coastal dunes of the Curonian Spit in Lithuania

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities of mature trees and regenerating seedlings of a non-native tree species Pinus mugo grown in a harsh environment of the coastal region of the Curonian Spit National Park in Lithuania were assessed. We established three study sites (S1, S2, and S3) that were separated from each other by 15 km. The ECM species richness was rather low in particular for mature, 100-year-old trees: 12 ectomycorrhizal taxa were identified by molecular analysis from 11 distinguished morphotypes. All 12 taxa were present on seedlings and on mature trees, with between 8–11 and 9–11 taxa present on seedlings and mature trees, respectively. Cenococcum geophilum dominated all ECM communities, but the relative abundance of C. geophilum mycorrhizas was nearly two times higher on seedlings than on mature trees. Mycorrhizal associations formed by Wilcoxina sp., Lactarius rufus, and Russula paludosa were also abundant. Several fungal taxa were only occasionally detected, including Cortinarius sp., Cortinarius obtusus, Cortinarius croceus, and Meliniomyces sp. Shannon’s diversity indices for the ECM assemblages of P. mugo ranged from 0.98 to 1.09 for seedling and from 1.05 to 1.31 for mature trees. According to analysis of similarity, the mycorrhizal communities were similar between the sites (R = 0.085; P = 0.06) and only slightly separated between seedlings and mature trees (R = 0.24; P < 0.0001). An incidental fruiting body survey that was conducted weakly reflected the below-ground assessment of the ECM fungal community and once again showed that ECM and fruiting body studies commonly supply different partial accounts of the true ECM fungal diversity. Our results show that P. mugo has moved into quite distinct habitats and is able to adapt a suite of ECM symbionts that sufficiently support growth and development of this tree and allow for natural seedling regeneration.     

Effects of timing of precipitation and acorn harvest date on emergence of Quercus emoryi

Abstract. Germination of semi-arid Quercus is strongly correlated with the rainy season. However, the timing and amount of summer precipitation in the southwestern United States is extremely variable. Ongoing and impending changes in global and regional climates are likely to increase this variability. Specifically, anthropogenically induced changes in general circulation patterns may alter the seasonal distribution of precipitation in a directional manner. In addition to climatic variability, the inter- and intra-annual variability of Quercus emoryi Torr. (Emory oak) acorn maturation also is high. Therefore, in light of existing climatic variability and potential future climate change, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate the effects of acorn maturation date and the timing of the onset of the ‘monsoon’ on emergence of Q. emoryi seedlings. Acorns were collected at weekly intervals in July of 1995 and 1996, planted in a greenhouse, and subjected to different watering treatments. Watering treatments were (1) acorns watered the same day as planting; (2) acorns watered two weeks after planting; (3) acorns watered four weeks after planting. Emergence in 1995 was significantly greater in the last week of acorn maturation and decreased significantly as time to the onset of the ‘monsoon’ increased. Emergence in 1996 was very low, presumably because of soil moisture contents that were lower than those observed in 1995. The dependence of Q. emoryi on water for emergence has profound implications for Q. emoryi recruitment in the face of current climatic variability and future climate change. Summers with a delayed ‘monsoon’ and decreased soil moisture may severely constrain recruitment of this woody plant.     

Hydraulic lift and water use by plants: implications for water balance,performance and plant-plant interactions

During drought periods, sugar maple (Acer saccharum) demonstrates hydraulic lift; nocturnal uptake of water by roots from deep soil layers that is released from shallow roots into upper soil layers. Using standard water relations methods and stable hydrogen isotope analysis of both source-water and plant-water, I investigated (1) the magnitude and radial extent of hydraulic lift by mature, relatively open-grown trees, of A. saccharum, (2) the proportion of hydraulically-lifted water (HLW) used by shallow-rooted neighbors growing at different distances from target trees, and (3) the influence that this water source had on stomatal conductance to water vapor (g), water balance and growth of these neighbors. Soil water potentials (_s) at –20 and –35 cm showed a distinct diel fluctuation. Soil pits dug beneath three mature trees revealed a distinct hard-pan (e.g. fragipan) layer at a depth of approximately 50 cm. Examination of root distributions obtained from soil cores and soil pits revealed that some larger diameter roots (1.9–3.7 cm) did penetrate the fragipan and were established in the ground water table. The presence of the fragipan indicated that the rewetting of the upper soil layer during the night could not be explained by capillary rise from the shallow water table; it was the trees that were taking up ground water and then redepositing it at night into the upper 35 cm of soil, above the fragipan. The greatest fluctuations in _s occurred within 2.5 m of trees and only extended out to approximately 5 m. Application of a two-end-member linear mixing model which used stable hydrogen isotopic data obtained from environmental water sources and xylem-sap demonstrated that all neighbors used some fraction (3–60%) of HLW supplied by sugar maple trees. Plants that used a high proportion of HLW (e.g. rhizomatous or stoloniferous perennials) maintained significantly higher leaf water potentials and g, and showed greater aboveground growth when compared with (i) neighbors that used little or no HLW or (ii) conspecifics found growing at distances greater than about 3 m away from maple trees. Three important conclusions can be drawn from the results of this investigation that have not been demonstrated before: (1) hydraulic lift need not only occur in arid or semi-arid environments where chronic water deficits prevail, but can be important in relatively mesic environments when subjected to periodic soil water deficits, (2) that plants neighboring trees which conduct hydraulic lift can use a significant proportion of this water source, and (3) that the HLW source can effectively ameliorate the influence of drought on the performance and growth of neighboring vegetation. The results are also discussed in terms of their influence on plant nutrient relations (including plant-mycorrhizal associations), the nature of plant-plant interactions and the water balance of individuals, communities and floristic regions.     

Changes in drought response strategies with ontogeny in Quercus rubra: implications for scaling from seedlings to mature trees

We investigated scaling of physiological parameters between age classes of Quercus rubra by combining in situ field measurements with an experimental approach. In the in situ field study, we investigated changes in drought response with age in seedlings, juveniles, and mature trees of Q. rubra. Throughout the particularly dry summer of 1995 and the unusually wet summer of 1996 in New England, we measured water potential of leaves (Ψ_Leaf) and gas exchange of plants at three sites at the Harvard Forest in Petersham, Massachusetts. In order to determine what fraction of the measured differences in gas exchange between seedlings and mature trees was due to environment versus ontogeny, an experiment was conducted in which seedlings were grown under light and soil moisture regimes simulating the environment of mature trees. The photosynthetic capacity of mature trees was three-fold greater than that of seedlings during the wet year, and six-fold greater during the drought year. The seedling experiment demonstrated that the difference in photosynthetic capacity between seedlings and mature trees is comprised equally of an environmental component (50%) and an ontogenetic component (50%) in the absence of water limitation. Photosynthesis was depressed more severely in seedlings than in mature trees in the drought year relative to the wet year, while juveniles showed an intermediate response. Throughout the drought, the predawn leaf water potential (Ψ_PD) of seedlings became increasingly negative (–0.4 to –1.6 MPa), while that of mature trees became only slightly more negative (–0.2 to –0.5 MPa). Again, juveniles showed an intermediate response (–0.25 to –0.8 MPa). During the wet summer of 1996, however, there was no difference in Ψ_PD between seedlings, juveniles and mature trees. During the dry summer of 1995, seedlings were more responsive to a major rain event than mature trees in terms of Ψ_Leaf , suggesting that the two age classes depend on different water sources. In all age classes, instantaneous measurements of intrinsic water use efficiency (WUE_i), defined as C assimilation rate divided by stomatal conductance, increased as the drought progressed, and all age classes had higher WUE_i during the drought year than in the wet year. Mature trees, however, showed a greater ability to increase their WUE_i in response to drought. Integrated measurements of WUE from C isotope discrimination (Δ) of leaves indicated higher WUE in mature trees than juveniles and seedlings. Differences between years, however, could not be distinguished, probably due to the strong bias in C isotope fractionation at the time of leaf production, which occurred prior to the onset of drought conditions in 1995. From this study, we arrive at two main conclusions: Received: 14 July 1999 / Accepted: 10 January 2000     

Effects of Quercus emoryi on herbaceous vegetation in a semi-arid savanna

Ten trees (5–70 m² canopy area) were selected to determine effects of tree size (crown area) on herbaceous species composition and biomass in a Quercus emoryi savanna in southeastern Arizona. Consistent with most studies in temperate savannas, herbaceous biomass was reduced beneath the canopy relative to grassland areas. However, tree size appeared to exert no influence over herbaceous biomass. In contrast to most temperate savannas, Q. emoryi trees did not affect distribution of herbaceous species.     

Water sources accessed by arid zone riparian trees in highly saline environments,Australia

The flow regimes of arid zone rivers are often highly variable, and shallow groundwater in the alluvial aquifers can be very saline, thus constraining the availability and quality of the major water sources available to riparian trees—soil water, shallow groundwater and stream water. We have identified water sources and strategies used by riparian trees in more highly saline and arid conditions than previously studied for riparian trees of arid zone rivers. Our research focused on the riparian species Eucalyptus coolabah, one of the major riparian trees of ephemeral arid zone rivers in Australia. The water sources available to this riparian tree were examined using δ¹⁸O isotope data from xylem, soil water, groundwater and surface water. Additionally, soil chloride and matric potential data were used to infer zones of water availability for root uptake. Despite the saline conditions, the trees used a mixture of soil water and groundwater sources, but they did not use surface water directly. The study identified three strategies used to cope with typically high groundwater and soil water salinities. Firstly, the trees preferentially grow in zones of most frequent flushing by infiltrating streamflow, such as the bank-tops of channels. Secondly, the trees limit water use by having low transpiration rates. Thirdly, the trees are able to extract water at very low osmotic potentials, with water uptake continuing at chloride concentrations of at least 20,000–30,000 mg L⁻¹.     

Patterns of woody plant abundance,recruitment, mortality,and growth in a 65 year chronosequence of old-fields

We surveyed vegetation along forest margins in a 65-year chronosequence of old-fields at the Cedar Creek Natural History Area in east-central Minnesota, USA, to identify successional patterns of woody plants and to determine if these were correlated with soil nitrogen. We predicted that shrub and tree abundance, size, and distance of occurrence from the forest edge would be correlated with field age or soil nitrogen. Instead we did not find successional trends in the abundance or composition of woody species. Even in the oldest field the abundance of trees and shrubs was low and concentrated in areas close to the forest. Though trees were larger and present further from the forest edges in older fields, average tree height was less than 126 cm in all fields.Since we did not find successional trends we looked at various local factors (local seed sources, deer browsing, and forest edge aspect) and their relation to recruitment, mortality, or growth to explain variation among fields in abundance of trees or shrubs. The three most common tree species (Quercus rubra, Q. macrocarpa,and Populus tremuloides) all had a higher relative abundance of seedlings, and two (Q. rubra and Q. macrocarpa) had a higher relative abundance of large trees adjacent to forests with a high abundance of conspecific adults. Most trees taller than 20 cm were browsed by deer and were shorter in 1995 than they were in 1993. Mortality was higher for trees less than 30 cm indicating that mortality was size-dependent. Forest edge aspect did not significantly influence the abundance or demography of any species. Our results suggest that the patterns of seedling recruitment were largely determined by the proximity of seed sources and that these patterns may persist so that tree communities in old-fields resemble adjacent forests. Deer may be a significant factor in the suppression of tree populations in old-fields through repeated browsing which reduces tree growth and elevates tree mortality by prolonging the period of time trees remain susceptible to size-dependent mortality.     

Small differences in root distributions allow resource niche partitioning

1. Deep roots have long been thought to allow trees to coexist with shallow‐rooted grasses. However, data demonstrating how root distributions affect water uptake and niche partitioning are uncommon.
2. We describe tree and grass root distributions using a depth‐specific tracer experiment six times over two years in a subtropical savanna, Kruger National Park, South Africa. These point‐in‐time measurements were then used in a soil water flow model to simulate continuous water uptake by depth and plant growth form (trees and grasses) across two growing seasons. This allowed estimates of the total amount of water a root distribution could absorb as well as the amount of water a root distribution could absorb in excess of the other rooting distribution (i.e., unique hydrological niche).
3. Most active tree and grass roots were in shallow soils: The mean depth of water uptake was 22 cm for trees and 17 cm for grasses. Slightly deeper rooting distributions provided trees with 5% more soil water than the grasses in a drier season, but 13% less water in a wetter season. Small differences also provided each rooting distribution (tree or grass) with unique hydrological niches of 4 to 13 mm water.
4. The effect of rooting distributions has long been inferred. By quantifying the depth and timing of water uptake, we demonstrated how even small differences in rooting distributions can provide plants with resource niches that can contribute to species coexistence. Differences in total water uptake and unique hydrological niche sizes were small in this system, but they indicated that tradeoffs in rooting strategies can be expected to contribute to tree and grass coexistence because 1) competitive advantages change over time and 2) plant growth forms always have access to a soil resource pool that is not available to the other plant growth form.

     

Water source partitioning among trees growing on shallow karst soils in a seasonally dry tropical climate

The sources of water used by woody vegetation growing on karst soils in seasonally dry tropical regions are little known. In northern Yucatan (Mexico), trees withstand 4–6 months of annual drought in spite of the small water storage capacity of the shallow karst soil. We hypothesized that adult evergreen trees in Yucatan tap the aquifer for a reliable supply of water during the prolonged dry season. The naturally occurring concentration gradients in oxygen and hydrogen stable isotopes in soil, bedrock, groundwater and plant stem water were used to determine the sources of water used by native evergreen and drought-deciduous tree species. While the trees studied grew over a permanent water table (9–20 m depth), pit excavation showed that roots were largely restricted to the upper 2 m of the soil/bedrock profile. At the peak of the dry season, the δ¹⁸O signatures of potential water sources for the vegetation ranged from 4.1 ± 1.1‰ in topsoil to −4.3 ± 0.1‰ in groundwater. The δ¹⁸O values of tree stem water ranged from −2.8 ± 0.3‰ in Talisia olivaeformis to 0.8 ± 1‰ in Ficus cotinifolia, demonstrating vertical partitioning of soil/bedrock water among tree species. Stem water δ¹⁸O values were significantly different from that of groundwater for all the tree species investigated. Stem water samples plotted to the right of the meteoric water line, indicating utilization of water sources subject to evaporative isotopic enrichment. Foliar δ¹³C in adult trees varied widely among species, ranging from −25.3 ± 0.3‰ in Enterolobium cyclocarpum to −28.7 ± 0.4‰ in T. olivaeformis. Contrary to initial expectations, data indicate that native trees growing on shallow karst soils in northern Yucatan use little or no groundwater and depend mostly on water stored within the upper 2–3 m of the soil/bedrock profile. Water storage in subsurface soil-filled cavities and in the porous limestone bedrock is apparently sufficient to sustain adult evergreen trees throughout the pronounced dry season.     

The partitioning of water uptake between growth forms in a Neotropical savanna: do herbs exploit a third water source niche?

In addition to trees and grasses, the savannas of central Brazil are characterised by a diverse herbaceous dicot flora. Here we tested whether the coexistence of a highly diversified assemblage of species resulted in stratification or strong overlap in the use of soil water resources. We measured oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios of stem water from herbs, grasses and trees growing side by side, as well as the isotopic composition of water in soil profile, groundwater and rainfall, and predawn (Ψ_pd) and midday (Ψ_md) leaf water potentials. We used a stable isotope mixing model to estimate vertical partitioning of soil water by the three growth forms. Grasses relied on shallow soil water (5–50 cm) and were strongly anisohydric. Ψ_pd and Ψ_md decreased significantly from the wet to the dry season. Trees extracted water from deeper regions of the soil profile (60–120 cm) and were isohydric. Ψ_pd and Ψ_md did not change from the wet to the dry season. Herbs overlapped with grasses in patterns of water extraction in the dry season (between 10 and 40 cm), but they took up water at soil depths intermediate (70–100 cm) to those of trees and grasses during the wet season. They showed seasonal changes in Ψ_pd but not in Ψ_md. We conclude that vertical partitioning of soil water may have contributed to coexistence of these three growth forms and resulted in a more complex pattern of soil water extraction than the two‐compartment model of soil water uptake currently used to explain the structure and function of tropical savanna ecosystems.     

EFFECTS OF SOIL WATER DISTRIBUTION ON THE LATERAL ROOT DEVELOPMENT OF THREE SPECIES OF CALIFORNIA OAKS

The responses of seedling root systems of three species of oaks in California to two experimental soil moisture regimes were studied by comparing lateral root development, root and shoot weights, and root: shoot ratios. In the first soil moisture treatment the taproot was allowed to extend into moist soil throughout the duration of the experiment (control), while in the second treatment (shallow) the taproot grew into a dry substrate below 30 cm of moist soil. The treatments were intended to approximate soil moisture conditions experienced by oak seedlings in the field when deep soil water sources vary in their accessibility (control: accessible, shallow: inaccessible). Lateral root growth of Quercus agrifolia did not increase significantly when the primary root tip died in the shallow treatment, resulting in an overall decrease in the percent of the root system composed of lateral roots. Q. douglasii and Q. lobata increased lateral root weights by 80% and 70%, respectively, on the upper 30 cm of the primary root when the primary root tip died. Q. lobata was the only species that decreased in shoot and root weight (25% and 21%, respectively) with the loss of the root tip, indicating that, unlike the other species, it was dependent on the primary root for maximum growth. The morphological responses of these species correspond with their distributions and also may be a factor that influences their interactions with other species.     

Morphology of caryopses,seedlings and seedling emergence of the grass Calamovilfa longifolia from various depths in sand

Summary The spikelets of the grass Calamovilfa longifolia (Hook) Scribn. are one flowered and the dispersal unit is composed of a caryopsis (3.5 mm long and 0.9 mm wide) enclosed in lemma and palea. The highest germination of caryopses and emergence of seedlings occurred from 1–2 cm depths and seedling emergence decreased with increasing depth of burial. The maximum depth of sand from which a seedling can emerge is about 8 cm. Seedlings emerging from deep locations had first internodes which were more elongated than those of seedlings from more shallow plantings. Coleoptile lengths of seedlings from shallow or deeply buried caryopses were similar.     

Soil seed banks of fringing salt lake vegetation in arid Western Australia – density,composition and implications for postmine restoration using topsoil

Although studies of seed banks in arid ecosystems are commonplace, they are lacking for the large arid zone of Western Australia. Across the six major plant communities fringing a large salt lake within this zone, topsoil (0–5 cm depth) was collected from 12 to 36 sites per community. Samples were dried, spread out on a bed of vermiculite in seedling trays and placed in a well‐watered glasshouse to determine the readily germinable component of the soil seed bank. Subsamples of topsoil were treated with smoke water, hot water or flooding to help determine seed bank of species with dormancy mechanisms. As with other studies of arid seed banks, large numbers of grasses and forbs emerged from the topsoil, with relatively small numbers of woody perennial species and hummock grasses (Triodia spp.) present, even in communities where such species were dominant. There were, however, a few exceptions where a reasonable density of dominant trees/shrub seed was present in topsoil. Soil treatment generally had limited effect on composition and density of emergent seedlings. Although floristic similarity between soil seed banks and corresponding above‐ground vegetation was modest, there were clear differences in soil seed bank composition between communities. The implications of the results for using topsoils to restore landforms of the study area after mining or other disturbance are discussed.     

Comparison of conditions for mycelial growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepista sordida</Emphasis> causing fairy rings on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zoysia matrella</Emphasis> turf to those on <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrostis palustris</Emphasis> turf

Symptoms of fairy rings caused by Lepista sordida have been reported on Zoysiagrass (Zoysia spp.) turf maintained at fairway height (2 cm), but not on bentgrass (Agrostis spp.) maintained at putting green height (0.5 cm). The mycelia of this fungus inhabit primarily the upper 0–2 cm layer of the soil extending into the thatch. To compare conditions for the mycelial growth in Z. matrella turf to those in A. palustris turf, we examined the effects of nutrients, temperature, water potential, and pH in the field as well as in the laboratory. Greater growth of the mycelia was observed in medium that included hot water extracts from soil of the 0–1 cm zone in Z. matrella turf compared to that from A. palustris. The upper soil layer in Z. matrella turf contained more organic matter from clippings than that in A. palustris. The temperature and water potential of the 0–2 cm soil zone in Z. matrella turf were also more favorable for the mycelial growth. The soil pH values of this zone in Z. matrella turf were less favorable compared to A. palustris but within the range for accelerating mycelial growth. Part of this study was presented orally at the 46th meeting of the Mycological Society of Japan in 2002     

Oxidative stress in relation to reproduction,contaminants, gender and age in a long-lived seabird

A key question in savanna ecology is how trees and grasses coexist under N limitation. We used N stable isotopes and N content to study N source partitioning across seasons from trees and associated grasses in a semi-arid savanna. We also used ¹⁵N tracer additions to investigate possible redistribution of N by trees to grasses. Foliar stable N isotope ratio (δ¹⁵N) values were consistent with trees and grasses using mycorrhiza-supplied N in all seasons except in the wet season when they switched to microbially fixed N. The dependence of trees and grasses on mineralized soil N seemed highly unlikely based on seasonal variation in mineralization rates in the Kruger Park region. Remarkably, foliar δ¹⁵N values were similar for all three tree species differing in the potential for N fixation through nodulation. The tracer experiment showed that N was redistributed by trees to understory grasses in all seasons. Our results suggest that the redistribution of N from trees to grasses and uptake of N was independent of water redistribution. Although there is overlap of N sources between trees and grasses, dependence on biological sources of N coupled with redistribution of subsoil N by trees may contribute to the coexistence of trees and grasses in semi-arid savannas.     

Stand composition,proximity to overstory trees and gradients of soil moisture influence patterns of subalpine fir seedling emergence and survival

Background and Aims

We experimentally examined how variability in mixed forest stand composition, spatial relationships to dominant trees and their environmental correlates influence seedling emergence and survival.

Methods

Fir seeds were placed at distances of 1 and 25 cm in each cardinal direction at the base of mature aspen and fir trees and in interspaces in aspen dominant, mixed and conifer dominant stands and in adjacent meadows. Fir seedling emergence, mortality, water relations and foliar nutrition were determined and soil moisture was measured.

Results

Subalpine fir germination was 9 and 13 fold greater, and seedling mortality was lower in aspen stands than mixed and conifer dominated stands. Germination was two-fold greater at the base of aspen trees compared to fir trees and stand interspaces and was significantly greater on the north side of aspen trees. Soil moisture was greatest in aspen dominated stands, with the highest soil moisture conditions occurring at the base of aspen trees and in interspaces. Fir seedlings had better water relations when growing next to aspen trees and had significantly higher foliar N and P in aspen stands.

Conclusions

Aspen appear to facilitate fir establishment by creating favorable soil resource and light conditions that increase germination rates and seedling survival.