Drainage Size, Stream Intermittency, and Ecosystem Function in a Sonoran Desert Landscape

Understanding the interactions between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems remains an important research focus in ecology. In arid landscapes, catchments are drained by a channel continuum that represents a potentially important driver of ecological pattern and process in the surrounding terrestrial environment. To better understand the role of drainage networks in arid landscapes, we determined how stream size influences the structure and productivity of riparian vegetation, and the accumulation of organic matter (OM) in soils beneath plants in an upper Sonoran Desert basin. Canopy volume of velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina), as well as overall plant cover, increased along lateral upland–riparian gradients, and among riparian zones adjacent to increasingly larger streams. Foliar δ¹³C signatures for P. velutina suggested that landscape patterns in vegetation structure reflect increases in water availability along this arid stream continuum. Leaf litter and annual grass biomass production both increased with canopy volume, and total aboveground litter production ranged from 137 g m⁻² y⁻¹ in upland habitat to 446 g m⁻² y⁻¹ in the riparian zone of the perennial stream. OM accumulation in soils beneath P. velutina increased with canopy volume across a broad range of drainage sizes; however, in the riparian zone of larger streams, flooding further modified patterns of OM storage. Drainage networks represent important determinants of vegetation structure and function in upper Sonoran Desert basins, and the extent to which streams act as sources of plant-available water and/or agents of fluvial disturbance has implications for material storage in arid soils.     

Effects of understory removal, N fertilization, and litter layer removal on soil N cycling in a 13-year-old white spruce plantation infested with Canada bluejoint grass

Canada bluejoint grass [Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv., referred to as bluejoint below] is a competitive understory species widely distributed in the boreal region in North America and builds up a thick litter layer that alters the soil surface microclimate in heavily infested sites. This study examined the effects of understory removal, N fertilization, and litter layer removal on litter decomposition, soil microbial biomass N (MBN), and net N mineralization and nitrification rates in LFH (the sum of organic horizons of litter, partially decomposed litter and humus on the soil surface) and mineral soil (0–10 cm) in a 13-year-old white spruce [Picea glauca (Moench.) Voss] plantation infested with bluejoint in Alberta, Canada. Removal of the understory vegetation and the litter layer together significantly increased soil temperature at 10 cm below the mineral soil surface by 1.7 and 1.3°C in summer 2003 and 2004, respectively, resulting in increased net N mineralization (by 1.09 and 0.14 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ in LFH and mineral soil, respectively, in 2004) and net nitrification rates (by 0.10 and 0.20 mg N kg⁻¹ day⁻¹ in LFH and mineral soil, respectively, in 2004). When the understory vegetation was intact, nitrification might have been limited by NH₄ ⁺ availability due to competition for N from bluejoint and other understory species. Litter layer removal increased litter decomposition rate (percentage mass loss per month) from 2.6 to 3.0% after 15 months of incubation. Nitrogen fertilization did not show consistent effects on soil MBN, but increased net N mineralization and nitrification rates as well as available N concentrations in the soil. Clearly, understory removal combined with N fertilization was most effective in increasing rates of litter decomposition, net N mineralization and nitrification, and soil N availability. The management of understory vegetation dominated by bluejoint in the boreal region should consider the strong effects of understory competition and the accumulated litter layer on soil N cycling and the implications for forest management.     

The effects of understorey dwarf bamboo (Sasa kurilensis) removal on soil fertility in a Betula ermanii forest of northern Japan

We investigated the changes in soil microbial biomass C (MBC), microbial biomass N (MBN) and N mineralization in Sasa kurilensis-present (SP) and S. kurilensis-removed (SR) stands in a Betula ermanii forest. The mean levels of MBC and MBN were significantly higher in the SR stand than in the SP, which may have positively influenced the N-mineralization rate as depicted by a significant positive correlation between these variables and the N-mineralization rate. N immobilization and subsequent N release along with decreased use of available soil N due to S. kurilensis removal may have ensured greater N availability in the SR stand.     

Environmental relationships and vegetation associates of columnar cacti in the northern Sonoran Desert

The environmental distribution, habitat segregation, and vegetation associates of the columnar cacti Carnegiea gigantea, Stenocereus thurberi, and Lophocereus schottii were examined in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Arizona. Three primary environmental gradients were identified with principal components analysis of environmental data: soil texture, elevation/nutrients, and xericness (based on slope aspect and angle). Environmental influents of spatial variation in density were modeled with ordinary least squares regression analysis, and common associates were identified with two-way indicator species analysis for each cactus. Of the three cacti, Carnegiea gigantea occurred over the broadest ecological range of habitats, but was densest on coarse, granitically derived alluvial soils of flat upper bajadas and basin floors, where it was associated with Larrea tridentata, Ambrosia deltoidea, and Opuntia fulgida. Stenocereus thurberi reached its maximum densities on coarse sandy soils of steep, south-facing granitic slopes, with Encelia farinosa, Jatropha cuneata, and Opuntia bigelovii as associates. Lophocereus schottii was restricted to very coarse, granitically derived alluvial soils in the southern part of the monument, where it occurred along wash banks with Beloperone californica, Hymenoclea salsola, Acacia greggii, and Opuntia arbuscula.Abbreviations DCA Detrended correspondence analysis - OPCNM Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument - OLS Ordinary least squares - PCA Principal components analysis - RA Reciprocal averaging - TWINSPAN Two-way indicator species analysis     

Spatial and temporal variation in carbon isotope discrimination in prairie graminoids

We present the results of a 5-year examination of variation in the stable carbon isotope composition () of three C₃ graminoid species from a Sandhills prairie: Agropyron smithii, Carex heliophila and Stipa comata. Although consistent species-specific patterns for mean were seen, there was also significant and substantial among-year and within-season variation in . A smaller contribution to variation in came from topographic variation among sampling sites. Effects of species, year, season and topography contribute to variation in in an additive manner. An association between climate and exists that is consistent with previous work suggesting that reflects the interplay between photosynthetic gas exchange and plant water relations. Within the growing season, the time over which integrates plant response to the environment ranges from days to months.     

Gender, season and habitat: Patterns of variation in photosynthetic activity, growth and fecundity in Thymelaea velutina

Changes in the ecophysiological performance of a plant species due to different environmental conditions generally reflect adaptations to the habitat where the plant grows and are often related to its survival capacity in a particular place. We examined this with the dioecious shrub Thymelaea velutina, in two contrasting populations representing the extremes of the altitudinal gradient where the species lives (coastal dunes and mountain habitats over 1000 m). We measured net photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance, estimated the level of plant stress by chlorophyll fluorescence, and assessed their correlations with growth rate, plant size, flower production and fruit set. We hypothesized that plants at high altitude were more photosynthetically stressed than at sea level and expected a gender × habitat interaction in performance as females need more resources than males. Plants in the mountain experienced chronic photoinhibition during winter and a reduced photosynthetic performance both in winter and spring compared to plants in coastal dunes. However, there was no association between any of the fluorescence variables and either plant growth or fecundity, suggesting that other factors are involved determining performance. Mountain plants showed also an apparent lower capacity of heat dissipation to excessive radiation than dune plants. In the dunes, the greater leaf area and mass can lead to a higher photosynthetic carbon gain by whole individuals compared to plants in the mountain. No effect of gender was detected on the ecophysiological performance of this species, which we partly attribute to the small size of fruits of the female plants.     

Breeding system and spatial variation in the pollination biology of the heterocarpic Thymelaea velutina (Thymelaeaceae)

Thymelaea velutina (Thymelaeaceae) is a unique dioecious and heterocarpic shrub, each female producing both dry and fleshy fruits. It is endemic to the Balearic Islands (western Mediterranean) and has suffered an important regression in recent decades, especially due to habitat loss. It lives in coastal areas, mainly in dunes, but a few populations occur up to 1300 m in the mountains of Mallorca. In the present study, we examined its breeding system and pollen vectors, determined whether seed production is pollen-limited, and quantified the relative importance of different insect visitors at coastal and mountain sites. Selective exclusions showed no differences between populations in the relative importance of insects and wind as pollen vectors. Pollen was limiting at both populations, though not consistently in time. Flowers of T. velutina were visited mostly by generalist insects, and species composition and abundance of flower visitors varied both in space and time. The flowering period is about a month later in the mountain than in the dune, and this results in a higher frequency of insect visits to plants in the mountain due to the higher insect abundance; insects were also more diverse in the mountain, although they visited a proportionally lower number of flowers than in the dune. Despite this spatio-temporal variation in the frequency of insect visits and in the importance of a particular insect group, the ambophilous system in this species (previously described as anemophilous) ensures a relatively high fruit set at the two different sites.     

香榧主产区林地土壤养分空间异质性及其肥力评价

选取浙江省香榧(Torreya grandis cv.Merrillii)主产区为研究对象,系统采集表层土壤(0—20 cm)样品121个,基于地统计学及Moran′s I等空间分析方法揭示土壤养分的空间异质性,估算了香榧林地土壤综合肥力并分析其影响因素。结果表明:研究区土壤pH较低,有机质、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾含量较高,平均含量分别为4.91、30.60 g/kg、136.77 mg/kg、15.02 mg/kg、153.42 mg/kg;基于半方差函数分析得出,土壤pH和养分要素属于中等空间相关性,其中pH的变程最小为3.29 km,有机质、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾的变程分别为8.52、5.84、8.82、6.49 km;克里格空间插值和局部Moran′s I指数结果揭示土壤pH、有机质、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾均存在明显的空间分布格局和局部空间聚集现象,土壤有机质、碱解氮、有效磷和速效钾低值区主要分布在诸暨市和东阳市,高值区主要分布在柯桥区和嵊州市,而pH的空间分布格局与之相反;诸暨市和东阳市部分地区土壤综合肥力指数较低,而其他区域的土壤肥力水平较高。总体上,浙江省香榧主产区土壤酸化以及养分失衡现象较为严重,尤其是速效钾含量过高。从相关性分析结果来看,环境变量对香榧林地土壤养分的影响较小,而林龄对土壤pH和养分的影响较大。可见,研究区土壤养分受人为活动影响明显。因此,需根据实际情况,改善林农的施肥管理方式,调整施肥数量和结构并开展土壤酸性改良,因地制宜制定区域施肥规划。     

A hierarchical analysis of the interactive effects of elevated CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> and water availability on the nitrogen and transpiration productivities of velvet mesquite seedlings

In this study we apply new extensions of classical growth analysis to assess the interactive effects of elevated CO₂ and differences in water availability on the leaf-nitrogen and transpiration productivities of velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina Woot.) seedlings. The models relate transpiration productivity (biomass gained per mass of water transpired per day) and leaf-nitrogen productivity (biomass gain per unit leaf N per day) to whole-plant relative growth rate (RGR) and to each other, allowing a comprehensive hierarchical analysis of how physiological and morphological responses to the treatments interact with each other to affect plant growth. Elevated CO₂ led to highly significant increases in N and transpiration productivities but reduced leaf N per unit leaf area and transpiration per unit leaf area, resulting in no net effect of CO₂ on the RGR of seedlings. In contrast, higher water availability led to an increase in leaf-tissue thickness or density without affecting leaf N concentration, resulting in a higher leaf N per unit leaf area and consequently a higher assimilatory capacity per unit leaf area. The net effect was a marginal increase in seedling RGR. Perhaps most important from an ecological perspective was a 41% reduction in whole-plant water use due to elevated CO₂. These results demonstrate that even in the absence of CO₂ effects on integrative measures of plant growth such as RGR, highly significant effects may be observed at the physiological and morphological level that effectively cancel each other out. The quantitative framework presented here enables some of these tradeoffs to be identified and related directly to each other and to plant growth.     

沙生植物倒披针叶虫实在古尔班通古特沙漠的分布

倒披针叶虫实(Corispermum lehmannianum)在古尔班通古特沙漠广泛分布,重要值仅次于该沙漠建群种白梭梭(Haloxylon persicum),对沙面的稳定起着非常重要的作用。采用固定样方法对自然条件下该植物的分布特征和种群数量动态进行了研究。结果表明:1)倒披针叶虫实在沙丘各坡位均占有较高重要值,尤其活化程度较高的中部和上部优势度更明显;2)生长季节的不同阶段,除坡顶外,其他各坡位种子主要分3批萌发出苗,不同时期种子萌发出苗数量存在差异,3月份有大量种子萌发出苗,4月份种子萌发出苗数最多,5月份萌发出苗量逐渐减少。而坡顶3月份种子萌发出苗量最多,4月至5月均无种子萌发出苗。因此,除坡顶外,种子萌发出苗数量和种群密度在其他各坡位呈先增后减的趋势。生长季结束时各坡位种群密度表现为:中部和上部底部和丘间顶部;3)成熟植株单位面积种子产量为:中部和上部丘间和底部顶部,且中部和上部单位面积种子数量极显著多于丘间、坡底和坡顶(P0.01);4)通过对0—5 cm和6—10 cm土壤种子库密度研究发现,沙丘中部和上部种子库密度显著高于其他坡位。综合以上研究表明,倒披针叶虫实在沙面较活化的中部和上部呈优势分布,对沙漠环境具有良好适应性。因此,该植物是一种极具开发潜力的沙生植物。     

Genotypic variation in the effect of salinity on fertility in rice

The effect of salinity on the reproductive physiology of five rice genotypes (IR54, IR26, IR2153-26-3-5-2, IR15324-117-3-2-2 and BR6), was investigated by treatment from panicle initiation with sodium concentrations of 20, 35 or 50 mol m^-3 in an artificial seawater. In an experiment conducted in a glasshouse, plant height and dry weight were little affected by the treatments. There was, however, genotypic variation in the extent of the sodium accumulation, with IR15324-117-3-2-2 containing the highest and IR2153-26-3-5-2 the lowest concentrations: sodium concentrations were higher in older than younger leaves.Salinity delayed flowering, reduced the number of productive tillers, the number of fertile florest per panicle, the weight per grain and the grain yield: effects on grain yield were very much more severe than on vegetative growth. Panicle length was also reduced as was the number of primary branches in a panicle: again there was genotypic variation in the response of these characters to salinity, with the number of branches in IR2153-26-3-5-2 being particularly sensitive.The concentration of sodium increased in the pollen, stigmas, lemmas and paleas with each increment of external salinity. The highest concentrations of sodium in pollen and stigmas was recorded in IR54 and IR15324-117-3-2-2. Pollen viability, whether tested with the tetrazolium salt thiazolyl blue (3-{4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2}-2,5-diphenyl monotetrazolium bromide or MTT), germination on stigmas, growth through the stylar tissue or F₁ seed set, was reduced particularly in those genotypes accumulating most sodium. At all three salt levels, a genotype which accumulated more Na in its pollen produced less-viable pollen than those with less Na in their pollen. Since the amount of Na in the pollen was highly correlated with the Na in the flag leaf, assessment of flag leaf Na should prove a useful indicator of the likely pollen viability. Stigmatic receptivity was also reduced, when estimated either from germination of viable pollen on stigmas of salt-grown plants, its growth through the stylar tissue or F₁ seed set. The reduction of seed set in crosses suggested that the overall consequences of salinity are dominated by effects on panicle development, stigmas and grain filling rather than on pollen.Analysis of the data suggests that genotypic variation exists in the extent to which salinity affects aspects of the plants reproductive physiology and development: this variation might be used in attempts to enhance the resistance of rice to salinity.     

晋西北不同年限小叶锦鸡儿灌丛土壤氮矿化和硝化作用

利用PVC管顶盖埋管法研究了晋西北黄土高原区小叶锦鸡儿人工灌丛不同定植年限(5,10,20,30,40a)土壤氮矿化与硝化速率的动态和净矿化与硝化总量。结果表明,⑴小叶锦鸡儿灌丛土壤无机氮主要以NO_-~3-N形式存在,不同生长年限相同月份的土壤硝态氮(NO-3-N)含量分别是铵态氮(NH+4-N)含量的1.5—15.4倍;⑵土壤氮素硝化速率和矿化速率随生长年限延长而加快,30年生时达到高峰,数值达40.2,44.1 mg m~(-2)d~(-1)。从季节性变化看,7—8月份是硝化速率和矿化速率快速增长期,30年生小叶锦鸡儿灌丛土壤硝化速率和矿化速率分别达到86.9,93.1 mg m~(-2)d~(-1),显著高于其它生长年限(P0.05);(3)土壤氮素硝化与矿化总量同样随小叶锦鸡儿生长年限延长而增加,30年生时达到最高,与5年生相比,分别增加了3.7和3.1倍。(4)5—10月份小叶锦鸡儿生长期内,各年限土壤全氮量的2.3%被矿化成无机氮,其中87%最终被转化成NO-3-N形式存在于土体中。     

Spatial and temporal variation of benthic Cladocera (Crustacea) studied with activity traps in Lake Myvatn, Iceland

Benthic Cladocera were studied with a modified type of an activity trap in Lake Myvatn in 1990–1992. After feasibility experiments, the operation time and the distance of the traps from the benthic substrate were adjusted in order to minimize the effects of diurnal variation and the trapping of planktonic organisms. The trap catches of Eurycercus lamellatus were positively correlated with their abundance at the bottom as estimated by grab sampling (r = 0.910, P < 0.001). The usefulness of the activity trap was demonstrated by: (1) a lake-wide survey of the benthic Cladocera; (2) a study of the seasonal variation in the size distribution, abundance and sex ratio of E. lamellatus; and (3) a study of the seasonal succession of Chydorus sphaericus and Alona affinis. The variation of benthic Cladocera among 21 trap sites distributed on a 1–2-km scale across the lake exceeded the within-site variation. The sampling sites could be divided into five main groups based on cluster analysis. Eurycercus lamellatus was the most common species in the mat of filamentous green algae (Cladophorales). Alonella nana dominated the area of spring water inflow in the north basin and Macrothrix hirsuticornis the area of spring water inflow in the southeastern part of the lake. In other parts of the lake either Chydorus sphaericus or Alona quadrangularis tended to dominate. The size distribution and sex ratio of E. lamellatus was followed at two sites through one summer. In early summer most individuals were females less than 1.45 mm long. Around mid-summer they had grown to 0.69–3.1 mm. By the end of August the size distribution had become bimodal, with a large number of small males and a smaller number of much larger females. The seasonal succession in the abundance of E. lamellatus, A. affinis and C. sphaericus was followed at four sites over two seasons. With some exceptions the abundance of a species followed a similar seasonal trajectory on the different stations in any one year. There was, however, a marked difference between the two years (1991 and 1992), probably related to different temperatures.     

Precipitation pulse use by an invasive woody legume: the role of soil texture and pulse size

Plant metabolic activity in arid and semi-arid environments is largely tied to episodic precipitation events or “pulses”. The ability of plants to take up and utilize rain pulses during the growing season in these water-limited ecosystems is determined in part by pulse timing, intensity and amount, and by hydrological properties of the soil that translate precipitation into plant-available soil moisture. We assessed the sensitivity of an invasive woody plant, velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina Woot.), to large (35 mm) and small (10 mm) isotopically labeled irrigation pulses on two contrasting soil textures (sandy-loam vs. loamy-clay) in semi-desert grassland in southeastern Arizona, USA. Predawn leaf water potential (Ψ_pd), the isotopic abundance of deuterium in stem water (δD), the abundance of ¹³C in soluble leaf sugar (δ¹³C), and percent volumetric soil water content (θ_v) were measured prior to irrigation and repeatedly for 2 weeks following irrigation. Plant water potential and the percent of pulse water present in the stem xylem indicated that although mesquite trees on both coarse- and fine-textured soils quickly responded to the large irrigation pulse, the magnitude and duration of this response substantially differed between soil textures. After reaching a maximum 4 days after the irrigation, the fraction of pulse water in stem xylem decreased more rapidly on the loamy-clay soil than the sandy-loam soil. Similarly, on both soil textures mesquite significantly responded to the 10-mm pulse. However, the magnitude of this response was substantially greater for mesquite on the sandy-loam soil compared to loamy-clay soil. The relationship between Ψ_pd and δ¹³C of leaf-soluble carbohydrates over the pulse period did not differ between plants at the two sites, indicating that differences in photosynthetic response of mesquite trees to the moisture pulses was a function of soil water availability within the rooting zone rather than differences in plant biochemical or physiological constraints. Patterns of resource acquisition by mesquite during the dynamic wetting–drying cycle following rainfall pulses is controlled by a complex interaction between pulse size and soil hydraulic properties. A better understanding of how this interaction affects plant water availability and photosynthetic response is needed to predict how grassland structure and function will respond to climate change.     

Impacts of forest gaps on soil properties and processes in old growth northern hardwood-hemlock forests

We examined the influence of treefall gaps on soil properties and processes in old growth northern hardwood-hemlock forests in the upper Great Lakes region, USA. We found significantly greater solar radiation, soil moisture contents and soil temperatures in gaps compared to adjacent closed canopy plots. Gaps had significantly less exchangeable base cations (K, Ca, and Mg) compared to forest plots in the upper mineral soil (0–25 cm). Gaps also had significantly more dissolved organic N and extractable nitrate at depth (25–50 cm), indicating increased nutrient leaching in gaps. In-situ N mineralization was significantly greater in gaps and edge plots compared to forest plots. We found significantly greater potential N mineralization (measured in the laboratory at 25°C and 40% water holding capacity) in forest compared to gap plots. Microbial biomass N was significantly greater (ca. two-fold) in the gap edge compared to both gaps and closed forest. Using principal component analyses we found that edge plots were positively correlated with all principal components, indicating increased in-situ and potential N mineralization, microbial biomass N, soil NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺, and soil organic matter. The gap edge may be a region of optimal microclimate and substrate to enhance microbial biomass and activity within these forest ecosystems. Responsible Editor: Bernard Nicolardet     

Nitrogen dynamics in alpine ecosystems of the northern Caucasus

Net N mineralization, nitrification, microbial biomass N and ¹⁵N natural abundance were studied in a toposequence of representative soils and plant communities in the alpine zone of the northern Caucasus. The toposequence was represented by (1) low-productive alpine lichen heath (ALH) of wind-exposed ridge and upper slope; (2) more productive Festuca varia grassland (FG) of middle slope; (3) most productive Geranium gymnocaulon/Hedusarum caucasicummeadow (GHM) of lower slope; (4) low-productive snowbed community (SBC) of the slope bottom. N availability, net N mineralization and nitrification were higher in soils of alpine grassland and meadow of the middle part of the toposequence compared with soils of lichen heath and snowbed community of extreme habitats in the alpine zone. There was no correlation between intensities of N transformation processes and favorable (low soil acidity, low C/N ratio, long vegetation period, relatively high temperature, absence of hydromorphic features) and unfavorable (opposite) factors, indicating that the intensity of N mineralization and nitrification in the alpine soils is controlled by a complex combination of these factors. Potential net N mineralization and nitrification in alpine soils determined in the short-term laboratory incubation were considerably higher than those determined in the long-term field incubation. The differences of potential nitrification between soils of various plant communities did not correspond to the field determined pattern indicating the importance of on-site climatic conditions for control of nitrification in high mountains. The result of comparison of N transformation potentials in incubated and native soils indicated that nitrification potential was significantly increased after long-term soil incubation. It means that net nitrification determined in the field was probably overestimated, especially in the meadow soils. A soil translocation experiment indicated that low temperature was an important factor limiting net N mineralization and nitrification in alpine soils: net N mineralization and especially nitrification increased when alpine soils were translocated into the subalpine zone and mean annual temperature increased by about 3°C. Additional N input increased N availability (NH₄ ⁺-N) and potential nitrification in soils of the lower part of the toposequense (GHM and SBC), and potential net N mineralization in two soils of extreme habitats (ALH and SBC). A positive correlation was found between soil ¹⁵N and net N mineralization and nitrification; the relative ¹⁵N enrichment was characteristic of grassland and meadow ecosystems. ¹⁵N of total soil N pool increased during the field mineralization experiment; there was a positive tendency between the change in ¹⁵N and net N mineralization and nitrification, however the relationship was not significant. Foliar ¹⁵N of dominant plant species varied widely within community, however, a tendency of higher foliar ¹⁵N for species growing on the soils with higher net N mineralization, nitrification and ¹⁵N was observed.     

Elevated CO2 and O3 Alter Soil Nitrogen Transformations beneath Trembling Aspen, Paper Birch, and Sugar Maple

Nitrogen cycling in northern temperate forest ecosystems could change under increasing atmospheric CO₂ and tropospheric O₃ as a result of quantitative and qualitative changes in plant litter production. At the Aspen Free Air CO₂–O₃ Enrichment (FACE) experiment, we previously found that greater substrate inputs to soil under elevated CO₂ did not alter gross N transformation rates in the first 3 years of the experiment. We hypothesized that greater litter production under elevated CO₂ would eventually cause greater gross N transformation rates and that CO₂ effects would be nullified by elevated O₃. Following our original study, we continued measurement of gross N transformation rates for an additional four years. From 1999 to 2003, gross N mineralization doubled, N immobilization increased 4-fold, but changes in microbial biomass N and soil total N were not detected. We observed year-to-year variation in N transformation rates, which peaked during a period of foliar insect damage. Elevated CO₂ caused equivalent increases in gross rates of N mineralization (+34%) and NH ₄ ⁺ immobilization (+36%). These results indicate greater rates of N turnover under elevated CO₂, but do not indicate a negative feedback between elevated CO₂ and soil N availability. Elevated O₃ decreased gross N mineralization (−16%) and had no effect on NH ₄ ⁺ immobilization, indicating reduced N availability under elevated O₃. The effects of CO₂ and O₃ on N mineralization rates were mainly related to changes in litter production, whereas effects on N immobilization were likely influenced by changes in litter chemistry and production. Our findings also indicate that concomitant increases in atmospheric CO₂ and O₃ could lead to a negative feedback on N availability.     

Cultivar variation in the effect of chlorsulfuron in depressing the uptake of copper in wheat

The application of herbicides has induced symptoms of nutrient deficiencies under some circumstances. This glasshouse study examined the effect of chlorsulfuron on the uptake and utilization of copper (Cu) in four cultivars of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L. cvs. Kulin, Cranbrook, Gamenya and Bodallin) on a Cu-responsive soil. Application of chlorsulfuron depressed the concentration of Cu in wheat plants receiving either inadequate or adequate Cu. In plants with inadequate Cu supply, chlorsulfuron increased the severity of Cu deficiency. Shoot weight was markedly decreased by chlorsulfuron at all levels of Cu, through decreasing the number of tillers and the elongation of leaves. This decreased growth of shoots occurred prior to the effect on Cu concentration in tissues. The retranslocation of Cu in old tissues over time was unaffected by chlorsulfuron. In all wheat cultivars, the decreased growth of shoots were correlated with the concentration of Cu in the youngest fully emerged leaf blade with critical levels of 1.6−1.7 at day 25 and 0.9−1.0 μg g⁻¹ d. wt. at day 60. The application of chlorsulfuron tended to increase the critical level at day 25 but not at day 60. In addition, Kulin seems to be most, and Cranbrook least, sensitive to chlorsulfuron. This sensitivity was associated with the sensitivity of the cultivars to Cu deficiency. It is suggested that chlorsulfuron application induces Cu deficiency in wheat plants mainly due to effects on the uptake of Cu. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.