Nitrogen assimilation in Lolium perenne colonized by the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus Glomus fasciculatum

To investigate nitrogen assimilation in Lolium perenne L. colonized by the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus Glomus fasciculatum (Thax. sensu Gerd.), nitrate uptake, key enzyme activities, and ¹⁵N incorporation into free amino acids were measured. After a 4-h labelling period with [¹⁵N]nitrate, ¹⁵N content was higher in roots and shoots of AM-plants than in those of control plants. Glutamine synthetase (GS) and nitrate reductase (NR) activities were increased in shoots of AM-plants, but not in roots. More label was incorporated into amino acids in shoots of AM plants. Glutamine, glutamate, alanine and γ-aminobutyric acid were the major sinks for ¹⁵N in roots and shoots of control and AM plants. Interactions between mycorrhizal colonization, phosphate and nitrate nutrition and NR activity were investigated in plants which received different amounts of phosphate or nitrate. In shoots of control plants, NR activity was not stimulated by high levels of phosphate nutrition but was stimulated by high levels of nitrate. At 4 m M nitrate in the nutrient solution, NR activity was similar in control and AM plants. We concluded that mycorrhizal effects on nitrate assimilation are not mediated via improved phosphate nutrition, but could be due to improved nitrogen uptake and translocation.     

The effects of shoot age on colonization of an emergent macrophyte (Typha latifolia) by macroinvertebrates

1. The colonization and dynamics of epiphytic aquatic macroinvertebrates are described on first-year and second-year shoots of an emergent macrophyte (Typha latifolia) in a Swiss pond. Effects of shoot senescence on composition, richness, density and biomass of the macroinvertebrates are quantified. 2. There were two phases of colonization: a short-term colonization process which corresponded with that usually observed on inert substrates and a longer term colonization process related to the attractiveness of the shoots for the colonizers. In this second process, the older shoots showed a higher attractiveness for most invertebrate taxa. 3. Taxa colonized the shoots at different rates. Rapid colonizers included the limpet Ferrissia wautieri and the mayfly Cloeon dipterum. Conversely, Oligochaeta, Chironomidae and Ceratopogonidae were particularly slow colonizers. 4. The older shoots supported a higher mean annual richness, abundance and biomass of invertebrates. Compared with younger shoots, the older shoots demonstrated a higher carrying capacity for most invertebrate taxa, as is the case for many other freshwater macrophytes.