Atmospheric nitrogen deposition on petals enhances seed quality of the forest herb Anemone nemorosa |
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| Authors: | P De Frenne H Blondeel J Brunet M M Carón O Chabrerie M Cougnon S A O Cousins G Decocq M Diekmann B J Graae M E Hanley T Heinken M Hermy A Kolb J Lenoir J Liira A Orczewska A Shevtsova T Vanneste K Verheyen |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Plant & Crops, Ghent University, Melle, Belgium;2. Forest & Nature Lab, Ghent University, Melle‐Gontrode, Belgium;3. Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Alnarp, Sweden;4. Laboratorio de Investigaciones Botánicas (LABIBO), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta‐CONICET, Salta, Argentina;5. Unité de recherche “Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés” (EDYSAN, FRE3498 CNRS‐UPJV), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens, France;6. Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden;7. Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany;8. Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway;9. School of Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK;10. General Botany, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany;11. Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, KULeuven, Leuven, Belgium;12. Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia;13. Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland;14. Department of Medical Biochemistry and Biophysics, Ume? University, Ume?, Sweden |
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| Abstract: | - Elevated atmospheric input of nitrogen (N) is currently affecting plant biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. The growth and survival of numerous plant species is known to respond strongly to N fertilisation. Yet, few studies have assessed the effects of N deposition on seed quality and reproductive performance, which is an important life‐history stage of plants.
- Here we address this knowledge gap by assessing the effects of atmospheric N deposition on seed quality of the ancient forest herb Anemone nemorosa using two complementary approaches.
- By taking advantage of the wide spatiotemporal variation in N deposition rates in pan‐European temperate and boreal forests over 2 years, we detected positive effects of N deposition on the N concentration (percentage N per unit seed mass, increased from 2.8% to 4.1%) and N content (total N mass per seed more than doubled) of A. nemorosa seeds. In a complementary experiment, we applied ammonium nitrate to aboveground plant tissues and the soil surface to determine whether dissolved N sources in precipitation could be incorporated into seeds. Although the addition of N to leaves and the soil surface had no effect, a concentrated N solution applied to petals during anthesis resulted in increased seed mass, seed N concentration and N content.
- Our results demonstrate that N deposition on the petals enhances bioaccumulation of N in the seeds of A. nemorosa. Enhanced atmospheric inputs of N can thus not only affect growth and population dynamics via root or canopy uptake, but can also influence seed quality and reproduction via intake through the inflorescences.
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| Keywords: | Latitudinal gradient nitrogen deposition nutrient stoichiometry seed provisioning seed quality sexual reproduction wood anemone |
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