Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The effects of nitrogen fertilisation and elevated CO2 on the lipid biosynthesis and carbon isotopic discrimination in birch seedlings (Betula pendula)

  • Published:
Plant and Soil Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effects of nitrogen (N) fertilisation and elevated [CO2] on lipid biosynthesis and carbon isotope discrimination in birch (Betula pendula Roth.) transplants were evaluated using seedlings grown with and without N fertiliser, and under two concentrations of atmospheric CO2 (ambient and ambient+250 μmol mol-1) in solar dome systems. N fertilisation decreased n-fatty acid chain length (18:0/16:0) and the ratios of α-linolenate (18:2)/linoleate (18:1), whereas elevated [CO2] showed little effect on n-fatty acid chain length, but decreased the unsaturation (18:2+18:1)/18:0. Both N fertilisation and elevated [CO2] increased the quantity of leaf wax n-alkanes, whilst reducing that of n-alkanols by 20–50%, but had no simple response in fatty acid concentrations. 13C enrichment by 1–2.5‰ under N fertilisation was observed, and can be attributed to both reduced leaf conductance and increased photosynthetic consumption of CO2. Individual n-alkyl lipids of different chain length show consistent pattern of δ13C values within each homologue, but are in general 5–8‰ more depleted in 13C than the bulk tissues. Niether nitrogen fertilisation and elevated CO2 influenced the relationship between carbon isotope discrimination of the bulk tissue and the individual lipids.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Balesdent J, Wagner G H and Mariotti A 1988 Soil organic matter turnover in long-term field experiments as revealed by carbon-13 natural abundance. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52, 118–124.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bender M M and Berge A J 1979 Influence of N and K fertilization and growth temperature on 13C/12C ratios of Timothy (Phleum pratense L.). Oecologia 44, 117–118.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brassell S C 1993 Applications of biomarkers for delineating marine paleoclimatic fluctuations during the pleistocene. In Organic Geochemistry. Eds M H Engel and S A Macko. Plenum Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cerling T E, Harris J M, MacFadden B J, Leakey M G, Quade J, Eisenmann V and Ehleringer J R 1997 Global vegetation change through the Miocene/Pliocene boundary. Nature 389, 153–158.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Collister J W, Rieley G, Stern B, Eglinton G and Fry B 1994 Compound specific 13C analyses of leaf lipids from plants with differing carbon dioxide metabolism. Org. Geochem. 21, 619–628.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cotrufo M F, Ineson P and Rowland A P 1994 Decomposition of tree leaf litters grown under elevated CO2: effect of litter quality. Plant Soil 163, 121–130.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cotrufo M F, Ineson P and Roberts J D 1995 Decomposition of birch leaf litters with varying C-to-N ratios. Soil Biol. Biochem. 27, 1219–1221.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cranwell P A 1982 Lipids of aquatic sediments and sedimenting particulates. Prog. Lipid Res. 21, 271–308.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Delgado E, Mitchell R A C, Parry M A J, Driscoll S P, Mitchell V J and Lawalor D W 1994 Interacting effects of CO2 concentration, temperature and nitrogen supply on the photosynthesis and composition of winter wheat leaves. Plant Cell Environ. 17, 1205–1213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eglinton G and Hamilton R J 1963 The distribution of alkanes. In Chemical Plant Taxonomy. Ed. T Swain. pp. 187–217. Academic Press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehleringer J R 1991 13C/12C fractionation and its utility in terrestrial plant studies. In Carbon Isotope Techniques. Eds D C Coleman and B Fry. Academic press, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Evans J R and von Caemmerer S 1996 Carbon dioxide diffusion inside leaves. Plant Physiol. 110, 339–346.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar G D, Ehleringer J R and Hubick K T 1989 Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annu. Rev. Plant Physiol. Plant Mol. Biol. 40, 503–537.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frey B, Scheidegger C, Günthardt-Goerg MS and Matyssek R 1996 The effects of ozone and nutrient supply on stomatal response in birch (Betula pendula) leaves as determined by digital imageanalysis and X-ray microanalysis. New Phytol. 132, 135–143.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harwood J L and Russell N J 1983 Lipids in Plants and Microbes. George Allen & Unwin, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harwood J L 1994 Environmental factors which can alter lipid metabolism. Prog. Lipid Res. 33, 193–202.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes J M 1993 Factors controlling 13C contents of sedimentary organic compounds: principles and evidence. Mar. Geol. 113, 111–125.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hayes J M, Freeman K H, Popp B N and Hoham C H 1990 Compound-specific isotopic analysis: a novel tool for reconstruction of ancient biogeochemical processes. Org. Geochem. 16, 1115–1128.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Lockheart M, Collister J W and Eglinton G 1995 Molecular and isotopic biogeochemistry of the Miocene Clarkia formation: hydrocarbons and alcohols. Org. Geochem. 23, 785–801.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Bol R, Harkness D D, Ineson P and Eglinton G 1996a Post-glacial variations in distributions, 13C and 14C contents of aliphatic hydrocarbons and bulk organic matter in three types of British acid upland soils. Org. Geochem. 24, 273–287.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Murray M, Metzger P and Eglinton G 1996b Novel unsaturated triterpenoid hydrocarbons from sediments of Sacred Lake, Mt. Kenya, Kenya. Tetrahedron 52, 6973–6982.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Eglinton G, Ineson P, Latter P M, Bol R and Douglas D D 1997 Absence of carbon isotope fractionation of individual n-alkanes in a 23 year field decomposition experiment with Calluna vulgaris. Org. Geochem. 26, 497–501.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Huang Y, Street-Perrott F A, Perrott F A, Metzger P and Eglinton G 1999 Glacial-interglacial environmental changes inferred from the molecular and compound-specific δ13C analyses of sediments from Sacred Lake, Mt Kenya. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 63, 1383–1404.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones D M, Carter J F, Eglinton G, Jumeau E J and Fenwick C S 1991 Determination of & #x03B4;13C values of sedimentary straight chain and cyclic alcohols by gas-chromatography isotope ratio massspectrometry. Biol. Mass Spectrometry 20, 641–646.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kolattukudy P E, Croteau R and Buckner J S 1976 Biochemistry of plant waxes. In Chemistry and Biochemistry of Natural Waxes. Ed. P E Kolattukudy. pp. 289–347, Elsevier, Amsterdam.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lichtfouse É, Elbisser B, Balesdent J, Mariotti A and Bardoux G 1995 Isotope and molecular evidence for direct input of maize leaf wax n-alkanes into crop soils. Org. Geochem. 22, 349–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Monson K D and Hayes JM 1982 Biosynthetic control of the natural abundance of carbon 13 at specific positions within fatty acids in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. J. Biol. Chem. 257, 5568–5575.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Morecroft M D, Woodward F I and Marrs R H 1992 Altitudinal trends in leaf nutrient contents, leaf size and & #x03B4;13C of Alchemilla alpina. Funct. Ecol. 6, 730–740.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Leary M H 1981 Carbon isotope fractionation in plants. Phytochemistry 20, 553–568.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • O'Leary M H 1988 Carbon isotopes in photosynthesis. Bioscience 38, 328–336.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raven J A and Farquhar G D 1990 The influence of N metabolism and organic acid synthesis on the natural abundance of isotopes of carbon in plants. New Phytol. 116, 505–529.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rieley G, Collister J W, Stern B and Eglinton G 1993 Gas chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry of leaf wax n alkanes from plants of differing carbon dioxide metabolisms. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 7, 488–491.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt G, Gebauer G, Widmann K and Ziegler H 1993 Influence of nitrogen supply and temperature on stable carbon isotope ratios in plants of different photosynthetic pathways (C3, C4, CAM). Isotopenpraxis 29, 9–13.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Street-Perrott F A, Huang Y, Perrott A, Eglinton G, Baker P, Khelifa L, Harkness D D and Olago D 1997 The impact of lower atmospheric CO2 on tropical mountain ecosystems. Science 278, 1422–1426.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Townend, J.A. 1993 Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and drought on the growth and physiology of clonal Sitka spruce plants (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.). Tree Physiol. 13, 389–400.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watson R T, Rodhe H, Oescheger H and Siegenthalar U 1990 Greenhouse gases and aerosols. In Climatic Change: The IPCC Scientific Assessment. Eds J T Houghton, G J Jenkins and J J Ephraums. pp. 1–40. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams M, Shewry P R and Harwood J L 1994 The influence of the 'greenhouse effect' on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain lipids. J. Exp. Bot. 45, 1379–1385.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams M, Shewry P R and Harwood J L 1995 The effects of elevated temperature and atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentration on the quality of grain lipids in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grown at 2 levels of nitrogen application. Plant Cell Environ. 18, 999–1009.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F, Mackenzie A F and Smith D L 1993 Corn yield and shifts among corn quality constituents following application of different nitrogen fertilizer sources at several times during corn development. J. Plant Nutrition 16, 1317–1337.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang F, Mackenzie A F and Smith D L 1994 Nitrogen fertilizer and protein, lipid, and non-structural carbohydrate concentrations during the course of maize kernel filling. J. Agron. Crop Sci. 172, 171–181.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental and Analytical Chemistry Section, School of Chemistry, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TS, UK

    Y. Huang & G. Eglinton

  2. Biogeochemistry Research Centre, c/o Department of Geology, University of Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK

    Y. Huang & G. Eglinton

  3. Soil Ecology Section, Merlewood Research Station, Windermere Road, Grange-Over-sands, Cumbria, LA11 6JU, UK

    P. Ineson

  4. NERC Radiocarbon Laboratory, NEL Technology Park, East Kilbride, Glasgow, G75 0QU, UK

    R. Bol & D. D. Harkness

Authors
  1. Y. Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. G. Eglinton
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. P. Ineson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Bol
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. D. D. Harkness
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Huang, Y., Eglinton, G., Ineson, P. et al. The effects of nitrogen fertilisation and elevated CO2 on the lipid biosynthesis and carbon isotopic discrimination in birch seedlings (Betula pendula). Plant and Soil 216, 35–45 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004771431093

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1004771431093

Search

Navigation