Abstract
Aims
Increased N deposition may cause nutritional imbalances in tropical ecosystems, by shifting N:P stoichiometry (as they are typically P-limited) and NH4-N:NO3-N ratios throughout their compartments. Based on this assumption, we aimed at verifying if the anthropogenic N deposition are inducing nutritional imbalances in trees, litter and soil in the remaining Atlantic Forest in SE Brazil.
Methods
Three forest remnants were selected, one of them supposedly exposed to lower levels anthropogenic N deposition (peri-urban forest) than the other two (urban and agricultural-urban forests). We measured NO2 concentrations, wet and dry deposition of NH4-N, NO3-N and PO4-P and determined total/soluble N and P contents in samples of pioneer and non-pioneer trees, litter and soil. NH4-N:NO3-N and N:P ratios were calculated in all compartments.
Results
Multivariate analysis indicated associations between NH4-N, PO4-P and NH4:NO3 ratios in atmospheric deposition or NO2 concentrations and N and P contents in trees, litter and soil of all forest remnants. The comparison of N:P ratios in tree species and litter with those from studies conducted in the 1980–2000 indicated a tendency of N enrichment and increasing P scarcity in the Atlantic Forest remnants studied.
Conclusions
Confirming the hypothesis, anthropogenic N deposition increases nutritional imbalances in the ecosystem compartments of forest remnants studied. The peri-urban forest showed to be more vulnerable to nutritional imbalances than the other forests, based on the comparisons with data from 30 to 40 years ago.
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Acknowledgments
The authors thank Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP; process number 2014/26421-5) for offering a MSc. scholarship to the first author; Municipal Natural Park Nascentes de Paranapiacaba, State Park Fontes do Ipiranga and Ecological Area of Relevant Interest Mata de Santa Genebra for permitting the atmospheric deposition, leaf, litter and soil collections in their areas; Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics and Atmospheric Sciences, University of São Paulo for the determination of ion concentrations in samples of dry and wet deposition; Dr. Eduardo P. C. Gomes and Dr. Marcos E.L. Lima for helping in the tree species selection in the urban and peri-urban forests respectively; Technician Amariles C. de Souza and Dr. Marisia P. Esposito for the assistance during the field work; Dr. Carla Ferragut for the valuable suggestions to the MSc. Dissertation of the first author and critical review to this manuscript.
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Boccuzzi, G., Nakazato, R.K., Pereira, M.A.G. et al. Anthropogenic deposition increases nitrogen-phosphorus imbalances in tree vegetation, litter and soil of Atlantic Forest remnants. Plant Soil 461, 341–354 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04847-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-04847-7