Trees

, Volume 27, Issue 6, pp 1657–1667 | Cite as

Effects of soil calcium and aluminum on the physiology of balsam fir and red spruce saplings in northern New England

  • Richard L. Boyce
  • Paul G. Schaberg
  • Gary J. Hawley
  • Joshua M. Halman
  • Paula F. Murakami
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

We examined the influence of calcium (Ca) and aluminum (Al) nutrition on the foliar physiology of red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) and balsam fir [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.] in northern New England, USA. At the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (NH, USA), spruce and fir saplings were sampled from control, Al-, and Ca-supplemented plots at a long-established nutrient perturbation (NuPert) study in fall 2008. Measurements included cation concentrations (roots and foliage), dark-adapted chlorophyll fluorescence (F v/F m), soluble sugar concentrations, and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and glutathione reductase (GR) activity in current-year foliage. Additional untreated saplings were sampled from base-rich Sleepers River (VT) and base-poor Jeffers Brook (NH) for F v/F m and foliar nutrient concentrations. At NuPert, there were significantly greater Ca concentrations and Ca:Al ratios in roots from the Ca end vs. the Al end of the Al-control-Ca addition gradient. There were also trends toward greater foliar Ca and Ca:Al ratios and lower Al concentrations across the treatment gradient at NuPert and for foliage at Sleepers River vs. Jeffers Brook. At NuPert, F v/F m and APX activity increased across the treatment gradient, and red spruce was higher in these measures than balsam fir. These patterns were also observed when Jeffers Brook and Sleepers River were compared. Increased Ca availability appeared to enhance the ability of red spruce and balsam fir to repair oxidative stress damage, including photooxidation. Our findings support work indicating a greater contemporary level of stress for balsam fir relative to red spruce, which is surprising considering the well-documented regional decline of spruce.

Keywords

Picea rubens Abies balsamea Chlorophyll fluorescence Foliar cations Soluble carbohydrates Antioxidant enzyme activity 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided by the Center for Integrative Natural Sciences and Mathematics at Northern Kentucky University while the senior author was on sabbatical leave. This research was also supported by funds from the Northeastern States Research Cooperative and the USDA CSREES McIntire-Stennis Forest Research Program. Permission to conduct this research at NuPert was granted by the Hubbard Brook Research Advisory Committee. Ian Halm and Scott Bailey of the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest also provided advice and logistical support. Assistance with field and laboratory measurements was provided by Chris Hansen and Ali Kosiba, The University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont. Jamie Shanley and his staff at the US Geological Survey, Montpelier, Vermont, provided assistance and support for the work at Sleepers River. Doug Viehmann, Ann Vivian, Susannah McCandless, Ethan Mitchell, Ruah Swennerfelt and Louis Cox all provided logistical support during the study. This manuscript was greatly improved by reviews from Andrew J. Friedland, Anna W. Schoettle, and anonymous reviewers. This study is a contribution of the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study. Hubbard Brook is part of the Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) network, which is supported by the National Science Foundation. The Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest is operated and maintained by the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Newtown Square, PA.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Richard L. Boyce
    • 1
  • Paul G. Schaberg
    • 2
  • Gary J. Hawley
    • 3
  • Joshua M. Halman
    • 3
  • Paula F. Murakami
    • 2
  1. 1.Department of Biological SciencesNorthern Kentucky UniversityHighland HeightsUSA
  2. 2.USDA Forest ServiceNorthern Research StationSouth BurlingtonUSA
  3. 3.The University of Vermont, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural ResourcesBurlingtonUSA

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