Biogeochemistry

, Volume 121, Issue 2, pp 329–338 | Cite as

Rocks create nitrogen hotspots and N:P heterogeneity by funnelling rain

  • Hans Göransson
  • Peter J. Edwards
  • Kristel Perreijn
  • Rienk H. Smittenberg
  • Harry Olde Venterink
Biogeochemistry Letters
First Online:
Received:
Accepted:

Abstract

We postulated that soil nutrient heterogeneity arises not only through physical and biological processes in the soil, but also through emergent rocks diverting precipitation containing nutrients to the surrounding soil. To test this idea—which we call the ‘funnelling effect’ of such rocks—we placed ion-exchange resin in small boxes beside rocks and in open soil on a pristine glacial forefield site in Switzerland, and measured the amounts of NH4 +, NO3 −, NO2 − and PO4 3− that were adsorbed. We also placed resin bags beneath PVC funnels of different sizes so that we could calibrate the natural funnelling effect of rocks. We obtained strong linear relationships between nitrogen (N) adsorbed and rain-collecting area of both rocks and funnels. Although the mean rain-collecting area of rocks was only 0.02 m2, mean N adsorption was around 10 times higher within 1 cm of rocks than further away. In contrast, phosphorus (P) was not concentrated beside rocks, so that N:P stoichiometry varied spatially. Rumex scutatus and Agrostis gigantea plants that rooted beside rocks had significantly higher foliar N concentrations than those growing further away, in line with the resin data. However, the two species showed differing responses in foliar P and N:P. We propose that R. scutatus benefits from the increased N supply by increasing its uptake of soil P, while A. gigantea is unable to do so. This study clearly demonstrates that aboveground rain-funnelling structures can produce spatial heterogeneity in N supply, thereby creating a diversity of nutritional niches for plants.

Keywords

Atmospheric deposition N:P stoichiometry Nitrogen Phosphorus Resource heterogeneity Rain funnel 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

We greatly acknowledge Iso Christl for providing the data of TDN concentrations in rain, as well as Beat Müller and Ruth Stierli for analyses of the other variables in rain, and Britta Jahn, Marilyn Gaschen and Deniz Tuerkcan for analyses of the resin samples. We thank Gerri Furrer, Johan Van de Koppel, Max Rietkerk, Martin Wassen and Hans Henrik Bruun for helpful feedback on drafts of the manuscript. Funding was provided by ETH CCES-Biglink. We thank Stefano Bernasconi for his effort in managing the Biglink project.

Supplementary material

10533_2014_31_MOESM1_ESM.pdf (124 kb)
Supplementary material 1 (PDF 124 kb)

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Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Hans Göransson
    • 1
    • 3
  • Peter J. Edwards
    • 1
  • Kristel Perreijn
    • 1
  • Rienk H. Smittenberg
    • 2
    • 4
  • Harry Olde Venterink
    • 1
    • 5
  1. 1.Institute of Integrative BiologyETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
  2. 2.Geological InstituteETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
  3. 3.Institute of Forest EcologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU)ViennaAustria
  4. 4.Department of Geological SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
  5. 5.Plant Biology and Nature ManagementVrije Universiteit BrusselBrusselsBelgium

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