Soil nitrogen availability varies with plant genetics across diverse river drainages

Dylan G. Fischer; Stephen C. Hart; Jennifer A. Schweitzer; Paul C. Selmants; Thomas G. Whitham

doi:10.1007/s11104-009-0260-2

Plant and Soil

June 2010, Volume 331, Issue 1, pp 391–400

Soil nitrogen availability varies with plant genetics across diverse river drainages

Authors
Authors and affiliations

Dylan G. FischerEmail author
Stephen C. Hart
Jennifer A. Schweitzer
Paul C. Selmants
Thomas G. Whitham

Regular Article

First Online:: 05 January 2010

Received:: 24 September 2009
Accepted:: 10 December 2009

DOI: 10.1007/s11104-009-0260-2

Cite this article as:: Fischer, D.G., Hart, S.C., Schweitzer, J.A. et al. Plant Soil (2010) 331: 391. doi:10.1007/s11104-009-0260-2

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Abstract

Understanding covariance of plant genetics and soil processes may improve our understanding the role of plant genetics in structuring soils and ecosystem function across landscapes. We measured soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability using ion exchange resin bags within three river drainages across Utah and Arizona, USA. The three drainages spanned more than 1,000 km in distance, 8° of latitude, and varying climatic regimes, but were similarly dominated by stands of Populus fremontii (S. Watts), P. angustifolia (James), or natural hybrids between the two species. Soil N availability was consistently greater in P. fremontii stands compared to P. angustifolia stands, and hybrid stands were intermediate. However, we found that the influence of overstory type on soil P availability depended on the river drainage. Our study suggests that, even with a near doubling of mean soil N availability across these drainages, the relative genetic-based effects of the dominant plant on N availability remained consistent. These results expand upon previous work by: 1) providing evidence for linkages between plant genetic factors and ecosystem function across geographic scales; and 2) indicating that plant genetic-based effects on nutrient dynamics in a given ecosystem may differ among nutrients (e.g., N vs. P).

Keywords

Ecosystem genetics Extended phenotype Genes-to-ecosystems Ion exchange resin bags Nitrogen availability Phosphorus availability Populus Riparian forests

Abbreviations

N: Nitrogen
P: Phosphorus
NH₄⁺: Ammonium
NO₃⁻: Nitrate

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Authors and Affiliations

Dylan G. Fischer
- 1
Email author
Stephen C. Hart
- 2
Jennifer A. Schweitzer
- 3
Paul C. Selmants
- 4
Thomas G. Whitham
- 5

1.Lab II 3265The Evergreen State CollegeOlympiaUSA
2.School of Natural Sciences and Sierra Nevada Research InstituteUniversity of CaliforniaMercedUSA
3.Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleUSA
4.Environmental Studies DepartmentUniversity of CaliforniaSanta CruzUSA
5.Department of Biological Sciences and Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental ResearchNorthern Arizona UniversityFlagstaffUSA

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Soil nitrogen availability varies with plant genetics across diverse river drainages

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