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Effects of combined ozone and nitrogen deposition on the in situ properties of eleven key plant species of a subalpine pasture

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Abstract

Tropospheric O3 and deposition of reactive N threaten the composition and function of natural and semi-natural vegetation even in remote regions. However, little is known about effects of these pollutants individually or in combination on plant species in alpine habitats. We analyzed 11 frequent plant species of a subalpine Geo-Montani-Nardetum pasture exposed at 2,000 m a.s.l. in the Swiss Alps during 3 years using a factorial free-air exposure system with three concentrations of O3 and five rates of N application. The aim was to detect subtle effects on leaf chlorophyll and N concentrations, leaf weight, specific leaf area (SLA), and δ18O and δ13C as proxies for gas exchange. We expected that the species’ responsiveness to O3 and N would be related to their functional traits and that N-induced changes in these traits would modify the species’ response to O3 via increased growth and higher leaf conductance (g s). Most species reacted to N supply with the accumulation of N and chlorophyll, but with no change in SLA, g s, and growth, except Carex sempervirens which showed increased water use efficiency and leaf weight. Elevated O3 reduced g s in most species, but this was not related to a reduction in leaf weight, which was recorded in half of the species. Contrary to our expectation, the magnitude of the response to both O3 and N was not related to species-specific traits such as SLA or g s. No pronounced O3 × N interactions were observed. In conclusion, since for most species neither N nor gas exchange limited growth, their short-term response to O3 and N and to their combination was small. O3 × N interactive effects are expected to be more pronounced in habitats where species are more responsive to N due to favorable growth conditions in terms of nutrient availability and temperature.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Environment in the framework of the International Cooperative Programe Vegetation (ICP Vegetation) under the UNECE CLRTAP. The help of V. Spinas, M. Montani, R. Giger, P. Scheuber, F. Contat and the ART field team in setting up the experiment and performing fieldwork is greatly acknowledged. We thank M. Suter for statistical support. The experiments reported here comply with the current Swiss law.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Air Pollution and Climate Group, Agroscope Research Station ART, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046, Zurich, Switzerland

    Seraina Bassin, Matthias Volk & Jürg Fuhrer

  2. Institute of Plant Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8092, Zurich, Switzerland

    Roland A. Werner, Karin Sörgel & Nina Buchmann

Authors
  1. Seraina Bassin
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  2. Roland A. Werner
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  3. Karin Sörgel
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  4. Matthias Volk
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  5. Nina Buchmann
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  6. Jürg Fuhrer
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Seraina Bassin.

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Communicated by Andrea Polle.

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Bassin, S., Werner, R.A., Sörgel, K. et al. Effects of combined ozone and nitrogen deposition on the in situ properties of eleven key plant species of a subalpine pasture. Oecologia 158, 747–756 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1191-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-008-1191-y

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