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Nutrient input from hemiparasitic litter favors plant species with a fast-growth strategy

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Abstract

Aims

Hemiparasitic plants often produce nutrient-rich litter with high decomposition rates, and thus can enhance nutrient availability. When plant species have differential affinities for this nutrient source, hemiparasitic litter might influence species composition in addition to the parasitic suppression of host species. We expected that species adapted to fertile habitats derive a higher proportion of nutrients from the hemiparasitic litter compared to other species.

Methods

15N-labeled litter of Rhinanthus angustifolius and Pedicularis sylvatica was added to experimental field plots and adjacent litter bags. We examined N release from the litter, N uptake by the vegetation 2, 4 and 12 months after litter addition and differences in the proportion of N taken up from the litter (NL) between co-occurring species.

Results

The percentage of N in shoots of co-occurring plant species that is derived from the added hemiparasitic litter (NL) strongly differed between the species (0.1–6.2 %). After exclusion of species with an alternative N source (legumes as well as ectomycorrhizal and ericoid mycorrhizal species), NL was positively related (p < 0.001) with specific leaf area (SLA) and at Pedicularis sites with leaf N concentration (LNC) and leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC) (p < 0.05), i.e. leaf traits associated with a fast-growth strategy and adaptation to high-nutrient environments.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that nutrient release from hemiparasitic litter favors plant species with a fast-growth strategy adapted to high-nutrient environments compared to species with a slow-growth strategy. Whether continued hemiparasitic litter inputs are able to change species composition in the long term requires further research.

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Acknowledgments

Special thanks to the six reserve managers. This research was funded by the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen). AD was supported by a PhD grant of the agency for Innovation by Science and Technology (IWT-Vlaanderen); JS was funded as postdoctoral fellow of FWO-Vlaanderen. LB held a postdoctoral fellowship of the Special Research Fund of Ghent University (BOF). The study has been supported by the TRY initiative on plant traits (http://www.try-db.org). The TRY initiative and database is hosted, developed and maintained by J. Kattge and G. Bönisch (Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany). TRY is/has been supported by DIVERSITAS, IGBP, the Global Land Project, the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) through its program QUEST (Quantifying and Understanding the Earth System), the French Foundation for Biodiversity Research (FRB), and GIS “Climat, Environnement et Société” France.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Forest & Nature Lab (ForNaLab), Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090, Gontrode, Belgium

    Andreas Demey, Jeroen Staelens, Lander Baeten & Kris Verheyen

  2. Division Forest, Nature and Landscape (FNL), KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200 E, 3001, Heverlee, Belgium

    Martin Hermy

  3. Isotope Bioscience Laboratory (ISOFYS), Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Jeroen Staelens & Pascal Boeckx

  4. Terrestrial Ecology Unit (TEREC), Ghent University, K. L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Lander Baeten

  5. Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans Knoell Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany

    Jens Kattge

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  1. Andreas Demey
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  6. Jens Kattge
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  7. Kris Verheyen
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Correspondence to Andreas Demey.

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Demey, A., Staelens, J., Baeten, L. et al. Nutrient input from hemiparasitic litter favors plant species with a fast-growth strategy. Plant Soil 371, 53–66 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1658-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-013-1658-4

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