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Mobilisation of recalcitrant soil nutrient fractions supports foliar nitrogen to phosphorus homeostasis in a seabird soil

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Abstract

Background and aims

Although the nutrient enrichment literature emphasises anthropogenic sources, seabirds deposit large quantities of marine detritus at breeding and roosting sites. Little is known of the chemical fractions and plant availability of seabird soil nutrients and their relationship to nutrient limitation patterns.

Methods

Nutrients in mineral soil from a breeding colony of burrowing seabirds were progressively depleted by growing radiata pine (Pinus radiata D. Don.) and wheat (Triticum aestivum) separately in small pots over 4–10 months. Soil from destructively sampled pots was analysed using a version of the Hedley fractionation scheme; foliage was analysed for C, N and δ 15N using isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and for P using microwave assisted digestion and ICP-OES.

Results

Foliar C:N and δ 15N increased with plant mass for both species, but N:P remained constant within plants of each species. As total soil P was progressively depleted, concentrations of bicarbonate-extractable soil P were maintained. This occurred mainly by depletion of non-labile inorganic P forms, thus demonstrating potential mobilisation of all refractory P (as defined by our chemical fractionation method) into plants growing at the seabird site. The increasing foliar δ 15N was consistent with the progressive mobilisation of more highly recycled forms of N.

Conclusions

We infer a species-specific stoichiometric homeostasis for N and P in plants grown in seabird soil, facilitated by mobilisation of recalcitrant forms of soil N and P.

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Acknowledgments

This study was initiated while DJH was on study leave at Lincoln University. Yi Chen and Jenny Jia assisted in the lab as part of their undergraduate research projects. Richard Holdaway reminded the authors of the distinction between biomass accumulation and productivity. Ben Turner provided a most helpful pre-submission review; the authors also thank the journal reviewers for their thorough and insightful comments. The ongoing interest of staff from the New Zealand Department of Conservation (West Coast Conservancy) in Westland petrel research is gratefully acknowledged.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Applied Sciences & Allied Health, Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology, PO Box 540, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    David J. Hawke

  2. Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, PO Box 85084, Lincoln, 7647, New Zealand

    Leo M. Condron

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  1. David J. Hawke
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  2. Leo M. Condron
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Correspondence to David J. Hawke.

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Hawke, D.J., Condron, L.M. Mobilisation of recalcitrant soil nutrient fractions supports foliar nitrogen to phosphorus homeostasis in a seabird soil. Plant Soil 385, 77–86 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2228-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-014-2228-0

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