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Imprint of oaks on nitrogen availability and δ15N in California grassland-savanna: a case of enhanced N inputs?

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Abstract

Woody vegetation is distributed patchily in many arid and semi-arid ecosystems, where it is often associated with elevated nitrogen (N) pools and availability in islands of fertility. We measured N availability and δ15N in paired blue-oak versus annual grass dominated patches to characterize the causes and consequences of spatial variation in N dynamics of grassland-savanna in Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. We found significantly greater surface soil N pools (0–20 cm) in oak patches compared to adjacent grass areas across a 700 m elevation gradient from foothills to the savanna-forest boundary. N accumulation under oaks was associated with a 0.6‰ depletion in soil δ15N relative to grass patches. Results from a simple δ15N mass balance simulation model, constrained by surface soil N and δ15N measured in the field, suggest that the development of islands of N fertility under oaks can be traced primarily to enhanced N inputs. Net N mineralization and percent nitrification in laboratory incubations were consistently higher under oaks across a range of experimental soil moisture regimes, suggesting a scenario whereby greater N inputs to oak patches result in net N accumulation and enhanced N cycling, with a potential for greater nitrate loss as well. N concentrations of three common herbaceous annual plants were nearly 50% greater under oak than in adjacent grass patches, with community composition shifted towards more N-demanding species under oaks. We find that oaks imprint distinct N-rich islands of fertility that foster local feedback between soil N cycling, plant N uptake, and herbaceous community composition. Such patch-scale differences in N inputs and plant–soil interactions increase biogeochemical heterogeneity in grassland-savanna ecosystems and may shape watershed-level responses to chronic N deposition.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Jon Keeley, Tom McGinnis, and David Graber for logistical assistance, and Chris Catricala and Kathryn James for sample analysis. Jana Compton and Peter Vitousek provided helpful comments on the manuscript. Support for the research was provided by the National Park Foundation Ecological Research Fellowship Program, through a generous grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

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Author notes

  1. Chev H. Kellogg

    Present address: Center for Restoration of Ecosystems and Watersheds, School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. USGS Forest and Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center, Corvallis, OR, 97331, USA

    Steven S. Perakis

  2. Department of Forest Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, 97333, USA

    Steven S. Perakis & Chev H. Kellogg

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  1. Steven S. Perakis
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  2. Chev H. Kellogg
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Correspondence to Steven S. Perakis.

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Perakis, S.S., Kellogg, C.H. Imprint of oaks on nitrogen availability and δ15N in California grassland-savanna: a case of enhanced N inputs?. Plant Ecol 191, 209–220 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9238-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9238-9

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