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Effects of Reduced and Oxidised Nitrogen on Rich-Fen Mosses: a 4-Year Field Experiment

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Abstract

Dutch fens, subjected to high nitrogen (N) deposition levels with reduced N (NHy) highly dominating over oxidised N (NOx), have since the second half of the past century seen a significant decline of Scorpidium and other characteristic brown moss species, while several Sphagnum species have increased rapidly. This promotes acidification and the transition from rich to poor fens. In line with the outcomes of previous short-term water culture experiments, we hypothesised that Scorpidium growth is negatively affected by NHy due to ammonium toxicity, but not by NOx deposition, and that Sphagnum grows equally well on both N forms. To test this hypothesis under field conditions, we carried out a 4-year N addition experiment (5.0 g N m−2 year−1, applied either as NO3 −-N or as NH4 +-N) on natural mixed Scorpidium revolvens–Sphagnum contortum stands in a rich fen with relatively low background N deposition. After 4 years, ammonium addition had significantly reduced Scorpidium growth, while Sphagnum had not significantly been affected by N additions. Increased ammonium levels were directly toxic to Scorpidium, while Sphagnum was not affected. Furthermore, N addition (in particular nitrate) also indirectly influenced moss growth through promoting vascular plants. Our study confirms that it is ecologically relevant to consider the specific form in which N enrichment occurs, i.e. the ratio of NHy vs. NOx. We conclude that in rich fens, the risk of rapid transition of the moss layer to dominance of poor-fen species is strongly promoted by increased deposition of reduced N.

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Acknowledgments

The fieldwork and report of the results was financially supported by the Schure-Beijerinck-Popping Fund (Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences) and the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (ref. BO-11 Nature and Biodiversity, HD3574), respectively. The authors also express their thanks to Dúchas (now National Parks and Wildlife Service of Ireland) for permission to carry out the field experiment in Scragh Bog, to the Wallace family (Portnashangan, County Westmeath, Ireland) for permission of access to the site, and to Emer Colleran and Sean Pender (Microbiology Department, National University of Ireland, Galway) for enabling us to carry out the phosphatase assays at their lab. Boudewijn Beltman, Albert Dees, Marion van Gellekom and Isabel Van den Wyngaert helped during fieldwork. Paul van der Ven assisted in the field and during laboratory analyses. Edwin Martens (Centre for Biostatistics, Utrecht University) and Saskia Burgers (Biometris, Wageningen University & Research Centre) provided statistical advice. Furthermore, we thank Rien van der Gaag and the staff of the Department of Environmental Biology for enabling us to carry out the amino acid analyses at the Radboud University of Nijmegen. Finally, we are grateful to Dick Bal (Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs) for his comments on an earlier version of the manuscript.

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  1. Maurice P. C. P. Paulissen

    Present address: Alterra, Wageningen University & Research Centre, P.O. Box 47, 6700 AA, Wageningen, The Netherlands

  2. Roland Bobbink

    Present address: B-WARE Research Centre, Radboud University, P.O. Box 6558, 6503 GB, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

  3. Sandra A. Robat

    Present address: Dutch Accreditation Council RvA, P.O. Box 2768, 3500 GT, Utrecht, The Netherlands

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  1. Ecology and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 800.84, 3508 TB, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Maurice P. C. P. Paulissen, Roland Bobbink, Sandra A. Robat & Jos T. A. Verhoeven

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Paulissen, M.P.C.P., Bobbink, R., Robat, S.A. et al. Effects of Reduced and Oxidised Nitrogen on Rich-Fen Mosses: a 4-Year Field Experiment. Water Air Soil Pollut 227, 18 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-015-2713-y

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