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Response of Sphagnum papillosum and Drosera rotundifolia to Reduced and Oxidized Wet Nitrogen Deposition

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Abstract

We transplanted Sphagnum ‘turfs’ containing abundant Drosera rotundifolia into an existing nitrogen deposition experiment at Whim Moss near Edinburgh. These mesocosms received simulated N deposition as either NH +4 or NO -3 , to give total N deposition rates of approximately 8, 16 or 32, or 64 kg N ha-1 year-1. Simulated N deposition was added in a realistic way (i.e., with rainfall throughout the year). The δ15N of this added N was elevated relative to background N. We measured the tissue chemistry and δ15N of Sphagnum papillosum and D. rotundifolia over two years after transplant. Our aim was to determine uptake of the deposited N and the impact on S. papillosum tissue chemistry and D. rotundifolia tissue chemistry and ecology. We found clear, significant impacts of N deposition on S. papillosum, with increased capitula N content and reduced C:N ratio. Increased δ15N indicated uptake of deposited N. The response of D. rotundifolia was less clear with impacts only at the highest rate of N deposition. There was no evidence of differential uptake of reduced or oxidized wet N deposition by either S. papillosum or D. rotundifolia. Using the natural abundance stable isotope method we estimated the minimum contribution of prey N to the total N in D. rotundifolia to be 35%. The results suggest that differences in the uptake of reduced or oxidized wet N deposition might not be ecologically significant when wet N deposition is added realistically. They also support the suggestion that a model of N dynamics in Sphagnum-dominated ecosystems that includes the role of Sphagnum as a small-scale ecosystem engineer, is required to predict vascular plant responses to N deposition accurately.

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Acknowledgements

This research was funded by a grant from the British Ecological Society (grant number 713/1414) and benefit-in-kind funding from the UK Natural Environment Research Council, Life Sciences Mass Spectrometry Facility (grant number EK113-08/07).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science, Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK

    Jonathan Millett

  2. Center for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK

    Ian D. Leith & Lucy J. Sheppard

  3. SUERC, Rankine Avenue, Scottish Enterprise Technology Park, East Kilbride, G75 0QF, UK

    Jason Newton

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  1. Jonathan Millett
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  2. Ian D. Leith
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  3. Lucy J. Sheppard
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Correspondence to Jonathan Millett.

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Millett, J., Leith, I.D., Sheppard, L.J. et al. Response of Sphagnum papillosum and Drosera rotundifolia to Reduced and Oxidized Wet Nitrogen Deposition. Folia Geobot 47, 179–191 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-011-9114-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12224-011-9114-9

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