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Shifts in N and P Budgets of Heathland Ecosystems: Effects of Management and Atmospheric Inputs

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Abstract

In the present study we analyzed the combined effects of management (grazing, mowing, prescribed burning, sod-cutting) and atmospheric deposition on N and P budgets of heathland ecosystems (Lüneburger Heide nature reserve; N Germany). We hypothesize that management measures such as grazing and mowing can accelerate a deposition-induced imbalance of N and P pools as a result of a disproportionally high output of P. We analyzed management and deposition affected input–output flows of N and P and related them to changes in the nutritional status of Calluna vulgaris 5 years after treatment application. We found that grazing and mowing caused the highest net loss of P due to high P concentrations in the aboveground biomass. In contrast, prescribed burning only slightly affected P pools, as P remained in the system due to ash deposition. Management-mediated effects on N and P pools were mirrored in the nutritional status of Calluna vulgaris: at the grazed and mown sites, the P content of current season’s shoots significantly decreased within 5 years after treatments, whereas the N content remained unchanged. We conclude that grazing and mowing can accelerate declining availability of P and, thus, accelerate a deposition-induced shift from N- to P-limited plant growth in the medium term. In the face of ongoing atmospheric N loads management schemes need to combine high- and low-intensity measures to maintain both a diverse structure and balanced nutrient budgets in the long term.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, University of Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr 1, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany

    Werner Härdtle, Goddert von Oheimb, Anna-Katharina Gerke, Marion Niemeyer, Thomas Niemeyer, Thorsten Assmann, Claudia Drees, Andrea Matern & Hartmut Meyer

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  1. Werner Härdtle
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  2. Goddert von Oheimb
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  3. Anna-Katharina Gerke
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  4. Marion Niemeyer
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Correspondence to Werner Härdtle.

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Härdtle, W., von Oheimb, G., Gerke, AK. et al. Shifts in N and P Budgets of Heathland Ecosystems: Effects of Management and Atmospheric Inputs. Ecosystems 12, 298–310 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-008-9223-3

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