Abstract
The ability of wild indigenous legumes to form root nodules capable of biological nitrogen (N2) fixation has rarely been demonstrated for species in natural ecosystems in large parts of Europe. In order to understand and manage these ecosystems, it is important to demonstrate nodulation across a diverse range of environments, sites and climates. This study surveyed nodulation at a number of sites in Scotland and Sweden. Presence of nodules was noted and nodule structure and indicators of nitrogen fixation capacity were assessed using light and transmission electron microscopy. Soils from several sites were also sampled for carbon and nitrogen analysis. The collections comprised 24 species in Scotland, and 30 taxa in Sweden; 17 of these in common for both countries. Highest species numbers occurred in meadows, farmland margins, hedgerows, roadsides and wasteland. Coastal sites and sites in the mountainous region above the Arctic Circle hosted several rare species. All sampled species had features of N2-fixing nodules such as pink colour (leghaemoglobin) when dissected and bacteroids. Nodule structure for a number of species is here reported for the first time and presence of the N2-fixing enzyme nitrogenase is demonstrated in three previously not studied Swedish legume species. North European legumes may make significant contributions to the N-budgets of their ecosystems. Such species (and their symbionts) represent unique germplasm that may be adopted to empower advances in agriculture and conservation aimed at mitigation and adaptation to the effects of climate change.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Chris Jorna and Markus Danell for assistance in the field, Agneta Norén for the gift of the nifH protein antibody, Toby Pennington and Geoff Squire for valuable discussions, Christer Jonasson, Abisko, Ulf Molau, Latnajaure, and Kjell-Arne Olsson, Åhus, for very helpful information on sites and species, and Mats Högström for GIS support. PPMI was funded by the Scottish Government. Work in Sweden had financial support from the Swedish Research Council Formas (to KHD). Field work in Ammarnäs and Abisko was supported by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat during the International Polar Year 2007–2008 as part of the research programme SWEDARCTIC.
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Ampomah, O.Y., James, E.K., Iannetta, P.P.M. et al. Nodulation and ecological significance of indigenous legumes in Scotland and Sweden. Symbiosis 57, 133–148 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-012-0188-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13199-012-0188-9