Nitrogen resorption in perennial grasses with different palatability, native to the Caldenal
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.13.23.1.0.1186Keywords:
nitrogen resorption efficiency, nitrogen resorption proficiency, nitrogen use efficiency, Poa ligularis, Nassella tenuissimaAbstract
Nutrient resorption in plants represents a conservation mechanism which could be expected to be more significant in those species adapted to nutrient limitations. In the Caldenal District, unpalatable grasses meet characteristics commonly present in species adapted to unfertile conditions (abundance of structural tissue, low nutrient concentration), whereas in palatable grasses those traits are less manifest. So, it could be expected a higher nitrogen (N) resorption efficiency and/or proficiency and N use efficiency in Nassella tenuissima Trin. (unpalatable grass) than in Poa ligularis Nees ex. Steud. (palatable grass). Our objective was to compare the N concentration in leaves and roots, live and death, of both species at different times along an annual growth cycle. Nitrogen concentration in all plant compartments was similar between both species or higher in P. ligularis, determining similar or higher N resorption efficiency and proficiency and N use efficiency in N. tenuissima than in P. ligularis. Average N resorption efficiency was higher in leaves that in roots for both species. Our results did not allow inferring a clear differential behavior in N use economy between these unpalatable and palatable grasses of the Caldenal.
References
AERTS, R; B WALLEN & N MALM. 1992. Growth-limiting nutrients in Sphagnum-dominated bogs subjected to low and high atmospheric nitrogen supply. Journal of Ecology, 80:131-140.
AERTS, R. 1995. The advantages of being evergreen. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 10:402-407.
AERTS, R. 1996. Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of perennials: are there general patterns? Journal of Ecology, 84:597-608.
AERTS, R & F CHAPIN III. 2000. The mineral of wild plants revisited: A re-evaluation of processes and patterns. Advances in Ecological Research, 30:2-67.
ANDRIOLI, R & RA DISTEL. 2008. Litter quality of C3 perennial grasses and soil inorganic nitrogen in a semi-arid rangeland of central Argentina. Journal of Arid Environments, 72:1684-1689.
BERENDSE & R AERTS. 1987. Nitrogen-use-efficiency: A biologicallymMeaningful definition?. Functional Ecology, 1(3):293-296.
BERTILLER, MB; CL SAIN; AL CARRERA & DN VARGAS. 2005. Patterns of nitrogen and phosphorous conservation in dominant perennial grasses and shrubs across an aridity gradient in Patagonia. Journal of Arid Environment, 62:209-223.
BOHM, W. 1979. Methods of studying root systems. Springer-Verlag, New York.
BURKE, I; W LAUENROTH & WJ PARTON. 1997. Regional and temporal variation in net primary production and nitrogen mineralization in grasslands. Ecology, 78:1330-1340.
BURKE, IC; WK LAUENROTH; J STEENSON; M GUTMANN; WJ PARTON; ET AL. 1998. Environmental controls over land use in the Central grasslands region of the United States. Canberra (Australia): Global Change and Terrestrial Ecology Abstracts Core Project Office.
CABRERA, AL. 1976. Regiones Fitogeográficas Argentinas. En: Enciclopedia Argentina de Agricultura y Jardinería. Tomo II. Fascículo 1. ACME, Buenos Aires.
CALDWELL, MM. 1979. Root structure: the considerable cost of below ground function. Pp. 408-432 en: Solbrig, OT; S Jain; GB Johnson & PH Raven (eds.). Topics in Plant Population Biology. Columbia University Press, New York.
CAMPANELLA, MV & MB BERTILLER. 2011. Is N-resorption efficiency related to secondary compounds and leaf longevity in coexisting plant species of the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina? Austral Ecology, 36:395-402.
CANO, E. 1988. Pastizales naturales de La Pampa. Descripción de las especies más importantes. Tomo 1. Convenio AACREA-Provincia de La Pampa.
CARRERA, AL; CL SAIN & MB BERTILLER. 2000. Patterns of nitrogen conservation in shrubs and grasses in the Patagonian Monte, Argentina. Plant and Soil, 224:185-193.
CARRERA, AL; MB BERTILLER; CL SAIN & MJ MAZZARINO. 2003. Relationship between plant nitrogen conservation strategies and the dynamics of soil nitrogen in the arid Patagonian Monte, Argentina. Plant Soil, 255:595-604.
CERQUEIRA, E; AM SÁENZ & CM RABOTNIKOF. 2004. Seasonal nutritive value of native grasses of Argentine Calden Forest Range. Journal of Arid Environments, 54:645-656.
CHAPIN III, F. 1980. The mineral nutrition of wild plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 11:233-260.
CHAPIN III, F; PA MATSON; A HAROLD & E MONEY. 2002. Principles of terrestrial ecosystem ecology. Springer, NewYork.
DISTEL, RA. 1987. Crecimiento aéreo y radical, germinación y supervivencia en Piptochaetium napostaense (Speg.) Hack y Stipa tenuis Phil. Tesis de Maestría, Universidad Nacional del sur, Bahía Blanca (Argentina).
DISTEL, RA & DV PELÁEZ. 1985. Fenología de algunas especies del Distrito del Caldén (Prosopis caldenia Burk.). IDIA Sept.-Dic.:35-40.
DISTEL, RA & OA FERNÁNDEZ. 1986. Productivity of Stipa tenuis Phil. and Piptochaetium napostaense (Speg) Hach. in semi-arid Argentina. Journal of Arid Environment, 11:93-6.
DISTEL, RA & OA FERNÁNDEZ. 1987. Leaf water potential trends in three grasses native to semiarid Argentina. Journal of Range Management, 40:203-207.
DISTEL, RA & O A FERNÁNDEZ. 1988. Dynamics of root growth and decay in two grasses native to semi-arid Argentina. Australian Journal of Ecology, 13:327-336.
DISTEL, RA & RM BÓO. 1996. Vegetation states and transitions in temperate semi-arid rangelands of Argentina. Pp. 117-118 en: West, N (ed.). Rangelands in a Sustainable Biosphere. Denver: Society for Range Management. USA.
DISTEL, RA; AS MORETTO & NG DIDONÉ. 2003. Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves in two Stipa species native to central Argentina. Austral Ecology, 28:210-215.
DISTEL, RA; NG DIDONÉ & AS MORETTO. 2005. Variations in chemical composition associated with tissue ageing in palatable and unpalatable grasses native to central Argentina. Journal of Arid Environment, 62:351-357.
GIJSMAN, AJ; HF ALARCÓN & RJ THOMAS. 1997. Root decomposition in tropical grasses and legumes, as affected by soil texture and season. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 29:1443-1450.
GRIME, JP. 1979. Plant strategies and vegetation processes. Wiley & Sons, Chichester. GRIME, JP. 2001. Plant strategies, vegetation processes, and ecosystem properties. Wiley, New York.
HOOPER, DU & L JOHNSON. 1999. Nitrogen limitation in dryland ecosystems: responses to geographical and temporal variation in precipitation. Biogeochemistry, 46:247-293.
HUANG, JY, HL YU, LH LI, ZY YUAN & S BARTELS. 2009. Water supply changes N and P conservation in a perennial grass Leymus chinensis. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 51:1050-1056.
INTA; PROVINCIA DE LA PAMPA & UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LA PAMPA. 1980. Inventario integrado de los recursos naturales de la Provincia de La Pampa. INTA, Buenos Aires.
INSTITUTODE BOTÁNICA DARWINION. 2009.Flora del Conosur. Catálogo de Plantas Vasculares. http://www.darwin.edu.ar.
JONES, CG; JH LAWTON & M SHACHAK. 1994. Organisms as ecosystem engineers. Oikos, 69:373-86.
KILLINGBECK, K. 1996. The terminological jungle revisited: making a case for use of the term resorption. Oikos, 46:263-264.
LÜ, XT & XG HAN. 2010. Nutrient resorption responses to water and nitrogen amendment in semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia, China. Plant and Soil, 397:481-491.
LÜ, XT; GT FRESCHET; DFB FLYNN & GH XING. 2012. Plasticity in leaf and stem nutrient resorption proficiency potentially reinforces plant–soil feedbacks and microscale heterogeneity in a semi-arid grassland. Journal of Ecology, 100:144-150.
MOORE, RP. 1962. Tetrazolium as a universally accepted quality test for viable seed. Proceedings of the International Seed Testing Association, 27:795-805.
MORETTO, AS; RA DISTEL & NG DIDONÉ. 2001. Decomposition and nutrient dynamic of leaf litter and roots from palatable and unpalatable grasses in a semi-arid grassland. Applied Soil Ecology, 18:31-37.
OESTERTAG, R & SE HOBBIE. 1999. Early stages of root and leaf decomposition in Hawaiian forest: effects of nutrient availability. Oecologia, 121:564-573.
PUGNAIRE, FI & FS CHAPIN. 1993. Controls over nutrient resorption from leaves evergreen Mediterranean species. Ecology, 74:124-129.
URQUIAGA, S; G CADISH; BJ ALVES; RM BODDEY & KE GILLER. 1998. Influence of decomposition of tropical forage species on the availability of soil nitrogen. Soil Biolology and Biochemistry, 30:2099-2106.
VAN HEERWAARDEN LM; S TOET & R AERTS. 2003. Current measures of nutrient resorption efficiency lead to a substantial underestimation of real resorption efficiency: facts and solutions. Oikos, 101:664-669.
VITOUSEK, P. 1982. Nutrient cycling and nutrient use efficiency. American Naturalist, 119:553-572.
VIVANCO, L & AT AUSTIN. 2006. Intrinsic species effects on leaf litter and root decomposition: a comparison of temperate grasses from North and South America. Oecologia, 150:97-107.
WEDIN, A & D TILMAN. 1990. Species effects on nitrogen cycling: a test with perennial grasses. Oecologia, 84:433-441.
WEDIN, DA. 1995. Species, nitrogen, and grassland dynamics: the constraint of stuff. Pp. 253-262 en: Jones, CG & LH Lawton (eds.). Linking Species and Ecosystems. Chapman & Hall, New York.
WEDIN, DA. 1999. Nitrogen availability, plant-soil feedbacks and grassland stability. Pp. 193-197 en: Eldridge, D & D Freudenberger (eds.). People and Rangelands Building the Future. Proceedings of the VI International Rangeland Congress, Volume 1, Townsville.
WRIGHT IJ & M WESTOBY. 2003. Nutrient concentration, resorption and lifespan: leaf traits of Australian sclerophyll species. Functional Ecology, 17:10-19.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2020 Alicia S. Moretto, Nilda G. Didoné, Roberto A. Distel
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
Authors retain their rights as follows: 1) by granting the journal the right to its first publication, and 2) by registering the published article with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which allows authors and third parties to view and use it as long as they clearly mention its origin (citation or reference, including authorship and first publication in this journal). Authors can make other non-exclusive distribution agreements as long as they clearly indicate their origin and are encouraged to widely share and disseminate the published version of their work.
