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N2 Fixation in Feather Mosses is a Sensitive Indicator of N Deposition in Boreal Forests

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Abstract

Nitrogen (N) fixation in the feather moss–cyanobacteria association represents a major N source in boreal forests which experience low levels of N deposition; however, little is known about the effects of anthropogenic N inputs on the rate of fixation of atmospheric N2 in mosses and the succeeding effects on soil nutrient concentrations and microbial community composition. We collected soil samples and moss shoots of Pleurozium schreberi at six distances along busy and remote roads in northern Sweden to assess the influence of road-derived N inputs on N2 fixation in moss, soil nutrient concentrations and microbial communities. Soil nutrients were similar between busy and remote roads; N2 fixation was higher in mosses along the remote roads than along the busy roads and increased with increasing distance from busy roads up to rates of N2 fixation similar to remote roads. Throughfall N was higher in sites adjacent to the busy roads but showed no distance effect. Soil microbial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) composition exhibited a weak pattern regarding road type. Concentrations of bacterial and total PLFAs decreased with increasing distance from busy roads, whereas fungal PLFAs showed no distance effect. Our results show that N2 fixation in feather mosses is highly affected by N deposition, here derived from roads in northern Sweden. Moreover, as other measured factors showed only weak differences between the road types, atmospheric N2 fixation in feather mosses represents a highly sensitive indicator for increased N loads to natural systems.

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Acknowledgments

This study was made possible by the 125th Anniversary Scholarship of Bangor University and the UK Natural Environment Research Council. JR was supported by Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet) grants (623-2009-7343 and 621-2011-5719). The authors would like to thank the Institute for Subarctic Landscape Research in Arjeplog, Sweden for provision of field and lab equipments. The authors also thank two anonymous reviewers for their helpful and insightful comments on the article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of the Environment, Natural Resources, & Geography, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2UW, UK

    Kathrin Ackermann, Johannes Rousk, David L. Jones & Thomas H. DeLuca

  2. Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden

    Olle Zackrisson

  3. Department of Microbial Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Johannes Rousk

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  1. Kathrin Ackermann
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  2. Olle Zackrisson
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  5. Thomas H. DeLuca
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Correspondence to Kathrin Ackermann.

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Author Contributions

KA, OZ, THD designed the study and performed the fieldwork. KA performed the lab analyses. OZ and THD performed nitrogenase analyses. JR conducted the PLFA analyses. KA analyzed the data. KA wrote the first draft, with all authors contributing to the final manuscript.

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Ackermann, K., Zackrisson, O., Rousk, J. et al. N2 Fixation in Feather Mosses is a Sensitive Indicator of N Deposition in Boreal Forests. Ecosystems 15, 986–998 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-012-9562-y

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