Abstract
The objective of the study was to identify specific plant traits determining adaptation of grass species to defoliation and N availability, and thus having a major impact on species dynamics, primary productivity, and on nutrient cycling in grassland ecosystems. It was specifically examined whether the response of species to defoliation is related to their plasticity in leaf growth and in leaf growth zone components, and whether the response of species to nitrogen is related to their plasticity in root morphology and subsequent N acquisition, and to N losses through leaf senescence. The study was conducted on L. perenne and D. glomerata, two grazing tolerant species from fertile habitats, and on F. arundinacea and F. rubra, two less grazing tolerant species from less fertile habitats. Plants were subjected to repeated defoliation at three cutting heights under both high N and low N supply. Biomass allocation, leaf elongation, characteristics of the leaf growth zone (height and relative growth rate), and root morphology, N uptake and N losses through leaf senescence were evaluated. Under high N supply, L. perenne and D. glomerata showed the greatest tolerance to defoliation, due to a large plasticity in the height of the leaf growth zone and due to compensatory growth, either within the leaf growth zone or between growing leaves. Under low N supply, F. rubra was the only species with the ability to develop a more branched root system and a greater length of tertiary roots than under high N. As a consequence, under low N supply F. rubra had a higher specific N uptake and a higher growth rate than the other species. This slow growing species also showed a higher nitrogen allocation to dead leaves and subsequently a higher potential N loss to leaf litter.
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The Scottish Executive Rural Affairs Department, INRA and the Royal Society/CNRS through their European Science Exchange Programme jointly funded this work. Jasmine Ross is acknowledged for her technical support. Elizabeth Duff (BioSS) is thanked for her advice on the statistical analysis.
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Gastal, F., Dawson, L.A. & Thornton, B. Responses of plant traits of four grasses from contrasting habitats to defoliation and N supply. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 88, 245–258 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-010-9352-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-010-9352-x