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The effect of enhanced nitrogen on aboveground biomass allocation and nutrient resorption in the fern Athyrium distentifolium

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Abstract

We measured aboveground biomass allocation and resorption of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in the fronds of a winter-deciduous fern Athyrium distentifolium in ambient and N-enhanced treatments. Studies were done in the Moravian-Silesian Beskydy Mts. (Czech Republic) during 2007 and 2008. Athyrium distentifolium formed taller fronds and petioles and allocated more biomass to supporting tissue relative to photosynthetically active leaf tissue in response to N addition. Resorption of P from green fronds was more efficient than N resorption (on average 50% P, 21% N from supporting and 44% P, 24% N from photosynthetic tissues were withdrawn during senescence). The N/P-ratios were higher in photosynthetic tissue (10.8 in 2007 and 13.0 in 2008) in comparison with supporting tissue (5.5 and 7.7, respectively). In N-enhanced treatment, a positive relationship was found between the amount of supporting tissue relative to photosynthetic tissue and resorption of nutrients from photosynthetic tissue. However, higher N availability resulted in a significant decrease of N resorption efficiency in photosynthetic tissue of A. distentifolium.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by Grant Agency of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic (project no. IAA600050616) and by projects No. AV0Z 60050516 and AV0Z 60870520. We are indebted to Prof. J.M. Bernard for his review of the text.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Poříčí 3b, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Holub & Ivan Tůma

  2. Laboratory of Plants Ecological Physiology, Institute of Systems Biology and Ecology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Poříčí 3b, 603 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Holub

  3. Department of Agrochemistry, Soil Science, Microbiology and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agronomy, Mendel University of Agriculture and Forestry, Zemědělská 1, 613 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Ivan Tůma

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  1. Petr Holub
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Correspondence to Petr Holub.

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Holub, P., Tůma, I. The effect of enhanced nitrogen on aboveground biomass allocation and nutrient resorption in the fern Athyrium distentifolium . Plant Ecol 207, 373–380 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9681-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9681-5

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