J. For. Sci., 2003, 49(1):19-26 | DOI: 10.17221/4673-JFS

Altitudinal gradients of natural abundance of stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in the needles and soil of a pine forest in Nepal

S.P. Sah, R. Brumme
Institute of Soil Science and Forest Nutrition, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

This paper deals with natural abundance of 15N and 13C in the soil and needles of the pine forest (Pinus roxburghii, Sargent) along an altitudinal gradient. The study area lies in the elevation range of 1,200 m to 2,200 m in Kathmanduvalley of Nepal. The higher altitude soil was found to be much more depleted of 13C than the lower altitude soil. The decreasing trend of C-isotope (as well as the trend of N-isotope) might be attributed to the lower mineralisation rate and net nitrification rate at the higher altitude. The observed differences in isotopic N- and C-contents of needles and soils across altitudinal gradients in this study are a result of the combination of environmentally induced variations in physiological and morphological differences. For example, altitudinal variation in needle δ15N and δ13C at the research site indicates that the needle isotopic composition is related to nitrogen availability at a site.

Keywords: pine forest; Nepal; stable isotopes; carbon; nitrogen; soil; needles; altitudinal gradients

Published: January 31, 2003  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Sah SP, Brumme R. Altitudinal gradients of natural abundance of stable isotopes of nitrogen and carbon in the needles and soil of a pine forest in Nepal. J. For. Sci.. 2003;49(1):19-26. doi: 10.17221/4673-JFS.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. ÅGREN G.I., BOSATTA E., 1996. Quality: A bridge between theory and experiment in soil organic matter studies. Oikos, 76: 522-528. Go to original source...
    2. BADDELEY J.A., THOMPSON D.B.A., LEE J.A., 1994. Regional and historical variation in the nitrogen content of Racomitrium lanuginosum in Britain in relation to atmospheric nitrogen deposition. Env. Poll., 84: 189-196. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. BEERLING D.J., HEATH J., WOODWARD F.I., MANSFIELD T.A., 1996. Interactions in trees: observations and mechanisms. New Phytol., 134: 235-242. Go to original source...
    4. CORDELL S., GOLDSTEIN G., MUELLER-DOMBOIS D., WEBB D., VITOUSEK P.M., 1998. Physiological and morphological variation in rosideros polymorpha a dominant Hawaiian tree species, along an altitudinal gradient: role of phenotypic plasticity. Oecologia, 113: 188-196. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. DELUCIA E.H., SCHLESINGER W.H., BILLINGS W.D., 1988. Water relations and the maintenance of Sierran conifers on hydro-thermally altered rock. Ecology, 69: 303-311. Go to original source...
    6. DELUCIA E.H., SCHLESINGER W.H., 1991. Resource-use efficiency and drought tolerance in adjacent Great Basin and Sierran plants. Ecology, 72: 1533-1543. Go to original source...
    7. EHLERINGER J.R., HALL A.E., FARQUHAR G.D., 1993. Stable isotopes and plant carbon water relations. San Diego, Academic Press: 555.
    8. EHLERINGER J.R., CERLING T.E., 1995. Atmospheric CO and the ratio of intercellular to ambient CO concentrations in plants. Tree Physiol., 15: 105-111. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    9. FARQUHAR G., SHARKEY T., 1982. Stomatal conductance and photosynthesis. Ann. Rev. Plant Physiol., 33: 317-345. Go to original source...
    10. FRIEND A.D., WOODWARD F.I., SWITSAR V.R., 1989. Field measurements of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, leaf nitrogen and 13C along altitudinal gradients in Scotland. Funct. Ecol., 3: 117-127. Go to original source...
    11. FRIEND A.D., WOODWARD F.I., 1990. Evolutionary and ecophysiological responses of mountain plants to the growing season environment. Adv. Ecol. Res., 20: 59-124. Go to original source...
    12. FOWLER D., CAPE N., LEITH I.D., CHOULARTOHN T.W., GAY M.J., JONES A., 1988. The influence of altitude on rainfall composition at Great Dun Fell. Atmosph. Envir., 22: 1355-1366. Go to original source...
    13. GARTEN C.T. JR., 1993. Variation in foliar 15N abundance and the availability of soil N on the Walker Branch watershed. Ecology, 74: 2098-2113. Go to original source...
    14. GARTEN C.T. JR., MIGROET H., 1994. Relationship between soil nitrogen dynamics and natural 15N abundance in plant foliage from Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Can. J. For. Res., 24: 1636-1645. Go to original source...
    15. GOWER S.T., RICHARDS J.H., 1990. Larches: deciduous conifers in an evergreen world. Bioscience, 40: 818-826. Go to original source...
    16. GRUBB P.J., 1977. Control of forest growth and distribution on wet tropical mountains with specific reference to mineral nutrition. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 8: 83-107. Go to original source...
    17. HOBBIE S.E., SCHIMEL J.P., TRUMBORE S.E., RANDERSON J.R., 2000. A mechanistic understanding of carbon storage and turnover in high-latitude soils. Global Change Biol., 6: 196-210. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    18. HÖGBERG P., 1997. N natural occurrence in soil plant systems. 15 New Phytol., 137: 79-203. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. HÖGBERG P., 1990. Forests losing large quantities of nitrogen have elevated 15N:14N ratios. Oecologia, 84: 229-231. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    20. HÖGBERG P., PLAMBOECK A.H., TAYLOR A.F.S., FRANSSON P.M.A., 1999. Natural 13C abundance reveals trophic status of fungi and host-origin of carbon in mycorrhizal fungi in mixed forests. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96: 8534-8539. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    21. HULTINE K.R., MARSHALL J.D., 2000. Altitude trends in conifer leaf morphology and stable carbon isotope composition. Oecologia, 123: 32-40. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    22. JHA P.K., SAH S.P., SAH J.P., BARAL S.R., 1986. Rhododendron arboreum sm.: seasonal and altitudinal variations of nutrients in its woods, leaf litter and soil under the canopy. MAB Bulletin, No. 7, Nepal MAB Committee, Kathmandu: 20-26.
    23. KÖRNER C., 1989. The nutritional status of plants from high altitudes. Oecologia, 81: 379-391. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    24. KÖRNER C., DIMER M., 1987. In situ photosynthetic response to light, temperature and CO2 in herbaceous plants from low and high altitudes. Funct. Ecol., 1: 179-194. Go to original source...
    25. KÖRNER C., FARQUHAR G.D., ROKSANDIC S., 1988. A global survey of carbon isotope discrimination in plants from high altitude. Oecologia, 74: 623-632. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. KÖRNER C., NEUMAYER M., PALAEZ MENENDEZ-REIDL S., SMEETS-SCHEEL A., 1989. Functional morphology of mountain plants. Flora, 182: 353-383. Go to original source...
    27. KÖRNER C., FARQUHAR G.D., WONG C., 1991. Carbon isotope discrimination by plants follows latitudinal and altitudinal trends. Oecologia, 88: 30-40. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. LAJTHA K., GETZ J., 1993. Photosynthesis and water use efficiency in Pinyon-juniper communities along an elevation gradient in northern New Mexico. Oecologia, 94: 95-111. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    29. LEIGH E.G. JR., 1975. Structure and climate in tropical rain forest. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., 6: 67-86. Go to original source...
    30. MARSHALL J.D., ZHANG J., 1993. Altitudinal variations in carbon isotopes discrimination by conifers. In: EHLERINGER J.R., HALL A.E, FARQUHAR G.D. (eds.), Stable Isotopes and Plant Carbon Water Relations. San Diego, Academic Press: 187-199. Go to original source...
    31. MARSHALL J.D., ZHANG J., 1994. Carbon isotope discrimination and water use efficiency of native plants of the northcentral Rockies. Ecology, 75: 1887-1890?. Go to original source...
    32. MARIOTTI A., PIERRE D., VEDY J.C., BRUCKERT S., GUILLEMOT J., 1980. The abundance of natural nitrogen 15 in the organic matter of soils along an altitudinal gradient (Chablais, Haute Savoie, France). Catena, 7: 293-300. Go to original source...
    33. MARIOTTI A., GERMON J.C., HUBERT P., KAISER P., LETOLLE R., TARDIEX A., TARDIEUX P., 1981. Experimental determination of nitrogen kinetic rationation: some principles; illustration for the denitrification and nitrification process. Pl. and Soil, 62: 413-430. Go to original source...
    34. MEINZER F.C., RUNDEL P.W., GOLDSTEIN G., SHARIFI M.R., 1992. Carbon isotope composition in relation to leaf gas exchange and environmental conditions in Hawaiian Metrosideros polymorpha populations. Oecologia, 92: 305-311. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    35. MORECROFT M.D., WOODWARD F.I., 1990. Experimental investigations on the environmental determination of δ13C at different altitudes. J. Exp. Bot., 41: 1303-1308. Go to original source...
    36. MORECROFT M.D., WOODWARD F.I., 1996. Experiments on the causes of altitudinal differences in leaf nutrient contents, size, and 13C of Alchemilla alpina. New Phytol., 134: 471-479. Go to original source...
    37. MILLER A.E., BOWMAN W.D., 2002. Variation in 15N natural abundance and nitrogen uptake traits among co-occurring alpine species: do species partition by nitrogen form? Oecologia, 130: 609-616. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    38. NADELHÖFER K.J., FRY B., 1994. N-isotope studies in forests. In: LAJTHA K., MICHENER R.H. (eds.), Stable Isotopes in Ecology and Environmental Sciences. Oxford, Blackwell: 22-62.
    39. PANEK J.A., WARING R.H., 1995. Carbon isotope variation in Douglas-fir foliage: improving the 13C-climate relationship. Tree Physiol., 15: 657-663. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    40. PITCAIRN C.E.R., FOWLER D., GRACE J., 1995. Deposition of fixed atmospheric nitrogen and foliar nitrogen-content of bryophytes and Calluna-Vulgaris (L.) Hull. Envir. Poll., 88: 193-205. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    41. POST W.M., PASTOR J., ZINKE P.J., STANGENBERGER A.G., 1985. Global patterns of soil nitrogen storage. Nature, 317: 613-616. Go to original source...
    42. SHEARER G., KOHL D.H., 1993. Natural abundance of 15N: Fractional contribution of two sources to a common sink and use of isotope discrimination. In: KNOWLES R., BLACKBURN T.H. (eds.), Nitrogen Isotope Techniques. San Diego, Academic Press: 89-125. Go to original source...
    43. SPARKS J.P., EHLERINGER J.R., 1997. Leaf carbon isotope discrimination and N content for riparian trees along elevational transacts. Oecologia, 109: 362-367. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    44. TANNER E.V.J., 1985. Jamaican montane forests: nutrient capital and cost of growth. J. Ecol., 73: 553-568. Go to original source...
    45. VITOUSEK P.M., FAHEY T., JOHNSON D.W., SWIFT M.J., 1988. Element interactions in forest ecosystems: succession, allometry and input-output budgets. Biogeochemistry, 5: 7-34. Go to original source...
    46. VITOUSEK P.M., FIELD C.B., MATSON P.M., 1990. Variation in foliar 13C in Hawaiian Metrosiderus polymorpha: a case of internal resistance? Oecologia, 84: 367-370. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    47. WILLIAMS D.G., MACK R.N., BLACK R.A., 1995. Ecophysiology of introduced Pennisetum setaceum on Hawaii: the role of phenotypic plasticity. Ecology, 76: 1569-1580. Go to original source...
    48. WOODWARD F.I., 1986. Ecophysiological studies of the shrub, Vaccinium myrillus taken from a wide altitudinal range. Oecologia, 70: 580-586. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    49. WOODWARD F.I., BAZZAZ F.A., 1988. The responses of stomatal density to CO2 partial-pressure. J. Exp. Bot., 39: 1771-1781. Go to original source...
    50. ZEWDU E., HÖGBERG P., 2000. Effects of land use on 15N natural abundance of soils in Ethiopian highlands. Pl. Soil, 222: 109-117. Go to original source...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content