Biomass and nutrients allocation in pot cultured beech seedlings: influence of nitrogen fertilizer

Abstract

Allocation of biomass and nutrient elements including Nitrogen to above and belowground compartments of beech seedlings (Fagus sylvatica L.) treated by labeled nitrogen fertilizer in the form of ¹⁵NH₄ and ¹⁵NO₃ were investigated at the end of two successive growing seasons. Pot cultured beech seedlings were grown at a green house on intact soil cores sampled from three adjacent stands including beech, Norway spruce and mixed beech-spruce cultures of Solling forest, Germany. Comparing biomass allocation and nutrients concentrations of the seedlings between the control and ¹⁵N-fertilized treatments revealed no significant effect of N fertilization on nutrients uptake by seedlings over the experiment. The form of N input influenced its movement into plant pools. It was demonstrated that beech seedlings take up nitrogen mainly in the form of nitrate, which is then reduced in the leaves, although the differences between the retention of NO₃ ⁻-N and NH₄ ⁺-N in plants were not statistically significant. Percent recoveries of ¹⁵N in trees were typically greater after ¹⁵NO₃ than after ¹⁵NH₄ additions. It was indicated that immobilization of 15N tracer in fine roots was a slower process comparing other plant compartments such as stem and coarse roots, but a powerful sink for N during the course of study.

Keywords

beech seedling / nitrogen fertilizer / biomass / nitrogen immobilization / nutrient / mycorrhiza

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