Methodologies for estimating nitrogen transfer between legumes and companion species in agro-ecosystems: A review of 15N-enriched techniques

Chalk, P. M.; Peoples, Mark B.; McNeill, Ann; Boddey, Robert M.; Unkovich, M.; Gardener, Matthew J.; Silva, Caroline F.; Chen, Deli

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.02.005

Cited by 91 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 87 publications

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“…, Chalk et al. ). Further research is required to assess the ecological implications of N transfer in facilitative interactions when non‐legumes are the main nurse species in the community.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nurse plants transfer more nitrogen to distantly related species

Montesinos‐Navarro

Verdú

Querejeta

et al. 2017

Ecology

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Plant facilitative interactions enhance co-occurrence between distant relatives, partly due to limited overlap in resource requirements. We propose a different mechanism for the coexistence of distant relatives based on positive interactions of nutrient sharing. Nutrients move between plants following source-sink gradients driven by plant traits that allow these gradients to establish. Specifically, nitrogen (N) concentration gradients can arise from variation in leaf N content across plants species. As many ecologically relevant traits, we hypothesize that leaf N content is phylogenetically conserved and can result in N gradients promoting N transfer among distant relatives. In a Mexican desert community governed by facilitation, we labelled nurse plants (Mimosa luisana) with N and measured its transfer to 14 other species in the community, spanning the range of phylogenetic distances to the nurse plant. Nurses established steeper N source-sink gradients with distant relatives, increasing N transfer toward these species. Nutrient sharing may provide long-term benefits to facilitated plants and may be an overlooked mechanism maintaining coexistence and increasing the phylogenetic diversity of plant communities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…, Chalk et al. ), potentially shaping plant facilitation interactions. Whether plant–mycorrhizal relationships can also contribute to the observed phylogenetic pattern in the amount of inter‐plant N transfer is still to be explored.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nurse plants transfer more nitrogen to distantly related species

Montesinos‐Navarro

Verdú

Querejeta

et al. 2017

Ecology

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“…An assumption of the 15 N dilution technique is that the reference plants (i.e., non-legumes) and legumes would take up the same N source from soil regardless of whether they grew alone or with a legume (Chalk et al, 2014). In this study, four nonlegumes, i.e.…”

Section: Sampling and Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…mycorrhizal networks between legume and non-legume roots (Jalonen et al, 2009), direct uptake of N compounds exuded by legume roots (Ta et al, 1986;Jiang and Zhai 2000), or direct uptake of mineralized N derived from dead legume nodules and senescing root materials (Butler et al, 1959;Pirhofer-Walzl et al, 2012). Using the 15 N isotope techniques (Sierra and Daudin, 2010;Carlsson and Huss-Danell, 2014;Chalk et al, 2014), some studies showed that up to 30% of the N fixed by legumes can be transferred to non-legumes (Hauggaard-Nielsen et al, 2001;Peoples et al, 2002;Herridge et al, 2008). This indicates that in the N-limited soils where the legumes grow, coexisting non-legume species can benefit from symbiotic N 2 -fixation (Høgh-Jensen and Schjoerring, 2000; Sierra and Nygren, 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation and interspecific transfer by Caragana microphylla in a temperate grassland with 15 N dilution technique

Ouyang

Tian

Liu

et al. 2016

Applied Soil Ecology

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A B S T R A C TQuantification of symbiotic nitrogen (N) fixation by legume and its N transfer to the neighboring plants is an important prerequisite to understand the N cycling in the N-limited grasslands. The objective of this study is to explore the symbiotic N 2 -fixation by a legume shrub (Caragana microphylla) and its N transfer to coexisting non-legumes with the N addition, aboveground parts of C. microphylla and four non-legumes of reference plants (i.e. Cleistogenes squarrosa, Artemisia frigida, Artemisia capillaris and Leymus chinensis) in both labeled and controlled quadrats were harvested. Symbiotic N 2 -fixation and transfer to non-legumes were estimated based on the aboveground biomass and its 15 N in these plant species. The N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) of C. microphylla was estimated to range from 84 to 95%. According to the aboveground biomass of C. microphylla, symbiotic N 2 -fixation was estimated to be 4.3 g m À2 yr À1 in the mixed C. microphylla community in the temperate grassland of northern China. The amount of N transfer from C. microphylla to their coexisting plants varied with plant species. About half of above N in C. squarrosa derived from C. microphylla, while L. chinensis showed almost no N derived from C. microphylla. Both A. frigida and A. capillaris showed about 36% and 37% of N derived from C. microphylla, respectively. Totally, about 17% of N fixed in the aboveground part of C. microphylla was transferred to its associated species. Considering the amount of N fixed and transferred by C. microphylla, we conclude that C. microphylla plays an important role in the N cycling of temperate grasslands in northern China.

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“…Apart from the quantification of legume BNF, a suite of indirect 15 N methodologies has been developed to estimate the transfer of BNF or legume N (LN) to companion non-legume species, as reviewed by Chalk et al (2014b). Other 15 N-based methods have been developed to quantify the transfer of LN or BNF to an array of crops in sequential rotations.…”

Section: Bnf Dynamicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

From production to consumption: tracing C, N, and S dynamics in Brazilian agroecosystems using stable isotopes

Chalk

2016

Pesq. agropec. bras.

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-Brazilian scientists have played a pioneering role in developing and applying stable isotope methodologies, in terms of natural abundance and enriched levels, to trace carbon and nutrient flows in terrestrial ecosystems, including natural and agroecosystems. Significant contributions have been made in the areas of biological N 2 fixation, carbon dynamics in soil, synthesis and evaluation of labeled fertilizers, and food science. These contributions have originated from several decentralized units of Embrapa, from research institutions, and from federal or state universities. In order to capitalize the existing Brazilian expertise, it is necessary to provide, at an institutional level, analytical facilities for stable isotope research, aiming to strengthen national capacity and to maintain the international competitiveness of the research.

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Methodologies for estimating nitrogen transfer between legumes and companion species in agro-ecosystems: A review of 15N-enriched techniques

Cited by 91 publications

References 87 publications

Nurse plants transfer more nitrogen to distantly related species

Nurse plants transfer more nitrogen to distantly related species

Symbiotic nitrogen fixation and interspecific transfer by Caragana microphylla in a temperate grassland with 15 N dilution technique

From production to consumption: tracing C, N, and S dynamics in Brazilian agroecosystems using stable isotopes

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