Nutrient concentrations in mire vegetation as a measure of nutrient limitation in mire ecosystems

Wassen, Martin J.; Venterink, Harry Olde; Swart, Evalyne O.A.M. de

doi:10.2307/3236250

Cited by 140 publications

(121 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Shoot N:P ratio of the control plots remained well below 14 (8.1 on average) throughout the experiment. In fertilization experiments freshwater wetlands, N:P ratios below 14 were shown to indicate N-limitation (Wassen et al 1995;Koerselman and Meuleman 1996). We recorded 28 higher plant species in the meadow.…”

Section: Site Description and Experimental Setupmentioning

confidence: 69%

Combined effects of nitrogen enrichment, sulphur pollution and climate change on fen meadow vegetation N:P stoichiometry and biomass

et al. 2011

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Nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) deposition, as well as altered soil moisture dynamics due to climate change can have large effects on fen meadow biogeochemistry and vegetation. Their combined effects may differ strongly from their separate effects, since each process affects different nutrients through different mechanisms. However, the impacts of these environmental problems are rarely studied in combination. We therefore investigated the separate and interactive effects of current levels of N-and S-deposition and changes in soil moisture dynamics on fen meadow vegetation. We focused on vegetation biomass and N:P stoichiometry, including access to soil P through root surface phosphatase activity, in a 3-year factorial addition experiment in an N-limited rich fen meadow in the Biebrza valley in Poland. We applied 29.5 kg N ha -1 year -1 and 32.1 kg S ha -1 year -1 , which correspond to current deposition levels in Western Europe. Changes in soil moisture dynamics due to climate change were mimicked by amplified drying of the soil in summer. This level of N-deposition had limited effects on plant biomass production in this rich fen, despite low foliar N:P ratios that suggest N limitation. This level of S-deposition, however, resulted in decreased vegetation P-uptake and biomass. We also showed that increased summer drought resulted in considerable increases in vegetation biomass. We found no interactive effects on vegetation biomass or N:P stoichiometry, possibly as a result of the limited main effects of the separate processes.

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Section: Site Description and Experimental Setupmentioning

confidence: 69%

Combined effects of nitrogen enrichment, sulphur pollution and climate change on fen meadow vegetation N:P stoichiometry and biomass

et al. 2011

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“…In the field, water samples can be taken at both hummocks and hollows to quantify the difference in nutrient status. An alternative way to quantify the nutrient status in hummocks and hollows is to harvest a plant species that grows both on hummocks and in hollows and measure the nutrient content and stoichiometry in these samples (De Wit et al 1963;Vermeer and Berendse 1983;Wassen et al 1995). The presence of the nutrient accumulation mechanism would induce higher nutrient concentrations on hummocks as compared with hollows.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrients and Hydrology Indicate the Driving Mechanisms of Peatland Surface Patterning

Eppinga¹,

Ruiter²,

Wassen³

et al. 2009

The American Naturalist

132

183

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Peatland surface patterning motivates studies that identify underlying structuring mechanisms. Theoretical studies so far suggest that different mechanisms may drive similar types of patterning. The long time span associated with peatland surface pattern formation, however, limits possibilities for empirically testing model predictions by field manipulations. Here, we present a model that describes spatial interactions between vegetation, nutrients, hydrology, and peat. We used this model to study pattern formation as driven by three different mechanisms: peat accumulation, water ponding, and nutrient accumulation. By on-and-off switching of each mechanism, we created a full-factorial design to see how these mechanisms affected surface patterning (pattern of vegetation and peat height) and underlying patterns in nutrients and hydrology. Results revealed that different combinations of structuring mechanisms lead to similar types of peatland surface patterning but contrasting underlying patterns in nutrients and hydrology. These contrasting underlying patterns suggest that the presence or absence of the structuring mechanisms can be identified by relatively simple short-term field measurements of nutrients and hydrology, meaning that longerterm field manipulations can be circumvented. Therefore, this study provides promising avenues for future empirical studies on peatland patterning.

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“…Plant growth is nutrient limited (Wassen et al 1995), and specific plant growth increases linearly with increasing plant-specific nutrient uptake (De Angelis 1992;Rietkerk and van de Koppel 1997). Furthermore, water stress may occur when pressure head is reduced, leading to a decrease of plant growth.…”

Section: Plant Biomassmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Putative Mechanism for Bog Patterning

Rietkerk¹,

Dekker²,

Wassen³

et al. 2004

The American Naturalist

138

183

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abstract:The surface of bogs commonly shows various spatial vegetation patterning. Typical are "string patterns" consisting of regular densely vegetated bands oriented perpendicular to the slope. Here, we report on regular "maze patterns" on flat ground, consisting of bands densely vegetated by vascular plants in a more sparsely vegetated matrix of nonvascular plant communities. We present a model reproducing these maze and string patterns, describing how nutrient-limited vascular plants are controlled by, and in turn control, both hydrology and solute transport. We propose that the patterns are self-organized and originate from a nutrient accumulation mechanism. In the model, this is caused by the convective transport of nutrients in the groundwater toward areas with higher vascular plant biomass, driven by differences in transpiration rate. In a numerical bifurcation analysis we show how the maze patterns originate from the spatially homogeneous equilibrium and how this is affected by changes in rainfall, nutrient input, and plant properties. Our results confirm earlier model results, showing that redistribution of a limiting resource may lead to fine-scale facilitative and coarse-scale competitive plant interactions in different ecosystems. Self-organization in ecosystems may be a more general phenomenon than previously thought, which can be mechanistically linked to scale-dependent facilitation and competition.

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Nutrient concentrations in mire vegetation as a measure of nutrient limitation in mire ecosystems

Cited by 140 publications

References 26 publications

Combined effects of nitrogen enrichment, sulphur pollution and climate change on fen meadow vegetation N:P stoichiometry and biomass

Combined effects of nitrogen enrichment, sulphur pollution and climate change on fen meadow vegetation N:P stoichiometry and biomass

Nutrients and Hydrology Indicate the Driving Mechanisms of Peatland Surface Patterning

A Putative Mechanism for Bog Patterning

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