The effect of nutrition on the seasonal course of needle respiration in Norway spruce stands

Abstract

AbstractmRespiration of 1-year-old needles of 30-year-old Norway spruce trees [Picea abies (L.) Karst.] was studied in a nutrient optimisation experiment in northern Sweden. Respiration rates of detached needles, from ten control (C) and ten irrigated-fertilised (IL) trees, were measured on 16 occasions from June 1992 to June 1993. The aim of the study was to determine the influence of temperature on the seasonal course of needle maintenance respiration, and the effect of nitrogen concentration [N] and carbohydrate content on needle respiration in young Norway spruce trees subjected to long-term fertilisation. The IL treatment significantly affected needle size, in terms of dry mass and length, but not specific needle length (SNL). There was, however, a strong tree-specific effect on SNL (P510 ±9 , R 2 = 0.75). Needle starch content varied markedly with season (0±25% of total dry mass). This, unless accounted for, would cause erroneous estimates of nutrient concentrations, and of rates of needle respiration, within and between treatments. There was considerable seasonal variation in needle respiration, both in terms of maintenance respiration and temperature dependence (Q10). Q10 had its highest value (2.8) during winter and its lowest (2.0) in the middle of summer. In early autumn (August, September), respiration rate and needle [N] were significantly related (C: P = 0.001, IL: P50.0005). There was no significant difference in the slope between the two regression lines, but a difference in intercept. At the same needle [N], needles from IL-plots always had a lower respiration rate than needles from control plots. No obvious explanation for the observed difference in intercept was found, but some plausible assumptions are put forward and discussed.

Annual ecosystem respiration budget for a <i>Pinus sylvestris</i> stand in central Siberia

“…5c is correct. Indeed, although obtained by a very different technique, our result is very similar to that obtained by Stockfors and Linder (1998b) working with Norway spruce (Picea abies) in northern Sweden. Determining the seasonal pattern of respiration of detached needles in an oxygen electrode, they also observed two-to three-fold higher respiratory rates (measured at 20 • C) during the dormant season than in summer.…”

“…However, they did not measure outside the growing season and hence it is not clear whether or not the significantly elevated rates in spring and autumn as documented here (Fig. 5c) and for Picea abies in Sweden (Stockfors and Linder, 1998b) also occur for the Canadian trees. If so (as is likely the case), then the fraction of total respiration associated with new needle growth would be less than suggested by Ryan et al (1997), and for the conifer species they studied probably quite close to ours.…”

Shoot structure, canopy openness, and light interception in Norway spruce

“…Consequently, at least for Picea abies, accounting for differences in light conditions would not eliminate the huge potential errors present in the conversion from projected to total needle area. The results emphasize the need to develop more operational methods for the determination of total needle area, for example, using regressions based on needle length (Flower-Ellis & Olsson 1993;Stockfors & Linder 1998). …”

Assessing seasonality of biochemical CO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; exchange model parameters from micrometeorological flux observations at boreal coniferous forest

“…For Sodankylä, too, the needle respiration was estimated from shoot chamber measurements (Thum et al, 2007). For Kenttärova, the needle respiration was taken from the literature (Stockfors and Linder, 1998), using needle dry weight data measured at the site (Steinbrecher et al, 1999).…”