The mobility of nitrogen across tree‐rings of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and the effect of extraction method on tree‐ring δ15N and δ13C values

Tomlinson, Gregory; Siegwolf, Rolf; Buchmann, Nina; Schleppi, Patrick; Waldner, Peter; Weber, Pascale

doi:10.1002/rcm.6897

Cited by 19 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 44 publications

(125 reference statements)

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“…Five trees (ten cores) from each site were selected for C and N tree-ring isotope analyses. Based on the findings of Tomlinson et al (2014), where no significant changes in isotopic composition of either C or N were found after the extraction of mobile compounds, we decided to use whole wood material. Single tree-rings were separated with a razor blade under a microscope, and then pooled for each individual tree-ring year per site.…”

Section: Sample Preparation and Isotope Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, there are few studies that investigate tree-ring d 15 N. This may be because N concentrations in tree-rings are low (relative to C in tree-rings and N in foliage) and related methodological difficulties (Savard 2010). Low tree-ring N concentrations also result in the movement of mobile N compounds between tree-rings (Tomlinson et al 2014). These N recycling processes within the tree play an important role in meeting the N demand from sinks within, potentially masking N deposition signals and the impact of added N on tree-ring d 15 N values (Evans 2001;Kolb and Evans 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can tree-ring δ15N be used as a proxy for foliar δ15N in European beech and Norway spruce?

Tomlinson

Buchmann

Siegwolf

et al. 2015

Trees

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Key message For long-term environmental investigations, tree-ring d 15 N values are inappropriate proxies for foliar d 15 N for both Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies under moderate N loads. Abstract Currently it is unclear whether stable nitrogen isotope signals of tree-rings are related to those in foliage, and whether they can be used to infer tree responses to environmental changes. We studied foliar and tree-ring nitrogen (d 15 N) and carbon (d 13 C) isotope ratios in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) from six long-term forest monitoring sites in Switzerland together with data on N deposition and soil N availability, as well as a drought response index over the last two decades. For both species, tree-ring d 15 N and d 13 C values were less negative compared to foliar d 15 N and d 13 C values, most likely due to recycling and reallocation of N within the tree and fractionation processes associated with the transport of sucrose and the formation of tree-rings, respectively. Temporal trends recorded in foliar d 15 N were not reflected in tree-ring d 15 N, with much higher variations in tree-rings compared to foliage. Soil N availability and N deposition were partially able to explain changes in foliar d 13 C, while there were no significant correlations between environmental variables and either tree-ring or foliar d 15 N. Our results suggest an uncoupling between the N isotopic composition of tree-rings and foliage. Consequently, treering d 15 N values are inappropriate proxies of foliar d 15 N values under low-to-moderate N deposition loads. Furthermore, at such low levels of deposition, tree-ring d 15 N values are not recommended as archives of tree responses to soil C/N or bulk N deposition.

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Section: Sample Preparation and Isotope Analysesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can tree-ring δ15N be used as a proxy for foliar δ15N in European beech and Norway spruce?

Tomlinson

Buchmann

Siegwolf

et al. 2015

Trees

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“…Wood is often difficult to analyze because of its high C/N ratio (Savard et al, 2020), meaning that its combustion for mass spectrometry produces much CO 2 but little N. Wood must be finely ground before analysis because the combustion of even tiny wood chips is not fast enough. In some species, it has been observed that tracer N also enters older wood (Tomlinson et al, 2014). It is thus important to take wood cores that go deep enough into the trunks.…”

Section: Treesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental Design and Interpretation of Terrestrial Ecosystem Studies Using 15N Tracers: Practical and Statistical Considerations

Schleppi

Wessel

2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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The stable isotope 15N is an extremely useful tool for studying the nitrogen (N) cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. The affordability of isotope-ratio mass spectrometry has increased in the last decades and routine measurements of δ15N with an accuracy better than 1‰ are now easily achieved. Except perhaps for wood, which has a very high C/N ratio, isotope analysis of samples is, thus, no longer the main challenge in measuring the partitioning of 15N used as tracer in ecosystem studies. The central aim of such experiments is to quantitatively determine the fate of N after it enters an ecosystem, mainly as fertilizer, as atmospheric deposition or as plant litter. By measuring how much of this incoming N goes into different ecosystem pools, inferences can be made about the entire N cycle. Sample collection and preparation can be tedious work. Optimizing sampling schemes is thus an important aspect in the application of 15N in ecosystem research and can be helpful for obtaining a high precision of the results with the available manpower and budget. In this contribution, we combine statistical and practical considerations and give recommendations for the design of labeling experiments and also for assessments of natural 15N abundance. In particular, we discuss soil, vegetation and water sampling. We additionally address the most common questions arising during the calculation of tracer partitioning, and we provide some examples of the interpretation of experimental results.

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“…Coarse roots (> 2 mm), stem, and leaf samples were taken on May 20 (shoot growth stage), August 2 (green leaf stage), October 19 (pre-abscission stage), and November 29 (post-abscission stage), with fresh litter collected from litter traps (size: 1 m 2 ). Sapwood was sampled by using an increment borer (10 mm) and not heartwood, assuming that there was no variation in N content in heartwood throughout the growing season [26]. Leaf samples were taken from the lower canopy from different leaf clusters.…”

Section: Sample Collection and Treatmentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

N Isotope Fractionation in Tree Tissues During N Reabsorption and Remobilization in Fagus crenata Blume

Seidel

Celi

et al. 2019

Forests

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Background and Motivation: Nitrogen content in tissues of Fagus crenata Blume is key for flowering and seed production. However, there is a lack of information on seasonal intra-plant nitrogen partitioning in this representative tree species typical of heavy snowfall regions in Japan. Therefore, the objective of this study was to elucidate Fagus crenata intra-plant nitrogen movement by means of nitrogen content, nitrogen isotope analysis, and amino acids temporal variability. Materials and Methods: Nitrogen content, isotope ratio, and free amino acids content were measured in coarse roots, sapwood, leaves, and litter in four phenological stages in nine adult Fagus crenata trees and upscaled to the whole-tree level.

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The mobility of nitrogen across tree‐rings of Norway spruce (Picea abies L.) and the effect of extraction method on tree‐ring δ¹⁵N and δ¹³C values

Cited by 19 publications

References 44 publications

Can tree-ring δ15N be used as a proxy for foliar δ15N in European beech and Norway spruce?

Can tree-ring δ15N be used as a proxy for foliar δ15N in European beech and Norway spruce?

Experimental Design and Interpretation of Terrestrial Ecosystem Studies Using 15N Tracers: Practical and Statistical Considerations

N Isotope Fractionation in Tree Tissues During N Reabsorption and Remobilization in Fagus crenata Blume

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