The Rengen Grassland experiment: bryophytes biomass and element concentrations after 65 years of fertilizer application

Abstract

The Rengen Grassland Experiment in Germany, established in 1941, consists of the following fertilizer treatments applied under a two cut management: control, Ca, CaN, CaNP, CaNP-KCl, and CaNP-K(2)SO(4). The aim of this study was (1) to identify effects of fertilizer application on biomass and species composition of bryophytes and (2) to investigate the impact of fertilizer application on macro- (N, P, K, Ca, Mg), micro- (Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn), and toxic (As, Cd, Cr, Pb, Ni) element concentrations in bryophyte biomass. In June 2006, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus was the only bryophyte species recorded in the control. In treatment Ca, R. squarrosus was the dominant bryophyte species whereas Brachythecium rutabulum occurred sporadically only in a single plot of that treatment. The latter was the only bryophyte species collected in CaN, CaNP, CaNP-KCl, and CaNP-K(2)SO(4) treatments. Dry matter accumulation of bryophytes was highest in the control (180 g m(-2)) followed by Ca (46 g m(-2)), CaNP (25 g m(-2)), CaNP-KCl (15 g m(-2)), CaNP-K(2)SO(4) (9 g m(-2)), and CaN (2 g m(-2)) treatments. A negative correlation between biomass production of bryophytes and dry matter production of vascular plants was revealed up to a threshold value of 400 g m(-2). Above this limit, biomass production of bryophytes remained obviously unaffected by further increase in biomass production of vascular plants. A significant effect of treatment on As, Cd, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, P, Ca, Mg, K, and N concentrations was revealed. Concentrations of these elements were a function of amount of elements supplied with fertilizers. Bryophytes seem to be promising bio-indicators not only for airborne deposition of toxic element but also for fertilizer introduced as well.

Natural layering, foliation, fertility and plant species composition of a Fagus sylvatica stand above the alpine timberline in the Giant (Krkonoše) Mts., Czech Republic

“…Both of these changes led to a decrease in the amount of light reaching the soil surface. A negative relationship between the amount of light reaching the soil surface and cover of bryophytes has frequently been recorded elsewhere (Vellak and Paal 1999;Hejcman et al 2010). Another interesting finding was the lack of change occurring in the cover of the dominant grass species C. villosa over the study period, despite a large expansion of this species being recorded in the Giant Mts.…”

Does cattle movement between forest pastures and fertilized grasslands affect the bryophyte and vascular plant communities in vulnerable forest pasture biotopes?

“…Vascular plant litter can be considered as a measure for vascular plant biomass, and the negative relationship between vascular plant biomass and bryophyte species richness has also been documented in many grassland biotopes (Virtanen et al, 2000;Bergamini et al, 2001;Aude and Ejrnaes, 2005;Müller et al, 2012). A negative relationship also seems to prevail between the biomass of vascular plants and bryophytes (Hejcman et al, 2010). Bryophyte cover was the best estimate for bryophyte biomass in this study.…”

The Rengen Grassland Experiment: relationship between soil and biomass chemical properties, amount of elements applied, and their uptake

“…Stress-tolerant species well adapted to low P availability were most frequent in the C treatment (Hejcman et al 2007b). Furthermore, the most severe P limitation of biomass production in the C treatment was indicated by the lowest plant available P concentration in the soil compared with all other treatments and by the lowest P concentration and highest N:P ratio in the bryophyte biomass (Hejcman et al 2010b).…”