Lichens and plant nutrition

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Section B. Biological Sciences
• Main Author: Millbank, J. W.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1985
• Subjects: General Medicine; Arctic; Subarctic; Tundra
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s026972700000405x; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S026972700000405X

Synopsis The part played by lichens in the nitrogen economy of natural ecosystems is reviewed. The ability of some lichens to fix nitrogen and the consequent likelihood of an enhanced contribution is discussed, leading to the appreciation that release of nitrogen compounds from their thalli is a frequent characteristic of their growth and development, and of some nutritional benefit to associated plants. Data on the contribution by the normal processes of growth, death and decay, to the combined nitrogen supply of those specialised habitats where lichens predominate or are frequent, are given. Such habitats are arctic and subarctic forest and tundra, and the Douglas fir forests of northwest U.S.A. The methods used for the estimation of the contribution of the lichens are outlined and details are given of recent and current studies of nitrogen movements by direct leaching during normal growth of nitrogen-fixing terricolous lichens in Finland and southwest Scotland. The latter study uses a laboratory apparatus to simulate field conditions in order to permit the use of atmospheres enriched with the heavy isotope of nitrogen, 15 N.