Effects of water and mineral nutrient supply on a deciduous and an evergreen dwarf shrub: Vaccinium uliginosum L. and V. vitisidaea L.

• Published in: Ecography
• Main Author: Karlsson, P. Staffan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1985
• Subjects: Abisko; Lapland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1985.tb01146.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1600-0587.1985.tb01146.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1600-0587.1985.tb01146.x

The effects of irrigation and fertilization on nutrient content, shoot growth and photosynthetic rate of the deciduous Vaccinium uliginosum L. and the evergreen V. vitis‐idaea L. were studied in a field experiment at Abisko, Swedish Lapland. V. vitis‐idaea responded to fertilization with a greater increase in leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations, as well as with a relatively greater change in shoot growth than V. uliginosum . Also to irrigation did V. vitis‐idaea respond more strongly. Decreased leaf longevity was indicated in both irrigated and fertilized plants of V. vitis‐idaea . It is concluded that no general response pattern for evergreen and deciduous plants can be expected to emerge unless one also takes other plant characteristics, and also site characteristics, into consideration.