Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation?
1 A field-experiment was used to determine how plant species might retain dominance in an arctic ecosystem receiving added nutrients. We both measured and modelled the above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology of non-acidic tussock tundra near Toolik Lake, Alaska, after 4...
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Online Access: | https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/luxury-consumption-of-soil-nutrients-a-possible-competitive-strat https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x |
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/321412 2024-02-04T09:58:03+01:00 Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? van Wijk, M.T. Williams, M. Gough, L. Hobbie, S.E. Shaver, G.R. 2003 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/luxury-consumption-of-soil-nutrients-a-possible-competitive-strat https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/37267 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/luxury-consumption-of-soil-nutrients-a-possible-competitive-strat doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research Journal of Ecology 91 (2003) ISSN: 0022-0477 alaska availability carbon storage diversity growth mineral-nutrition nitrogen-fertilization plant-communities tussock tundra wild plants info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2003 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x 2024-01-10T23:27:08Z 1 A field-experiment was used to determine how plant species might retain dominance in an arctic ecosystem receiving added nutrients. We both measured and modelled the above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology of non-acidic tussock tundra near Toolik Lake, Alaska, after 4 years of fertilization with nitrogen and phosphorus. 2 Compared with control plots, the fertilized plots showed significant increases in overall root weight ratio, and root biomass, root length and root nitrogen concentration in the upper soil layers. There was a strong trend towards relatively more biomass below ground. 3 We constructed an individual teleonomic (i.e. optimality) plant allocation and growth model, and a competition model in which two plants grow and compete for the limiting resources. 4 The individual plant model predicted a strong decrease in root weight ratio with increased nutrient availability, contrary to the results obtained in the field. 5 The increased investment in roots in the fertilized plots found in the field could be explained in the competition model in terms of luxury consumption of nutrients (i.e. the absorbance of nutrients in excess of the immediate plant growth requirements). For slow-growing species with relatively low phenological and physiological plasticity it can be advantageous to increase relative investment into root growth and root activity. This increased investment can limit nutrient availability to other fast-growing species and, thereby, preclude the successful invasion of these species. 6 These results have implications for the transient response of communities and ecosystems to global change. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Tundra Alaska Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Arctic Journal of Ecology 91 4 664 676 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
alaska availability carbon storage diversity growth mineral-nutrition nitrogen-fertilization plant-communities tussock tundra wild plants |
spellingShingle |
alaska availability carbon storage diversity growth mineral-nutrition nitrogen-fertilization plant-communities tussock tundra wild plants van Wijk, M.T. Williams, M. Gough, L. Hobbie, S.E. Shaver, G.R. Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
topic_facet |
alaska availability carbon storage diversity growth mineral-nutrition nitrogen-fertilization plant-communities tussock tundra wild plants |
description |
1 A field-experiment was used to determine how plant species might retain dominance in an arctic ecosystem receiving added nutrients. We both measured and modelled the above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology of non-acidic tussock tundra near Toolik Lake, Alaska, after 4 years of fertilization with nitrogen and phosphorus. 2 Compared with control plots, the fertilized plots showed significant increases in overall root weight ratio, and root biomass, root length and root nitrogen concentration in the upper soil layers. There was a strong trend towards relatively more biomass below ground. 3 We constructed an individual teleonomic (i.e. optimality) plant allocation and growth model, and a competition model in which two plants grow and compete for the limiting resources. 4 The individual plant model predicted a strong decrease in root weight ratio with increased nutrient availability, contrary to the results obtained in the field. 5 The increased investment in roots in the fertilized plots found in the field could be explained in the competition model in terms of luxury consumption of nutrients (i.e. the absorbance of nutrients in excess of the immediate plant growth requirements). For slow-growing species with relatively low phenological and physiological plasticity it can be advantageous to increase relative investment into root growth and root activity. This increased investment can limit nutrient availability to other fast-growing species and, thereby, preclude the successful invasion of these species. 6 These results have implications for the transient response of communities and ecosystems to global change. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
van Wijk, M.T. Williams, M. Gough, L. Hobbie, S.E. Shaver, G.R. |
author_facet |
van Wijk, M.T. Williams, M. Gough, L. Hobbie, S.E. Shaver, G.R. |
author_sort |
van Wijk, M.T. |
title |
Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
title_short |
Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
title_full |
Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
title_fullStr |
Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
title_full_unstemmed |
Luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
title_sort |
luxury consumption of soil nutrients: a possible competitive strategy in above-ground and below-ground biomass allocation and root morphology for slow-growing arctic vegetation? |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/luxury-consumption-of-soil-nutrients-a-possible-competitive-strat https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x |
geographic |
Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic Tundra Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Tundra Alaska |
op_source |
Journal of Ecology 91 (2003) ISSN: 0022-0477 |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/37267 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/luxury-consumption-of-soil-nutrients-a-possible-competitive-strat doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00788.x |
container_title |
Journal of Ecology |
container_volume |
91 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
664 |
op_container_end_page |
676 |
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1789962377044688896 |