Journal Article10.1023/A:1021166010892
Nitrogen vs. phosphorus limitation across an ecotonal gradient in a mangrove forest
TL;DR: In this paper, a factorial experiment with three nutrient treatment levels (control, N,P) and three zones along a tree-height gradient (fringe, transition, dwarf) on offshore islands in Belize was conducted.
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Abstract: Mangrove forests are characterized by distinctive tree-height gradientsthat reflect complex spatial, within-stand differences in environmentalfactors,including nutrient dynamics, salinity, and tidal inundation, across narrowgradients. To determine patterns of nutrient limitation and the effects ofnutrient availability on plant growth and within-stand nutrient dynamics, weused a factorial experiment with three nutrient treatment levels (control, N,P)and three zones along a tree-height gradient (fringe, transition, dwarf) onoffshore islands in Belize. Transects were laid out perpendicular to theshoreline across a mangrove forest from a fringe stand along the seaward edge,through a stand of intermediate height, into a dwarf stand in the interior ofthe island. At three sites, three trees were fertilized per zone for 2yr. Although there was spatial variability in response, growth byR. mangle was generally nitrogen (N) -limited in thefringe zone;phosphorus (P) -limited in the dwarf zone; and, N- and/or P-limited in thetransition zone. Phosphorus-resorption efficiency decreased in all three zones,and N-resorption efficiency increased in the dwarf zone in response to Penrichment. The addition of N had no effect on either P or N resorptionefficiencies. Belowground decomposition was increased by P enrichment in allzones, whereas N enrichment had no effect. This study demonstrated thatessential nutrients are not uniformly distributed within mangrove ecosystems;that soil fertility can switch from conditions of N to P limitation acrossnarrow ecotonal gradients; and, that not all ecological processes respondsimilarly to, or are limited by, the same nutrient.
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Citations
Differences in plant function in phosphorus‐ and nitrogen‐limited mangrove ecosystems
Catherine E. Lovelock,Ilka C. Feller,Marilyn C. Ball,Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht,Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht,Mei Ling Ewe +5 more
TL;DR: Growth in N- and P-limited sites differentially affect the hydraulic pathways of mangroves, and plants experiencing P limitation appear to be water deficient and undergo more pronounced changes in structure and function with relief of nutrient deficiency than those in N -limited ecosystems.
Linkages between Phosphorus and Plant Diversity in Central European Forest Ecosystems—Complementarity or Competition?
TL;DR: Tree species diversity may enhance complementarity and hence also P nutrition of dominant forest trees through higher PUE, whereas moss and herb layers seemed to show competitive relationships among each other in nutrient cycling.
Nitrogen Cycling and Mass Balance in the World’s Mangrove Forests
Daniel M. Alongi
- 01 Dec 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, Nitrogen cycling in mangroves is complex, with rapid turnover of low dissolved N concentrations, but slow turnover of particulate N. The largest sources of N are nearly equal amounts of mangrove and benthic microalgal primary production.
Leaf Gas Exchange and Nutrient Use Efficiency Help Explain the Distribution of Two Neotropical Mangroves under Contrasting Flooding and Salinity
TL;DR: Fake tidal and permanent flooding hydroperiods at two constant salinity regimes indicated that salinity influences gas exchange efficiency, might affect how gases are apportioned intercellularly, and accentuates different strategies for distributing leaf nitrogen to photosynthesis for these two species while growing competitively.
Floral diversity of the littoral vegetation of Southeastern Nigeria
J. D. Olowokudejo,O. O. Oyebanji +1 more
TL;DR: An investigation of the floral diversity of the littoral vegetation of Akwa-Ibom State coastline of South eastern Nigeria was carried out using quadrat and transects techniques, revealing three vegetation types viz: coastal/shoreline, mangrove and secondary forest vegetation.
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