title: Nitrogen stable isotope composition of leaves and roots of plants growing in a forest and a meadow.
abstract: In controlled N-nutrition experiments, differences in delta15N composition of leaves and roots are regularly found. In this paper we report results from a survey of nitrogen stable isotope signatures of leaves and roots of 16 plant species growing under natural conditions in a meadow and a forest understorey, which differed in nitrate and ammonium availability. Significant differences between leaf and root were observed. The range of delta15N [leaf-root] values was -0.97 to +0.86 per thousand, small compared to published values from controlled N-nutrition experiment, but almost as large as the range of leaf delta15N values (-1.04 to +1.08 per thousand). Forbs showed the largest differences between leaves and roots and showed a significant difference with respect to habitat. Grasses and legumes did not show significant differences in delta15N [leaf-root] between the two habitats. Care must be taken when using leaf delta15N values as representative for whole-plant 15N composition in these two habitats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Building 21, Beaver St, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA. paul.dijkstra@nau.edu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Menyailo
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Doucett
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Koch
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Hungate
mesh_terms: D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis* / Q000378:metabolism; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000737:chemistry*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D014197:Trees
chemical_list: D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D009584:Nitrogen