title: Geographical variation in the response to nitrogen deposition in Arabidopsis lyrata petraea.
abstract: The adaptive responses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition for different European accessions of Arabidopsis lyrata petraea were analysed using populations along a strong atmospheric N-deposition gradient. Plants were exposed to three N-deposition rates, reflecting the rates at the different locations, in a full factorial design. Differences between accessions in the response to N were found for important phenological and physiological response variables. For example, plants from low-deposition areas had higher nitrogen-use efficiencies (NUE) and C : N ratios than plants from areas high in N deposition when grown at low N-deposition rates. The NUE decreased in all accessions at higher experimental deposition rates. However, plants from high-deposition areas showed a limited capacity to increase their NUE at lower experimental deposition rates. Plants from low-deposition areas had faster growth rates, higher leaf turnover rates and shorter times to flowering, and showed a greater increase in growth rate in response to N deposition than those from high-deposition areas. Indications for adaptation to N deposition were found, and results suggest that adaptation of plants from areas high in N deposition to increased N deposition has resulted in the loss of plasticity.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Philippine
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vergeer
authors.affiliation: Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, Yorkshire YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Leon L J
authors.initials: LLJ
authors.lastname: Van Den Berg
authors.affiliation: Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, Yorkshire YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Mark T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Bulling
authors.affiliation: Environment Department, University of York, Heslington, Yorkshire YO10 5DD, UK.
authors.forename: Mike R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Ashmore
authors.affiliation: Institute of Integrative and Comparative Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: William E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Kunin
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018533:Biomass; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005843:Geography; D007055:Iceland; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009664:Norway; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D012987:Soil; D009584:Nitrogen