Assessing the recovery potential of alpine moss-sedge heath: reciprocal transplants along a nitrogen deposition gradient.
The potential of alpine moss-sedge heath to recover from elevated nitrogen (N) deposition was assessed by transplanting Racomitrium lanuginosum shoots and vegetation turfs between 10 elevated N deposition sites (8.2-32.9 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)) and a low N deposition site, Ben Wyvis (7.2 kg ha(-1) yr(-1)). After two years, tissue N of Racomitrium shoots transplanted from higher N sites to Ben Wyvis only partially equilibrated to reduced N deposition whereas reciprocal transplants almost matched the tissue N of indigenous moss. Unexpectedly, moss shoot growth was stimulated at higher N deposition sites. However, moss depth and biomass increased in turfs transplanted to Ben Wyvis, apparently due to slower shoot turnover (suggested to result partly from decreased tissue C:N slowing decomposition), whilst abundance of vascular species declined. Racomitrium heath has the potential to recover from the impacts of N deposition; however, this is constrained by the persistence of enhanced moss tissue N contents.
Armitage
Heather F
HF
Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK; Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK. Electronic address: h.armitage@abdn.ac.uk.
Britton
Andrea J
AJ
Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
Woodin
Sarah J
SJ
Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK.
van der Wal
René
R
Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES), School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK.
D018533:Biomass; D044002:Bryophyta / Q000378:metabolism*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000378:metabolism
D009584:Nitrogen