Plants' use of different nitrogen forms in response to crude oil contamination.
In this study, we investigated Phragmites australis' use of different forms of nitrogen (N) and associated soil N transformations in response to petroleum contamination. 15N tracer studies indicated that the total amount of inorganic and organic N assimilated by P. australis was low in petroleum-contaminated soil, while the rates of inorganic and organic N uptake on a per-unit-biomass basis were higher in petroleum-contaminated soil than those in un-contaminated soil. The percentage of organic N in total plant-assimilated N increased with petroleum concentration. In addition, high gross N immobilization and nitrification rates relative to gross N mineralization rate might reduce inorganic-N availability to the plants. Therefore, the enhanced rate of N uptake and increased importance of organic N in plant N assimilation might be of great significance to plants growing in petroleum-contaminated soils. Our results suggest that plants might regulate N capture under petroleum contamination.
Nie
Ming
M
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China; Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, PR China.
Lu
Meng
M
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Yang
Qiang
Q
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Zhang
Xiao-Dong
XD
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Xiao
Ming
M
College of Life and Environment Sciences, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai 200234, PR China.
Jiang
Li-Fen
LF
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Yang
Ji
J
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Fang
Chang-Ming
CM
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China.
Chen
Jia-Kuan
JK
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China; Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, PR China.
Li
Bo
B
Coastal Ecosystems Research Station of the Yangtze River Estuary, Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, PR China; Centre for Watershed Ecology, Institute of Life Science, Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, PR China. Electronic address: bool@fudan.edu.cn.
D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D010578:Petroleum / Q000378:metabolism*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000378:metabolism*
D010578:Petroleum; D012989:Soil Pollutants; D009584:Nitrogen