title: Foliar and soil δ15N values reveal increased nitrogen partitioning among species in diverse grassland communities.
abstract: Plant and soil nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹⁵N) were studied in experimental grassland plots of varying species richness. We hypothesized that partitioning of different sources of soil nitrogen among four plant functional groups (legumes, grasses, small herbs, tall herbs) should increase with diversity. Four years after sowing, all soils were depleted in ¹⁵N in the top 5 cm whereas in non-legume plots soils were enriched in ¹⁵N at 5-25 cm depth. Decreasing foliar δ¹⁵N and Δδ¹⁵N (= foliar δ¹⁵N-soil δ¹⁵N) values in legumes indicated increasing symbiotic N₂ fixation with increasing diversity. In grasses, foliar Δδ¹⁵N also decreased with increasing diversity suggesting enhanced uptake of N depleted in ¹⁵N. Foliar Δδ¹⁵N values of small and tall herbs were unaffected by diversity. Foliar Δδ¹⁵N values of grasses were also reduced in plots containing legumes, indicating direct use of legume-derived N depleted in ¹⁵N. Increased foliar N concentrations of tall and small herbs in plots containing legumes without reduced foliar δ¹⁵N indicated that these species obtained additional mineral soil N that was not consumed by legumes. These functional group and species specific shifts in the uptake of different N sources with increasing diversity indicate complementary resource use in diverse communities.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Marlén
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gubsch
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Roscher
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gleixner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Maike
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Habekost
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Annett
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lipowsky
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Schmid
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Ernst-Detlef
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Schulze
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Sibylle
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Steinbeiss
authors.affiliation: Institute of Plant, Animal and Agroecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 2, CH-8092 Zurich, SwitzerlandMax Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, POB 100164, D-07701 Jena, GermanyUFZ, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Community Ecology, Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4, D-06120 Halle, GermanyInstitute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, SwitzerlandInstitute of Groundwater Ecology, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, German Research Centre for Environmental Health GmbH, Ingolstaedter Landstrasse 1, D-85764 Neuherberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Buchmann
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D044822:Biodiversity; D017753:Ecosystem; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000378:metabolism; D005858:Germany; D008129:Lolium / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000378:metabolism*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D009587:Nitrogen Isotopes; D012987:Soil; D009584:Nitrogen