title: The effect of nitrogen addition on biomass production and competition in three expansive tall grasses.
abstract: A large increase of grasses Calamagrostis epigejos, Bromus inermis and Brachypodium pinnatum has often been observed in many regions enriched by higher nitrogen (N) wet deposition inputs. Competitive relationships between these grasses under enhanced N loads have not yet been studied. Therefore an outdoor experiment was established which involved monocultures of Calamagrostis, Bromus and Brachypodium and their 1:1 mixtures in containers under two N treatments, i.e., unfertilized and fertilized (+50 kg N ha(-1)). In monocultures, the total aboveground biomass of Calamagrostis, Bromus and Brachypodium were 1.1, 3.6 and 2.5 times higher respectively due to enhanced N fertilization. Relative crowding and aggressivity coefficients indicate that Calamagrostis and Bromus dominate when mixed with Brachypodium at both levels of N availability. When mixed with Bromus, Calamagrostis is the poorer competitor at lower N loads, however, it can be dominating in N fertilized treatments.
authors: Global Change Research Centre, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic. holub.p@czechglobe.cz
authors: Petr
authors: P
authors: Holub
authors: Ivan
authors: I
authors: Tůma
authors: Karel
authors: K
authors: Fiala
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D017753:Ecosystem; D005308:Fertilizers; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology; D012987:Soil
chemical_list: D005308:Fertilizers; D012987:Soil; D009584:Nitrogen