title: Relationships between functional traits and inorganic nitrogen acquisition among eight contrasting European grass species.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Leaf functional traits have been used as a basis to categoize plants across a range of resource-use specialization, from those that conserve available resources to those that exploit them. However, the extent to which the leaf functional traits used to define the resource-use strategies are related to root traits and are good indicators of the ability of the roots to take up nitrogen (N) are poorly known. This is an important question because interspecific differences in N uptake have been proposed as one mechanism by which species' coexistence may be determined. This study therefore investigated the relationships between functional traits and N uptake ability for grass species across a range of conservative to exploitative resource-use strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Root uptake of [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], and leaf and root functional traits were measured for eight grass species sampled at three grassland sites across Europe, in France, Austria and the UK. Species were grown in hydroponics to determine functional traits and kinetic uptake parameters (Imax and Km) under standardized conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Species with high specific leaf area (SLA) and shoot N content, and low leaf and root dry matter content (LDMC and RDMC, respectively), which are traits associated with the exploitative syndrome, had higher uptake and affinity for both N forms. No trade-off was observed in uptake between the two forms of N, and all species expressed a higher preference for [Formula: see text].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results support the use of leaf traits, and especially SLA and LDMC, as indicators of the N uptake ability across a broad range of grass species. The difficulties associated with assessing root properties are also highlighted, as root traits were only weakly correlated with leaf traits, and only RDMC and, to a lesser extent, root N content were related to leaf traits.
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK fabricegrassein@aim.com.
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Grassein
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Servane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lemauviel-Lavenant
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lavorel
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bahn
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Bardgett
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desclos-Theveniau
authors.affiliation: Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK Université de Caen Basse-Normandie, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France INRA, UMR 950 Ecophysiologie Végétale, Agronomie et nutritions N, C, S, Esplanade de la Paix, 14032 Caen Cedex, France Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, UMR 5553 CNRS-UJF, Université de Grenoble, BP 53, F-38041 Grenoble Cedex 09, France Institute of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, Sternwartestr. 15, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria Faculty of Life Sciences, Michael Smith Building, University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PT, UK.
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Laîné
mesh_terms: D064751:Ammonium Compounds / Q000378:metabolism*; D001317:Austria; D004777:Environment; D005602:France; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000502:physiology*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000502:physiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D013045:Species Specificity; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D064751:Ammonium Compounds; D009566:Nitrates
keywords: 15N labelling; Ammonium; Poaceae; affinity; grasses; grassland ecology; leaf traits; nitrate; plant functional traits; resource-use strategy; root nitrogen uptake; root traits; uptake rate