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Long-term residual effect of short-term fertilizer application on Ca, N and P concentrations in grasses Nardus stricta L. and Avenella flexuosa L.

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Abstract

The resilience (the ability of an ecosystem to recover after termination of perturbation) of plant species composition after short-term fertilizer application can take decades in sub-alpine grassland, but little attention has been paid to the resilience of nutrient concentrations in the biomass of individual plant species. In 2004, an abandoned experiment in which phosphorus, nitrogen and calcium had been applied from 1965 to 1967 was identified in the Giant Mts. (Krkonoše/Karkonosze, Czech Republic). The biomass of two dominant grasses, Nardus stricta and Avenella flexuosa, was analyzed for Ca, N and P concentrations 37 years after the last fertilizer application. In treatments with P application, the P concentration was still significantly increased in both species. The N concentration was higher in treatments with N or Ca application and the lowest in P treatments. The N:P ratio ranged from 7.7 to 16.6 and from 6.2 to 16.3 in N. stricta and A. flexuosa, respectively, and was lowest in P treatments where A. flexuosa predominated. N. stricta dominated in treatments where the biomass N:P ratio was higher than 13, whereas lower ratios were more favourable for A. flexuosa. In the case of N. stricta, the Ca concentration was increased in Ca treatments. Ca and P concentrations in N. stricta biomass were significantly positively correlated with soil plant available P and Ca concentrations, but this was not recorded for A. flexuosa. In environments with different P availability, the competitive ability of investigated species was predetermined by the N:P ratio in their biomass. As in the case of plant species composition and soil chemical properties, the resilience of Ca, N and P concentrations in the biomass of individual species can take decades in sub-alpine grassland.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Dr. H. Štursová and Dr. J. Štursa for establishing the experiment, the Krkonoše National Park Administration for technical support, and the managers of the Luční bouda pension for their hospitality and support of our research activities. We gratefully acknowledge the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments. The fieldwork was supported by project VaV MŽP SP/203/179/07 and finalization of the paper by project MSMT 2B06012.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dendrology and Forest Tree Breeding, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic

    Michaela Klaudisová

  2. Department of Ecology, Czech University of Life Sciences, Kamýcká 1176, 165 21, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic

    Michal Hejcman & Vilém Pavlů

  3. Crop Research Institute, Drnovská 507, 161 06, Prague 6-Ruzyně, Czech Republic

    Michal Hejcman & Vilém Pavlů

Authors
  1. Michaela Klaudisová
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  2. Michal Hejcman
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  3. Vilém Pavlů
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Correspondence to Michal Hejcman.

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Klaudisová, M., Hejcman, M. & Pavlů, V. Long-term residual effect of short-term fertilizer application on Ca, N and P concentrations in grasses Nardus stricta L. and Avenella flexuosa L.. Nutr Cycl Agroecosyst 85, 187–193 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10705-009-9257-8

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