Evidence of short-term belowground transfer of nitrogen from Acacia mangium to Eucalyptus grandis trees in a tropical planted forest

Author(s)

Paula, Ranieri Ribeiro ^[1] ; Bouillet, Jean-Pierre ^{[1, 2]} ; Ocheuze Trivelin, Paulo Cesar ^[3] ; Zeller, Bernd ^[4] ; de Moraes Goncalves, Jose Leonardo ^[1] ; Nouvellon, Yann ^{[1, 2]} ; Bouvet, Jean-Marc ^[5] ; Plassard, Claude ^[6] ; Laclau, Jean-Paul ^{[2, 7]}

Affiliation

^[1] USP ESALQ, Dept Ciencias Florestais, BR-13418900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] CIRAD, UMR Eco & Sols, Ecol Fonct & Biogeochim Sols & Agroecosyst, F-34060 Montpellier - France

^[3] USP CENA, Div Desenvolvimento Tecn Analit & Nucl, BR-13416000 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[4] INRA, UR 1138, Biogeochim Ecosyst Forestiers, Nancy, Champenoux - France

^[5] CIRAD, UMR AGAP, F-34398 Montpellier 5 - France

^[6] INRA, UMR Eco & Sols, Ecol Fonct & Biogeochim Sols & Agroecosyst, F-34060 Montpellier - France

^[7] UNESP, Dept Ciencia Florestal Julio de Mesquita Filho, BR-18610300 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY; v. 91, p. 99-108, DEC 2015.
• Web of Science Citations: 14

Abstract

The short-term belowground transfer of nitrogen from nitrogen-fixing trees to companion trees has never been studied in the field. A N-15 pulse-labeling study was conducted in a mixed plantation of Acacia mangium and Eucalyptus grandis at the peak of leaf area, 26 months after planting. N-15-No-3(-) was injected into the stem of one big Acacia tree in three plots. 15N was traced over 2 months in the labeled Acacia tree as well as in neighboring Eucalyptus trees. For both species, young leaves were sampled, as well as fine roots and the rhizosphere at a distance of 0.75 m and 2.25 m from the labeled tree. The N-15 atom% was also determined in the wood, bark, branches and total foliage of the 3 labeled Acacia trees and 9 Eucalyptus trees, 60 days after labeling. Most of the leaves, fine roots and rhizosphere samples of both species were N-15 enriched from 5 days after labeling. The delta N-15 values were higher at a distance of 0.75 m than at 2.25 m in Acacia roots, but were similar at both distances in Eucalyptus roots and the rhizospheres. The wood and bark of Eucalyptus trees sampled at a distance of 6.2 m from the labeled Acacia trees were N-15 enriched. This shows belowground N transfer from Acacia to Eucalyptus trees in the field during the first few days after labeling. This facilitation process may provide a significant amount of the nitrogen requirements of trees close to N-fixing trees in mixed forests. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/16623-9 - Ecological intensification of eucalyptus plantations by association of nitrogen fixing leguminous tree species
• Grantee: José Leonardo de Moraes Gonçalves
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 11/20510-8 - Processes of N transfer in the short and long-term in mixed-species plantations of Eucalyptus grandis and Acacia mangium
• Grantee: Ranieri Ribeiro Paula
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate