MAO Rong, ZHANG Xinhou, SONG Changchun. 2014: Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Plant Functional Traits in Freshwater Wetland of Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. Chinese Geographical Science, 24(6): 674-681. DOI: 10.1007/s11769-014-0691-4
Citation: MAO Rong, ZHANG Xinhou, SONG Changchun. 2014: Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Plant Functional Traits in Freshwater Wetland of Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. Chinese Geographical Science, 24(6): 674-681. DOI: 10.1007/s11769-014-0691-4

Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Plant Functional Traits in Freshwater Wetland of Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China

  • To clarify the responses of plant functional traits to nitrogen (N) enrichment, we investigated the whole-plant traits (plant height and aboveground biomass), leaf morphological (specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry mass content (LDMC)) and chemical traits (leaf N concentration (LNC) and leaf phosphorus (P) concentration (LPC)) of Deyeuxia angustifolia and Glyceria spiculosa following seven consecutive years of N addition at four rates (0 g N/(m2·yr), 6 g N/(m2·yr), 12 g N/(m2·yr) and 24 g N/(m2·yr)) in a freshwater marsh in the Sanjiang Plain, Northeast China. The results showed that, for both D. angustifolia and G. spiculosa, N addition generally increased plant height, leaf, stem and total aboveground biomass, but did not cause changes in SLA and LDMC. Moreover, increased N availability caused an increase in LNC, and did not affect LPC. Thus, N addition decreased leaf C:N ratio, but caused an increase in leaf N:P ratio, and did not affect leaf C:P ratio. Our results suggest that, in the mid-term, elevated N loading does not alter leaf morphological traits, but causes substantial changes in whole-plant traits and leaf chemical traits in temperate freshwater wetlands. These may help to better understand the effects of N enrichment on plant functional traits and thus ecosystem structure and functioning in freshwater wetlands.
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