Competitive patterns of N partitioning between plants and microorganisms in intact plantsoil-systems
Project description
Our knowledge on ecosystem N cycling processes is largely falsified by the disregard of plant-microbe interactions and –competition for N, and by the enormous variability of belowground N fluxes in space and time. To elucidate competitive patterns of N partitioning between beech and microorganisms and their responses to changing environmental conditions, stable isotopes (15N,
13C) will be followed in field experiments, lysimeter and microcosm studies through the plant-soil system. Triple labelling approaches (15N/13C glutamine, 15NH
4
+ , 15NO
3
) in mini-lysimeters in combination with 15N tracing modelling will allow to simultaneously mimic major N fluxes in intact plant-soil systems, and thus, to characterise plant-microbe competition in a process-oriented way.
Furthermore, N
2
and N
2
O emissions from intact soil cores will be measured directly in order to quantify the role of denitrification in the competition for NO
3
. Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) will be used to measure indicators of competition for N with high resolution in order to overcome the high temporal and spatial variation of N fluxes and competitive patterns of N partitioning.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Heinz Rennenberg
Phone: +49 761 203 8300
Email: heinz.rennenberg@ctp.uni-freiburg.de
Dr. Judy Simon
Phone: +49 761 203 8309
Email: judy.simon@ctp.uni-freiburg.de
Project duration:
Project start: 01/06/2010
Project end: 31/05/2013
Project leader:
Heinz Rennenberg
Chair of Tree Physiology
Institute of Forest Sciences
Georges-Köhler-Allee 53/54
79110 Freiburg i. Br., Germany
Phone: +49 (0)761 203 8300
Fax: +49 (0)761 203 8302
Email: heinz.rennenberg@ctp.uni-freiburg.de