Competitive patterns of N partitioning between plants and

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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

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