Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Use of strontium isotopes and foliar K content to estimate weathering of biotite induced by pine seedlings colonised by ectomycorrhizal fungi from two different soils

Wallander, Håkan LU orcid (2000) In Plant and Soil 222(1-2). p.215-229
Abstract
Pinus sylvestris seedlings, colonised by ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi from either of two different soils (untreated forest soil and a limed soil from a clear cut area), were grown with or without biotite as a source of K. The biotite was naturally enriched in Sr-87 and the ratio of Sr-87/Sr-86 in the plant biomass was estimated and used as a marker for biotite weathering and compared to estimates of weathering based on foliar content of K. Different nutrient regimes were used to expose the seedlings to deficiencies of K with and without an application of nitrogen (NH4NO3) in excess of seedling demand. The seedlings were grown for 220 days and the elemental composition of the shoots were analysed at harvest. The EM colonisation was followed... (More)
Pinus sylvestris seedlings, colonised by ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi from either of two different soils (untreated forest soil and a limed soil from a clear cut area), were grown with or without biotite as a source of K. The biotite was naturally enriched in Sr-87 and the ratio of Sr-87/Sr-86 in the plant biomass was estimated and used as a marker for biotite weathering and compared to estimates of weathering based on foliar content of K. Different nutrient regimes were used to expose the seedlings to deficiencies of K with and without an application of nitrogen (NH4NO3) in excess of seedling demand. The seedlings were grown for 220 days and the elemental composition of the shoots were analysed at harvest. The EM colonisation was followed by analysing the concentration of ergosterol in the roots and the soils. Bacterial activity of the soil was estimated by the thymidine incorporation technique. The concentration of organic acids in the soil solution was measured in the soil in which seedlings colonised by EM fungi from the untreated forest soil were grown. It was found that seedlings colonised by EM fungi from untreated forest soil had taken up more K in treatments with biotite addition compared to seedlings colonised by EM fungi from the limed forest soil (p < 0.05). Seedlings from untreated forest soil had larger shoots and contained more K when grown with biotite compared to KCl as K source, indicating that biotite had a stimulatory effect on the growth of these seedlings which was not related to K uptake. Seedlings from the limed soil, on the other hand, had similar foliar K content when grown with either biotite or KCl as K source. The larger uptake of K in seedlings from untreated forest soil was not an effect of a more developed EM colonisation of the roots since seedlings from the limed soil had a higher ergosterol concentration both in the soil and in the roots. Nutrient regimes had no significant influence on the total uptake of K but the Sr-87/ Sr-86 isotope ratio in the plant biomass indicated that seedlings grown with excess nitrogen supply had taken up proportionally less Sr from the biotite (1.8% of total Sr content) compared to seedlings grown with a moderate nitrogen supply (5.0%). Furthermore, seedlings grown with excess nitrogen supply had a reduced fungal colonisation of roots and soil and bacterial activity was lower in these soils. The Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio in the plant biomass was positively correlated with fungal colonisation of the roots (r(2)=0.98), which may indicate that the fungus was involved in releasing Sr from the biotite. Uptake of K from biotite was not related to the amount of organic acids in the soil solution. Oxalic acid was positively related to the amount of ergosterol in the root, suggesting that oxalic acid in the soil solution originates from the EM symbionts. The accuracy of the estimations of biotite weathering based on K uptake by the seedlings in comparison with the Sr-87/Sr-86 isotope ratio measured in the shoots is discussed. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Plant and Soil
volume
222
issue
1-2
pages
215 - 229
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0033842073
ISSN
0032-079X
DOI
10.1023/A:1004756221985
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9cae0e74-a094-4b31-9d63-b3d8b21aa159 (old id 147024)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:51:39
date last changed
2022-01-26 19:20:26
@article{9cae0e74-a094-4b31-9d63-b3d8b21aa159,
  abstract     = {{Pinus sylvestris seedlings, colonised by ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi from either of two different soils (untreated forest soil and a limed soil from a clear cut area), were grown with or without biotite as a source of K. The biotite was naturally enriched in Sr-87 and the ratio of Sr-87/Sr-86 in the plant biomass was estimated and used as a marker for biotite weathering and compared to estimates of weathering based on foliar content of K. Different nutrient regimes were used to expose the seedlings to deficiencies of K with and without an application of nitrogen (NH4NO3) in excess of seedling demand. The seedlings were grown for 220 days and the elemental composition of the shoots were analysed at harvest. The EM colonisation was followed by analysing the concentration of ergosterol in the roots and the soils. Bacterial activity of the soil was estimated by the thymidine incorporation technique. The concentration of organic acids in the soil solution was measured in the soil in which seedlings colonised by EM fungi from the untreated forest soil were grown. It was found that seedlings colonised by EM fungi from untreated forest soil had taken up more K in treatments with biotite addition compared to seedlings colonised by EM fungi from the limed forest soil (p &lt; 0.05). Seedlings from untreated forest soil had larger shoots and contained more K when grown with biotite compared to KCl as K source, indicating that biotite had a stimulatory effect on the growth of these seedlings which was not related to K uptake. Seedlings from the limed soil, on the other hand, had similar foliar K content when grown with either biotite or KCl as K source. The larger uptake of K in seedlings from untreated forest soil was not an effect of a more developed EM colonisation of the roots since seedlings from the limed soil had a higher ergosterol concentration both in the soil and in the roots. Nutrient regimes had no significant influence on the total uptake of K but the Sr-87/ Sr-86 isotope ratio in the plant biomass indicated that seedlings grown with excess nitrogen supply had taken up proportionally less Sr from the biotite (1.8% of total Sr content) compared to seedlings grown with a moderate nitrogen supply (5.0%). Furthermore, seedlings grown with excess nitrogen supply had a reduced fungal colonisation of roots and soil and bacterial activity was lower in these soils. The Sr-87/Sr-86 ratio in the plant biomass was positively correlated with fungal colonisation of the roots (r(2)=0.98), which may indicate that the fungus was involved in releasing Sr from the biotite. Uptake of K from biotite was not related to the amount of organic acids in the soil solution. Oxalic acid was positively related to the amount of ergosterol in the root, suggesting that oxalic acid in the soil solution originates from the EM symbionts. The accuracy of the estimations of biotite weathering based on K uptake by the seedlings in comparison with the Sr-87/Sr-86 isotope ratio measured in the shoots is discussed.}},
  author       = {{Wallander, Håkan}},
  issn         = {{0032-079X}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1-2}},
  pages        = {{215--229}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Plant and Soil}},
  title        = {{Use of strontium isotopes and foliar K content to estimate weathering of biotite induced by pine seedlings colonised by ectomycorrhizal fungi from two different soils}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1004756221985}},
  doi          = {{10.1023/A:1004756221985}},
  volume       = {{222}},
  year         = {{2000}},
}