Ecophysiological and foliar nitrogen concentration responses of understorey Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus sp. to prescribed burning

Ling Ma; Xingquan Rao; Shahla Hosseini Bai; Zhihong Xu; Xiaoyang Chen; Timothy Blumfield; Jun Xie

doi:10.1007/s11356-015-4223-2

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Ecophysiological and foliar nitrogen concentration responses of understorey Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus sp. to prescribed burning

Journal article

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Ecophysiological and foliar nitrogen concentration responses of understorey Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus sp. to prescribed burning

Ling Ma, Xingquan Rao, Shahla Hosseini Bai, Zhihong Xu, Xiaoyang Chen, Timothy Blumfield and Jun Xie

Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol.22(13), pp.10254-10262

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-015-4223-2

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Abstract

leaf gas exchange

carbon and nitrogen isotope

composition (δ13Cand δ15N)

acacia leiocalyx

A. disparrima

eucalyptus resinifera

symbiotic N2 fixation

Eucalyptus spp. is a dominant tree genus in Australia and most Eucalyptus spp. are canopy dominant species. In Australian natural forests, Eucalyptus spp. commonly are associated with understorey legumes which play a crucial role for ecological restoration owing to their nitrogen (N) fixing ability for replenishing the soil N lost after frequent prescribed burning. This study aimed to explore to what extent physiological responses of these species differ 7 and 12 years after last fire. Two most common understorey Acacia spp., Acacia leiocalyx and A. disparrima, as well as one nonleguminous Eucalyptus resinifera, were studied due to their dominance in the forest. Both A. leiocalyx and A. disparrima showed higher carbon (C) assimilation capacity, maximum photosynthetic capacity, and moderate foliar C/N ratio compared with E. resinifera. A. leiocalyx showed various advantages compared to A. disparrima such as higher photosynthetic capacity, adaptation to wider light range and higher foliar total N (TNmass). A. leiocalyx also relied on N2-fixing ability for longer time compared to A. disparrima. The results suggested that the two Acacia spp. were more beneficial to C and N cycles for the post burning ecosystem than the non-N2- fixing species E. resinifera. A. leiocalyx had greater contribution to complementing soil N cycle long after burning compared to A. disparrima.

Details

Title: Ecophysiological and foliar nitrogen concentration responses of understorey Acacia spp. and Eucalyptus sp. to prescribed burning
Authors: Ling Ma (Author) - South China Agricultural University, China
Xingquan Rao (Author) - South China Botanical Garden of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
Shahla Hosseini Bai (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast - Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering
Zhihong Xu (Author) - Griffith University
Xiaoyang Chen (Author) - South China Agricultural University, China
Timothy Blumfield (Author) - Griffith University
Jun Xie (Author) - South China Agricultural University, China
Publication details: Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Vol.22(13), pp.10254-10262
Publisher: Springer
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1007/s11356-015-4223-2
ISSN: 0944-1344
Organisation Unit: School of Science and Engineering - Legacy; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99450076802621
Output Type: Journal article

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