Abstract
Previous research has shown that plant extracts, e.g. from boreal dwarf shrubs and trees, can cause reduced growth of neighbouring plants: an effect known as allelopathy. To examine whether arctic and subarctic plants could also be affected by leaching of phytochemicals, we added extracts from the commonly occurring arctic dwarf shrubs Cassiope tetragona and Empetrum hermaphroditum, and from mountain birch, Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa to three graminoid species, Carex bigelowii, Festuca vivipara and Luzula arcuata, grown in previously sterilized or non-sterilized arctic soils. The graminoids in non-sterilized soil grew more slowly than those in sterilized soil. Excised roots of the plants in non-sterilized soil had higher uptake rate of labelled P than those in sterilized soil, demonstrating larger nutrient deficiency. The difference in growth rate was probably caused by higher nutrient availability for plants in soils in which the microbial biomass was killed after soil sterilization. The dwarf shrub extracts contained low amounts of inorganic N and P and medium high amounts of carbohydrates. Betula extracts contained somewhat higher levels of N and much higher levels of P and carbohydrates. Addition of leaf extracts to the strongly nutrient limited graminoids in non-sterilized soil tended to reduce growth, whereas in the less nutrient limited sterilized soil it caused strong growth decline. Furthermore, the N and P uptake by excised roots of plants grown in both types of soil was high if extracts from the dwarf shrubs (with low P and N concentrations) had been added, whereas the P uptake declined but the N uptake increased after addition of the P-rich Betula extract. In contrast to the adverse extract effects on plants, soil microbial respiration and soil fungal biomass (ergosterol) was generally stimulated, most strongly after addition of the Betula extract. Although we cannot exclude the possibility that the reduced plant growth and the concomitant stimulation of microbial activity were caused by phytochemicals, we believe that this was more likely due to labile carbon in the extracts which stimulated microbial biomass and activity. As a result microbial uptake increased, thereby depleting the plant available pool of N and P, or, for the P-rich Betula extract, depleting soil inorganic N alone, to the extent of reducing plant growth. This chain of events is supported by the negative correlation between plant growth and sugar content in the three added extracts, and the positive correlation between microbial activity, fungal biomass production and sugar content, and are known reactions when labile carbon is added to nutrient deficient soils.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Explore related subjects
Discover the latest articles, news and stories from top researchers in related subjects.Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Antibus RK, Sinsabaugh RL (1993) The extraction and quantification of ergosterol from ectomycorrhizal fungi and roots. Mycorrhiza 3: 137–144
Atkin OK, Cummins WR (1994) The effect of root temperature on the induction of nitrate reductase activities and nitrogen uptake rates in arctic plant species. Plant Soil 159: 187–197
Berendse F, Jonasson S (1992) Nutrient use and nutrient cycling in northern ecosystems. In: Chapin FS III, Jefferies RL, Reynolds JF, Shaver GR, Svoboda J (eds) Arctic ecosystems in a changing climate. An ecophysiological perspective: Academic Press, San Diego, pp 337–356
Bliss LC, Matveyeva NV (1992) Circumpolar arctic vegetation. In: Chapin FS III, Jefferies RL, Reynolds JF, Shaver GR, Svoboda J (eds) Arctic ecosystems in a changing climate. An ecophysiological perspective. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 59–89
Bryant JP, Reichardt PB (1992) Controls over secondary metabolite production by arctic woody plants. In: Chapin FS III, Jefferies RL, Reynolds JF, Shaver GR, Svoboda J (eds) Arctic ecosystems in a changing climate. An ecophysiological perspective. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 377–390
Carlsson BÅ, Callaghan TV (1991) Positive plant interactions in tundra vegetation and the importance of shelter. J Ecol 79: 973–983
Chapin FS III, Shaver GR (1989) Differences in growth and nutrient use among arctic plant growth forms. Funct Ecol 3: 73–80
Denford KE, Karas I (1975) A study of the flavonoids of certain species of Cassiope (Ericaceae). Can J Bot 53: 1192–1195
Dighton J, Jones HE, Poskitt JM (1993) The use of nutrient bioassays to assess the response of Eucalyptus grandis to fertilizer application. 1. Interactions between nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in seedling nutrition. Can J For Res 23: 1–6
Dubois M, Gilles KA, Hamilton JK, Rebers PA, Smith F (1956) Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Anal Chem 28: 350–356
Durson S, Ineson P, Frankland JC, Boddy L (1993) Sulphite and pH effects on CO2 evolution from decomposing angiospermous and coniferous tree leaf litters. Soil Biol Biochem 25: 1513–1525
Fredriksen S (1981) Festuca vivipara (Poaceae) in the North Atlantic area. Nord J Bot 1: 277–292
Grant WD, West AW (1986) Measurement of ergosterol, diaminopimelic acid and glucosamine in soil: evaluation as indicators of microbial biomass. J Microbiol Methods 6: 47–53
Harborne JB, Williams CA (1973) A chemotaxoniomic survey of flavonoids and simple phenols in leaves of the Ericaceae. Bot J Linn Soc 66: 37–54
Harrison AF, Helliwell DR (1979) A bioassay for comparing the availability of phosphorus in soils. J Appl Ecol 16: 497–505
Harrison AF, Taylor K, Hatton JC, Dighton J, Howard DM (1991) Potential of a root bioassay for determining P-deficiency in high altitude grasslands. J Appl Ecol 28: 277–289
Harte J, Kinzig AP (1993) Mutualism and competition between plants and decomposers: implications for nutrient allocation in ecosystems. Am Nat 141: 829–846
Havström M, Callaghan TV, Jonasson S (1993) Differential growth responses of Cassiope tetragona, an arctic dwarf-shrub, to environmental perturbations among three contrasting high- and subarctic sites. Oikos 66: 389–402
Hill TCJ, McPherson EF, Harris JA, Birch P (1993) Microbial biomass estimated by phospholipid phosphate in soils with diverse microbial communities. Soil Biol Biochem 25: 1779–1786
Hytönen J (1992) Allelopathic potential of peatland plant species on germination and early seedling growth of scots pine, silver birch and downy birch. Silva Fenn 26: 63–73
Jonasson S, Havström M, Jensen M, Callaghan TV (1993) In situ mineralization of nitrogen and phosphorus of arctic soils after perturbations simulating climatic change. Oecologia 95: 179–186
Jonasson S, Vestergaard P, Jensen M and Michelsen A (1995) Effects of carbohydrate amendments on nutrient partitioning, plant and microbial performance of a grassland-shrub ecosystem. Oikos (in press)
Jones HE, Quarmby C, Harrison AF (1991) A root bioassay test for nitrogen deficiency in forest trees. For Ecol Manage 42: 267–282
Jónsdóttir IS, Callaghan TV (1990) Intraclonal translocation of ammonium and nitrate nitrogen in Carex bigelowii Torr. ex Schwein. using 15N and nitrate reductase assay. New Phytol 114: 419–428
Kellomäki S, Kolström M (1994) The influence of climate change on the productivity of Scots pine, Norway spruce, Pendula birch and Pubescent birch in southern and northern Finland. For Ecol Manage 65: 201–217
Kullman L (1993) Tree limit dynamics of Betula pubescens ssp. tortuosa in relation to climate variability: evidence from central Sweden. J Veg Sci 4: 765–772
Lisanework N, Michelsen A (1993) Allelopathy in agroforestry systems: the effect of leaf extracts of Cupressus lusitanica and three Eucalyptus spp. on four Ethiopian crops. Agrofor Syst 21: 63–74
Mattson JS, Mark HB Jr (1971) Activated carbon. Surface chemistry and adsorbtion from solution. Dekker, New York
Melick DR, Bölter M, Möller R (1994) Rates of soluble carbohydrate utilization in soils from the Windmill Islands Oasis, Wilkes Land, continental Antarctica. Polar Biol 14: 59–64
Michelsen A, Lisanework N, Friis I (1993) Impacts of tree plantations in the Ethiopian highland on soil fertility, shoot and root growth, nutrient utilisation and mycorrhizal colonization. For Ecol Manage 61: 299–324
Michelse A, Schmidt IK, Jonasson S, Quarmby C, Sleep D (1995) Leaf δ15N of subarctic plants provides field evidence that ericoid, ectomycorrhizal and non- and arbuscular mycorrhizal species access different sources of soil nitrogen. Oecologia (in press)
Nadelhoffer KJ, Giblin AE, Shaver GR, Linkins AE (1992) Microbial processes and plant nutrient availability in arctic soils. In: Chapin FS III, Jefferies RL, Reynolds JF, Shaver GR, Svoboda J (eds) Arctic ecosystems in a changing climate. An ecophysiological perspective. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 281–300
Nilsson M-C (1994) Separation of allelopathy and resource competition by the boreal dwarf shrub Empetrum hermaphroditum Hagerup. Oecologia 98: 1–7
Nilsson M-C, Högberg P, Zackrisson O, Fengyou W (1993) Allelopathic effects by Empetrum hermaphrodium on development and nitrogen uptake by roots and mycorrhizae of Pinus silvestris. Can J Bot 71: 620–628
Odén PC, Brandtberg P-O, Andersson R, Gref R, Zackrisson O, Nilsson M-C (1992) Isolation and characterization of a germination inhibitor from leaves of Empetrum hermaphroditum. Scand J For Res 7: 497–502
Read DJ (1991) Mycorrhizas in ecosystems-nature's response to the “law of the minimum”. In: Hawksworth DL (ed) Frontiers in mycology. CAB International, Wallingford, pp 101–130
Roser DJ, Melick DR, Ling HU, Seppelt RD (1992) Polyol and sugar content of terrestrial plants from continental Antarctica. Antarct Sci 4: 414–420
Rutherford PM, Juma NG (1992) Effect of glucose amendment on microbial biomass, spelling fertilizer 15N-recovery and distribution in a barley-soil system. Biol Fertil Soils 12: 228–232
SAS Institute (1988) SAS/STAT Users Guide, Release 6.03. SAS Institute, Cary, NC
Zackrisson O, Nilsson M-C (1992) Allelopathic effects by Empetrum hermaphroditum on seed germination of two boreal tree species. Can J For Res 22: 1310–1319
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Michelsen, A., Schmidt, I.K., Jonasson, S. et al. Inhibition of growth, and effects on nutrient uptake of arctic graminoids by leaf extracts — allelopathy or resource competition between plants and microbes?. Oecologia 103, 407–418 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328678
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00328678