Geographical variation in the response to nitrogen deposition in Arabidopsis lyrata petraea

Philippine Vergeer, Leon L. J. van den Berg, Mark T. Bulling, Mike R. Ashmore, William E. Kunin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The adaptive responses to atmospheric nitrogen deposition for different European accessions of Arabidopsis lyrata petraea were analysed using populations along a strong atmospheric N-deposition gradient.

Plants were exposed to three N-deposition rates, reflecting the rates at the different locations, in a full factorial design.

Differences between accessions in the response to N were found for important phenological and physiological response variables. For example, plants from low-deposition areas had higher nitrogen-use efficiencies (NUE) and C : N ratios than plants from areas high in N deposition when grown at low N-deposition rates. The NUE decreased in all accessions at higher experimental deposition rates. However, plants from high-deposition areas showed a limited capacity to increase their NUE at lower experimental deposition rates. Plants from low-deposition areas had faster growth rates, higher leaf turnover rates and shorter times to flowering, and showed a greater increase in growth rate in response to N deposition than those from high-deposition areas.

Indications for adaptation to N deposition were found, and results suggest that adaptation of plants from areas high in N deposition to increased N deposition has resulted in the loss of plasticity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)129-141
Number of pages13
JournalNew Phytologist
Volume179
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2008

Keywords

  • adaptation
  • Arabidopsis lyrata petraea
  • C : N ratio
  • flowering time
  • nitrogen deposition
  • nitrogen resistance
  • nitrogen-use efficiency (NUE)
  • plasticity
  • NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY
  • LEAF LIFE-SPAN
  • PLANT-GROWTH
  • ATMOSPHERIC NITROGEN
  • GRASS POPULATIONS
  • MINERAL-NUTRITION
  • SPECIES RICHNESS
  • POLLUTED AREAS
  • AIR-POLLUTION
  • N DEPOSITION

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