Assessing the recovery potential of alpine moss-sedge heath: reciprocal transplants along a nitrogen deposition gradient |
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Authors: | Armitage Heather F Britton Andrea J Woodin Sarah J van der Wal René |
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Institution: | a Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UKb Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UKc Aberdeen Centre for Environmental Sustainability (ACES), School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK |
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Abstract: | The potential of alpine moss-sedge heath to recover from elevated nitrogen (N) deposition was assessed by transplanting Racomitrium lanuginosum shoots and vegetation turfs between 10 elevated N deposition sites (8.2-32.9 kg ha−1 yr−1) and a low N deposition site, Ben Wyvis (7.2 kg ha−1 yr−1). After two years, tissue N of Racomitrium shoots transplanted from higher N sites to Ben Wyvis only partially equilibrated to reduced N deposition whereas reciprocal transplants almost matched the tissue N of indigenous moss. Unexpectedly, moss shoot growth was stimulated at higher N deposition sites. However, moss depth and biomass increased in turfs transplanted to Ben Wyvis, apparently due to slower shoot turnover (suggested to result partly from decreased tissue C:N slowing decomposition), whilst abundance of vascular species declined. Racomitrium heath has the potential to recover from the impacts of N deposition; however, this is constrained by the persistence of enhanced moss tissue N contents. |
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Keywords: | Nitrogen deposition Racomitrium heath Tissue N Bryophytes Recovery |
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