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Availability of nitrogen and phosphorus in the nival zone of the Alps by K. Haselwandter; A. Hofmann; H. -P. Holzmann; D. J. Read is a Environmental Science article available to read on EtoBox.

What is Availability of nitrogen and phosphorus in the nival zone of the Alps about?

In high-alpine soils the maximum temperature is low even during the growing season, and hence mineralisation of nutrients is reduced. The aim of this study was to investigate what sources of nitrogen and phosphorus are available for vascular plants in the alpine nival zone to support growth. Using acetylene reduction assays levels of nitrogenase activity were assessed in sealed pots containing nival zone soil and plants at an altitude above 3000 m, and in bacterial isolates of soil and rhizosphere in the laboratory. Nitrogenase activity could not be detected in bacterial isolates or in the soil containing no plants. Small quantities of ethylen (<87 nmol·h per pot) were detected in pots with Cerastium uniflorum and Poa laxa. This activity must be attributable to rhizosphere bacteria since no evidence for the presence of cyanobacteria could be obtained.Other sources of nitrogen for the plants were detected in the form of ammonium and nitrate in soil water and in snow melt water. These solutions also contained extractable phosphorus in quantities normally considered to be sufficient for growth. Analyses of the internal concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus also suggested that these

Who reads Availability of nitrogen and phosphorus in the nival zone of the Alps?

Author

K. Haselwandter; A. Hofmann; H. -P. Holzmann; D. J. Read

Publisher

Springer-Verlag; Springer Verlag; Springer Science and Business Media LLC (ISSN 0029-8549)

Published

1983

Language

EN

Field

Environmental Science (Physical Sciences)