Abstract

Plant species diversity influences the intensity of inter-specific competition for soil resources. To investigate how plant species richness and composition influence N2 fixation, the perennial clovers Trifolium hybridum L., T. pratense L., and T. repens L. were grown in experimental grassland plots at one site in Sweden and one in Germany. The species richness varied from monocultures up to 12 or 16 species per plot. The amount of N2 fixed in each Trifolium species was measured according to the 15N natural abundance and 15N isotope dilution methods using three non-N2-fixing reference species. N2 fixation ranged from close to 0 up to about 25 g N m-2 year-1 based on shoot biomass above 5 cm. The highest values were measured in species-poor communities where the legume(s) contributed most to the total biomass in the plots. Due to a consistently high reliance on N2 fixation, the amount of N2 fixed per area was strongly correlated with biomass of the three Trifolium species. Species richness had no consistent effect on N2 fixation

Published in

Grassland Science in Europe
2008, number: 13, pages: 227-229
Title: Biodiversity and Animal Feed: Future Challenges for Grassland production
ISBN: 978-91-85911-47-9
Publisher: European Grassland Federation

Conference

22nd General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation

SLU Authors

• Carlsson, Georg

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Palmborg, Cecilia

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Högberg, Peter

  • Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Huss-Danell, Kerstin

  • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science


Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/18379