Soil fertility and charcoal as determinants of growth and allocation of secondary plant metabolites in seedlings of European beech and Norway spruce

Abstract

Climate-change is predicted to drive a migration of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) into the boreal Norway spruce (Picea abies) zone. Still, the mechanisms underpinning beech success on novel soils is little understood. Further, projected increasing summer temperatures will increase risk of fire and subsequent charcoal deposition. Here we investigate how soil type and presence of charcoal affect growth and key plant traits of beech and spruce seedlings.Beech and spruce seedlings were grown in pots with forest soils of beech- or spruce origin to which beech- or spruce derived charcoal was added. Concentrations of phenolic compounds, carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were analysed separately for root, stem, and leaf tissues.Our spruce forest soil contained more N than the beech forest soil, and both beech- and spruce seedlings grew bigger in spruce forest soil. Beech seedlings also had overall lower tissue concentrations of phenolic compounds when grown in spruce soil. For both species, shoots and roots displayed opposite phenolic responses. The addition of charcoal had no effect on growth, while effects on phenolic compounds were largely idiosyncratic.Our results indicate that beech expansion is not limited by soil factors in the study area, nor is it facilitated by increased levels of charcoal.

Keywords

Fagus sylvatica; HPLC; Picea abies; Phenolic compounds; Resource allocation; Tannins

Published in

Environmental and Experimental Botany
2016, volume: 131, pages: 39-46

SLU Authors

• Asplund, Johan

  • Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

• Nilsson Hegethorn, Marie-Charlotte

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

Global goals (SDG)

SDG13 Climate action

UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2016.06.013

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/77541