Limiting Nutrients for Plant Growth in Coastal Sand Dune Soils

Abstract

(1) A pot-culture experiment and a field experiment were carried out to examine the relative importance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium supplies for plant growth on coastal dune soils, using Oenothera erythrosepala as a test plant. (2) The plants grown in pot culture were deficient in phosphorus rather than nitrogen and potassium, while the plants grown in the field were deficient in nitrogen rather than phosphorus and potassium. (3) Dune sands were incubated to examine the differences in nutrient availabilities between pot and field conditions. The incubation resulted in an increased availability of nitrogen and a decreased availability of phosphorus. (4) It is suggested that the low supply of inorganic nitrogen in the field is attributable to restriction of mineralization and nitrification and to leaching of nitrate.