Nitrogen Nutrition of European Beech Is Maintained at Sufficient Water Supply in Mixed Beech-Fir Stands

Ruth-Kristina Magh,Martin Burger,Heinz Rennenberg,Michael Dannenmann,Tim Burzlaff,Fengli Yang,Mladen Ivanković,Rodica Pena,Stephanie Rehschuh

doi:10.3390/f9120733

Abstract

Research highlights: Interaction effects of coniferous on deciduous species have been investigated before the background of climate change. Background and objectives: The cultivation of European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) in mixed stands has currently received attention, since the future performance of beech in mid-European forest monocultures in a changing climate is under debate. We investigated water relations and nitrogen (N) nutrition of beech in monocultures and mixed with silver-fir (Abies alba Mill.) in the Black Forest at different environmental conditions, and in the Croatian Velebit at the southern distribution limit of beech, over a seasonal course at sufficient water availability. Material and methods: Water relations were analyzed via δ13C signatures, as integrative measures of water supply assuming that photosynthesis processes were not impaired. N nutrition was characterized by N partitioning between soluble N fractions and structural N. Results: In the relatively wet year 2016, water relations of beech leaves, fir needles and roots differed by season, but generally not between beech monocultures and mixed cultivation. At all sites, previous and current year fir needles revealed significantly lower total N contents over the entire season than beech leaves. Fir fine roots exhibited higher or similar amounts of total N compared to needles. Correlation analysis revealed a strong relationship of leaf and root δ13C signatures with soil parameters at the mixed beech stands, but not at pure beech stands. While glutamine (Gln) uptake capacity of beech roots was strongly related to soil N in the monoculture beech stands, arginine (Arg) uptake capacities of beech roots were strongly related to soil N in mixed stands. Conclusions: Leaf N contents indicated a facilitative effect of silver-fir on beech on sites where soil total N concentrations where low, but an indication of competition effect where it was high. This improvement could be partially attributed to protein contents, but not to differences in uptake capacity of an individual N source. From these results it is concluded that despite similar performance of beech trees at the three field sites investigated, the association with silver-fir mediated interactive effects between species association, climate and soil parameters even at sufficient water supply.

Highlights

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and silver-fir (Abies alba MILL.) possess a similar migration history after the last glaciation into Central Europe
European beech is a key species in Central European forests, where it dominates under many climatic conditions [5], and is the most spread of all beech species [6]
Its climate optimum allowed the colonization of large areas all over Europe, only limited by excessive water supply in very moist habitats, or restricted water supply in the south, where its populations decrease in favor of conifers and oaks under dry and warm conditions [7]

Summary

Introduction

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and silver-fir (Abies alba MILL.) possess a similar migration history after the last glaciation into Central Europe. Both species found refuge areas in the south, southwest, and southeast of Europe in order to survive the last glacial period [1]. Mixed beech-fir forests (‘Abieti-Fagetum’ [5]) constituted the typical association in the Black Forest in Southern Germany before the 18th century [11] Today, these mixed forests are found mainly at the southern distribution limit of beech, i.e., in the mountainous regions of the Dinaric Alps or the Iberian Peninsula [12]

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Conclusion