• Login
    View Item 
    •   CIB Repository
    • CORE TEAM RESEARCH OUTPUTS
    • RESEARCH: Esler K
    • View Item
    •   CIB Repository
    • CORE TEAM RESEARCH OUTPUTS
    • RESEARCH: Esler K
    • View Item
    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.

    Foliar nitrogen dynamics of an invasive legume compared to native non-legumes in fynbos riparian zones varying in water availability

    Thumbnail
    View/Open
    Esler_WaterSA_2019.pdf (435.3Kb)
    Date
    2019
    Author
    Crous, C.J.
    Drake, D.C.
    Jacobsen, A.L.
    Pratt, R.B.
    Jacobs, S.M.
    Esler, K.J.
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Abstract
    The legume Acacia mearnsii invades South Africa’s fynbos riparian zones and may alter the nitrogen (N) dynamics and supply in these areas that typically support few native N fixers. Nitrogen uptake by A. mearnsii may also be influenced by water availability, potentially affecting riparian-specific performance and impact estimations. We expected to find functional differences between the invasive legume and the two co-occurring but non-leguminous native species Brabejum stellatifolium and Metrosideros angustifolia. We also wanted to examine whether in-situ water availability affected N source or uptake in the invasive species. We found A. mearnsii was indeed functioning differently from non-N-fixing native species, and had considerably higher foliar %N. Interestingly, 15N abundance and uptake were associated with site hydrology, meaning water availability should be scrutinised when assuming N-fixing in A. mearnsii using δ15N. Nonetheless, higher water availability to A. mearnsii in fynbos riparian ecosystems did increase foliar N uptake. This has implications for prioritizing clearing of sites with increased nutrient deposition, such as dense stands in relatively moist riparian zones.
    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/2623
    Collections
    • RESEARCH: Esler K [140]

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback
     

     

    Browse

    All of CIB RepositoryCommunities & CollectionsBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsBy Date CreatedThis CollectionBy Issue DateAuthorsTitlesSubjectsBy Date Created

    My Account

    LoginRegister

    Statistics

    View Usage Statistics

    DSpace software copyright © 2002-2016  DuraSpace
    Contact Us | Send Feedback