Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Standard

Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa. / Pellegrini, E.; Boscutti, F.; Alberti, G.; Casolo, V.; Contin, M.; De Nobili, M.

In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 792, 148295, 2021.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Pellegrini, E, Boscutti, F, Alberti, G, Casolo, V, Contin, M & De Nobili, M 2021, 'Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 792, 148295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148295

APA

Pellegrini, E., Boscutti, F., Alberti, G., Casolo, V., Contin, M., & De Nobili, M. (2021). Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa. Science of the Total Environment, 792, [148295]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148295

Vancouver

Pellegrini E, Boscutti F, Alberti G, Casolo V, Contin M, De Nobili M. Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa. Science of the Total Environment. 2021;792. 148295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148295

Author

Pellegrini, E. ; Boscutti, F. ; Alberti, G. ; Casolo, V. ; Contin, M. ; De Nobili, M. / Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa. In: Science of the Total Environment. 2021 ; Vol. 792.

Bibtex

@article{8fdd0ece1b894bbfbf6d0aded6ad6bba,
title = "Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa",
abstract = "The N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa L. is rapidly spreading in the dry riparian natural grasslands of Europe, altering ecosystem functions and depleting plant diversity. Alteration of the N cycle represents the key factor involved in invasions by N2-fixing plants with cascading effects on plant species richness. We hypothesized that A. fruticosa encroachment strongly impacts not only the N but also the C cycle and that the magnitude of such alterations may be modulated by soil characteristics. To test these hypotheses, we selected four river floodplains in North East of Italy and compared natural uninvaded grasslands with half invaded and completely invaded sites, based on A. fruticosa stand characteristic and relevant leaf traits and on soil properties related to soil texture and to C and N cycles. Soil organic matter mineralisation, ammonification and nitrification rates were determined. Soil nitrification increased remarkably with plant invasion while ammonification was significantly higher only in half invaded sites. Soil organic matter mineralisation, microbial biomass C sustained per soil organic C unit and nitrification positively correlated with stand age, regardless to the stage of the encroachment. Mineralisation and nitrification increased with soil organic C and total N in uninvaded and completely invaded sites, but decreased in half invaded sites. At the half invasion stage, trends in nitrification and CO2 mineralisation were transitionally reverted and remediation may be facilitated by less pronounced changes in soil properties compared to completely invaded sites. Direct effects of plant invasion are modulated by the action of soil characteristics such as soil organic C and clay contents, with soils rich in organic C showing larger nitrification and mineralisation rates.",
keywords = "Biological invasion, N-fixing shrub, Nitrification, Soil microbial biomass, Soil N cycle, SOM mineralisation",
author = "E. Pellegrini and F. Boscutti and G. Alberti and V. Casolo and M. Contin and {De Nobili}, M.",
note = "Funding Information: Authors would like to thank Davide Battaino, Anna Comisso, Mickey Cucit, Ambra Ietri and Marica Possamai for technical help during field and laboratory work. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Elsevier B.V.",
year = "2021",
doi = "10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148295",
language = "English",
volume = "792",
journal = "Science of the Total Environment",
issn = "0048-9697",
publisher = "Elsevier",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Stand age, degree of encroachment and soil characteristics modulate changes of C and N cycles in dry grassland soils invaded by the N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa

AU - Pellegrini, E.

AU - Boscutti, F.

AU - Alberti, G.

AU - Casolo, V.

AU - Contin, M.

AU - De Nobili, M.

N1 - Funding Information: Authors would like to thank Davide Battaino, Anna Comisso, Mickey Cucit, Ambra Ietri and Marica Possamai for technical help during field and laboratory work. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Elsevier B.V.

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - The N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa L. is rapidly spreading in the dry riparian natural grasslands of Europe, altering ecosystem functions and depleting plant diversity. Alteration of the N cycle represents the key factor involved in invasions by N2-fixing plants with cascading effects on plant species richness. We hypothesized that A. fruticosa encroachment strongly impacts not only the N but also the C cycle and that the magnitude of such alterations may be modulated by soil characteristics. To test these hypotheses, we selected four river floodplains in North East of Italy and compared natural uninvaded grasslands with half invaded and completely invaded sites, based on A. fruticosa stand characteristic and relevant leaf traits and on soil properties related to soil texture and to C and N cycles. Soil organic matter mineralisation, ammonification and nitrification rates were determined. Soil nitrification increased remarkably with plant invasion while ammonification was significantly higher only in half invaded sites. Soil organic matter mineralisation, microbial biomass C sustained per soil organic C unit and nitrification positively correlated with stand age, regardless to the stage of the encroachment. Mineralisation and nitrification increased with soil organic C and total N in uninvaded and completely invaded sites, but decreased in half invaded sites. At the half invasion stage, trends in nitrification and CO2 mineralisation were transitionally reverted and remediation may be facilitated by less pronounced changes in soil properties compared to completely invaded sites. Direct effects of plant invasion are modulated by the action of soil characteristics such as soil organic C and clay contents, with soils rich in organic C showing larger nitrification and mineralisation rates.

AB - The N2-fixing shrub Amorpha fruticosa L. is rapidly spreading in the dry riparian natural grasslands of Europe, altering ecosystem functions and depleting plant diversity. Alteration of the N cycle represents the key factor involved in invasions by N2-fixing plants with cascading effects on plant species richness. We hypothesized that A. fruticosa encroachment strongly impacts not only the N but also the C cycle and that the magnitude of such alterations may be modulated by soil characteristics. To test these hypotheses, we selected four river floodplains in North East of Italy and compared natural uninvaded grasslands with half invaded and completely invaded sites, based on A. fruticosa stand characteristic and relevant leaf traits and on soil properties related to soil texture and to C and N cycles. Soil organic matter mineralisation, ammonification and nitrification rates were determined. Soil nitrification increased remarkably with plant invasion while ammonification was significantly higher only in half invaded sites. Soil organic matter mineralisation, microbial biomass C sustained per soil organic C unit and nitrification positively correlated with stand age, regardless to the stage of the encroachment. Mineralisation and nitrification increased with soil organic C and total N in uninvaded and completely invaded sites, but decreased in half invaded sites. At the half invasion stage, trends in nitrification and CO2 mineralisation were transitionally reverted and remediation may be facilitated by less pronounced changes in soil properties compared to completely invaded sites. Direct effects of plant invasion are modulated by the action of soil characteristics such as soil organic C and clay contents, with soils rich in organic C showing larger nitrification and mineralisation rates.

KW - Biological invasion

KW - N-fixing shrub

KW - Nitrification

KW - Soil microbial biomass

KW - Soil N cycle

KW - SOM mineralisation

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148295

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148295

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 34147804

AN - SCOPUS:85108079068

VL - 792

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

M1 - 148295

ER -

ID: 274114953