Journal
JOURNAL OF ARID ENVIRONMENTS
Volume 58, Issue 3, Pages 309-320Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2003.11.002
Keywords
Festuca idahoensis; Ayropyron spicatum; mechanistic competition model; nitrogen; plant resources
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Our objective was to determine the resource most limiting to plant growth within a semi-arid plant association. We hypothesized that the addition of nitrogen (N) would elicit an increase in biomass more than additions of water, light, phosphorus (P), potassium (K), or sulfur (S). Treatments included the addition of water, N, P, K, or S, or reduction of ambient light on two sites in southwestern Montana within the Festuca idahoensis/Ayropyron spicatum plant association. Nitrogen was the only treatment that increased plant community biomass, specifically native grass biomass (about 50%, greater than the control). The addition of water decreased above-ground plant community biomass. Our results suggest that N is the primary limiting resource for the dominant functional group within the F. idahoensis/A. spicatum plant association. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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