Plants and mycorrhizal symbionts acquire substantial soil nitrogen from gaseous ammonia transport
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient that limits plant growth in many ecosystems. Here we investigate an overlooked component of the terrestrial N cycle – subsurface ammonia (NH3) gas transport and its contribution to plant and mycorrhizal N acquisition. In this work, we used controlled mesocosms, soil incubations, stable isotopes, and imaging to investigate edaphic drivers of NH3 gas efflux, track lateral subsurface N transport originating from 15NH3 gas or 15N-enriched organic matter, and assess plant and mycorrhizal N assimilation from this gaseous transport pathway. NH3 is released from soil organic matter, travels belowground, and contributes to root and fungal N content. Abiotic soil properties (pH and texture) influence the quantity of NH3 available for subsurface transport. Mutualisms with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can substantially increase plant NH3-N uptake. The grass Brachypodium distachyon acquired 6–9% of total plant N from organic matter-N that traveled as a gas belowground. Colonization by the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis was associated with a two-fold increase in total plant N acquisition from subsurface NH3 gas. NH3 gas transport and uptake pathways may be fundamentally different from those of more commonly studied soil N species and warrant further research.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[2];
[3]
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States); Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability; Technische Univ. Munchen, Garching (Germany). Inst. for Advanced Study
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1814108
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-814366
Journal ID: ISSN 0028-646X; 1022896
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344; DGE-1144153; SCW1039; IOS-0965336; OPP51589; DGE-0903371; DGE-1069193
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- New Phytologist
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 231; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 0028-646X
- Publisher:
- Wiley
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; ammonia; NH3; arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi; nitrogen; plant; soil
Citation Formats
Hestrin, Rachel, Weber, Peter K., Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer, and Lehmann, Johannes. Plants and mycorrhizal symbionts acquire substantial soil nitrogen from gaseous ammonia transport. United States: N. p., 2021.
Web. doi:10.1111/nph.17527.
Hestrin, Rachel, Weber, Peter K., Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer, & Lehmann, Johannes. Plants and mycorrhizal symbionts acquire substantial soil nitrogen from gaseous ammonia transport. United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17527
Hestrin, Rachel, Weber, Peter K., Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer, and Lehmann, Johannes. Wed .
"Plants and mycorrhizal symbionts acquire substantial soil nitrogen from gaseous ammonia transport". United States. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17527. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1814108.
@article{osti_1814108,
title = {Plants and mycorrhizal symbionts acquire substantial soil nitrogen from gaseous ammonia transport},
author = {Hestrin, Rachel and Weber, Peter K. and Pett‐Ridge, Jennifer and Lehmann, Johannes},
abstractNote = {Nitrogen (N) is an essential nutrient that limits plant growth in many ecosystems. Here we investigate an overlooked component of the terrestrial N cycle – subsurface ammonia (NH3) gas transport and its contribution to plant and mycorrhizal N acquisition. In this work, we used controlled mesocosms, soil incubations, stable isotopes, and imaging to investigate edaphic drivers of NH3 gas efflux, track lateral subsurface N transport originating from 15NH3 gas or 15N-enriched organic matter, and assess plant and mycorrhizal N assimilation from this gaseous transport pathway. NH3 is released from soil organic matter, travels belowground, and contributes to root and fungal N content. Abiotic soil properties (pH and texture) influence the quantity of NH3 available for subsurface transport. Mutualisms with arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can substantially increase plant NH3-N uptake. The grass Brachypodium distachyon acquired 6–9% of total plant N from organic matter-N that traveled as a gas belowground. Colonization by the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis was associated with a two-fold increase in total plant N acquisition from subsurface NH3 gas. NH3 gas transport and uptake pathways may be fundamentally different from those of more commonly studied soil N species and warrant further research.},
doi = {10.1111/nph.17527},
journal = {New Phytologist},
number = 5,
volume = 231,
place = {United States},
year = {Wed Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2021},
month = {Wed Jun 02 00:00:00 EDT 2021}
}
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