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Quantifying nitrogen-fixation in feather moss carpets of boreal forests

Nature volume 419, pages 917–920 (2002)Cite this article

Abstract

Biological nitrogen (N) fixation is the primary source of N within natural ecosystems1, yet the origin of boreal forest N has remained elusive. The boreal forests of Eurasia and North America lack any significant, widespread symbiotic N-fixing plants1,2,3,4,5,6. With the exception of scattered stands of alder in early primary successional forests7, N-fixation in boreal forests is considered to be extremely limited. Nitrogen-fixation in northern European boreal forests has been estimated2 at only 0.5 kg N ha-1 yr-1; however, organic N is accumulated in these ecosystems at a rate of 3 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (ref. 8). Our limited understanding of the origin of boreal N is unacceptable given the extent of the boreal forest region, but predictable given our imperfect knowledge of N-fixation1,9. Herein we report on a N-fixing symbiosis between a cyanobacterium (Nostoc sp.) and the ubiquitous feather moss, Pleurozium schreberi (Bird) Mitt. that alone fixes between 1.5 and 2.0 kg N ha-1 yr-1 in mid- to late-successional forests of northern Scandinavia and Finland. Previous efforts have probably underestimated N-fixation potential in boreal forests.

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Figure 1: Average acetylene reduction rates (µmol m-2 d-1) for P. schreberi at 27 different boreal sites in northern Europe between latitudes of 62–70° N and longitudes of 13–20° E.
Figure 2: Average acetylene reduction rates (µmol m-2 d-1) for P. schreberi from May to early December 2001 at the Reivo forest reserve in northern Sweden.
Figure 3: A micrograph of a section of moss leaf present at ×200 magnification.

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Acknowledgements

We thank R. Sheridan, B. Bergman, U. Rasmussen, and J. Johansen for their advice and assistance.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forestry, The University of Montana, Missoula, Montana, 59812, USA

    Thomas H. DeLuca

  2. Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden

    Thomas H. DeLuca, Olle Zackrisson & Marie-Charlotte Nilsson

  3. Umeå Plant Science Center, Department of Plant Physiology, Umeå University, Umeå, SE-901 87, Sweden

    Anita Sellstedt

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  1. Thomas H. DeLuca
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Correspondence to Thomas H. DeLuca.

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DeLuca, T., Zackrisson, O., Nilsson, MC. et al. Quantifying nitrogen-fixation in feather moss carpets of boreal forests. Nature 419, 917–920 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature01051

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