Nutrient balance

Figure 1. Generalized nutrient balance of ecosystems in the intervals between disturbance events. Natural disturbances such as wildfires, hurricanes, and floods as well as anthropogenic disturbances such as deforestation and biomass burning can dramatically influence nutrient inputs, internal cycles, and ecosystem outputs (losses).

Figure 6. An undisturbed primary temperate coniferous forest in the Pacific Northwest, USA (Olympic National Park). The nutrient balance of this forest is in a relative equilibrium with elemental inputs closely approximating elemental losses.

Fajer, E. D., Bowers, M. D., and Bazzaz, F. A. (1992). The effects of nutrients and enriched CO2 environments on production of carbon-based allelo-chemicals in Plantago a test of the carbon/nutrient balance hypothesis. Am. Natur. 140, 707-723. 

Ebbesvik M and Loes A K (1994), Organic dairy production in Norway - feeding, health, fodder production, nutrient balance and economy - results from the 30-farm-project 1989-1992 , in Granstedt Aand Koistinen R, Converting to Organic Agriculture Seminar, Scandinavian Association of Agricultural Scientists, 93, 35 13. 

Fortunately, our interest in micro-constituents in the seawater both from the environmental and the nutrient balance points of view has coincided with the availability of advanced instrumentation capable of meeting the analytical needs. 

Pentachlorophenol applied to beech forest soils every 2 months for 2 years at the rate of 1.0 g/m2 markedly reduced populations of soil organisms. At 5.0 g/m2, it drastically reduced most of the soil animal species and also the microflora (Zietz et al. 1987). Reduction of the soil metabolism by PCP retards decomposition and affects the overall nutrient balance of forest ecosystems (Zietz et al. 1987). Pentachlorophenol is more toxic to earthworms in soils with comparatively low levels of organic materials. The LC50 (14-day) value for Lumbricus rubellus was 1094 mg PCP/kg DW soils with 6.1% organic matter, and 883 mg/kg DW soils with 3.7% organic matter (Van Gestel and Ma 1988). The earthworm Eisenia fetida andrei is more sensitive than Lumbricus rubellus ... 

Haraldsen TK, Asdal A, Grasdalen C, Nesheim L, Ugland TN (2000) Nutrient balances and yields during conversion from conventional to organic cropping systems on silt loam and clay soils in Norway. Biol Agric Hort 17 229-246... 

Hamilton JG, Zangerl AR, DeLucia EH, Berenbaum MR (2001) The carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis its rise and fall. Ecol Lett 4 86-95... 

Koricheva J (2002b) The carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis is dead long live the carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis Oikos 98 537-539... 

Kubanek J, Lester SE, Fenical W, Hay ME (2004) Ambiguous role of phlorotannins as chemical defenses in the brown alga Fucus vesiculosus. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 277 79-93 Lerdau M, Coley PD (2002) Benefits of the carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis. Oikos... 

Bouarab K, Potin P, Correa J, Kloareg B (1999) Sulfated oligosaccharides mediate the interaction between a marine red alga and its green algal pathogenic endophyte. Plant Cell 11 1635-1650 Bryant JP, Chapin FS, Klein DR (1983) Carbon/nutrient balance of boreal plants in relation to vertebrate herbivory. Oikos 40 357-368... 

T uomi J, Niemela P, Chapin FS, Bryant JP, Siren S (1988) Defensive responses of trees in relation to their carbon/nutrient balance. In Mattson JB (ed) Mechanisms of woody plant defense against insects search for patterns. Springer, New York, pp 57-72 Van Alstyne KL (1988) Herbivore grazing increases polyphenolic defenses in the intertidal brown alga Fucus distichus. Ecology 69 655-663... 

Table 7.3 Published studies explicitly testing hypotheses derived from the Carbon-Nutrient Balance Model concerning variation in the concentration of secondary metabolites in different macroalgal species...

Bryant JP, Chapin III FS, Klein DR (1983) Carbon/nutrient balance of boreal plants in relation to vertebrate herbivory. Oikos 40 357-368... 

Bryant JP, Chapin III FS, Reichardt PB, Clausen TP (1987) Response of winter chemical defense in Alaska paper birch and green alder to manipulation of plant carbon/nutrient balance. Oecologia 72 510-514... 

Lerdau M, Coley PD (2002) Benefits of the carbon-nutrient balance hypothesis. Oikos 98 534-536... 

Reichardt PB, Chapin III FS, Bryant JP, Mattes BR, Clausen TP (1991) Carbon/nutrient balance as a predictor of plant defense in Alaskan balsam poplar potential importance of metabolic turnover. Oecologia 88 401-406... 

Greenland (1997) has compiled realistic average annual nutrient balances for wetland ricefields pre- and post-1960 from probable inputs and outputs. Inputs come from rainfall, R, irrigation and floodwater, F, sediments, S, nitrogen fixation, N, and manures and fertilizers, M. Outputs are due to crop removals in... 

Figure 7.2 Typical annual nutrient balances for irrigated rice soils pre- and post-1960 calculated from probable inputs (left side of each graph) and outputs (right side) (data from Greenland, 1997). Inputs come from R = rainfall, F = floodwater and irrigation, S = sediments, N = nitrogen fixation and M = manures and fertilizers. Outputs are due to removals in Cg = rice grain, Cs = rice straw. Cl = legume crop, S = seepage and percolation and G = gaseous emission...

An example of the fragile nutrient balance in peat bogs is given in Table 7.2 for a blanket bog in northern England. The table shows the losses of N through erosion of the peat, and the losses of nutrient cations through leaching and removal in stream water. 

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