N availability and mechanisms of N conservation in deciduous and semideciduous tropical forest legume trees

Abstract

Prior to abscission, nutrients are redeployed from leaves and redistributed to other parts of the plant. Data comparing nutrient resorption to soil fertility and leaf life span remains controversial in the literature. We compared nitrogen (N) conservation mechanisms among four legume trees with different leaf life spans (Hymenaea courbaril L. var. stilbocarpa (Hayne) Lee et Lang., Lonchocarpus guilleminianus (Tul.) Malme, Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Vell.) Morong and Peltophorum dubium (Spreng.) Taub.), from a semideciduous tropical forest, remnant of the Atlantic Forest. We hypothesized that these mechanisms differ among the four species and are affected by their leaf life span and by the availability of N, both as a mineral in the soil and, in the case of L. guilleminianus and E. contortisiliquum, from symbiotic nitrogen fixation (SNF), as these species form associations with rhizobia. The plants were grown in a greenhouse using pots filled with forest soil, enriched (50 or 100 mg of NH4NO3 plant-1week-1) or not with nitrogen. H. courbaril, a semideciduous tree, without SNF, and with the highest leaf life span, presented the greatest N-resorption efficiency (NRE), N-resorption proficiency (NRP) and N-use efficiency (NUE). Increase in soil N and the presence of symbiotic N fixation led to a decrease in NRE, NRP and NUE.