Roots take up labeled nitrogen from a depth of 9 m in a wooded savanna in Brazil

The savannas (called Cerrado) are the second-largest vegetation formation in Brazil after Amazon rainforest, with about 2 million km2. Roots have been found very deep soil layers Cerrado ecosystems, which suggests a crucial role of rooting supply water and nutrients over dry periods. aim our study was to gain insight into complementarity common woody species taking up mobile throughout profiles. In closed-canopy savanna dense understory, labeled nitrate injected at six depths (0.1, 1.5, 3.0, 6.0, 9.0, or 12.0 m) three plots per depth, two dates (in rainy seasons). Five months injection, young leaves were sampled foliar δ15N determined each plot most (Coussarea hydrangeifolia, Miconia albicans Xylopia aromatica). maximum depth 15N uptake dependent on species. X. aromatica trees took from 9 m exploited much larger volume than other species, horizontal distance 5 between trunk injection site. behavior M. C. hydrangeifolia similar, strong only 0–1.5 layer, within horizontally season not related diameter breast height plants sampled. We show that roots can take nitrogen tropical wooded savannas, an important deep-rooted closing biogeochemical cycles highly weathered soils.