Introduction Conclusions References

1. To study the potential for complementarity in nitrogen acquisition from different soil depths, we injected an isotope tracer ( 15 NH 4 Cl) at 5 and 20 cm depths in plant communities containing Achillea millefolium L. and Festuca ovina L. or Phleum pratense L. and Trifolium pratense L. in monocultures and two-species mixtures. 2. In monoculture, Festuca and Phleum took up tracer at 5 and 20 c...

Legume species promote productivity and increase the digestibility of herbage in grasslands. Considerable experimental data also indicate that communities with legumes produce more above-ground biomass than is expected from monocultures. While it has been attributed to N facilitation, evidence to identify the mechanisms involved is still lacking and the role of complementarity in soil water acq...

Little is known about phosphorus metabolism in plants suffering from moisture stress. Several metabolic processes, which are completely dependent upon phosphorylated intermediates, are noticeably affected by moisture stress conditions. Photosynthetic rate decreases markedly in severely stressed plants (13). Rate of fixation of CO2 in the dark decreases (12). Above a diffusion pressure deficit (...