Investigating the responses of trees to the heterogeneous distribution of nutrients in soil and simultaneous presence of neighboring roots could strengthen the understanding of an influential mechanism on tree growth and provide a scientific basis for forest management. Here, we conducted two split-pot experiments to investigate the effects of nutrient heterogeneity and intraspecific competitio...

Plant invasion is an emerging driver of global change worldwide. We aimed to disentangle its impacts on plant-soil nutrient concentrations. We conducted a meta-analysis of 215 peer-reviewed articles and 1233 observations. Invasive plant species had globally higher N and P concentrations in photosynthetic tissues but not in foliar litter, in comparison with their native competitors. Invasive pla...

The relative importance of the various pedological, climatological and physiological factors contributing to the short stature of tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) is not well understood. This study endeavours to elucidate the controls on carbon assimilation and productivity, which, in conjunction with differences in carbon allocation, interact synergistically to reduce canopy height relativ...

In acid soils, Al toxicity and nutrient deficiencies are main constraints for low yield of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.). A controlled growth chamber experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of three Al saturations (0.2, 19, and 26%) adjusted by addition of dolomitic lime on growth and nutrient uptake parameters of cacao. Overall, increasing soil Al saturation decreased shoot and root dry w...

Nutrient dynamics in the Bela watershed, Nepal were examined using a range of GIS budget modelling and field analysis techniques. The fertility status analysis showed that soil acidity, phosphorus availability, and lack of base cations were the key soil fertility issues. Nutrient budget calculations revealed significant annual phosphorus deficits for maize rota­ tions, but only minor deficits i...

Commercial hydroponics is a modern technology involving plant growth on inert media in place of the natural soil, in order to uncouple the performance of the crop from problems associated with the ground, such as soil-borne diseases, nonarable soil, poor physical properties, etc. Various non-toxic porous materials are used as plant growth substrates, including rockwool, perlite, pumice, expande...

Incorporation of forest slash during stand establishment is proposed as ameans of increasing soil carbon and nutrient stocks. If effective, the increased soil carbon and nutrient status may result in increased aboveground tree growth. Eight years after study installation, the impact of forest slash incorporation into the soil on soil carbon and nutrient stocks, foliar nutrients and loblolly pin...

Increased nutrient loading to the northern Everglades from the nearby Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) has raised concerns of eutrophication of this oligotrophic wetland. A field study was conducted to determine the influence of nutrient loading on spatial distribution of P, N, C, and related physico-chemical parameters in the peat soils (Histosols) of Water Conservation Area 2A (WCA-2A) in t...

B. rALANCE is a fundamental part of nature's law. But man's activities have a way of upsetting nature's balance and usually.it takes a serious unbalance to make us see the situation and try to correct it. Our increased concern over our own diets exemplifies an unbalance. The variety of foods that comprise the average normal diet should provide enough of the essential minerals and vitamins to me...

Many models of phosphorus (P) transfer at the catchment scale rely on input from generic databases including, amongst others, soil and land use maps. Spatially detailed geochemical data sets have the potential to improve the accuracy of the input parameters of catchment-scale nutrient transfer models. Furthermore, they enable the assessment of the utility of available, generic spatial data sets...