Buchmann Nina

Critical Flux for Ozone and Critical Load for Nitrogen for Semi-natural, Alpine Plant Communities (Alp Flix Experiment)

Project Number: CH-3589

Project Type:	Dissertation
Project Duration:	01/01/2003 - 12/31/2010 project completed
Funding Source:	other ,
Leading Institution:	ETH Zürich
Project Leader:	Prof. Nina Buchmann Graslandwissenschaften Institut für Agrarwissenschaften (IAS) ETH Zürich ETH Zentrum, LFW C 56 Universitätsstr. 2 8092 Zürich Phone: +41 (0) 44 632 39 59 ; +41 (0) 44 632 30 83 FAX: +41 (0) 44 632 10 37 e-Mail: nina.buchmann(at)usys.ethz.ch http://www.ias.ethz.ch/

related to this project.

for which the project has a relevance.

Research Areas:

Biodiversity

Disciplines:

general biology
botanics

Keywords:
Botanik, Ökologie, grassland, nitrogen, ozone, subalpine zone

Abstract:
A field experiment was established at 2000 m above sea level (asl) in the central Swiss Alps with the aim of investigating the effects of elevated ozone (O3) and nitrogen deposition (N), and of their combination, on above-ground productivity and species composition of subalpine grassland. One hundred and eighty monoliths were extracted from a species-rich Geo- Montani-Nardetum pasture and exposed in a free-air O3-fumigation system to one of three concentrations of O3 (ambient, 1.2 ? ambient, 1.6 ? ambient) and five concentrations of additional N. Above-ground biomass, proportion of functional groups and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were measured annually. After 3 yr of treatment, the vegetation responded to the N input with an increase in above-ground productivity and altered species composition, but without changes resulting from elevated O3. N input > 10 kg N ha–1 yr–1 was sufficient to affect the composition of functional groups, with sedges benefiting over–proportionally. No interaction of O3 ? N was observed, except for NDVI; positive effects of N addition on canopy greenness were counteracted by accelerated leaf senescence in the highest O3 Treatment. The results suggest that effects of elevated O3 on the productivity and floristic composition of subalpine grassland may develop slowly, regardless of the sensitive response to increasing N.

Leading questions:
i) Investigate the effects of combined nitrogen and ozone deposition on ecosystem-properties (biodiversity, productivity, water-, nitrogen-, and carbon budgets) of subalpine grassland.
ii) Establishment of a Critical load for nitrogen, with and without simultaneous influence of elevated ozone deposition; establishment of a Critical level/Critical flux for ozone at different levels of nitrogen deposition.
iii) Contribute to the International Coordinated Programme ICP Vegetation of the UN/ECE working group on Effects.

Publications:
Bassin, S., Werner, R.A., Sörgel, K., Volk, M., Buchmann, N. 2009. Effects of combined ozone and nitrogen deposition on the in situ properties of eleven key plant species of a subalpine pasture - Oecologia 158, 747-756

Bassin, S. 2007. Effect of combined ozone and nitrogen deposition on a species-rich subalpine pasture - Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETHZ), dissertation, 137 p.
pdf Dissertation

Bassin, S., Volk, M., Suter, M., Buchmann, N., Fuhrer, J. 2007. Nitrogen deposition but not ozone affects productivity and community composition of subalpine grassland after 3 yr of treatment - New Phytologist 175, 523-534
pdf Article

Bassin, S., Volk, M., Suter, M., de Baan, L., Riesen, M., 2007. Der Einfluss von erhöhtem Ozon- und Stickstoffeintrag in eine artenreiche subalpine Weide - In: Müller, J.P., Briner, T., Schatzinsel Alp Flix: Ergebnisse von Forschungsarbeiten der Jahre 2000 bis 2007. Jber. Natf. Ges. Graubünden 114, pp. 113-116
pdf Artikel


Last update: 8/11/22
Source of data: ProClim- Research InfoSystem (1993-2024)
Update the data of project: CH-3589

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