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原文传递 Science Findings, Issue 161, May 2014. Nutritional Hotspots and the Secret Life of Forests

题名：	Science Findings, Issue 161, May 2014. Nutritional Hotspots and the Secret Life of Forests
作者：	Kluber, L. A.; Smith, J. E.
关键词：	Forests##Nutrients##Chemical compounds##Fungi##Hot spots##Nitrogen##Phosphorus##Pacific Northwest region##Pine trees##Plant growth##Productivity##Soils##
摘要：	The floor of a Douglas-fir forest may be rich in organic matter, but nutrients essential to plant growth are locked within the decomposing needles, leaves, and fallen wood. Before nitrogen, phosphorus, and other nutrients can be cycled back through the forest system, they need to be further broken down into forms accessible to plants. Understanding how nutrients become available to plants has long been of interest in the Pacific Northwest because the productivity of the regions conifer forests is often thought to be limited by the availability of nitrogen. In some Douglas-fir forests, a single genus of mat-forming fungi, Piloderma which has a symbiotic relationship with nearby trees--covers up to 40 percent of the forest floor. These mats, as well as the surrounding forest soil, harbor a diverse suite of microbes. Scientists analyzed samples of mat and non-mat soils from the H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest for biochemical activity linked to nutrient cycling. They found that the presence of the ectomycorrhizal mats enhanced enzyme activity that likely makes soil nitrogen available for plant uptake. The researchers also found chemical compounds in the mat samples that suggests Piloderma helps cycle phosphorus, making it available to plants.
总页数：	6
报告类型：	科技报告