Objetivo
NIPHYS investigates effects of soil-borne and deposited nitrogen on forest organisms and soils along a climatic transect through Europe. NIPHYS will substantiate the understanding of nitrogen transformations in forest ecosystems and improve predictions on effects of changing depositions and global climate on broad-leaved and coniferous trees.
Investigations on forest decline have demonstrated the importance of nitrogen deposition in enhancing various nutritional imbalances in trees and soil. Nevertheless, it is presently not possible to answer several basic questions : (1) What form of nitrogen is used by trees in different environments, (2) what roles are played by soil properties, mycorrhiza, and microorganisms in the transformation of nitrogen in forest soils, (3) which process regulate the ammonium/nitrate ratio in soil solution. NIPHYS addresses these issues by investigating plant, microbial, and abiotic processes involved in the transformation of ammonium and nitrate in forest soils of different climatic regions. The project combines botanical, microbiological and soil science. Each participant will work at all study sites. General objectives are : (1) to compare broad-leaved and coniferous trees, (2) to quantify the ecosystem internal fluxes of ammonium and nitrate, (3) to identify the sources of nitrate in groundwaters, and (4) to develop the capacity to predict future development in forest soils with respect to soil acidification and groundwater quality.
Ámbito científico
Convocatoria de propuestas
Data not availableRégimen de financiación
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinador
95440 Bayreuth
Alemania