Sagebrush carrying out hydraulic lift enhances surface soil nitrogen cycling and nitrogen uptake into inflorescences

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 110; no. 47; pp. 18988 - 18993
• Main Authors: Cardon, Zoe G., Stark, John M., Herron, Patrick M., Rasmussen, Jed A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC National Academy of Sciences 19.11.2013; NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Artemisia - metabolism; Artemisia - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Sciences; Biological Transport - physiology; Flowers - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hydraulics; Inflorescences; Isotopes; Moisture; Nitrogen; Nitrogen Cycle - physiology; Nitrogen Isotopes - pharmacokinetics; Plant growth; Plant physiology and development; Plant roots; Plants; Soil - chemistry; Soil depth; Soil ecology; Soil hydraulic properties; Soil microorganisms; Soil water; Soil water content; Utah; Water - metabolism; United States; North America; Utah; America; Seed production; Fodder shrub; Inflorescence; Hydraulic conductivity; Compositae; Nitrogen; Nutrient uptake; Artemisia tridentata; Rhizosphere; Soils; Nitrogen cycle; Water regime; Steppe; Dicotyledones; Angiospermae; Flowering; Spermatophyta; seed production; flowering; rhizosphere

Plant roots serve as conduits for water flow not only from soil to leaves but also from wetter to drier soil. This hydraulic redistribution through root systems occurs in soils worldwide and can enhance stomatal opening, transpiration, and plant carbon gain. For decades, upward hydraulic lift (HL) o...