The Fate of [(15)N]Ammonium and [(15)N]Nitrate in the Soil of a 140-Year-Old Spruce Stand (Picea Abies) in the Fichtelgebirge (NE-Bavaria)

Abstract A (15)N tracer-experiment was carried out in a 140-year-old spruce stand (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in the Fichtelgebirge (NE-Bavaria, Germany). Highly enriched (98 at%) [(15)N]ammonium and [(15)N]nitrate were applied as tracers by simulation of a deposition of 41.3 mol N ha(-1) with 11 water m(-2). To examine seasonal variations of uptake by spruce and understorey vegetation, different plots were labelled in spring, summer and autumn 1994. One aim of the present study was to perfect a method of preparation of soil extracts for isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) measurements. Ammonium and nitrate from soil extracts were prepared for IRMS measurements by steam distillation and subsequent freeze drying. Additionally, tracer distribution and transformations in the soil nitrogen pools were examined. Ammonium, nitrate and total nitrogen were examined in the organic layer and the upper 10 cm of the mineral soil during 3 months after the first tracer application in spring 1994. In July 1994, three months after tracer application, 40% of the [(15)N]ammonium label and 29% of the [(15)N]nitrate label, respectively, were recovered in the total N pool of the investigated soil horizons. In the organic layer the L/Of horizon retained most of the recovered tracers. Nitrification, immobilisation and mineralisation occurred even under the conditions of high soil acidity at the study site.     

The Fate of [15N]Ammonium and [15N]Nitrate in the Soil of a 140-Year-Old Spruce Stand (Picea Abies) in the Fichtelgebirge (NE-Bavaria)

Abstract

A ¹⁵N tracer-experiment was carried out in a 140-year-old spruce stand (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in the Fichtelgebirge (NE-Bavaria, Germany). Highly enriched (98 at%) [¹⁵N]ammonium and [¹⁵N]nitrate were applied as tracers by simulation of a deposition of 41.3 mol N ha^?1 with 11 water m^?2. To examine seasonal variations of uptake by spruce and understorey vegetation, different plots were labelled in spring, summer and autumn 1994.

One aim of the present study was to perfect a method of preparation of soil extracts for isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) measurements. Ammonium and nitrate from soil extracts were prepared for IRMS measurements by steam distillation and subsequent freeze drying. Additionally, tracer distribution and transformations in the soil nitrogen pools were examined. Ammonium, nitrate and total nitrogen were examined in the organic layer and the upper 10 cm of the mineral soil during 3 months after the first tracer application in spring 1994.

In July 1994, three months after tracer application, 40% of the [¹⁵N]ammonium label and 29% of the [¹⁵N]nitrate label, respectively, were recovered in the total N pool of the investigated soil horizons. In the organic layer the L/Of horizon retained most of the recovered tracers. Nitrification, immobilisation and mineralisation occurred even under the conditions of high soil acidity at the study site.     

The Influence of Ammonium on Nitrate Uptake and Assimilation in 2-Year-Old Ash and Oak Trees - A Tracer-Study with 15N

Abstract

Interactions between ammonium and nitrate as competitive N sources depend on various biotic and abiotic factors. The preference for one of these N sources and the influence of ammonium on nitrate uptake and nitrate reductase activity was investigated in a ¹⁵N labelling experiment using 2-year-old potted plants of ash (Fraxinus excelsior L.) and oak (Quercus robur L.) under greenhouse conditions.

Seedlings of both tree species use ammonium and nitrate in equal amounts when both N forms are supplied in a 1:1 ratio (1.5 mM NH₄ ⁺ + 1.5 mM NO₃ ^?), although there is a slight tendency that ammonium is preferred. In both species total N uptake is higher if ammonium and nitrate are supplied simultaneously when compared with uptake of nitrate alone (3 mM nitrate). If nitrate is the sole N source N uptake is only half as high as if ammonium and nitrate are supplied in a ratio of 1:1.

The distribution of nitrate reductase between shoot and roots is not influenced by the N-form: nitrate reductase activity is always highest in the roots of both species under the conditions of this experiment.

Xylem sap analyses showed that both species transport higher concentrations of amino acids than of nitrate from the roots to the shoot. The amino acid composition is independent of the type of N source. Furthermore, ash trees contain more nitrate in the xylem sap than oak trees, reflecting the higher N uptake and the higher nitrate reductase activity in the leaves of this species.     

A dual 13C and 15N long-term labelling technique to investigate uptake and translocation of C and N in beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

A continuous dual 13CO2 and 15NH4(15)NO3 labelling experimental set-up is presented that was used to investigate the C and N uptake and allocation within 3-year old beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) during one growing season. The C and N allocation pattern was determined after six, twelve and eighteen weeks of growth. The carbon uptake was distinctly different in the three phases examined: The first six weeks after budbreak were dedicated to leaf growth with a R/S (root to shoot) ratio of 0.14 for the new carbon. The second growth phase showed a balanced R/S ratio of C allocation and after week 13, the root compartment was the main carbon sink (R/S = 6.97). Nitrogen allocation was more basipetal as compared to carbon. In the second growth phase, R/S of Nnew was 5.57 but fell to 3.54 for the third growth phase probably due to formation of reserves in buds and stem.     

Determination of (15)N in (15)N-enriched nitrite and nitrate in aqueous samples by reaction continuous flow quadrupole mass spectrometry

The (15)N tracer method is the most suitable method for studying complex N transformation processes in microbiology and biochemistry. It entails the constant determination of the (15)N abundance of the inorganic nitrogen (N) compounds nitrite and nitrate. However, (15)N analytical methods are time-consuming, difficult to automate, and require at least 10 μg of N per determination. An additional obstacle in the case of nitrite is that it usually only occurs in very small amounts (ppb) dwarfed by much larger quantities of nitrate (ppm). More useful is an approach in which the N compound is selectively converted into a gaseous form suitable for direct measurement by mass spectrometry. By using this 'reaction continuous-flow mass spectrometry' (R/CFMS) we developed methods for the (15)N determination of nitrite and nitrate from tracer experiment samples, i.e. artificially enriched in (15)N. Because both methods are based on the same principle, one continuous flow setup connected directly to a quadrupole mass spectrometer for all determinations was used. Nitrite and nitrate are reduced to NO by iodide and titanium(III) chloride, respectively. The technique developed ensures a precision of relative standard deviation /=1 at.% are to be measured for nitrite and nitrate, respectively. Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Improved measurement of (15)N-[(1)H] NOEs in the presence of H(N)-water proton chemical exchange.

A simple method is presented to accurately determine (15)N-[(1)H] NOEs in biomolecules in the presence of H(N)-water proton chemical exchange. Three measurements are required: one with nonselective proton saturation and two with different water saturation conditions to determine the equilibrium value of the (15)N signal. This approach is exemplified with data on two peptides, one helix-forming 17-mer and one compactly folded 56-mer. Results indicate that (15)N-[(1)H] NOEs determined using the standard approach with short recycle times (3 to 4 s) can be significantly in error when H(N)-water proton chemical exchange is relatively rapid, water proton relaxation is relatively slow, and (15)N-[(1)H] NOEs are away from the value of -1. This new method avoids such inaccuracies resulting from the use of short recycle times.     

The first in vivo observation of (13)C-(15)N coupling in mammalian brain.

[5-(13)C,(15)N]Glutamine, with (1)J((13)C-(15)N) of 16 Hz, was observed in vivo in the brain of spontaneously breathing rats by (13)C MRS at 4.7 T. The brain [5-(13)C]glutamine peak consisted of the doublet from [5-(13)C,(15)N]glutamine and the center [5-(13)C,(14)N]glutamine peak, resulting in an apparent triplet with a separation of 8 Hz. The time course of formation of brain [5-(13)C,(15)N]glutamine was monitored in vivo with a time resolution of 20-35 min. This [5-(13)C,(15)N]glutamine was formed by glial uptake of released neurotransmitter [5-(13)C]glutamate and its reaction with (15)NH(3) catalyzed by the glia-specific glutamine synthetase. The neurotransmitter glutamate C5 was selectively (13)C-enriched by intravenous [2,5-(13)C]glucose infusion to (13)C-label whole-brain glutamate C5, followed by [(12)C]glucose infusion to chase (13)C from the small and rapidly turning-over glial glutamate pool, leaving (13)C mainly in the neurotransmitter [5-(13)C]glutamate pool, which is sequestered in vesicles until release. Hence, the observed [5-(13)C,(15)N]glutamine arises from a coupling between (13)C of neuronal origin and (15)N of glial origin. Measurement of the rate of brain [5-(13)C,(15)N]glutamine formation provides a novel noninvasive method of studying the kinetics of neurotransmitter uptake into glia in vivo, a process that is crucial for protecting the brain from glutamate excitotoxicity.     

Estimation of urea production rate with [(15)n(2)]urea and [(13)c]urea to measure catabolic rates in diabetes mellitus

Abstract For verifying catabolic states in insulin-dependent patients and dogs the method estimating urea production rates with (13)C and with doubly (15)N labeled urea, respectively, has been established. For a fast steady state of urea tracer dilution, a prime of 600 times the continuous infusion rate had to be injected. Urea was isolated from plasma samples by protein precipitation and cation exchange chromatography with a consecutive derivatization of the dried urea fraction (trimethylsilyl derivatives). The masses of the fragment ions m/z 189 ((14)N(14)N), 190 ((14)N(15)N) and 191 ((15)N(15)N) urea are monitored to estimate the [(15)N(2)]urea frequency in the overall body urea pool in mol percent excess (MPE). 1 to 15 ng of derivatized urea were measured efficiently. An excellent correlation between expected standard and measured MPE (r = 0.9977) was achieved from solutions containing 1 to 7% [(15)N(2)]urea. The interassay coefficient of variation amounted to < 10% for a [(15)N(2)]urea portion of ≥ 3%. Normoglycemic diabetic patients who were treated with insulin overnight showed significantly higher urea production compared to healthy controls (9.22 ± 2.07 vs. 5.4 ± 0.32 μmol·kg(-1) · min(-1); p < 0.05). Measurements in chronic diabetic dogs proved an increased rate of amino acid catabolism (+ 20% urea production) in systemic versus portal application of insulin in paired studies. This increased nitrogen load in diabetics may accelerate progression of diabetic nephropathy. - Thus, the established stable isotope technique may serve as a sensitive and useful indicator of amino acid catabolism in clinical and experimental research.     

若干具有[（PO4）4Mo6^VO15]^12^-簇骼的化合物的光谱研究

Five novel organic-molybdenum phosphates with [(PO4)4Mo6(V)O15]12- cluster, Na x (H4TETA)3 x (H3O)5 x {Zn[(HPO4)2(PO4)2Mo6O15]2} (2), (H2en)7 x (H3O)4 x {Cu[(HPO4)2(PO4)2Mo6O15]2} x H2O (3), (H3DETA)2 x (H3O)3 x {Co0.5[(HPO4)2(PO4)2Mo6O15]} x H2O (4), [Co(H3TETA)]2{Co0.5[(HPO4)(PO4)3Mo6O15] x 3.5H2O (5) and (H3DETA) x (H3O)4 x {Co1.5 [(HPO4)2(PO4)2Mo6O15]} x 0.5H2O (6), have been synthesized. The relationship between their properties and structures was studied by using FTIR, NIR FT-Raman, UV-Vis DRS and fluorescence etc. In these compounds, every two [(PO4)4Mo6O15] clusters are coordinated by a metal atom to form a {M[(PO4)4Mo6O15]2} dimer. In compound 2, 3 and 4, {M[(PO4)4Mo6O15]2} dimers are hydrogen-bonded by the organic molecules and water molecules to form a three-dimensional expended framework, respectively. In compound 5 and 6, {Co[(PO4)4Mo6O15]2} dimers are coordinated by [Co(H3TETA)] groups and [CoO4] tetrahedra to form a network, respectively. These characteristic vibrational frequencies of the molybdenum phosphates are related to the structure of these compounds. Three characteristic bands in UV-Vis DRS spectra of these compounds have to be attributed to the absorptions of O(d) --> Mo, O(mu) --> Mo and O --> M charge transfer, respectively. These compounds exhibit strong fluorescence emission bands at about 410 nm when excited by 240 nm, which are caused by O(mu) --> Mo charge transfer.     

Determination of internucleotide (h)J(HN) couplings by the modified 2D J(NN)-correlated [(15)N, (1)H] TROSY

Recent developments in the direct observation of J couplings across hydrogen bonds in proteins and nucleic acids provide additional information for structure and function studies of these molecules by NMR spectroscopy. A J(NN)-correlated [(15)N, (1)H] TROSY experiment proposed by Pervushin et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 95, 14147-14151, 1998) can be applied to measure (h)J(HN) in smaller nucleic acids in an E.COSY manner. However, it cannot be effectively applied to large nucleic acids, such as tRNA(Trp), since one of the peaks corresponding to a fast relaxing component will be too weak to be observed in the spectra of large molecules. In this Communication, we proposed a modified J(NN)-correlated [(15)N, (1)H] TROSY experiment which enables direct measurement of (h)J(HN) in large nucleic acids.     

Rapid, Sensitive and Highly Selective (15)N Analysis of (15)N Enriched Nitrite in Water Samples and Soil Extracts by Nitric Oxide Production and CF-QMS Measurement

Abstract Nitrite is a very important intermediate in many microbiological N transformations in soils and water. The stable isotope (15)N is often used to investigate these processes. The determination of (15)N in low concentrations of nitrite in the presence of large concentrations of nitrate is very difficult. Methods used so far for the isotope analysis of nitrite are unsatisfactory, because the nitrite must be calculated as the difference between nitrate plus nitrite and nitrate alone. More useful are mehods by which the nitrite is selectively converted into a chemical form that is suitable for (15)N analysis and that is free from interference from other N species, particularly nitrate. Using this principle in the present study we developed a method where the nitrite is reduced to nitric oxide by iodide in acid medium. This reaction is fast and quantitative, and the (15)N abundance of NO can be precisely measured by continuous flow mass spectrometry. This method is used for samples from tracer experiments with artificially enriched nitrogen 15. Therefore, the use of simple quadrupole mass spectrometers directly linked to the reaction unit is possible with sufficient precision (Reaction-Continuous Flow Quadrupole Mass Spektrometry-RCFQMS). Using the technique developed sample volumes up to 10ml containing at least 1.0 μg nitrite-N (0, 1 μg/ml) with a (15)N abundance of ? 0.42 at.% gave a precision of RSD ? ± 3%.     

适用于全光开关的[(C3H7)4N][Au(C3S5)2]三阶非线性光学性质研究

合成了一种金属有机配合物[(C3H7)4N][Au(C3S5)2].配制了浓度为1×10－3 mol/L的[(C3H7)4N][Au(C3S5)2]/乙腈溶液,并用旋涂法制备了掺杂浓度质量比为1%的[(C3H7)4N][Au(C3S5)2]/PMMA复合薄膜.运用Z扫描方法,分别研究了样品溶液和薄膜在波长为1 064 nm,脉宽为20 ps条件下的三阶非线性光学性质.研究发现薄膜的三阶非线性极化率χ(3)比溶液高出三个数量级.其中,薄膜的非线性折射率n2为－1.76×10－15 m2/W、三阶非线性极化率χ(3)为9.37×10－10 esu.结果表明,该材料在全光开关方面具有潜在的应用价值.     

A Dual 13C and 15N Long Term Labelling Technique to Investigate Uptake and Translocation of C and N in Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.)

Abstract

A continuous dual ¹³CO₂ and ¹⁵NH₄ ¹⁵NO₃ labelling experimental set-up is presented that was used to investigate the C and N uptake and allocation within 3-year old beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) during one growing season. The C and N allocation pattern was determined after six, twelve and eighteen weeks of growth. The carbon uptake was distinctly different in the three phases examined: The first six weeks after budbreak were dedicated to leaf growth with a R/S (root to shoot) ratio of 0.14 for the new carbon. The second growth phase showed a balanced R/S ratio of C allocation and after week 13, the root compartment was the main carbon sink (R/S = 6.97).

Nitrogen allocation was more basipetal as compared to carbon. In the second growth phase, R/S of N_new was 5.57 but fell to 3.54 for the third growth phase probably due to formation of reserves in buds and stem.     

Effects of clear-cutting and soil preparation on natural 15N abundance in the soil and needles of two boreal conifer tree species

This study presents the impacts of clear-cutting and site preparation on soil and needle 15N-fractionation of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris, L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.), Karst). Three microsites on different methods of site preparation were used: (i) mound (broken O/E/B horizons piled upside down over undisturbed humus), (ii) deep (exposed C-horizon) and (iii) shallow (exposed E/B horizon). We found significant differences between species, between closed forest and clear-cuts as well as between different site preparations. For instance, in the context of interspecific variations, the mean needle nitrogen concentrations of both seedlings (1.15,+/-0.10 %) and mature (1.09,+/-0.07 %) pine trees were significantly higher compared to corresponding needle concentrations of seedlings (0.88,+/-0.06 %) and mature trees (0.79,+/-0.02 %) of spruce. Similarly, we observed significantly more 15N-enriched needles of mature spruces (-4.0,+/-0.20 per thousand) as well as of seedlings (-5.0,+/-0.11 per thousand) relative to that of mature pine needles (-5.6,+/-0.10 per thousand) and seedlings (-6.0,+/-0.31 per thousand). These variations were assumed to be caused by the variation in mycorrhizal associations between the species. We assume that the proportion of mycorrhizal N-uptake of pines might have been larger than that of spruce. Regarding the clear-cut effects on N and 15N of both tree species, we observed that, in the mature natural stand, needle N concentrations of both pine (1.09,+/-0.07 %) and spruce (0.79,+/-0.02 %) tree species did not change significantly after clear-cutting (pine: 1.01,+/-0.06 %; spruce: 0.74,+/-0.04 % ). However, clear-cutting resulted in the significant increase in needle 15N natural abundance of both pine (-2.70,+/-0.06 per thousand) and spruce (-2.09,+/-0.05 per thousand) in comparison to that of natural stand (pine:-5.60,+/-0.10 per thousand; spruce:-4.00,+/-0.20 per thousand), which is assumed to be due to the increased level of nitrification and leaching of nitrate after clear-cutting. In the context of site preparation methods, soil and needle N were observed to be more 15N-enriched in deep and shallow treatment sites compared to that of closed forest site and untreated clear-cut site, which indicated that the main source of N uptake seems to be mainly directly from the soil of the corresponding horizons of mineral soil with higher delta15N.     

The use of stable isotopes in ecosystem research. First results of a field study with 15N

Terrestrial ecosystems, e.g. forest ecosystems, are characterized by a complex and sensitive network of biotic and abiotic factors and their interactions. By using stable isotopes (e.g. labelled nitrogen compounds), very small addition rates of highly enriched compounds can be applied, which do not change or disturb the investigated system, but provide information about single processes, their interactions and especially about their dynamics.

First results of a field study in the Fichtelgebirge, Northeast-Bavaria, Germany, are presented. The distribution of labelled nitrogen (as ¹⁵N-NH₄ ⁺ and ¹⁵N[sbnd]NO₃ ^?) within a spruce ecosystem (Picea abies (L.) Karst. in competition with understory vegetation of Vaccinium myrtillus, Calluna vulgaris and Deschampsia flexuosa) showed maximum ¹⁵N concentrations in tissues of the understory vegetation. During the first six weeks after the ¹⁵N application, the nitrogen uptake of all investigated species was higher after the ¹⁵N[sbnd]NO₃ ^? treatment than after the ¹⁵N[sbnd]NH₄ ⁺ treatment.     

Measuring nitrification in sediments--comparison of two techniques and three 15NO(-)3 measurement methods

Nitrification is a crucial process in sediment nitrogen cycling. We compared two (15)N tracer-based nitrification measurement techniques (isotope pairing technique (IPT) combined with (15)N nitrate pool dilution and (15)N ammonium oxidation) and three different (15)N analyses from bottom water nitrate (ammonia diffusion, denitrifier and SPINMAS) in a sediment mesocosm. The (15)N nitrate pool dilution technique combined with IPT can be used to quantify the in situ nitrification, but the minimum detection limit for the total nitrification is higher than that in the (15)N ammonium oxidation technique. The (15)N ammonium oxidation technique, however, is not applicable for sediments that have high ammonium content. If nitrate concentration and the amount of (15)N label in the sample are low, the (15)N nitrate analysis should be done with the denitrifier method. In higher (15)N concentrations, the less sensitive SPINMAS method can also be applied. The ammonia diffusion method is not suitable for bottom water (15)N nitrate analyses.     

若干具有[(PO4)2Mo5O15]簇骼的化合物的光谱研究

本文对所合成的具有 [(PO4 ) 2 Mo5O1 5]簇骼的 3种新颖的有机 磷钼酸盐簇合物(NH3CH2 CH2 NH3) 2 5[(PO4 ) (HPO4 )Mo5O1 5]·7 5H2 O (Ⅰ ) ,(H3NCH2 CH2 NH3) 3·[(PO4 ) 2 Mo5O1 5]·3H2 O (Ⅱ )和(H3NCH2 CH2 NH3) 2 ·[Cu(en) ][(PO4 ) 2 Mo5O1 5]·5H2 O (Ⅲ )用FTIR ,NIR Raman ,紫外 可见漫反射光谱 (UV VisDRS)和荧光光谱等研究手段 ,对其进行光谱研究 ,探讨其结构和性能的关系。在这些化合物中 ,化合物Ⅰ和Ⅱ具有孤立的 [(PO4 ) 2 Mo5O1 5]簇骼基元 ,而化合物Ⅲ的 [(PO4 ) 2 Mo5O1 5]簇骼基元是由 [Cuen]基团桥联成链 ;磷钼酸盐的特征振动频率和这些化合物的结构相关 ;UV VisDRS显示 ,在 2 0 0和 2 6 0nm左右有两个杂多化合物的特征吸收谱带 ;化合物的稳态荧光光谱中 ,观察到以 2 4 0nm激发 ,在大约 4 0 0nm附近出现的由金属氧簇Oμ→Mo跃迁激发所引起的较强的发射峰 ,在化合物 (Ⅲ )中 ,还观察到通过 [Cuen]的荷移跃迁的以 5 70nm激发所产生的 6 0 4nm的发射峰。     

2,3-二羟基萘钼多酸有机衍生物的合成及1H NMR和IR谱学研究

本文对二种新合成的2，3－二羟基萘二钼和四钼多酸有机衍生物[n-Bu)4N]2[Mo2O5(OC10H6O)2](Ⅰ）和[n-Bu)4N]2[Mo4O10(OC10H6O)2(OCH3)2](Ⅱ)进行了红外光谱与核磁共振波谱研究，发现[Mo2O5]^2 中钼氧多桥键的红外振动频率较[Mo4O10(OCH3)2]^2 中钼氧多桥键的红外振动频率红移，而在配合物Ⅱ中2，3－二羟基中芳环的^1H化学位移较配合物Ⅰ中向低场移动。同时还发现含二钼配位中心[Mo2O5]^2 的[Mo2O5(OC10H6O)2]^2-与含四钼配位中心[Mo4O10(OCH3)2]^2 的[Mo4O10(OC10H6O)2(OCH3)2]^2-生成条件的差异仅仅只在反应体系的pH值的微小变化，说明钼多酸有机衍生物阴离子是对体系酸碱度极为敏感的物质。     

13C and 15N distributions in three spodic dystric cambisols under beech and spruce

The study of natural isotopic abundance signatures is useful to gain further insights in the processes resulting in depthwise changes in the composition of soil organic matter (SOM). Objectives were to describe the delta 13C and delta 15N abundances of SOM with depth in soils from a 153-year old beech (B1), a 119-year old spruce (F1) and a 61-year old spruce (F2) stand at Solling, north-west Germany, and to study, how podzolisation affects the isotopic abundances of 13C and 15N in the SOM. The degree of podzolisation decreased in the order F1 > B1 > F2. At the surface of the humus layer of all three sites, delta 13C values are approximately 1 to 4/1000 higher than in the leaves and needles, probably mainly due to the discrimination of 13C by microbial decomposition. 13C abundances in the organic layers of B1 and F2 increased only slightly from -27.6/1000 PDB (B1, L) to -27.2/1000 PDB (B1, Oh) and from -26.3/1000 PDB (F2, L) to -25.9/1000 PDB (F2, Oh), suggesting that biotic activity resulted in mixing of organic matter. At F1, however, 13C abundance increased from -27.5/1000 PDB (L) to -26.0/1000 PDB (Oh) which reflects the lack of mixing by animals. In the upper 2-4 cm of the mineral soil, i.e., in the eluvial horizons Aeh, 13C values showed a minimum at the spruce sites which was presumably related to a translocation of 13C enriched fulvic acids. Depthwise changes in delta 15N values were not related to podzolisation processes. At all three sites, a 13N enrichment with depth occurred in the mineral soil which is the result of the discrimination of 15N by microbial decomposition.     

Distribution and utilization of 15N in cowpeas injected into the stem under influence of water deficit

Investigations were carried out on Vigna unguiculata L. Walp. to estimate the distribution and utilization of 15N in different organs after stem injection during vegetative, flowering and pod filling stage. During flowering effects of water deficit were also examined. In well watered plants, within 4 days after injection, 65% of 15N accumulated in leaves. This was drastically reduced to 42% by water deficit. 15N accumulation in stems increased under water deficit. The translocation of 15N from the stem base to roots were not altered by water deficit. During pod filling 62% of recovered 15N in the plants had accumulated in seeds, 24% in leaves and 11% in stems within 4 days, whereas the uptake of nitrogen in pod walls and roots remained low (2%). These results demonstrate that the method of injecting very small quantities (1 mg/plant) of 15N into the stem base allows an exact and detailed quantitative assessment of N translocation/distribution with regard to different organs, different growth stages and different treatments.