Form Submission: Participation Entry

Redistribution of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in biogeochemical cycles due to industry and human impacts is one of the most drastic measurable ecological changes of the last 100 years (Elser & Bennett, 2011; Galloway et al., 2008; Mahowald et al., 2008). Belowground nutrient cycling in forests is an important component in modelling for climate change effects and a clearer understanding of soil nutrient dynamics is imperative for local sustainable forestry and agricultural policy. This research study describes a fully factorial greenhouse experiment that measured the effect of varying nutrient limitations on red maple and red oak seedlings inoculated with arbuscular or ectomycorrhiza under intra and interspecific competition. As mycorrhizal type varies by species (maple-AM, oak-EM) and functional traits vary in terms of capacity for mineral nutrition, we measured growth and the degree of mycorrhizal colonization to characterize effects of varying N:P ratios on seedlings.