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The Influence of Mineral Nutrients on the Growth of Ammophila Arenaria

1965; Wiley; Volume: 53; Issue: 3 Linguagem: Inglês

10.2307/2257632

1365-2745

A. J. Willis,

Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy Studies

Differences in vigour of marram grass, Ammophila arenaria (L.) Link, growing in different parts of sand-dune systems, are well known and have been frequently recorded (Carey & Oliver 1918; Tansley 1949; Salisbury 1952; Willis, Folkes, Hope-Simpson & Yemm 1959b; and others). Characteristically marram is vigorous in the fore dunes, especially in areas receiving abundant supplies of blown sand, but grows poorly, often ultimately degenerating to the point of dying, in the inland parts of dune systems where there is much less sand movement and where the vegetation cover may be considerable. The chief suggestions which have been made regarding the basis of these differences in vigour involve aeration, water regime, nutrient regime, organic matter content of the sand, the presence of toxic substances and competition. The possible importance of the effects of the levels of essential mineral nutrients was explored in the investigations reported here, which were carried out in conjunction with studies of the mineral nutrient status of the dune soils of Braunton Burrows, north Devon (Willis & Yemm 1961), and of the influence of the addition of mineral nutrients to various types of vegetation on the dunes (Willis 1963). Results bearing on the problem of the vigour of marram were obtained from two approaches. Mineral nutrients were added at various intervals to an area of pure A. arenaria growing on the slope of a high dune at Braunton Burrows and the effect of this treatment was assessed by measuring the marram periodically and finally cutting and weighing it. The general procedure adopted here was that described by Willis (1963). In a second approach, marram seedlings were transplanted into pots containing sand from Braunton Burrows and grown under glasshouse conditions. They were subjected to a number of mineral nutrient regimes over a period of 3 years and measurements of growth were made on a number of occasions. In this experiment not only was the effect of a range of mineral nutrient treatments studied, but also the effect of the addition of sand to the pots when the marram had been growing for about 15 months.