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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Kimberly, Idaho » Northwest Irrigation and Soils Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #152833
Title: SEASONAL PHOSPHATASE ACTIVITIES OF MOSSES FROM UPPER TEESDALE, NORTHERN ENGLAND

Author
item Turner, Benjamin
item BAXTER, ROBERT - UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM
item ELLWOOD, NEIL - UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE
item WHITTON, BRIAN - UNIVERSITY OF DURHAM

Submitted to: Journal of Bryology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/23/2003
Publication Date: 6/1/2003
Citation: Turner, B.L., Baxter, R., Ellwood, Neil T.W., Whitton, B.A. Seasonal phosphatase activities of mosses from Upper Teesdale, northern England. Journal of Bryology. 2003. v. 25. p. 203-214.

Interpretive Summary: Many upland areas of England are polluted by deposition of nitrogen from the atmosphere. This causes the growth of plants and other organisms to become limited by the availability of phosphorus. In this case, organic phosphorus compounds become important in the supply of phosphorus to organisms, which produce enzymes to help break them down into useful forms. Measuring the activity of enzymes in mosses can be used to indicate the degree of phosphorus limitation in a particular environment, but it is unclear how enzyme activities change in response to seasonal patterns of nutrient availability. This study reports changes in tissue nutrient concentrations and surface phosphatase activities of eight moss species measured over one year in terrestrial and semi-aquatic environments on Widdybank Fell, Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, northern England. The results demonstrate that phosphatase activity measurements vary seasonally, and provide a sensitive indicator of nutrient stress in semi-aquatic and terrestrial mosses, notably in the ectohydric moss Hylocomium splendens. However, further studies at sites with a wide range of nutrient levels are required to determine whether the technique can be used to indicate ambient nutrient status.

Technical Abstract: Changes in tissue nutrient concentrations and surface phosphatase activities of eight moss species were measured over one year in terrestrial and semi-aquatic environments on Widdybank Fell, Upper Teesdale National Nature Reserve, northern England. Rates of phosphatase activity in apical regions of moss shoots differed markedly between species, but were generally greatest in the winter and least in the summer months in most species. Mean values for phosphomonoesterase activity (assayed as µmol para-nitrophenol per g d.wt per h) ranged from 18.2 for Polytrichum commune to 85.8 for Palustriella commutata var. falcata. Mean phosphodiesterase activity ranged from 3.1 for Polytrichum commune to 86.2 for Hylocomium splendens. In contrast, tissue nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations remained relatively constant throughout the year. Phosphatase activities were negatively correlated with tissue phosphorus concentration for several species, although few relationships were detected between ambient nutrient concentrations and phosphatase activity, tissue nitrogen or tissue phosphorus concentrations. These results demonstrate that phosphatase activities provide a sensitive indicator of nutrient stress in semi-aquatic and terrestrial mosses, notably in the ectohydric moss Hylocomium splendens. However, further studies at sites with a wide range of nutrient levels are required to determine whether the technique can be used to indicate ambient nutrient status.