Abstract
Abstract Many recent studies have analysed plant species responses to environmental change, but interactive effects of global change drivers and how they are modulated by biotic interactions are still poorly understood. In a mesocosm experiment, we studied the interactive effects of nitrogen (N) fertilization and drought events on plant growth and how these effects are shaped by competitive interactions, using a segetal plant community typical of the lowlands of central Europe (composed of Lilium bulbiferum (segetal species) and Secale cereale (crop species)). We expected that N fertilization increases the drought sensitivity of Lilium (negative interaction effect), and that these effects are shaped by interspecific competition with Secale. Secale and Lilium showed opposing responses to N fertilization (second year of the experiment): Whilst Secale aboveground and belowground biomass almost doubled with N fertilization, Lilium aboveground and belowground biomass showed no response or decreased, respectively, providing Secale with a competitive advantage. Lilium aboveground tissue dieback (as a proxy for growth vigour) was 22% in N and 35% in drought treatments (control: 6%), but reached 91% when combining these treatments. Increasing Lilium tissue dieback was strongly related to decreasing belowground (root) biomass, caused by both negative direct effects of combined treatments (N fertilization + drought), and negative indirect effects acting via treatment-induced increase in Secale biomass. Our results demonstrate that competitive interactions can shape the effects of global change drivers on plant growth. This knowledge in turn could be important for plant species conservation, particularly in the face of ongoing shifts in environmental conditions.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization almost doubled Secale shoot and root biomass.
SecaleNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Secale aboveground and belowground biomass almost doubled with N fertilization”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization left Lilium aboveground biomass unchanged.
LiliumNot reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lilium aboveground and belowground biomass showed no response or decreased, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen fertilization decreased Lilium belowground biomass.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Whilst Secale aboveground and belowground biomass almost doubled with N fertilization, Lilium aboveground and belowground biomass showed no response or decreased, respectively, providing Secale with a competitive advantage.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lilium tissue dieback was 22% with nitrogen versus 6% in control.
- Treatment
- Ne0
- Outcome
- aboveground tissue diebacke0
- Direction
- wase0
- Value
- 22%e0
- Qualifier
- control: 6%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lilium aboveground tissue dieback (as a proxy for growth vigour) was 22% in N and 35% in drought treatments (control: 6%), but reached 91% when combining these treatments.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lilium tissue dieback was 35% with drought versus 6% in control.
- Treatment
- droughte0
- Outcome
- aboveground tissue diebacke0
- Direction
- wase0
- Value
- 35%e0
- Qualifier
- control: 6%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lilium aboveground tissue dieback (as a proxy for growth vigour) was 22% in N and 35% in drought treatments (control: 6%), but reached 91% when combining these treatments.”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined nitrogen and drought raised Lilium tissue dieback to 91%.
- Treatment
- combining these treatmentse0
- Outcome
- aboveground tissue diebacke0
- Direction
- reachede0
- Value
- 91%e0
- Comparator
- controle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lilium aboveground tissue dieback (as a proxy for growth vigour) was 22% in N and 35% in drought treatments (control: 6%), but reached 91% when combining these treatments.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lilium tissue dieback increased as root biomass decreased.
- Organ / stage
- roote0
- Outcome
- tissue diebacke0
- Direction
- Increasinge0
- Qualifier
- strongly related to decreasing belowground (root) biomasse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Increasing Lilium tissue dieback was strongly related to decreasing belowground (root) biomass”
Claim · model-written summary
Direct combined nitrogen and drought effects and indirect Secale competition contributed to lower Lilium root biomass.
Not reportedTaxon
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“caused by both negative direct effects of combined treatments (N fertilization + drought), and negative indirect effects acting via treatment-induced increase in Secale biomass.”
The same questions in other papers
drought · survival · LiliumPositive and negative results
1 in the opposite direction
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.