Root and Shoot Growth of Atriplex litoralis in Relation to Nitrogen Supply

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Abstract
Experiments with A. litoralis L. in a natural stand and grown in pots with varied N supply were carried out on the Swedish west coast in 1978-1980. In the pots, stand density was varied and the plants were grown in haline and non-haline soil. In the natural stand on a driftbank, the plants showed only a limited response to extra N supply given as the only plant nutrient, but the N content in different plant fractions increased considerably. The effect of N measured by change in plant weight was much greater if P and K fertilizers were also added. In pots with arable soil without any shortage of P and K, N clearly increased plant weight and the N content in different plant parts was as high or even higher than in plants from the natural population. This N effect was similar in pots watered with seawater and fresh water. The plants showed a distinct growth rhythm concerning N content over the growth period, generally expressed as a decline with time. This rhythm was most accentuated for leaves and flowers plus fruits. In the roots, the content of N was constant over the whole growth period, approximately 1% in the dry matter, against 3-4% on average in leaves and fruits. A. litoralis grows well in haline as well as non-haline environments and N increases growth irrespective of salinity, provided the general plant nutrient situation is balanced. This suggests that factors other than salinity and N supply are critical for the very narrow habitat amplitude of A. litoralis and the fact that this species, in contrast to many other annual seashore plants, is not a weed on arable soil.

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