Total Nutrient Accumulation and Seasonal Variation in Resource Allocation in the Bog Plant Rhynchospora alba

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Abstract
Mass allocation and allocation of minerals (N, P, K, C, S, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Zn and Na) to different component organs of the perennial Rhynchospora alba were studied in plants taken from an ombrotrophic bog area. The plants were sampled at 10 d intervals during the entire growing season. Allocation of mass and of the chemical elements was different, and each component organ showed a seasonal specific difference in resource allocation patterns. Despite occurrence in a low nutrient environment, total accumulation and loss of nutrients were considerable. During the growing season, the total content of N and P increased with factors of 3.3 and 4.7, respectively. Content of K showed an eight-fold increase and Ca content increased twenty-fold during the growing season. Total pool size of N, P and K declined substantially during senescence, indicating that retranslocations of resources are not particularly important in R. alba. We suggest that the large accumulation and loss of nutrients is related to the occurrence in an environment characterized by low interspecific competition.