Journal article
Temperature controls bryophyte-associated nitrogen fixation in super-humid temperate forests in New Zealand
Ecology, Vol.107(3), pp.1-9
03/2026
PMID: 41839745
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Abstract
Nitrogen (N) fixation performed by certain prokaryotes (diazotrophs) is a key source of new N in pristine ecosystems. Diazotrophs associate with various plants, including bryophytes—the dominant plant group in northern ecosystems such as boreal forests. There, bryophyte-associated N2 fixation contribute half of total ecosystem N input. However, bryophyte-associated N2 fixation has been scarcely studied outside northern, cold ecosystems, leaving current ecosystem nutrient budgets incomplete. To assess how widespread bryophyte-associated N2 fixation is in temperate, wet climates, we sampled bryophytes along nested climate gradients—along three mountains along a north–south gradient in New Zealand—and measured N2-fixation rates in situ and ex situ. We found a high diversity of bryophytes along the gradients, all exhibiting N2-fixation activity. Bryophyte diversity followed the classical pattern of decreasing diversity with elevation and similarly, bryophyte-associated N2 fixation declined with elevation. The warmest, not the wettest, mountain had the highest N2-fixation rates across the investigated bryophytes. We show that N2 fixation is widely distributed across diverse bryophyte hosts in temperate habitats, with temperature being the key climate control in temperate rainforests.
Details
- Title
- Temperature controls bryophyte-associated nitrogen fixation in super-humid temperate forests in New Zealand
- Creators
- Kathrin Rousk - University of CopenhagenMeila Picard - Lincoln UniversityAnnika Engroff - University of CopenhagenDavid Glenny - Manaaki Whenua – Landcare ResearchNaomi Wells - Lincoln University
- Publication Details
- Ecology, Vol.107(3), pp.1-9
- Publisher
- John Wiley & Sons, Inc.; HOBOKEN
- Grant note
- DNRF168 / Danmarks Grundforskningsfond New Zealand Royal Society Catalyst Fund 947719 / H2020 European Research Council
- Identifiers
- 991013369687702368
- Copyright
- © 2026 The Author(s).
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Science and Engineering; Science
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article