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Potential Roles in Fixation and Cycling of Nitrogen?

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Potential Roles in Fixation and Cycling of Nitrogen? Westem Wildlife Vol4, No. 3 LEGUMESIN NATIVEBUSH AND AGRICULTURE:POTENTIAL ROLES IN FIXATIONAND CYCLINGOF NITROGEN? by John S. Pate \tr /FEI.IE\CR onesees a prolific form nodules in the presenceof Y Y crop o[ lupins,peas, faba appropriatebacteria, while members beansorchickpeas, or apasture rich of the thjrd groupcannot. in clover or serradella,one Even then,inspection ofroots of immediatelythinks of bacterial- native members of Fabaceaeand inducedroot nodulesand their Mimosaceae(peas and wattles) will capacityto supply legumeswith often fail to show presence of fixedatmosphericnitrogen. Indeed, nodules, especially when dealing withoutinputs from suchcrop and withrelatively oldplants.However, pasturelegumes, broadacre farming stands of seedlingsof shortlived in mostregions of Australiawould legumes (eg Eossiaea, Acacia, be disastrouslyunprofitable, since Gompholobium, Sesbania) it is uneconomicalfor mostfarmers recruiting after recent fires would to replacethe free source ofnitrogen be expected to be well. nodulated from legumes with expensive and can be shown by various nitrogenfertilisers. chemically-based assays to be Nevertheless, it must be currently fixing appreciable rememberedthat our agricultural amountsof nitrogen. However, as systern operatesuccessfully only these stands age, nodulation through continued application of becomesmuch lessprolific or even superphosphateand, in certain totally absent.Our interpretationof circumstances,any of a numberof this phenomenonis thatthe element otherpotentiaily limiting nutrients phosphorous,normally theprincipal suchas potassium, sulphur, copper, limiting nutrient in our ecosystems, zinc,manganese, molybdenum and that suchlegumes are nodulated and, becomestransiently availableafter cobalt. By correctingsuch if so, do they fix nitrogen as a fire in the form ofdepositedash or deficiencies,a situationis created effectively as in our ameliorated releasedfrom plants killed in the in which legumes flourish and agricultural systems? fire. On the other hand, most competesuccessfully with non- As a further issue, arethere other nitrogen of above-groundbiomass fixing speciesin low nitrogensoils. classesof plant in nativevegetation is lost to the atmosphereas gaseous Additionally,where a cerealfollows which are able to engagein ammonia and oxides of nitrogen a previouslegume crop or pasture, symbiotic nitrogen fixation in a during the fire, and so under the theyield of thecereal is noticeably manner akin to legumes? The ensuing nitrogen-limited: phos- benefitedby nitrogenreleased rn remainder of this short article will phorous-sufficientconditions well- decompositionof residuesof the attempt to answer these and other nodulatedlegumes will flourish and legumesconcerned. questions,mostlyusing information compete particularly effectively Butwhat aboutnitrogen fixation which the authorand his colleagues with non-legumes. The pre- in theoriginal bushlands from which have gathered from a range of dominance of shrub legumes in ourartificial agrosystemshave been ecosystemsin southwest WA over many post fire understoreysin our created? In virtualiy all cases the past years. forest and woodland ecosystems legumesare present in significant Is it correct to assumethat all attestto this. amount in terms of numbers of legumes are capable of forming Eventually, however, once speciesand the collective biomass nodules and therefore fixing phosphorousavailability declines, which they represent.In fact in nitrogen? Legumescomprise three bothlegumes and non-legumes have some cases,such as mulga and groups, the pea family (Fabaceae), to investincreasingly in specialised certainheathland systems, legumes the acacias and their allies feeding roots and symbiotic such as wattles (Acacia spp) may (Mirnosaceae)and the cassiasand associationswith mycorrhizalfungi comprise major componentsof their allies (Caesalpiniaceae). to access insoluble forms of vegetation.Yet, is thereevidence Membersof thefirsttwo groupscan phosphorous.Ability to fix nitrogen co inued on page 9 6/ aStd uo ?anuuuor qlnos uaaqa,,ruq ,{eru faqt ]eql?urtseSSns ,{qpacuauadxe sessa:ls e:ntereduel aJB SuOrlrpuocvAA ]sa,|A pa^rl seruoloc elruJal ur?lJa3 ,{\oleq q?rqpue 1q?no:plEuos?as aql uroq sB .rEJSB'pue tJoqs .'{11ecrd,{1 a:e seun3al patooJ-,^.olleqs Iroseql ur el?.rlruJo suorl?.nuaJuo:) pelcalo:d arc selnpouasaql a1r;o:d lsorx 'eJouuaqunC q8rq tcatep u?a euo yos eqlgo sgedlsrour ,{lsnonurluoc uo selnpoN sloor sll uI selnpou 'deep 'uorlexrJ ueSorlru luarualdrur ur pelecolSu Lag (sua/?|otd Surpug lou Jo srseqeql uo fydrurs rg-ua8or1ruur ol srcBns 3urp 1er.{-,{3:e ue snsU,I'Jat2u.lotlJ)alsrse8zl erun8el uonex IeuoIlJunJ qtrm:ellelaql ?urpr,ro:dsrustueS:o ee:t reppoJ eq! pue (dds Dlaospof -uou su eurn8al e Suturuapuoc -oJcru raruJoJeql qlr^\'slna 'ou?4osnnotVBa) serun?eya,lqeu ajoJaq lnJaJeJeq ol sEq auo 'soJIJ Jlaql ur BUatJBqSurxg-ua3o:1tu umuao Jo stoor del Surle:leued 0AISSeCJnS aq1urqtrni pu? 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