Background/Question/Methods The distribution of 15N in soil reflects the sources, sinks, and frac... more Background/Question/Methods The distribution of 15N in soil reflects the sources, sinks, and fractionation processes associated with biotic and abiotic functions. Soil 15N signatures tend to increase with depth, while plant 15N is more variable. As climate change, management, and environmental factors impact the distribution of ecosystems, plants will encounter, and possibly alter, different soil nutrient conditions. Our study seeks to characterize nutrient distribution across a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)/ big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecotone, as well as test if nutrient distribution is correlated to plant 15N signatures. We collected leaf and soil samples across the ecotone boundary at three sites in Wyoming and Colorado, USA, and analyzed them for %N and 15N signatures. Leaf samples represented three functional types: grasses, shrubs, and trees. Soil samples represented depth intervals of 0-10cm, 10-30cm, 30-60cm, and 60-100cm. We asked the following questions: Do N a...
Background/Question/Methods The distribution of 15N in soil reflects the sources, sinks, and frac... more Background/Question/Methods The distribution of 15N in soil reflects the sources, sinks, and fractionation processes associated with biotic and abiotic functions. Soil 15N signatures tend to increase with depth, while plant 15N is more variable. As climate change, management, and environmental factors impact the distribution of ecosystems, plants will encounter, and possibly alter, different soil nutrient conditions. Our study seeks to characterize nutrient distribution across a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta)/ big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) ecotone, as well as test if nutrient distribution is correlated to plant 15N signatures. We collected leaf and soil samples across the ecotone boundary at three sites in Wyoming and Colorado, USA, and analyzed them for %N and 15N signatures. Leaf samples represented three functional types: grasses, shrubs, and trees. Soil samples represented depth intervals of 0-10cm, 10-30cm, 30-60cm, and 60-100cm. We asked the following questions: Do N a...
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Papers by Caitlin Rottler