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Why Is Nutrient Transfer Important To Mistletoe?

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Introduction Although nutrient transfer from host to parasitic mistletoe has been thoroughly quantified, were these nutrients go afterward and the consequences of this parasitic relationship on the ecology of the ecosystem remains poorly known. Indeed, it has been suggested that parasitism alters nutrient cycling since nutrients from the host accumulate in the parasite’s tissues and remain concentrated following abscission. Moreover, mistletoe has a higher leaf turnover than its host, which results in a greater input of nutrients to the ecosystem when mistletoe is present. Studies on the root hemiparasite Bartsia alpina demonstrated that, when enriched litter is allowed to decompose on the ground, there is a peak in nitrogen and phosphorous return to the ecosystem. Only these two nutrients were quantified in this experiment, yet the same phenomenon possibly occurs with other nutrients accumulating in the parasite’s tissues. In addition, nutrients accumulate to a greater extent in non-infected hosts. This signifies that nutrient input from infected host litter is reduced relative to non-infected hosts. Therefore, nutrient inputs to the ecosystem, from the host or from mistletoe, are largely affected by the presence of the parasite. The aim of this experiment was to assess, by looking at leaf litter, the return of 13 nutrients in an Australian …show more content…

They obtained 0.5g from each vial and used a LECO analyser to perform high temperature combustion; they analysed the total carbon and nitrogen in each sample. Another 0.5g sample was digested with nitric acid and analysed for phosphorous, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur, aluminum, boron, cupper, iron and zinc using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICPOES). This method relies on the fact that, when excited, elements emit electromagnetic radiations at characteristic

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