Seasonal nitrogen speciation in temperate seagrass Posidonia oceanica (L.) Delile

To better understand some basic aspects of the nitrogen economy in Posidonia oceanica and, specifically, the seasonality of the processes of storage, translocation and assimilation, we examined nitrogen speciation into soluble compounds, both inorganic (nitrates, nitrites and ammonium) and organic (free amino acids, FAA, and total soluble protein, TSP), and the nitrogen assimilation potential (through the glutamine symthetase activity measurement) in the leaves, rhizomes and roots of P. oceanica over a 1-year cycle. Only a limited amount of inorganic nitrogen was found, accounting for less than 3.3% of the total nitrogen content, and it was mostly in the form of ammonium. Nitrate and nitrite concentrations were very low, always below 7.2 mumol g(-1) dw in annual average. Among the organic soluble fractions, FAAs were the most abundant, accounting for up to 50% of N pools. Rhizomes were the organs in which FAA concentrations reached their maximum value. The leaves showed higher nitrogen assimilation potential than the roots and this assimilation potential was highest during and after the period of maximum leaf growth, probably corresponding to the assimilation of both new and recycled nitrogen. Our results suggest that 5% of the total nitrogen assimilation occurs in roots and 79% in leaves on an annual average. In addition, rhizomes contributed to the total shoot nitrogen assimilation by 32-54% between autumn and spring. Rhizomes appear as key organs in the nitrogen economy of the plant, not only as a major site for nitrogen assimilation but also as an organ for nitrogen storage. This storage, mostly in the form of FAA, occurs during periods of high availability and low demand (winter). This stored nitrogen can supply up to 33% of plant demands during the moment of maximum leaf growth (i.e. late spring). (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.