Nitrogen Cycling: Water Use Efficiency Interactions in Semi-Arid Ecosystems in Relation to Management of Tree Legumes (Prosopis)

摘要

Plant productivity in semi-arid ecosystems is often limited by soil fertility as much as it is by moisture availability. A quantitative assessment of nitrogen limitations on water use efficiency has been made after careful review of plant water use efficiency data at high and low soil fertilities and after careful review of nitrogen inputs to semi arid ecosystems in the form of: blue-green algae-lichen crusts; non-symbiotic nitrogen fixers; rainfall; and tree legumes. This analysis indicates that plant productivity in semi-arid regions may be 10 fold more limited by nitrogen than moisture availability. Forage yields of non-nitrogen fixing trees and shrubs could be greatly increased by interplanting with drought adapted nitrogen fixers such as Prosopis and Acacia. Calculations based on water use efficiencies of annual legumes and nitrogen fixation values of tree legumes predict that well managed, spaced, and cared for orchards of specially selected Prosopis could produce 4000 Kgha exp -1 yr exp -1 of 13% protein pods at 500 mm annual rainfall with only light fertilization with phosphate, potassium and sulfur. Field measurements of pod yields for 25 selections of 3 year old Prosopis grown under managed orchard conditions in southern California are presented. Spacing regimes and harvesting techniques for Prosopis are proposed to facilitate pod production. (ERA citation 05:034180)