WITH RILEY BRENNAN, MOHIT GOYAL, AND DR. VIDYA SUSEELA, DEPARTMENT OF PLANT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
Red oak, a native of North America, is an invasive species in Europe, disrupting the native European forest ecosystems. Thus, it is important to understand how Red oak outcompetes native English oak, especially under climate change. This study investigated the activity of N-acetyl-b-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), Acid Phosphatase, and Beta-1,4-glucosidase (BG) enzymes to assess the impact of drought and limiting phosphorous conditions on soil nitrogen, phosphorous and carbon mineralization in Red and English oak trees. The study consists of two water management (drought and well-watered), two species (Red and English oak), and two Phosphorus (no P input and P input) treatments. Soil samples were taken from all the treatments. Using 4-methylumbelliferyl-N-acetyl-b-D- glucosaminide, 4-MUB-phosphate, and 4-methylumbelliferyl-b-D-glucopyranoside as specific substrates, the activities of NAG, Acid Phosphatase and BG were assayed. In English oak, drought decreased the enzyme activity of NAG and acid phosphatase compared to Red oak, in which the activity was similar with and without drought. Red oak had higher BG enzyme activity compared to the English oak. These results suggest that increased enzyme activity in Red oak under water and phosphorous-limiting conditions can help them out-compete the native English oak, which can be harmful to the European ecosystems. Invasive and Native Oaks Differentially Affect Soil Enzyme Activity in Response to Drought and Nutrient Availability
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