• The Korean Journal of Ecology
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.179-189
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• 1996

Growth and nitrogen retention of Persicaria thunbergii were investigated in the wetland microcosms which contained the plants growing on soil bed. Nitrogen solution was supplied to the microcosms with the same amount of $NH_4^{+}-N\; and\; NO_3^{-}-N$ at the rates of 0.00, 0.78, 1.57, 3.14g $N{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdor}wk^{-1}$ from May 1 to August 31, 1995. The solution was detained for 5 days to react with soil and plant and then allowed to leach. The contents of NH_4^{+}-N\;and\; NO_3^{-}-N$ in the leachate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, plant biomass, and soil characteristics were determined. Nitrogen retained by plant was estimated as the increment of TKN in plant biomass. The addition of 0.78 and 1.57g $N{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}wk^{-1}$ resulted in significant increase of plant biomass. However, plant growth was inhibited when nitrogen was added at the rate of 3.14g $N{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}wk^{-1}$. Overall, the plant biomass was positively correlated with the amount of nitrogen retained by plant and soil system. The amounts of $NO_3^{-}-N$ leached from the microcosms were 5~10 times higher than those of $NH_4^{+}-N$. While total nitrogen added ranged from 143.2 to 576.5g $N/m^2$, total leaching loss of inorganic nitrogen and nitrogen retained by plant was as little as 1.04~22.71g $N/m^2$, and 5.46~12.91g $N/m^2$, respectively. Then, the plant seemed to contribute to KDICical and microbial immobilization of nitrogen in the soil. Finally, it is suggested that a large portion of nitrogen added was lost into the air by denitrification and volatilizaton, and / or leached in organic forms.