Nitrogen isotope fractionation and nitrogen plant nutrition study in alpine ecosystems of the Northern Caucasus

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The proposed research will estimate the prospects to use the composition of stable nitrogen isotopes (N-15 natural abundance) of alpine plant species and labile soil N pools (ammonium, nitrate, dissolved organic nitrogen) to identify sources of N-nutrition for individual plant species (or separate groups) in alpine communities of the Northern Caucasus. The study involves 20 species from four different alpine ecosystems in the Teberda National Reserve (Karachaevo- Cherkessiya Republic, Russian Federation), Experimentation includes laboratory and field (including temporal dynamics) manipulations with N availability from different sources (KNO3 with (15N of 9.5%o, and NH4CI with (15N of -8,5%o) and observations for (15N changes in plant and soil N pools.