Hans Martin Hanslin
Research Scientist
(+47) 404 75 239
hans.martin.hanslin@nibio.no
Place
Særheim
Visiting address
Postvegen 213, NO-4353 Klepp stasjon
Attachments
CVBiography
My research interests in plant ecology and ecophysiology centre around trait based approaches, phenotypic plasticity, local adaptation, seedling ecology and functional ecology of roots. To pursue the impact of environmental drivers and especially multiple co-varying stressors on plant-soil systems, I use designed experiments to manipulate biotic and abiotic factors under controlled or semi-controlled and field conditions. I have a strong focus on applied aspects and recent projects include multifunctionality in urban constructed systems, restoration of ecological processes and functions, urban climate adaptation, and impact studies of invasive plant species. In turn, these contributions improve planning and management of urban green infrastructure and ecological restoration.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Background Vegetated infiltration systems such as raingardens and bioswales are challenging for plant growth and survival due to fluctuating hydrological conditions and further subsequent stresses. Aim Here, we investigated the effect of fluctuation hydrology on growth and flowering and subsequent winter frost hardiness or spring salt tolerance for two common raingarden plant species, Filipendula ulmaria, and Calamagrostis ×acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’, under controlled conditions. Methods During summer, plants were exposed to four hydrological regimes, each with a different combination of repeating dry and wet cycles. Then, after natural winter acclimation and storage, plants went through standardized freezing tests to determine LT50 and regrowth potential or were exposed to four levels of salt treatments (Control, 28 mM, 56 mM, and 84 mM NaCl) in the following spring. Results We found that fluctuating hydrology reduced the growth of Filipendula ulmaria, experiencing cycles of 72 hours of flooding and 264 hours of drained conditions, followed by a reduction of growth and flowering after salt exposure. Calamagrostis xacutiflora was less responsive to both fluctuating hydrology and salinity. Cycles with the longest dry conditions (Wet-dry cycles) showed the strongest negative effect on the performance of tested species. The hydrological regimes did not influence freezing tolerance in either species. Conclusion Moderate hydrological fluctuations did not cause damage to vegetation in vegetated infiltration systems, at least under shaded conditions. At the same time, drought tolerance is an important trait for species and cultivars in raingardens during hydrological fluctuations. Our prediction that hydrological conditions that negatively affected plant growth would reduce subsequent frost and salinity tolerance was only partially supported.
Abstract
To facilitate nutrient management and the use of manure as a feedstock for biogas production, manure is often separated into a solid and a liquid fraction. The former fraction is usually high in P and low in N, so when incorporated in the soil as fertilizer, it needs to be supplemented by N from, e.g., mineral fertilizers or nitrogen-fixing species. To explore strategies to manage N with solid-separated manure, we examined how the amount of digestate and the N:P ratio of pig digestate, i.e., manure that had partially undergone anaerobic digestion, affected the productivity of Westerwolds ryegrass and red clover in a pot experiment with one soil which was rich and another which was poor in plant nutrients. The soil and plant species treatments were combined with four doses of digestate, which gave plant available phosphorus (P) concentrations of 2, 4, 8, or 16 mg P100 g−1 soil. Ammonium nitrate was dosed to obtain factorial combinations of digestate amount and N:P ratios of 1.8, 4, 8, and 16. Clover was harvested once at the beginning of flowering (15 weeks after seeding), while Westerwolds ryegrass was allowed to regrow three times after being cut at the shooting stage (in total, 4 cuts, 6, 9, 12, and 15 weeks after seeding). Ryegrass yield increased by up to 2.9 times with digestate dosage. Interactions with the N:P ratio and soil type were weak. Hence, the effect of increasing the N:P ratio was additive across digestate dosages. Red clover biomass also increased by up to 39% with digestate dosage. Residual nutrients in the soil after red clover cultivation were affected by the initial differences in soil characteristics but not by digestate treatment or biomass of harvested red clover. A targeted N management is required to benefit from the P-rich digestate in grass cultivation, while the long-term effects of red clover culture on N input need further investigation.
