[Platanus orientalis foliar N% and delta15 N responses to nitrogen of atmospheric wet deposition in urban area].

Leaves of Platanus orientalis were collected since Mar. 2009 till Apr. 2010, in an urban area at Guiyang. After mass of experiments and analysis, we carried out constructing the temporal variation of foliar N% and delta15 N: both higher in Spring/Summer, lower in Autumn, no data of Winter because of leaf abscission. Results showed that foliar N% varied from 1.48% to 5.27%, with an annual average of 3.36%, while the average concentration of total N in rhizospheric soil was 0.29%. The foliar N% rose and fell relative to DIN in rainwater (range from 0.57 mg x L(-1) to 6.74 mg x L(-1)), indicating that the N% content in foliar tissue of plant was approximately proportional to atmospheric N inputs. The range of foliar delta15N were from 4.48 per thousand to 8.39 per thousand, with the average of 6.33 per thousand, much higher than the delta15N-NH4+ of rain water (-19.76 per thousand(-) -10.41 per thousand) and delta15TN of rhizospheric soil (3.19 per thousand +/- 1.04 per thousand). Besides, a good uniform correlation between foliar delta15N and delta15N-NH4+ of rain water were found. As synthesis of two main N sources, the more positive delta15N values of Platanus orientalis can be explained by isotopic fractionation during N uptake and basipetal translocation. These responses of both foliar N% and delta15N to atmospheric nitrogen deposition, revealed the potential value in using vascular leaves as bio-monitors for assessment of N deposition, furthermore, for prevention and control of air pollution in urban ecosystem.