Nitrophyte
Nitrophytes (lat. Nitrogenium: nitrogen), also nitrogen pointer , are nitrogen-loving plants that spread strongly in locations with a high nitrogen supply. In doing so, they mostly displace other plants that can cope with less nitrogen.
Nitrophythes as bioindicators
As wild plants, nitrophytes show a high content of soil nitrogen or nutrients at the site, so they can serve as indicator plants (indicators) for nitrogen- and nutrient-rich soils. Since the content of available nitrogen in the soil is usually associated with the content of other fertilizers such as phosphate , the plants are generally considered to be nutrient-loving.
Epiphytic mosses and lichens, which are nitrophilic, seem to be spreading strongly along inner-city streets due to the declining sulfur dioxide pollution in the air in recent years with simultaneously increased emissions of plant-available nitrogen from vehicles with catalytic converters.
Occurrence
In Central Europe there are only small nitrogen-rich sites under natural conditions. This includes flushing lines on coasts and rivers, the immediate vicinity of animal burrows and bird nesting sites . Other short-term locations are, for example, forests destroyed by wind breaks.
This changed with the spread of humans. There was also a higher supply of nitrogen in the vicinity of settlement areas. With the introduction of mineral nitrogen fertilizers, a great deal of nitrogen is available in large areas, so that many plants that can cope with less nitrogen are displaced. Most of the endangered plants are indicators of leanness.
Around 200 species of flowering plants are considered to be nitrogen pointers in Central Europe, most of which are herbaceous plants.
The following nitrogen indicators are often found: (The Ellenberg's nitrogen number is given in brackets )
- on forest paths with dogs visiting
- Big nettle (8), blackberries (6), big balsam , small balsam (6)
- fertilized meadows
- Common dandelion (8), common sorrel (8)
- Field edges
- Field thistle (7)
- Close to settlement, rubble sites
- Black elder (9), garlic mustard (9)
- Further
- White sweet clover , real sweet clover , burdock bedstraw (8), chervil , melde , chickweed (8), ragwort , hogweed , frilled thistle (9), red elder (8), common scraper (8), dog's tongue (8), gundermann (7), true carnation (7), tender lettuce (6), red bryony (6), bittersweet nightshade (8), common worm fern (6), broad-leaved thorn fern (7)
Saprobiotic plants - various large mushrooms such as mushrooms - are also nitrophilic.