651
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Huang WJ, Zhou GY, Liu JX. Nitrogen and phosphorus status and their influence on aboveground production under increasing nitrogen deposition in three successional forests. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2011.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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652
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Aerts R, van Bodegom PM, Cornelissen JHC. Litter stoichiometric traits of plant species of high-latitude ecosystems show high responsiveness to global change without causing strong variation in litter decomposition. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 196:181-188. [PMID: 22889103 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04256.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
• High-latitude ecosystems are important carbon accumulators, mainly as a result of low decomposition rates of litter and soil organic matter. We investigated whether global change impacts on litter decomposition rates are constrained by litter stoichiometry. • Thereto, we investigated the interspecific natural variation in litter stoichiometric traits (LSTs) in high-latitude ecosystems, and compared it with climate change-induced LST variation measured in the Meeting of Litters (MOL) experiment. This experiment includes leaf litters originating from 33 circumpolar and high-altitude global change experiments. Two-year decomposition rates of litters from these experiments were measured earlier in two common litter beds in sub-Arctic Sweden. • Response ratios of LSTs in plants of high-latitude ecosystems in the global change treatments showed a three-fold variation, and this was in the same range as the natural variation among species. However, response ratios of decomposition were about an order of magnitude lower than those of litter carbon/nitrogen ratios. • This implies that litter stoichiometry does not constrain the response of plant litter decomposition to global change. We suggest that responsiveness is rather constrained by the less responsive traits of the Plant Economics Spectrum of litter decomposability, such as lignin and dry matter content and specific leaf area.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Aerts
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - P M van Bodegom
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - J H C Cornelissen
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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653
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Wu TG, Yu MK, Geoff Wang G, Dong Y, Cheng XR. Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry across forty-two woody species in Southeast China. BIOCHEM SYST ECOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bse.2012.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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654
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Casson NJ, Eimers MC, Watmough SA. An assessment of the nutrient status of sugar maple in Ontario: indications of phosphorus limitation. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2012; 184:5917-5927. [PMID: 21994163 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-011-2390-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2011] [Accepted: 10/03/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Soil acidification, caused by elevated anthropogenic deposition, has led to concerns over nutrient imbalances in Ontario's sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) forests. In this study, soil chemistry, foliar chemistry, crown condition, and tree growth were measured at 36 sugar maple stands that included acidic (pH < 4.4), moderately acidic (4.4 ≤ pH < 5.4), and non-acidic (pH ≥ 5.4) soil groups. Acidic sites had significantly lower foliar P, Ca, and Mg concentrations, and the Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System indicated that P, rather than Ca or Mg, was the most limiting nutrient. This is in spite of widespread reports of net Ca losses from acidified soils. Mass balance studies in the region indicate that in acidic forest soils, P input from deposition is greater than stream export. Low foliar P is therefore most likely due to low P availability to trees resulting from accumulation in organic matter/biomass and/or adsorption to Fe and Al hydroxides which are more prevalent in acidic soils. Despite differences in foliar nutrition, there were no significant differences in crown condition or tree growth across the study region, suggesting that low P availability is not yet having a widespread detrimental effect on tree health.
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Affiliation(s)
- N J Casson
- Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON, Canada, K9J 7B8.
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655
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Jamieson MA, Seastedt TR, Bowers MD. Nitrogen enrichment differentially affects above- and belowground plant defense. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2012; 99:1630-1637. [PMID: 22947484 DOI: 10.3732/ajb.1100492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE OF THE STUDY Human nitrogen (N) inputs to terrestrial ecosystems have greatly increased in recent years and may have important consequences for plant growth, reproduction, and defense. Although numerous studies have investigated the effects of nitrogen addition on plants, few have examined both above- and belowground responses within a range of predicted increase and apart from concomitant increases in other nutrients. • METHODS We conducted a greenhouse experiment to study the consequences of increased nitrogen inputs, such as those from atmospheric N deposition, on plant performance, chemical defenses, and allocation tradeoffs for an invasive species, Linaria dalmatica. This plant produces iridoid glycosides, which are a group of terpenoid compounds. • KEY RESULTS Soil nitrogen enrichment increased growth, reproduction, and whole-plant iridoid glycosides while decreasing some costs of defense. Interestingly, nitrogen addition had varying effects on defense allocation to above- and belowground tissues. Specifically, there was no change in iridoid glycoside concentrations of shoots, whereas concentrations decreased in flowers by ~35% and increased in roots by >400%. • CONCLUSIONS Observed increases in plant performance and chemical defenses may have implications for the invasion potential of L. dalmatica. Moreover, our results highlight the importance of evaluating both above- and belowground plant defenses. In particular, findings presented here indicate that research focused on leaf-level defenses may not detect key allelochemical responses, including changes in plant resistance traits that could affect consumers (e.g., herbivores and pathogens) that specialize on different plant tissues as well as plant fitness and invasion success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary A Jamieson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, UCB 334, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA.
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656
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Reed SC, Townsend AR, Davidson EA, Cleveland CC. Stoichiometric patterns in foliar nutrient resorption across multiple scales. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 196:173-180. [PMID: 22882279 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04249.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
• Nutrient resorption is a fundamental process through which plants withdraw nutrients from leaves before abscission. Nutrient resorption patterns have the potential to reflect gradients in plant nutrient limitation and to affect a suite of terrestrial ecosystem functions. • Here, we used a stoichiometric approach to assess patterns in foliar resorption at a variety of scales, specifically exploring how N : P resorption ratios relate to presumed variation in N and/or P limitation and possible relationships between N : P resorption ratios and soil nutrient availability. • N : P resorption ratios varied significantly at the global scale, increasing with latitude and decreasing with mean annual temperature and precipitation. In general, tropical sites (absolute latitudes < 23°26') had N : P resorption ratios of < 1, and plants growing on highly weathered tropical soils maintained the lowest N : P resorption ratios. Resorption ratios also varied with forest age along an Amazonian forest regeneration chronosequence and among species in a diverse Costa Rican rain forest. • These results suggest that variations in N : P resorption stoichiometry offer insight into nutrient cycling and limitation at a variety of spatial scales, complementing other metrics of plant nutrient biogeochemistry. The extent to which the stoichiometric flexibility of resorption will help regulate terrestrial responses to global change merits further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT 84532, USA
| | - Alan R Townsend
- INSTAAR & Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | | | - Cory C Cleveland
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
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657
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Blanes MC, Viñegla B, Merino J, Carreira JA. Nutritional status of Abies pinsapo forests along a nitrogen deposition gradient: do C/N/P stoichiometric shifts modify photosynthetic nutrient use efficiency? Oecologia 2012; 171:797-808. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2454-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2011] [Accepted: 08/26/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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658
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Huang W, Zhou G, Liu J, Zhang D, Xu Z, Liu S. Effects of elevated carbon dioxide and nitrogen addition on foliar stoichiometry of nitrogen and phosphorus of five tree species in subtropical model forest ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2012; 168:113-120. [PMID: 22609862 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2012.04.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 04/16/2012] [Accepted: 04/22/2012] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The effects of elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen (N) addition on foliar N and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry were investigated in five native tree species (four non-N2 fixers and one N2 fixer) in open-top chambers in southern China from 2005 to 2009. The high foliar N:P ratios induced by high foliar N and low foliar P indicate that plants may be more limited by P than by N. The changes in foliar N:P ratios were largely determined by P dynamics rather than N under both elevated CO2 and N addition. Foliar N:P ratios in the non-N2 fixers showed some negative responses to elevated CO2, while N addition reduced foliar N:P ratios in the N2 fixer. The results suggest that N addition would facilitate the N2 fixer rather than the non-N2 fixers to regulate the stoichiometric balance under elevated CO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjuan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xingke Road 723, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
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659
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Meyer A, Combroux I, Trémolières M. Dynamics of Nutrient Contents (Phosphorus, Nitrogen) in Water, Sediment and Plants After Restoration of Connectivity in Side-Channels of the River Rhine. Restor Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2012.00884.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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660
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Veneklaas EJ, Lambers H, Bragg J, Finnegan PM, Lovelock CE, Plaxton WC, Price CA, Scheible WR, Shane MW, White PJ, Raven JA. Opportunities for improving phosphorus-use efficiency in crop plants. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 195:306-320. [PMID: 22691045 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04190.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 339] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Limitation of grain crop productivity by phosphorus (P) is widespread and will probably increase in the future. Enhanced P efficiency can be achieved by improved uptake of phosphate from soil (P-acquisition efficiency) and by improved productivity per unit P taken up (P-use efficiency). This review focuses on improved P-use efficiency, which can be achieved by plants that have overall lower P concentrations, and by optimal distribution and redistribution of P in the plant allowing maximum growth and biomass allocation to harvestable plant parts. Significant decreases in plant P pools may be possible, for example, through reductions of superfluous ribosomal RNA and replacement of phospholipids by sulfolipids and galactolipids. Improvements in P distribution within the plant may be possible by increased remobilization from tissues that no longer need it (e.g. senescing leaves) and reduced partitioning of P to developing grains. Such changes would prolong and enhance the productive use of P in photosynthesis and have nutritional and environmental benefits. Research considering physiological, metabolic, molecular biological, genetic and phylogenetic aspects of P-use efficiency is urgently needed to allow significant progress to be made in our understanding of this complex trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik J Veneklaas
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009Australia
| | - Hans Lambers
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009Australia
| | - Jason Bragg
- CSIRO Plant Industry, GPO Box 1600, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Patrick M Finnegan
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009Australia
| | - Catherine E Lovelock
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - William C Plaxton
- Department of Biology and Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada K7L 3N6
| | - Charles A Price
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | | | - Michael W Shane
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Philip J White
- The James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
| | - John A Raven
- School of Plant Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia
- Division of Plant Sciences, University of Dundee at the James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA, UK
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661
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Crowley KF, McNeil BE, Lovett GM, Canham CD, Driscoll CT, Rustad LE, Denny E, Hallett RA, Arthur MA, Boggs JL, Goodale CL, Kahl JS, McNulty SG, Ollinger SV, Pardo LH, Schaberg PG, Stoddard JL, Weand MP, Weathers KC. Do Nutrient Limitation Patterns Shift from Nitrogen Toward Phosphorus with Increasing Nitrogen Deposition Across the Northeastern United States? Ecosystems 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-012-9550-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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662
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Iwabuchi T, Urabe J. Food quality and food threshold: implications of food stoichiometry to competitive ability of herbivore plankton. Ecosphere 2012. [DOI: 10.1890/es12-00098.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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663
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Ågren GI, Wetterstedt JÅM, Billberger MFK. Nutrient limitation on terrestrial plant growth--modeling the interaction between nitrogen and phosphorus. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2012; 194:953-960. [PMID: 22458659 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2012.04116.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 149] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Growth of plants in terrestrial ecosystems is often limited by the availability of nitrogen (N) or phosphorous (P) Liebig's law of the minimum states that the nutrient in least supply relative to the plant's requirement will limit the plant's growth. An alternative to the law of the minimum is the multiple limitation hypothesis (MLH) which states that plants adjust their growth patterns such that they are limited by several resources simultaneously. We use a simple model of plant growth and nutrient uptake to explore the consequences for the plant's relative growth rate of letting plants invest differentially in N and P uptake. We find a smooth transition between limiting elements, in contrast to the strict transition in Liebig's law of the minimum. At N : P supply ratios where the two elements simultaneously limit growth, an increase in either of the nutrients will increase the growth rate because more resources can be allocated towards the limiting element, as suggested by the multiple limitation hypothesis. However, the further the supply ratio deviates from these supply rates, the more the plants will follow the law of the minimum. Liebig's law of the minimum will in many cases be a useful first-order approximation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Göran I Ågren
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - J Å Martin Wetterstedt
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Magnus F K Billberger
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7044, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
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664
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Nitrogen Isotope Patterns in Alaskan Black Spruce Reflect Organic Nitrogen Sources and the Activity of Ectomycorrhizal Fungi. Ecosystems 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-012-9548-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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665
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Stoichiometric traits of oriental oak (Quercus variabilis) acorns and their variations in relation to environmental variables across temperate to subtropical China. Ecol Res 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11284-012-0953-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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666
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Fritz C, van Dijk G, Smolders AJP, Pancotto VA, Elzenga TJTM, Roelofs JGM, Grootjans AP. Nutrient additions in pristine Patagonian Sphagnum bog vegetation: can phosphorus addition alleviate (the effects of) increased nitrogen loads. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2012; 14:491-499. [PMID: 22221295 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2011.00527.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Sphagnum-bog ecosystems have a limited capability to retain carbon and nutrients when subjected to increased nitrogen (N) deposition. Although it has been proposed that phosphorus (P) can dilute negative effects of nitrogen by increasing biomass production of Sphagnum mosses, it is still unclear whether P-addition can alleviate physiological N-stress in Sphagnum plants. A 3-year fertilisation experiment was conducted in lawns of a pristine Sphagnum magellanicum bog in Patagonia, where competing vascular plants were practically absent. Background wet deposition of nitrogen was low (≈ 0.1-0.2 g · N · m(-2) · year(-1)). Nitrogen (4 g · N · m(-2) · year(-1)) and phosphorus (1 g · P · m(-2) · year(-1)) were applied, separately and in combination, six times during the growing season. P-addition substantially increased biomass production of Sphagnum. Nitrogen and phosphorus changed the morphology of Sphagnum mosses by enhancing height increment, but lowering moss stem density. In contrast to expectations, phosphorus failed to alleviate physiological stress imposed by excess nitrogen (e.g. amino acid accumulation, N-saturation and decline in photosynthetic rates). We conclude that despite improving growth conditions by P-addition, Sphagnum-bog ecosystems remain highly susceptible to nitrogen additions. Increased susceptibility to desiccation by nutrients may even worsen the negative effects of excess nitrogen especially in windy climates like in Patagonia.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Fritz
- Aquatic Ecology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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667
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Comparative ecophysiology of three Placopsis species, pioneer lichens in recently exposed Chilean glacial forelands. Symbiosis 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s13199-012-0159-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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668
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Yu Q, Wu H, He N, Lü X, Wang Z, Elser JJ, Wu J, Han X. Testing the growth rate hypothesis in vascular plants with above- and below-ground biomass. PLoS One 2012; 7:e32162. [PMID: 22427823 PMCID: PMC3302800 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2011] [Accepted: 01/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The growth rate hypothesis (GRH) proposes that higher growth rate (the rate of change in biomass per unit biomass, μ) is associated with higher P concentration and lower C:P and N:P ratios. However, the applicability of the GRH to vascular plants is not well-studied and few studies have been done on belowground biomass. Here we showed that, for aboveground, belowground and total biomass of three study species, μ was positively correlated with N:C under N limitation and positively correlated with P:C under P limitation. However, the N:P ratio was a unimodal function of μ, increasing for small values of μ, reaching a maximum, and then decreasing. The range of variations in μ was positively correlated with variation in C:N:P stoichiometry. Furthermore, μ and C:N:P ranges for aboveground biomass were negatively correlated with those for belowground. Our results confirm the well-known association of growth rate with tissue concentration of the limiting nutrient and provide empirical support for recent theoretical formulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Honghui Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaotao Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhiping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - James J. Elser
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Jianguo Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
- Sino-US Center for Conservation, Energy and Sustainability Science (SUCCESS), Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Xingguo Han
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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669
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Rivas-Ubach A, Sardans J, Pérez-Trujillo M, Estiarte M, Peñuelas J. Strong relationship between elemental stoichiometry and metabolome in plants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2012; 109:4181-6. [PMID: 22371578 PMCID: PMC3306711 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1116092109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Shifts in the elemental stoichiometry of organisms in response to their ontogeny and to changing environmental conditions should be related to metabolomic changes because elements operate mostly as parts of molecular compounds. Here we show this relationship in leaves of Erica multiflora throughout their seasonal development and in response to moderate experimental field conditions of drought and warming. The N/P ratio in leaves decreased in the metabolically active growing seasons, coinciding with an increase in the content of primary metabolites. These results support the growth-rate hypothesis that states that rapidly growing organisms present low N/P ratios because of the increase in allocation of P to RNA. The foliar N/K and P/K ratios were lower in summer and in the drought treatment, in accordance with the role of K in osmotic protection, and coincided with the increase of compounds related to the avoidance of water stress. These results provide strong evidence of the relationship between the changes in foliar C/N/P/K stoichiometry and the changes in the leaf's metabolome during plant growth and environmental stress. Thus these results represent a step in understanding the relationships between stoichiometry and an organism's lifestyle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Rivas-Ubach
- Global Ecology Unit, Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications-Centre for Advanced Studies of Blanes-Spanish National Research Council, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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670
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Schaller J, Brackhage C, Gessner MO, Bäuker E, Gert Dudel E. Silicon supply modifies C:N:P stoichiometry and growth of Phragmites australis. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2012; 14:392-6. [PMID: 22136652 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2011.00537.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Silicon is a non-essential element for plant growth. Nevertheless, it affects plant stress resistance and in some plants, such as grasses, it may substitute carbon (C) compounds in cell walls, thereby influencing C allocation patterns and biomass production. How variation in silicon supply over a narrow range affects nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake by plants has also been investigated in some detail. However, little is known about effects on the stoichiometric relationships between C, N and P when silicon supply varies over a broader range. Here, we assessed the effect of silicon on aboveground biomass production and C:N:P stoichiometry of common reed, Phragmites australis, in a pot experiment in which three widely differing levels of silicon were supplied. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that elevated silicon supply promoted silica deposition in the epidermis of Phragmites leaves. This resulted in altered N:P ratios, whereas C:N ratios changed only slightly. Plant growth was slightly (but not significantly) enhanced at intermediate silicon supply levels but significantly decreased at high levels. These findings point to the potential of silicon to impact plant growth and elemental stoichiometry and, by extension, to affect biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems dominated by Phragmites and other grasses and sedges.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Schaller
- Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection, University of Technology Dresden, Tharandt, Germany.
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671
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Tanentzap AJ, Lee WG, Coomes DA. Soil nutrient supply modulates temperature-induction cues in mast-seeding grasses. Ecology 2012; 93:462-9. [DOI: 10.1890/11-1750.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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672
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Variable Responses of Lowland Tropical Forest Nutrient Status to Fertilization and Litter Manipulation. Ecosystems 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-011-9516-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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673
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Yarce CJ, Rojas G. Near infrared spectroscopy for the analysis of macro and micro nutrients in sugarcane leaves. SUGAR INDUSTRY-ZUCKERINDUSTRIE 2012. [DOI: 10.36961/si13611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
About ten years ago, NIR technology was implemented at the Colombian Sugarcane Research Center Cenicaña for the analysis of sugarcane quality, followed by the development of methodologies for the quantification of some elements in soils and sugarcane leaves. Methodologies were based on the presence of high content materials, such nitrogen, potassium, calcium, and magnesium; however, determination of micronutrients which are found in soils and leaves in the range of parts per million has been challenging.
Development of a NIR methodology for quantification of macro (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) and micronutrients (Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe) in a single experiment is here reported. Calibration curves were constructed using approximately 500 samples that were previously analyzed by methods of reference such atomic absorption. Statistical analysis of the data showed that there are not significant differences between the methods of reference and NIR, suggesting that NIR is a very fast, economical and convenient methodology for the daily analysis of sugarcane leaves.
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674
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GU DX, CHEN SL, HUANG YQ. Effects of soil nitrogen and phosphonium on leaf nitrogen and phosphonium stoichiometric characteristics and chlorophyll content of Oligostachyum lubricum. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1258.2011.0119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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675
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Granath G, Strengbom J, Rydin H. Direct physiological effects of nitrogen on Sphagnum: a greenhouse experiment. Funct Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2011.01948.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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676
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Mercado LM, Patiño S, Domingues TF, Fyllas NM, Weedon GP, Sitch S, Quesada CA, Phillips OL, Aragão LEOC, Malhi Y, Dolman AJ, Restrepo-Coupe N, Saleska SR, Baker TR, Almeida S, Higuchi N, Lloyd J. Variations in Amazon forest productivity correlated with foliar nutrients and modelled rates of photosynthetic carbon supply. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2011; 366:3316-29. [PMID: 22006971 PMCID: PMC3179632 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The rate of above-ground woody biomass production, W(P), in some western Amazon forests exceeds those in the east by a factor of 2 or more. Underlying causes may include climate, soil nutrient limitations and species composition. In this modelling paper, we explore the implications of allowing key nutrients such as N and P to constrain the photosynthesis of Amazon forests, and also we examine the relationship between modelled rates of photosynthesis and the observed gradients in W(P). We use a model with current understanding of the underpinning biochemical processes as affected by nutrient availability to assess: (i) the degree to which observed spatial variations in foliar [N] and [P] across Amazonia affect stand-level photosynthesis; and (ii) how these variations in forest photosynthetic carbon acquisition relate to the observed geographical patterns of stem growth across the Amazon Basin. We find nutrient availability to exert a strong effect on photosynthetic carbon gain across the Basin and to be a likely important contributor to the observed gradient in W(P). Phosphorus emerges as more important than nitrogen in accounting for the observed variations in productivity. Implications of these findings are discussed in the context of future tropical forests under a changing climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina M Mercado
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Wallingford, Oxon OX10 8BB, UK.
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677
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Wanek W, Zotz G. Are vascular epiphytes nitrogen or phosphorus limited? A study of plant (15) N fractionation and foliar N : P stoichiometry with the tank bromeliad Vriesea sanguinolenta. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2011; 192:462-70. [PMID: 21729088 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2011.03812.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Although there is unambiguous evidence for vascular epiphytic plants to be limited by insufficient water and nutrient supply under natural conditions, it is an open debate whether they are primarily phosphorus (P) or nitrogen (N) limited. Plant (15) N fractionation and foliar N : P stoichiometry of a tank epiphyte (Vriesea sanguinolenta), and its response to combined N-P fertilization, were studied under semi-natural conditions over 334 d to clarify the type of nutrient limitation. Plants collected in the field and experimental plants with limited nutrient supply showed significant plant (15) N fractionation (mean 5‰) and plant N : P ratios of c. 13.5. Higher relative growth rates and declines in plant (15) N fractionation (0.5‰) and in foliar N : P ratios to 8.5 in the high N-P treatment indicated that these epiphytes were P limited in situ. The critical foliar N : P ratio was 10.4, as derived from the breakpoint in the relationship between plant (15) N fractionation and foliar N : P. We interpret the widespread (15) N depletion of vascular epiphytes relative to their host trees as deriving from (15) N fractionation of epiphytes as a result of P limitation. High foliar N : P ratios (> 12) corroborate widespread P limitation (or co-limitation by N and P) of epiphytic bromeliads and, possibly, other epiphyte species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfgang Wanek
- Department of Chemical Ecology and Ecosystem Research, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, Vienna, Austria.
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678
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Jacobson TKB, Bustamante MMDC, Kozovits AR. Diversity of shrub tree layer, leaf litter decomposition and N release in a Brazilian Cerrado under N, P and N plus P additions. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2011; 159:2236-2242. [PMID: 21074919 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2010] [Revised: 10/03/2010] [Accepted: 10/15/2010] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated changes in diversity of shrub-tree layer, leaf decomposition rates, nutrient release and soil NO fluxes of a Brazilian savanna (cerrado sensu stricto) under N, P and N plus P additions. Simultaneous addition of N and P affected density, dominance, richness and diversity patterns more significantly than addition of N or P separately. Leaf litter decomposition rates increased in P and NP plots but did not differ in N plots in comparison to control plots. N addition increased N mass loss, while the combined addition of N and P resulted in an immobilization of N in leaf litter. Soil NO emissions were also higher when N was applied without P. The results indicate that if the availability of P is not increased proportionally to the availability of N, the losses of N are intensified.
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679
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Baythavong BS. Linking the spatial scale of environmental variation and the evolution of phenotypic plasticity: selection favors adaptive plasticity in fine-grained environments. Am Nat 2011; 178:75-87. [PMID: 21670579 DOI: 10.1086/660281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Adaptive phenotypic plasticity and adaptive genetic differentiation enable plant lineages to maximize their fitness in response to environmental heterogeneity. The spatial scale of environmental variation relative to the average dispersal distance of a species determines whether selection will favor plasticity, local adaptation, or an intermediate strategy. Habitats where the spatial scale of environmental variation is less than the dispersal distance of a species are fine grained and should favor the expression of adaptive plasticity, while coarse-grained habitats, where environmental variation occurs on spatial scales greater than dispersal, should favor adaptive genetic differentiation. However, there is relatively little information available characterizing the link between the spatial scale of environmental variation and patterns of selection on plasticity measured in the field. I examined patterns of spatial environmental variation within a serpentine mosaic grassland and selection on an annual plant (Erodium cicutarium) within that landscape. Results indicate that serpentine soil patches are a significantly finer-grained habitat than non-serpentine patches. Additionally, selection generally favored increased plasticity on serpentine soils and diminished plasticity on non-serpentine soils. This is the first empirical example of differential selection for phenotypic plasticity in the field as a result of strong differences in the grain of environmental heterogeneity within habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke S Baythavong
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of California, Davis, California 95616, USA.
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680
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GENG Y, WU Y, HE JS. Relationship between leaf phosphorus concentration and soil phosphorus availability across Inner Mongolia grassland. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1258.2011.00001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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681
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Baruch Z. Leaf trait variation of a dominant neotropical savanna tree across rainfall and fertility gradients. ACTA OECOLOGICA-INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2011.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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682
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Lü XT, Kong DL, Pan QM, Simmons ME, Han XG. Nitrogen and water availability interact to affect leaf stoichiometry in a semi-arid grassland. Oecologia 2011; 168:301-10. [PMID: 21826456 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2097-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2009] [Accepted: 07/25/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
The effects of global change factors on the stoichiometric composition of green and senesced plant tissues are critical determinants of ecosystem feedbacks to anthropogenic-driven global change. So far, little is known about species stoichiometric responses to these changes. We conducted a manipulative field experiment with nitrogen (N; 17.5 g m(-2) year(-1)) and water addition (180 mm per growing season) in a temperate steppe of northern China that is potentially highly vulnerable to global change. A unique and important outcome of our study is that water availability modulated plant nutritional and stoichiometric responses to increased N availability. N addition significantly reduced C:N ratios and increased N:P ratios but only under ambient water conditions. Under increased water supply, N addition had no effect on C:N ratios in green and senesced leaves and N:P ratios in senesced leaves, and significantly decreased C:P ratios in both green and senesced leaves and N:P ratios in green leaves. Stoichiometric ratios varied greatly among species. Our results suggest that N and water addition and species identity can affect stoichiometric ratios of both green and senesced tissues through direct and interactive means. Our findings highlight the importance of water availability in modulating stoichiometric responses of plants to potentially increased N availability in semi-arid grasslands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Tao Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China
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683
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Cernusak LA, Winter K, Turner BL. Transpiration modulates phosphorus acquisition in tropical tree seedlings. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2011; 31:878-885. [PMID: 21856654 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpr077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Several experiments were conducted with tropical tree and liana seedlings in which transpiration ratio and leaf phosphorus to carbon ratio (P:C) were measured. Transpiration ratio was expressed as kg H(2)O transpired g(-1) C incorporated into plant biomass, and leaf P:C as mg P g(-1) C. Leaf P:C was positively correlated with transpiration ratio across 19 species for plants grown under similar conditions (R(2) = 0.35, P < 0.01, n = 19). For five species in the dataset, multiple treatments were imposed to cause intra-specific variation in transpiration ratio. Within four of these five species, leaf P:C correlated positively with transpiration ratio. The slope and strength of the correlation varied among species. In one experiment, whole-plant P:C was measured in addition to leaf P:C. Patterns of correlation between whole-plant P:C and transpiration ratio were similar to those between leaf P:C and transpiration ratio. Together, these observations suggest that transpiration can influence the rate of P uptake from soil in tropical tree and liana seedlings. We suggest that this occurs through transport of inorganic phosphate and organic P compounds to root surfaces by transpiration-induced mass flow of the soil solution. The positive correlation between leaf P:C and transpiration ratio suggests that leaf P:C could decline in tropical forests as atmospheric CO(2) concentration rises, due to decreasing transpiration ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas A Cernusak
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 0200, Australia.
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684
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Guo G, Li N. Relative and accurate measurement of protein abundance using 15N stable isotope labeling in Arabidopsis (SILIA). PHYTOCHEMISTRY 2011; 72:1028-39. [PMID: 21315391 DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2011.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2010] [Revised: 01/04/2011] [Accepted: 01/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
In the quantitative proteomic studies, numerous in vitro and in vivo peptide labeling strategies have been successfully applied to measure differentially regulated protein and peptide abundance. These approaches have been proven to be versatile and repeatable in biological discoveries. (15)N metabolic labeling is one of these widely adopted and economical methods. However, due to the differential incorporation rates of (15)N or (14)N, the labeling results produce imperfectly matched isotopic envelopes between the heavy and light nitrogen-labeled peptides. In the present study, we have modified the solid Arabidopsis growth medium to standardize the (15)N supply, which led to a uniform incorporation of (15)N into the whole plant protein complement. The incorporation rate (97.43±0.11%) of (15)N into (15)N-coded peptides was determined by correlating the intensities of peptide ions with the labeling efficiencies according to Gaussian distribution. The resulting actual incorporation rate (97.44%) and natural abundance of (15)N/(14)N-coded peptides are used to re-calculate the intensities of isotopic envelopes of differentially labeled peptides, respectively. A modified (15)N/(14)N stable isotope labeling strategy, SILIA, is assessed and the results demonstrate that this approach is able to differentiate the fold change in protein abundance down to 10%. The machine dynamic range limitation and purification step will make the precursor ion ratio deriving from the actual ratio fold change. It is suggested that the differentially mixed (15)N-coded and (14)N-coded plant protein samples that are used to establish the protein abundance standard curve should be prepared following a similar protein isolation protocol used to isolate the proteins to be quantitated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangyu Guo
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
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685
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Yuan ZY, Chen HYH, Reich PB. Global-scale latitudinal patterns of plant fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus. Nat Commun 2011; 2:344. [PMID: 21673665 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2011] [Accepted: 05/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Most water and essential soil nutrient uptake is carried out by fine roots in plants. It is therefore important to understand the global geographic patterns of fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Here, by compiling plant root data from 211 studies in 51 countries, we show that live fine roots have low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but similar N:P ratios when compared with green leaves. The fine-root N:P ratio differs between biomes and declines exponentially with latitude in roots of all diameter classes. This is in contrast to previous reports of a linear latitudinal decline in green leaf N:P, but consistent with nonlinear declines in leaf litter N:P. Whereas the latitudinal N:P decline in both roots and leaves reflects collective influences of climate, soil age and weathering, differences in the shape of the response function may be a result of their different N and P use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Y Yuan
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Rd, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada P7B 5E1
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686
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González AL, Fariña JM, Pinto R, Pérez C, Weathers KC, Armesto JJ, Marquet PA. Bromeliad growth and stoichiometry: responses to atmospheric nutrient supply in fog-dependent ecosystems of the hyper-arid Atacama Desert, Chile. Oecologia 2011; 167:835-45. [PMID: 21660582 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-011-2032-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2009] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus (C, N, P) stoichiometry influences the growth of plants and nutrient cycling within ecosystems. Indeed, elemental ratios are used as an index for functional differences between plants and their responses to natural or anthropogenic variations in nutrient supply. We investigated the variation in growth and elemental content of the rootless terrestrial bromeliad Tillandsia landbeckii, which obtains its moisture, and likely its nutrients, from coastal fogs in the Atacama Desert. We assessed (1) how fog nutrient supply influences plant growth and stoichiometry and (2) the response of plant growth and stoichiometry to variations in nutrient supply by using reciprocal transplants. We hypothesized that T. landbeckii should exhibit physiological and biochemical plastic responses commensurate with nutrient supply from atmospheric deposition. In the case of the Atacama Desert, nutrient supply from fog is variable over space and time, which suggests a relatively high variation in the growth and elemental content of atmospheric bromeliads. We found that the nutrient content of T. landbeckii showed high spatio-temporal variability, driven partially by fog nutrient deposition but also by plant growth rates. Reciprocal transplant experiments showed that transplanted individuals converged to similar nutrient content, growth rates, and leaf production of resident plants at each site, reflecting local nutrient availability. Although plant nutrient content did not exactly match the relative supply of N and P, our results suggest that atmospheric nutrient supply is a dominant driver of plant growth and stoichiometry. In fact, our results indicate that N uptake by T. landbeckii plants depends more on N supplied by fog, whereas P uptake is mainly regulated by within-plant nutrient demand for growth. Overall, these findings indicate that variation in fog nutrient supply exerts a strong control over growth and nutrient dynamics of atmospheric plants, which are ubiquitous across fog-dominated ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica L González
- Departamento de Ecología, Center for Advanced Studies in Ecology and Biodiversity (CASEB), Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile.
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687
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Ceulemans T, Merckx R, Hens M, Honnay O. A trait-based analysis of the role of phosphorus vs. nitrogen enrichment in plant species loss across North-west European grasslands. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02023.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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688
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De Frenne P, Kolb A, Graae BJ, Decocq G, Baltora S, De Schrijver A, Brunet J, Chabrerie O, Cousins SAO, Dhondt R, Diekmann M, Gruwez R, Heinken T, Hermy M, Liira J, Saguez R, Shevtsova A, Baskin CC, Verheyen K. A latitudinal gradient in seed nutrients of the forest herb Anemone nemorosa. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2011; 13:493-501. [PMID: 21489100 DOI: 10.1111/j.1438-8677.2010.00404.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The nutrient concentration in seeds determines many aspects of potential success of the sexual reproductive phase of plants, including the seed predation probability, efficiency of seed dispersal and seedling performance. Despite considerable research interest in latitudinal gradients of foliar nutrients, a similar gradient for seeds remains unexplored. We investigated a potential latitudinal gradient in seed nutrient concentrations within the widespread European understorey forest herb Anemone nemorosa L. We sampled seeds of A. nemorosa in 15 populations along a 1900-km long latitudinal gradient at three to seven seed collection dates post-anthesis and investigated the relative effects of growing degree-hours >5 °C, soil characteristics and latitude on seed nutrient concentrations. Seed nitrogen, nitrogen:phosphorus ratio and calcium concentration decreased towards northern latitudes, while carbon:nitrogen ratios increased. When taking differences in growing degree-hours and measured soil characteristics into account and only considering the most mature seeds, the latitudinal decline remained particularly significant for seed nitrogen concentration. We argue that the decline in seed nitrogen concentration can be attributed to northward decreasing seed provisioning due to lower soil nitrogen availability or greater investment in clonal reproduction. This pattern may have large implications for the reproductive performance of this forest herb as the degree of seed provisioning ultimately co-determines seedling survival and reproductive success.
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Affiliation(s)
- P De Frenne
- Laboratory of Forestry, Ghent University, Melle-Gontrode, Belgium.
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689
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Lagerström A, Bellingham PJ, Bonner KI, Wardle DA. The effect of simulated herbivory on growth and nutrient status of focal and neighbouring early successional woody plant species. OIKOS 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.19468.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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690
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Gaoue OG, Sack L, Ticktin T. Human impacts on leaf economics in heterogeneous landscapes: the effect of harvesting non-timber forest products from African mahogany across habitats and climates. J Appl Ecol 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.01977.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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691
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Yang Y, Luo Y. Carbon : nitrogen stoichiometry in forest ecosystems during stand development. GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY 2011; 20:354-361. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1111/j.1466-8238.2010.00602.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
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692
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Wang B, Jiang G. Effect of chicken litter on grassland productivity and environmental quality in a sandland ecosystem. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chnaes.2010.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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693
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Yu Q, Elser JJ, He N, Wu H, Chen Q, Zhang G, Han X. Stoichiometric homeostasis of vascular plants in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Oecologia 2011; 166:1-10. [PMID: 21221646 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1902-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2010] [Accepted: 12/28/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Stoichiometric homeostasis, the degree to which an organism maintains its C:N:P ratios around a given species- or stage-specific value despite variation in the relative availabilities of elements in its resource supplies, is a key parameter in ecological stoichiometry. However, its regulation and role in affecting organismal and ecosystem processes is still poorly understood in vascular plants. We performed a sand culture experiment and a field nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition experiment to evaluate the strength of N, P and N:P homeostasis in higher plants in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Our results showed that homeostatic regulation coefficients (H) of vascular plants ranged from 1.93 to 14.5. H varied according to plant species, aboveground and belowground compartments, plant developmental stage, and overall plant nutrient content and N:P ratio. H for belowground and for foliage were inversely related, while H increased with plant developmental stage. H for N (H(N)) was consistently greater than H for P (H(P)) while H for N:P (H(N:P)) was consistently greater than H(N) and H(P). Furthermore, species with greater N and P contents and lower N:P were less homeostatic, suggesting that more homeostatic plants are more conservative nutrient users. The results demonstrate that H of plants encompasses a considerable range but is stronger than that of algae and fungi and weaker than that of animals. This is the first comprehensive evaluation of factors influencing stoichiometric homeostasis in vascular plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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694
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Bu ZJ, Rydin H, Chen X. Direct and interaction-mediated effects of environmental changes on peatland bryophytes. Oecologia 2010; 166:555-63. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-010-1880-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2010] [Accepted: 11/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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695
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Ordoñez JC, van Bodegom PM, Witte JPM, Bartholomeus RP, van Dobben HF, Aerts R. Leaf habit and woodiness regulate different leaf economy traits at a given nutrient supply. Ecology 2010; 91:3218-28. [DOI: 10.1890/09-1509.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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696
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Hawlena D, Schmitz O. Physiological Stress as a Fundamental Mechanism Linking Predation to Ecosystem Functioning. Am Nat 2010; 176:537-56. [DOI: 10.1086/656495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 288] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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697
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698
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Yu Q, Chen Q, Elser JJ, He N, Wu H, Zhang G, Wu J, Bai Y, Han X. Linking stoichiometric homoeostasis with ecosystem structure, functioning and stability. Ecol Lett 2010; 13:1390-9. [PMID: 20849443 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2010.01532.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 218] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Ecosystem structure, functioning and stability have been a focus of ecological and environmental sciences during the past two decades. The mechanisms underlying their relationship, however, are not well understood. Based on comprehensive studies in Inner Mongolia grassland, here we show that species-level stoichiometric homoeostasis was consistently positively correlated with dominance and stability on both 2-year and 27-year temporal scales and across a 1200-km spatial transect. At the community level, stoichiometric homoeostasis was also positively correlated with ecosystem function and stability in most cases. Thus, homoeostatic species tend to have high and stable biomass; and ecosystems dominated by more homoeostatic species have higher productivity and greater stability. By modulating organism responses to key environmental drivers, stoichiometric homoeostasis appears to be a major mechanism responsible for the structure, functioning and stability of grassland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
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699
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Fujita Y, Robroek BJM, De Ruiter PC, Heil GW, Wassen MJ. Increased N affects P uptake of eight grassland species: the role of root surface phosphatase activity. OIKOS 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2010.18427.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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700
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Abstract
Mangrove forests dominate the world's tropical and subtropical coastlines. Similar to other plant communities, nutrient availability is one of the major factors influencing mangrove forest structure and productivity. Many mangrove soils have extremely low nutrient availability, although nutrient availability can vary greatly among and within mangrove forests. Nutrient-conserving processes in mangroves are well developed and include evergreeness, resorption of nutrients prior to leaf fall, the immobilization of nutrients in leaf litter during decomposition, high root/shoot ratios and the repeated use of old root channels. Both nitrogen-use efficiency and nutrient resorption efficiencies in mangroves are amongst the highest recorded for angiosperms. A complex range of interacting abiotic and biotic factors controls the availability of nutrients to mangrove trees, and mangroves are characteristically plastic in their ability to opportunistically utilize nutrients when these become available. Nitrogen and phosphorus have been implicated as the nutrients most likely to limit growth in mangroves. Ammonium is the primary form of nitrogen in mangrove soils, in part as a result of anoxic soil conditions, and tree growth is supported mainly by ammonium uptake. Nutrient enrichment is a major threat to marine ecosystems. Although mangroves have been proposed to protect the marine environment from land-derived nutrient pollution, nutrient enrichment can have negative consequences for mangrove forests and their capacity for retention of nutrients may be limited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth Reef
- The Centre for Marine Studies, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
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