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Zhao L, Pang B, Hong J, Ma X, Du Z, Wang X. Root pH variation of herbaceous plants among plant functional groups in response to climate and soil gradients on the Tibetan alpine grasslands. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e70060. [PMID: 39041022 PMCID: PMC11260881 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.70060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant pH is an emerging functional trait that plays important roles in physiological processes and nutrient cycling. However, how root pH varies among plant functional groups (PFGs) and the regulatory factors on a large scale remain unclear. Therefore, we quantified root pH variation of herbaceous plants in four PFGs from 20 sites on the Tibetan Plateau along a 1600 km transect and explored the correlations between root pH and different PFGs, climate and soil conditions. The results showed that the root pH of herbaceous plants was slightly acidic (6.46 ± 0.05). Grasses had the highest root pH (6.91 ± 0.10) across all functional groups (p < .05), whereas legumes had the lowest (5.90 ± 0.08; p < .05). The root pH decreased with mean annual precipitation, aridity index, soil water content and soil stress coefficient, whereas the significant positive correlation with soil pH. PFGs, climate and soil explained 5.39, 11.15 and 24.94% of the root pH variance, respectively. This study provided a comprehensive analysis of root pH patterns in herbaceous plants over a large spatial scale. Root pH was controlled by the combined influence of PFGs, climate and soil properties, with moisture status being the main influential factor. In contrast to the leaf pH, the root pH of herbaceous plants is strongly affected by the soil pH along environmental gradients. Our findings provide new insights into root functional traits and survival strategies of herbaceous plants in alpine ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lirong Zhao
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Bo Pang
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesBeijingChina
| | - Jiangtao Hong
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Xingxing Ma
- College of Urban and Environment SciencesShanxi Normal UniversityLinfenChina
| | - Ziyin Du
- School of Land and ResourcesChina West Normal UniversityNanchongChina
| | - Xiaodan Wang
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and EnvironmentChinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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Tian D, Yan Z, Schmid B, Kattge J, Fang J, Stocker BD. Environmental versus phylogenetic controls on leaf nitrogen and phosphorous concentrations in vascular plants. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5346. [PMID: 38914561 PMCID: PMC11196693 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49665-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Global patterns of leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometry have been interpreted as reflecting phenotypic plasticity in response to the environment, or as an overriding effect of the distribution of species growing in their biogeochemical niches. Here, we balance these contrasting views. We compile a global dataset of 36,413 paired observations of leaf N and P concentrations, taxonomy and 45 environmental covariates, covering 7,549 sites and 3,700 species, to investigate how species identity and environmental variables control variations in mass-based leaf N and P concentrations, and the N:P ratio. We find within-species variation contributes around half of the total variation, with 29%, 31%, and 22% of leaf N, P, and N:P variation, respectively, explained by environmental variables. Within-species plasticity along environmental gradients varies across species and is highest for leaf N:P and lowest for leaf N. We identified effects of environmental variables on within-species variation using random forest models, whereas effects were largely missed by widely used linear mixed-effect models. Our analysis demonstrates a substantial influence of the environment in driving plastic responses of leaf N, P, and N:P within species, which challenges reports of a fixed biogeochemical niche and the overriding importance of species distributions in shaping global patterns of leaf N and P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - Zhengbing Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Geography, Remote Sensing Laboratories, University of Zürich, 8006, Zürich, Switzerland
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Jens Kattge
- Max-Planck-Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll Street 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
- iDiv - German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Puschstraße 4, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Benjamin D Stocker
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
- Institute of Geography, University of Bern, Hallerstrasse 12, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern, Falkenplatz 16, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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Wang S, Du Y, Liu S, Pan J, Wu F, Wang Y, Wang Y, Li H, Dong Y, Wang Z, Liu Z, Wang G, Xu Z. Response of C:N:P stoichiometry to long-term drainage of peatlands: Evidence from plant, soil, and enzyme. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 919:170688. [PMID: 38320702 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Drought induced by climate warming and human activities regulates carbon (C) cycling of peatlands by changing plant community composition and soil properties. Estimating the responses of peatlands C cycling to environmental changes requires further study of C: nitrogen (N): phosphorus (P) stoichiometric ratios of soil, plants, and enzyme activities. However, systematic studies on the stoichiometry of above-ground and below-ground ecosystems of peatlands post drainage remain scarce. This study compared stoichimetric ratios of plant and soil and stoichimetric ratios of enzyme activities with different functions in two different parts of a minerotrophic peatland, a natural undisturbed part and a part that had been drained for almost 50 years, in Northern China. For the shrub plants, the average C:N:P ratios of leaf in natural and drained peatland were 448:17:1 and 393:15:1, respectively. This indicated that the growth rate of shrub plants is higher in the drained peatland than in the natural peatland, which makes P element more concentrated in the photosynthetic site. However, from the perspective of the dominant plant, the mean C:N:P ratio of Carex leaf was 650:25:1 in the natural peatland, but was 1028:50:1 for Dasiphora fruticosa in drained peatland. This indicated that the intensification of P-limitation of plant growth after drainage. Soil C:N:P ratios of above water table depth (AWT) were 238:15:1 and 277:12:1, but were 383:17:1 and 404:19:1 for below water table depth (BWT) in the natural and the drained peatland, respectively. Soil C:P ratios were greater than the threshold elemental ratio of C:P (174:1), but the soil C:N ratios were less than the threshold elemental ratio of C:N (23:1), which suggested that P was the most limiting nutrient of soil. The soil microbial activities were co-limited by C&P in Baijianghe peatlands. However, the microbial metabolic P limitation was intensified, but the C limitation was weakened for the above water table depth soil after long-term drainage. There are connection between plant-microbe P limitation in peatlands. The P limitation of microbial metabolism was significant positively correlated with soil C:N but negatively with soil moisture. The increase in the lignocelluloses index suggested considerable decomposition of soil organic matter after peatland drainage. These results of stoichiometric ratios from above- to below ground could provide scientific base for the C cycling of peatland undergone climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengzhong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yaoyao Du
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Shasha Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Junxiao Pan
- Earth Critical Zone and Flux Research Station of Xing'an Mountains (Xing'an CZO), Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Fan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yingzhuo Wang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yuting Wang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Hongkai Li
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yanmin Dong
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Zucheng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Ziping Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Guodong Wang
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chiese Academy of Sciences, Changhchun 130102, China
| | - Zhiwei Xu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory for Wetland Ecological Processes and Environmental Change in the Changbai Mountains, Institute for Peat and Mire Research, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China.
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Chen Y, Li Y, Wang L, Duan Y, Cao W, Wang X, Li Y. Heterogeneity of leaf stoichiometry of different life forms along environmental transects in typical ecologically fragile areas of China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 910:168495. [PMID: 37977372 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
The coupling between carbon (C):nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in plant leaves is closely related to ecological functions such as photosynthesis, growth, and biogeochemical cycling. To explore the biogeographic patterns, nutrient limitations, and the relationships between leaf and soil stoichiometry, as well as the factors influencing leaf stoichiometry, we quantified community-level leaf C:N:P stoichiometry in trees, shrubs, and herbs along transects with a total length of about 4300 km. The leaf C:N:P ratios of trees, shrubs, and herbs were approximately 349:13:1, 267:14:1, and 226:12:1, respectively. Leaf C:N:P stoichiometry differed significantly (p < 0.05) among the life forms. Compared with global and Chinese scales, the C, N, and P concentrations were higher and C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios were lower. The leaf C:N:P stoichiometry patterns along a latitude gradient differed among life forms. There was no significant correlation between leaf N and soil total N, whereas leaf P of all three life forms increased significantly with increasing soil total P. Those results suggested a community-level N limitation for trees, shrubs, and herbs growth. Environmental factors explained 43.9, 26.5, and 6.1 % of leaf stoichiometric variations for trees, shrubs, and herbs, respectively. However, the key environmental driving factors gradually changed from climatic factors for trees and shrubs to soil factors for herbs. The results provide new insights into community-level biogeographical patterns and potential factors of leaf stoichiometry among plant life forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Chen
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China
| | - Yuqiang Li
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Key Laboratory of Strategic Mineral Resources of the Upper Yellow River, Ministry of Natural Resources, Lanzhou 730000, China.
| | - Lilong Wang
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China
| | - Yulong Duan
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China
| | - Wenjie Cao
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xuyang Wang
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yulin Li
- Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tongliao 028300, China
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5
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Diao X, Widory D, Ram K, Du E, Wan X, Gao S, Pei Q, Wu G, Kang S, Wang Z, Wang X, Cong Z. Attributing Atmospheric Phosphorus in the Himalayas: Biomass Burning vs Mineral Dust. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:459-467. [PMID: 38152050 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c07670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric phosphorus is a vital nutrient for ecosystems whose sources and fate are still debated in the fragile Himalayan region, hindering our comprehension of its local ecological impact. This study provides novel insights into atmospheric phosphorus based on the study of total suspended particulate matter at the Qomolangma station. Contrary to the prevailing assumptions, we show that biomass burning (BB), not mineral dust, dominates total dissolved phosphorus (TDP, bioavailable) deposition in this arid region, especially during spring. While total phosphorus is mainly derived from dust (77% annually), TDP is largely affected by the transport of regional biomass-burning plumes from South Asia. During BB pollution episodes, TDP causing springtime TDP fluxes alone accounts for 43% of the annual budget. This suggests that BB outweighs dust in supplying bioavailable phosphorus, a critical nutrient, required to sustain Himalayas' ecological functions. Overall, this first-hand field evidence refines the regional and global phosphorus budget by demonstrating that BB emission, while still unrecognized, is a significant source of P, even in the remote mountains of the Himalayas. It also reveals the heterogeneity of atmospheric phosphorus deposition in that region, which will help predict changes in the impacted ecosystems as the deposition patterns vary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Diao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - David Widory
- Geotop/Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), 201 Ave Président Kennedy, Montréal QC H2X 3Y7, Canada
| | - Kirpa Ram
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India
| | - Enzai Du
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Xin Wan
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shaopeng Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Qiaomin Pei
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Guangming Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shichang Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China
| | - Zhong Wang
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
| | - Xiaoping Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhiyuan Cong
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Tibet University, Lhasa 850000, China
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Zhao W, Xiao C, Li M, Xu L, Li X, He N. Spatial variation of sulfur in terrestrial ecosystems in China: Content, density, and storage. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 906:167848. [PMID: 37844639 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Sulfur (S) is an important macronutrient that is widely distributed in nature. Understanding the patterns and mechanisms of S dynamics is of great significance for accurately predicting the geophysical and chemical cycles of S and formulating policies for S emission and management. We systematically investigated and integrated 17,618 natural plots in China's terrestrial ecosystems and built a S density database of vegetation (including leaves, branches, stems, and roots) and surface soil (0-30 cm depth). The biogeographic patterns and environmental drivers of the S content, density, and storage in the vegetation and soil of terrestrial ecosystems were explored. Vegetation and soil were the major components of terrestrial ecosystems, storing a total of 2228.77 ± 121.72 Tg S, with mean S densities of 4.32 ± 0.04 × 10-2, and 267.93 ± 14.94 × 10-2 t hm-2, respectively. The forest was the most important vegetation S pool and their S storage accounted for about 55.28 % of the total vegetation S storage, whereas soil S pools of croplands and other vegetation types (e.g., deserts and wetlands) accounted for about 63.18 % of the total soil S storage. The mean S density (2.18 ± 0.02 × 10-2 t hm-2) and S storage (12.45 ± 0.31 Tg) of plant roots were significantly higher than those of other organs. The spatial variation in the S density was mainly regulated by climate and soil properties, reflecting the physiological adaptation mechanisms of plants by adjusting the S uptake and distribution to cope with climate change. In this study, the spatial patterns of S density and storage in vegetation and soil in terrestrial ecosystems of China and their response to environmental factors on a national scale were systematically studied. The results provide insights into the biological functions of S and its role in plant-environment interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenzong Zhao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China; Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chunwang Xiao
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Minzu University of China, Beijing 100081, China.
| | - Mingxu Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Earth Critical Zone and Flux Research Station of Xing'an Mountains, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Daxing'anling 165200, China
| | - Li Xu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xin Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Nianpeng He
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China.
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Ba Y, Li X, Ma Y, Chai Y, Li C, Ma X, Yang Y. A Study on the C, N, and P Contents and Stoichiometric Characteristics of Forage Leaves Based on Fertilizer-Reconstructed Soil in an Alpine Mining Area. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:3838. [PMID: 38005735 PMCID: PMC10674538 DOI: 10.3390/plants12223838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we analyzed the C, N, and P contents and stoichiometric characteristics of forage leaves of five species (Elymus breviaristatus cv. Tongde, Poa crymophila cv. Qinghai, Puccinellia tenuiflora cv. Qinghai, Festuca sinensis cv. Qinghai, and Poa pratensis cv. Qinghai) in "fertilizer-reconstructed soil" through integrative soil amendment with parched sheep manure and granular organic fertilizer in an alpine mining area. A model is fitted in order to screen out the best forage species suitable for vegetation restoration in the alpine mining area and the most favorable fertilizer dosage to improve the nutrient content of forage leaves. The results showed that (1) increasing the dosages of granular organic fertilizer and sheep manure had little effect on the C content of the five types of forage grasses, but they could significantly increase the N and P contents and N/P of the manually restored grassland in the alpine mining area (p < 0.05). (2) The productivity and stability of the five species were ranked as follows: Elymus breviaristatus cv. Tongde > Puccinellia tenuiflora cv. Qinghai > Festuca sinensis cv. Qinghai > Poa pratensis cv. Qinghai > Poa crymophila cv. Qinghai. (3) According to the fitted least squares model and the willingness to maximize the C, N, and P contents of the leaves, the ranking of the five forage grasses was described by the Prediction Profiler as follows: Elymus breviaristatus cv. Tongde > Puccinellia tenuiflora cv. Qinghai > Festuca sinensis cv. Qinghai > Poa crymophila cv. Qinghai > Poa pratensis cv. Qinghai. (4) The predictive model suggested that the optimal contents of C, N, and P in Elymus breviaristatus cv. Tongde, Festuca sinensis cv. Qinghai, and Poa pratensis cv. Qinghai leaves could be achieved with the application of 3.6 kg/m2 of granular organic fertilizer and 45.0 kg/m2 of sheep manure. For Poa crymophila cv. Qinghai leaves, the ideal content was attained by applying 0 kg/m2 of granular organic fertilizer and 45.0 kg/m2 of sheep manure. Lastly, the optimal C, N, and P contents in Puccinellia tenuiflora cv. Qinghai leaves could be obtained through the application of 3.6 kg/m2 of granular organic fertilizer combined with 0 kg/m2 of sheep manure. In conclusion, the study's results highlight the significant practical value of the fertilizer-reconstructed soil for vegetation restoration in alpine mining regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Ba
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Xilai Li
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Yunqiao Ma
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
| | - Yu Chai
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Chengyi Li
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Xinyue Ma
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
| | - Yongxiang Yang
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China; (Y.B.); (Y.M.); (Y.C.); (C.L.); (X.M.); (Y.Y.)
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Tong R, Ma C, Lou C, Yuan W, Zhu N, Wang GG, Wu T. Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of the halophytes across China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1276699. [PMID: 37860242 PMCID: PMC10582939 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1276699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Halophytes play a crucial role in the ecological restoration of saline and alkaline land and hold promising benefits to food security in China. Although a variety of aspects of halophytes have been extensively addressed, there is still a lack of overall understanding of the leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometric characteristics, especially at a national scale. We compiled a national dataset of 311 observations from 113 sampling sites across China to explore the changing trends and influencing factors on leaf N and P concentrations, and N:P ratio of halophytes. The results showed that leaf N concentration decreased significantly with increasing latitude (LAT), which was mainly driven by the mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The leaf P concentration increased remarkably with increasing longitude (LON), which was induced by the variation in soil total P (TP) content. The leaf N:P ratio increased as LAT increased and LON decreased, which was potentially regulated by the MAT, MAP, and soil TP content. The scaling exponents of the N-P relationship differed significantly among halophyte types and were 0.40, 0.87, and 1.39 for euhalophyte, pseudohalophyte, and recretohalophyte, respectively. The leaf N concentration exhibited significant differences among ecosystem types and halophyte types, whereas the leaf P concentration and N:P ratio remained relatively stable. In summary, the leaf N concentration and N-P scaling exponent might be the classification criteria for halophyte types from the perspective of plant nutrient resource allocation. Moreover, this study characterized the spatial distribution and allocation strategy of leaf N and P stoichiometry in halophytes by data integration analysis, providing the basic information for nutrient management in the processes of the future domestication and introduction of halophytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ran Tong
- East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long-term Research Station, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
| | - Cong Ma
- East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long-term Research Station, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chenyang Lou
- East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long-term Research Station, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
| | - Wenwen Yuan
- East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long-term Research Station, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
| | - Nianfu Zhu
- East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long-term Research Station, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
| | - G. Geoff Wang
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, United States
| | - Tonggui Wu
- East China Coastal Forest Ecosystem Long-term Research Station, Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou, China
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Duan X. Stoichiometric characteristics of woody plant leaves and responses to climate and soil factors in China. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291957. [PMID: 37733819 PMCID: PMC10513206 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The main research content of the field of ecological stoichiometry is the energy of various chemical elements and the interaction between organisms and the environment throughout ecological processes. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the main elements required for the growth and development of plants and these also form the constituent basis of biological organisms. Both elements interact and jointly regulate the growth and development of plants, and their element ratios are an indication of the nutrient utilization rate and nutrient limitation status of plants. Previous research developed a general biogeography model of the stoichiometric relationship between nitrogen and phosphorus in plant leaves on a global scale. Further, it was shown that the relative rate of nitrogen uptake by leaves was lower than that of phosphorus, and the scaling exponent of nitrogen and phosphorus was 2/3. However, it is not clear how the stoichiometric values of nitrogen and phosphorus, especially their scaling exponents, change in the leaves of Chinese woody plants in response to changing environmental conditions. Therefore, data sets of leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, and nitrogen to phosphorus ratios in Chinese woody plants were compiled and classified according to different life forms. The overall average concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in leaves were 20.77 ± 8.12 mg g-1 and 1.58 ± 1.00 mg g-1, respectively. The contents of nitrogen and phosphorus in leaves of deciduous plants were significantly higher than those of evergreen plants. In leaves, life form is the main driving factor of nitrogen content, and mean annual temperature is the main driving factor of phosphorus content; soil available nitrogen is the main driving factor of the nitrogen to phosphorus ratio. These values can be used for comparison with other studies. In addition, the scale index was found to be significantly different among different life forms. The scaling exponents of N-P of woody plants of different life forms, such as trees, shrubs, evergreen, deciduous, and coniferous plants are 0.67, 0.72, 0.63, 0.72, and 0.66, respectively. The N-P scaling exponent of shrubs was higher than that of trees, and that of deciduous plants was higher than that of evergreen plants. These results suggest that the internal attributes of different life forms, the growth rate related to phosphorus, and the relative nutrient availability of soil are the reasons for the unsteady relationship between nitrogen and phosphorus in leaves.
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Bai L, Wang J, Wang Z, Li Z, Ren H, Wang H, Zhang G, Han G. Effects of simulated precipitation gradients on nutrient resorption in the desert steppe of northern China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1211182. [PMID: 37711301 PMCID: PMC10499040 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1211182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Background Changes in rainfall induced by climate change will likely influence the utilization of water resources and affect the nutrient cycle in plants in the water-limited desert steppe. In order to understand the response of nitrogen and phosphorus resorption characteristics of plant leaves to precipitation changes, this study compared the nitrogen (N) resorption efficiency, phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency and influencing factors of plants in a desert steppe through water treatment experiments. Methods A 4-year field experiment was performed to examine the response and influencing factors of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus resorption efficiency of five dominant plants in Stipa breviflora desert steppe to simulated precipitation change in Inner Mongolia, with four simulated precipitation gradients including reducing water by 50%, natural precipitation, increasing water by 50%, increasing water by 100%. Results Compared with natural precipitation, increasing water by 100% significantly increased soil moisture, and significantly increased the aboveground biomass of S. breviflora, C. songorica, A. frigida, decreased the N concentrations in green leaves of S. breviflora, Cleistogenes songorica, Artemisia frigida, Kochia prostrata, decreased the N concentrations in senesced leaves of C. songorica, decreased the P concentrations in green leaves of K. prostrata and Convolvulus ammannii, decreased the NRE of S. breviflora. NRE was significantly negatively correlated with N concentration in senesced leaves, and PRE was significantly negatively correlated with P concentration in senesced leaves. Conclusions Increasing water indirectly reduces NRE by reducing plant leaf green leaves nitrogen concentration, and decreasing water indirectly reduces PRE by reducing soil moisture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Bai
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and Higher Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and Higher Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Zhongwu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and Higher Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Zhiguo Li
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and Higher Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Haiyan Ren
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and Higher Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Haiming Wang
- Center for Comprehensive Test and Demonstration, Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Guogang Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Guodong Han
- Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
- Key Laboratory of Forage Cultivation, Processing and Higher Efficient Utilization of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
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Chen C, Wang G, Li J, Jia Y, Chen Z. Examination of the negative correlation between leaf δ 15N and the N:P ratio across a northeast-southwest transect in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 885:163843. [PMID: 37137362 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are two crucial limiting mineral elements for terrestrial plants. Although the leaf N:P ratio is extensively used to indicate plant nutrient limitations, the critical N:P ratios cannot be universally applied. Some investigations have suggested that leaf nitrogen isotopes (δ15N) can provide another proxy for nutrient limitations along with the N:P ratio, but the negative relationships between N:P and δ15N were mainly limited to fertilization experiments. It will obviously benefit the study of the nature of nutrient limitations if the relationship could be explained more generally. We analyzed leaf δ15N, N, and P contents across a northeast-southwest transect in China. Leaf δ15N was weakly negatively correlated with leaf N:P ratios for all plants, while there was no correlation between them for various plant groups, including different growth forms, genera, and species across the entire N:P range. This suggests that the use of leaf δ15N in indicating the shift of nutrient limitations across the whole N:P range still requires more validated field investigations. Notably, negative relationships between δ15N and N:P hold for plants with N:P ratios between 10 and 20 but not for plants with N:P ratios lower than 10 or higher than 20. That is, changes in leaf δ15N along with the N:P ratio of plants that are co-limited by N and P can exhibit variations in plant nutrient limitations, whereas plants that are strictly limited by N and P cannot. Moreover, these relationships are not altered by vegetation type, soil type, MAP, or MAT, indicating that the use of leaf δ15N in reflecting shifts in nutrient limitations, depending on the plant nutrient limitation range, is general. We examined the relationships between leaf δ15N and the N:P ratio across an extensive transect, providing references for the widespread use of leaf δ15N in reflecting shifts in nutrient limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongjuan Chen
- School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Guoan Wang
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
| | - Jiazhu Li
- Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China; Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China.
| | - Yufu Jia
- Center for Soil Protection and Landscape Design, Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing 100012, China
| | - Zixun Chen
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
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Wang W, Peng Y, Chen Y, Lei S, Wang X, Farooq TH, Liang X, Zhang C, Yan W, Chen X. Ecological Stoichiometry and Stock Distribution of C, N, and P in Three Forest Types in a Karst Region of China. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2503. [PMID: 37447063 DOI: 10.3390/plants12132503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2023] [Revised: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
Ecological stoichiometry plays important roles in understanding the nutrient constraints on tree growth and development, as well in maintaining ecosystem services in forests, yet the characteristics of carbon:nitrogen:phosphorous (C:N:P) stoichiometry in forests under karst environment have not been sufficiently evaluated. In this study, concentration, distribution, stocks of Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorous (P), and ecological stoichiometry were studied in three common forest types: Masson pine natural forests (MPNF), Masson pine plantation forests (MPPF), and Slash pine plantation forests (SPPF) in a karst region of southwestern China. Results showed that N concentrations were higher in overstory than in understory and litter in the studied forests. However, P concentration was relatively low in overstory component of the forested ecosystems. Meanwhile, the N and P concentrations were higher in SPPF in the stem and litter, while these contents were higher in MPPF and MPNP in the overstory and understory. The N and P stocks ranged from 5.7-6.2 t ha-1, and 0.5-0.6 t ha-1 in the examined forests. The ecological stoichiometry of C:N:P in the three forest types was similar in litter (46-49:2:1), and relatively steady in soil (250-320:13-16:1) and tree leaf (100-200:14-20:1). Soil P status was the primary limiting factor in affecting tree growth in MPPF and SPPF (N:P ratio > 16), while both N and P conditions were the main restrictive factors in MPNP (N:P ratio = 15) in the study area. Our study provides scientific references and useful datasets of C:N:P stoichiometry for sustainable management of forest ecosystems in karst regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wancai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Yuanying Peng
- College of Arts and Sciences, Lewis University, Romeoville, IL 60446, USA
| | - Yazhen Chen
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Shilong Lei
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Xiaojun Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Taimoor Hassan Farooq
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Xiaocui Liang
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Chao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Wende Yan
- College of Life Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, China
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Forest Ecological Technology in Southern China, Changsha 410004, China
| | - Xiaoyong Chen
- College of Arts and Sciences, Governors State University, University Park, IL 60484, USA
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Zhu J, Jiang L, Chen L, Jin X, Xing C, Liu J, Yang Y, He Z. Tree seedling growth allocation of Castanopsis kawakamii is determined by seed-relative positions. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1099139. [PMID: 37332687 PMCID: PMC10272420 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1099139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Plants allocate growth to different organs as a strategy to obtain limiting resources in different environments. Tree seeds that fall from a mother tree settle on, within, or below the forest floor and litter layer, and their relative positions can determine seedling biomass and nutrient allocation and ultimately affect survival to the sapling stage. However, how emerged seedling biomass and nutrients of each organ are affected by seeds in different positions is not yet completely understood in subtropical forests. Therefore, an experiment was conducted with seeds positioned above the litter layers of different thicknesses, on the forest floor, and beneath the litter layer, and the influences of seed position on biomass allocation and nutrient use efficiency of emerged seedlings of Castanopsis kawakamii was examined. The aim of the study was to determine the optimal seed position to promote regeneration. Allocation strategies were well coordinated in the emerged seedlings from different seed positions. Seedlings from seeds positioned above litter layers of different thicknesses (~40 and 80 g of litter) allocated growth to leaf tissue at the expense of root tissue (lower root mass fraction) and increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) accumulation and nutrient use efficiency. Seedlings from seeds positioned beneath a deep litter layer allocated most growth to roots (high root: shoot ratio, root mass fraction) to capture available resources at the expense of leaf growth. Seedlings from seeds positioned on the forest floor allocated most growth to roots to obtain limiting resources. Further, we also found that these traits were clustered into three groups based on trait similarity, and the cumulative interpretation rate was 74.2%. Thus, seed relative positions significantly affected seedling growth by altering the allocation of resources to different organs. The different strategies indicated that root N:P ratios (entropy weight vector was 0.078) and P nutrient use efficiency were essential factors affecting seedling growth in the subtropical forest. Of the seed positions analyzed, beneath a moderate litter layer (~40 g of litter) was the most suitable position for the growth and survival of Castanopsis seedlings. In future studies, field and lab experiments will be combined to reveal the mechanisms underlying forest regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Lyuyi Chen
- Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States
| | - Xing Jin
- Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Cong Xing
- Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Jinfu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Yongchuan Yang
- College of Environment and Ecology, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhongsheng He
- Key Laboratory of Fujian Universities for Ecology and Resource Statistics, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
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Yang X, Ma Y, Zhang J, Bai H, Shen Y. How arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi drives herbaceous plants' C: N: P stoichiometry? A meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 862:160807. [PMID: 36526182 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Plant element stoichiometry is fundamental for preserving growth-related terrestrial ecosystem structures and functions. However, effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) on herbaceous plant element stoichiometry (carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P)) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed at evaluating the potential effects of AMF on herbaceous plant C, N and P concentration and their C:N:P stoichiometry worldwide through a quantitative meta-analysis. We observed that AMF reduced C:P and N:P ratios in the shoot of plants by 35.83 % and 54.23 %, respectively, and in plant root organs by 36.24 % and 46.35 %, respectively. Conversely, C:N ratios increased in roots by 6.61 %. The negative effect of AMF on N:P and C:P ratios in plant shoots and root organs is mainly attributed to the plant benefits in P and N concentrations. AMF impact on plant C:N:P stoichiometry depends on fungal and plant functional group identities and soil nutrient availability. Our results suggest that plant functional group identity affects plant nutrient concentration, which, in turn, controls herbaceous plant C:N:P stoichiometry. Overall, we emphasize the importance of abiotic and biotic environmental factors in changing AMF effects on plant element stoichiometry. Therefore, clarifying the relationship between AMF and herbaceous plant C:N:P stoichiometry will improve our understanding of herbaceous plant stoichiometric variations in terrestrial ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yang
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China; Ningxia Engineering Technology Research Center for Prataculture, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
| | - Yurong Ma
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
| | - Jianjun Zhang
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
| | - Haotian Bai
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China
| | - Yue Shen
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China; Ningxia Engineering Technology Research Center for Prataculture, Yinchuan, Ningxia 750021, China.
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Liu L, Guo Y, Liu X, Yao Y, Qi W. Coordinated variation in root and leaf functional traits of Hippophae rhamnoides treated at different stump heights in feldspathic sandstone areas of Inner Mongolia. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1104632. [PMID: 36866378 PMCID: PMC9971914 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1104632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This study was aimed to clarify the effects of stumping on root and leaf traits as well as the tradeoffs and synergies of decaying Hippophae rhamnoides in feldspathic sandstone areas, and to select the optimal stump height that contributed to the recovery and growth of H. rhamnoides. variations and coordination between leaf traits and fine root traits of H. rhamnoides were studied at different stump heights (0, 10, 15, 20 cm, and no stumping) in feldspathic sandstone areas. All functional traits of the leaves and roots, except the leaf C content (LC) and the fine root C content (FRC), were significantly different among different stump heights. The total variation coefficient was the largest in the specific leaf area (SLA), which is therefore the most sensitive trait. Compared to non-stumping, SLA, leaf N content (LN), specific root length (SRL) and fine root N content (FRN) all improved significantly at stump height of 15 cm, but leaf tissue density (LTD), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio (LC : LN), fine root tissue density (FRTD), fine root dry matter content (FRDMC) and fine root carbon to nitrogen ratio (FRC : FRN) all decreased significantly. The leaf traits of H. rhamnoides at different stump heights follow the leaf economic spectrum, and the fine roots show a similar trait syndrome to the leaves. SLA and LN are positively correlated with SRL and FRN and negatively with FRTD and FRC : FRN. LDMC and LC : LN are positively correlated with FRTD and FRC : FRN, and negatively correlated SRL and RN. The stumped H. rhamnoides changes to the 'rapid investment-return type' resource trade-offs strategy, and the growth rate is maximized at the stump height of 15 cm. Our findings are critical to the prevention and control of vegetation recovery and soil erosion in feldspathic sandstone areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Liu
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yuefeng Guo
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Xiaoyu Liu
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yunfeng Yao
- College of Desert Control Science and Engineering, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Wei Qi
- Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Water Conservancy Development Center, Hohhot, China
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Jiang P, Han X, Liu Z, Fan S, Zhang X. C:N:P stoichiometric variations of herbs and its relationships with soil properties and species relative abundance along the Xiaokai River irrigation in the Yellow River Delta, China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1130477. [PMID: 36794217 PMCID: PMC9923178 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1130477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 01/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Soil salinity is known to affect plant performance and nutrient stoichiometry by altering their ecophysiology, and thus playing a crucial role in determining plant distribution patterns and nutrient cycles in salinized ecosystems. However, there was little consensus on the effects of salinity stress on plant C, N, and P stoichiometries. Moreover, determining the relationships between species relative species abundance and plant C, N, and P stoichiometries can help to understand the different adaptive strategies between the common and rare species as well as the community assembly process. METHODS We determined the plant C, N, P stoichiometries at the community and species levels and the relative abundance of species as well as the corresponding soil properties from five sampling sites along a soil salinity gradient in the Yellow River Delta, China. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION We found that the C concentration of belowground part increased with soil salinity. Meanwhile, plant community N concentration and C:N ratio tended to decrease with soil salinity, whereas the P concentration, C:P, and N:P ratios exhibited the opposite trends. This indicated that N use efficiency increased, while P use efficiency decreased with soil salinity. Moreover, the decreased N:P ratio indicated that N limitation was gradually aggravated along the soil salinity gradient. The soil C:P ratio and P concentration were the major factors of plant C, N, and P stoichiometries in the early growth stage, whereas the soil pH and P concentration were the major factors of plant C, N, and P stoichiometries in the late growth stage. Compared with that of the rare species, the C:N:P stoichiometry of the most common species was medium. Moreover, the intraspecific variations in the aboveground part N:P ratio and belowground part C concentration showed a significant correlation with species' relative abundance, which indicated that higher intraspecific trait variation might facilitate greater fitness and survival opportunities in environments with high heterogeneity. CONCLUSION Our results revealed that the plant community C:N:P stoichiometry and its determining soil properties varied with plant tissues as well as sampling seasons, and emphasized the importance of intraspecific variation in determining the functional response of plant communities to salinity stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peipei Jiang
- Dongying Key Laboratory of Salt Tolerance Mechanism and Application of Halophytes, Dongying Institute, Shandong Normal University, Dongying, China
- Key Lab of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji’nan, China
| | - Xiaojun Han
- Binzhou Yellow River Irrigation Management Service Center, Binzhou, China
| | - Ziyu Liu
- School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Shoujin Fan
- Dongying Key Laboratory of Salt Tolerance Mechanism and Application of Halophytes, Dongying Institute, Shandong Normal University, Dongying, China
- Key Lab of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji’nan, China
| | - Xuejie Zhang
- Dongying Key Laboratory of Salt Tolerance Mechanism and Application of Halophytes, Dongying Institute, Shandong Normal University, Dongying, China
- Key Lab of Plant Stress Research, College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Ji’nan, China
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Liu M, Li Y, Sun L, Du Z, Li W, Zhang L, Wang J, Chen J. Divergent coupling mechanism of precipitation on plant community multifunction across alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 13:1122140. [PMID: 36743555 PMCID: PMC9895794 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1122140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It is essential to understand plant adaptive strategies on plant stoichiometric traits at the species level rather than at the community level under various environmental conditions across the Tibetan Plateau (TP). METHODS Here, plant community function and edaphic and meteorological factors were collected at 111 sites along an extensive water-heat gradient during the peak growing season in 2015. Community-weighted mean trait (CWM) was introduced to illuminating dynamics of the functional trait at the community level. RESULTS Our results indicated that plant functional traits, including CWM-leaf total carbon (CWM_LTC), CWM-leaf total nitrogen (CWM_LTN), and CWM-leaf total phosphorus (CWM_LTP), showed similar and comparatively marked increases from alpine meadow (AM) to alpine steppe (AS). Moreover, since the tightly coordinated variation among each plant functional trait of AM was higher than that of AS, a more stable coupling mechanism of these plant functional traits could be observed in AM under a long-term evolutionary habit. Specifically, there was higher annual mean precipitation (AMP) in AM than that in AS significantly (P < 0.01), and AMP was significantly correlated with soil moisture and soil total phosphorus in AM. Generally, our findings suggest that precipitation determines divergent coupling plant community function in both AS and AM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miao Liu
- College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Le Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ziyin Du
- School of Geographical Sciences, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Wencheng Li
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinniu Wang
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Aarhus University Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Climate Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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Wang W, Zhao J, Xing Z, Wang X. Characteristics and drivers of plant C, N, and P stoichiometry in Northern Tibetan Plateau grassland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1092872. [PMID: 37089650 PMCID: PMC10118023 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1092872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Understanding vegetation C, N, and P stoichiometry helps us not only to evaluate biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functions but also to predict the potential impact of environmental change on ecosystem processes. The foliar C, N, and P stoichiometry in Northern Tibetan grasslands, especially the controlling factors, has been highlighted in recent years. In this study, we have collected 340 plant samples and 162 soil samples from 54 plots in three grassland types, with the purpose of evaluating the foliar C, N, and P stoichiometry and underlying control factors in three grassland types along a 1,500-km east-to-west transect in the Northern Tibetan Plateau. Our results indicated that the averaged foliar C, N, and P concentrations were 425.9 ± 15.8, 403.4 ± 22.2, and 420.7 ± 30.7 g kg-1; 21.7 ± 2.9, 19.0 ± 2.3, and 21.7 ± 5.2 g kg-1; and 1.71 ± 0.29, 1.19 ± 0.16, and 1.59 ± 0.6 g kg-1 in the alpine meadow (AM), alpine steppe (AS), and desert steppe (DS) ecosystems, respectively. The foliar C and N ratios were comparable, with values of 19.8 ± 2.8, 20.6 ± 1.9, and 19.9 ± 5.8 in the AM, AS, and DS ecosystems, respectively. Both the C/P and N/P ratios are the lowest in the AM ecosystem, with values of 252.2 ± 32.6 and 12.8 ± 1.3, respectively, whereas the highest values of 347.3 ± 57.0 and 16.2 ± 3.2 were obtained in the AS ecosystem. In contrast, the soil C, N, C/P, and N/P values decreased from the AM to DS ecosystem. Across the whole transects, leaf C, N, and P stoichiometry showed no obvious trend, but soil C and N concentrations showed an increasing trend, and soil P concentrations showed a decreasing trend with the increasing longitude. Based on the general linear model analysis, the vegetation type was the dominant factor controlling the leaf C, N, and P stoichiometry, accounting for 42.8% for leaf C, 45.1% for leaf N, 35.2% for leaf P, 52.9% for leaf C/N, 39.6% for leaf C/P, and 48.0% for leaf N/P; the soil nutrients and climate have relatively low importance. In conclusion, our results supported that vegetation type, rather than climatic variation and soil nutrients, are the major determinants of north Tibet grassland leaf stoichiometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology in Tibet, Ministry of Education, Xizang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Nyingchi, Tibet, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Wang,
| | - Jiamin Zhao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology in Tibet, Ministry of Education, Xizang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Nyingchi, Tibet, China
| | - Zhen Xing
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi, Tibet, China
| | - Xiangtao Wang
- Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, College of Animal Science, Nyingchi, Tibet, China
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The global spectrum of plant form and function: enhanced species-level trait dataset. Sci Data 2022; 9:755. [PMID: 36477373 PMCID: PMC9729214 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-022-01774-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Here we provide the 'Global Spectrum of Plant Form and Function Dataset', containing species mean values for six vascular plant traits. Together, these traits -plant height, stem specific density, leaf area, leaf mass per area, leaf nitrogen content per dry mass, and diaspore (seed or spore) mass - define the primary axes of variation in plant form and function. The dataset is based on ca. 1 million trait records received via the TRY database (representing ca. 2,500 original publications) and additional unpublished data. It provides 92,159 species mean values for the six traits, covering 46,047 species. The data are complemented by higher-level taxonomic classification and six categorical traits (woodiness, growth form, succulence, adaptation to terrestrial or aquatic habitats, nutrition type and leaf type). Data quality management is based on a probabilistic approach combined with comprehensive validation against expert knowledge and external information. Intense data acquisition and thorough quality control produced the largest and, to our knowledge, most accurate compilation of empirically observed vascular plant species mean traits to date.
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Liang XS, Ma W, Hu JX, Zhang BC, Wang ZW, Lü XT. Extreme drought exacerbates plant nitrogen‑phosphorus imbalance in nitrogen enriched grassland. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 849:157916. [PMID: 35963412 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Revised: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The nitrogen‑phosphorus (N-P) imbalance induced by N enrichment has received increasing concerns, because N:P ratios play a critical role in driving many fundamental ecological processes. Given the simultaneous occurrence of different global change drivers, it is important to understand whether and how would such N-induced N-P imbalance would be mediated by other global change factors. We examined the interactive effects of N addition (10 g N m-2 yr-1) and extreme drought (-66 % rainfall during the growing season) on species- and community-level N:P ratios in both green and senesced leaves in a temperate grassland of northern China. Extreme drought did not alter soil available N:P ratio under ambient N conditions, but increased that under N enriched conditions. Further, extreme drought did not alter the community-level N:P in both green and senesced leaves under ambient N conditions but significantly enhanced that under N enriched conditions. The drought-induced species turnover made a significant positive contribution to the changes in the community-level N:P ratio under N enriched conditions, but not under ambient N conditions. Our results suggest that the N-induced ecosystem N-P imbalance would be exacerbated by extreme drought event, the frequency of which is predicted to increase across global drylands. Such N-P imbalance would have consequences on litter decomposition, nutrient cycling, and the structures of above- and below-ground food webs. Our findings highlighted the complexity in predicting ecosystem N-P imbalance given the interactions between different global change drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Sa Liang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wang Ma
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jia-Xin Hu
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Bing-Chuan Zhang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zheng-Wen Wang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xiao-Tao Lü
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China.
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Liu Q, Chen W, Gao H, Sun Z, Wang Y, Li H. Nutrient budgets drive the changes in shoot N and P concentrations of plants in Inner Mongolia's grasslands over the past 40 years. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 838:156374. [PMID: 35654192 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.156374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The nutrient budgets of grassland ecosystems have been extensively disturbed by human activity. The aims of this study were to quantify nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) budgets, and evaluate their contributions to changes in shoot nutrient concentrations of dominant plants in Inner Mongolia's grasslands over the past 40 years. N and P budgets were assessed using a nutrient budget model based on flowing intensity of nutrients in and out of the grassland. Meta-analysis was then conducted to quantify changes in shoot nutrient concentrations. The N budget remained positive and continued to increase throughout the study period, while enhanced N deposition and increased supplementary feeding dominated N input (76% of the total in 2017). In contrast, the P budget was negative until 2003, and became positive thereafter. The P input was mainly attributed to supplementary feeding (88% of the total in 2017). The mean shoot N concentration in 1979-1986 was 2.25%, while an increase to 2.53% was observed in 2006-2016. In contrast, the mean shoot P concentration was 0.17% in 1979-1991, subsequently leveling off at 0.17% in 2006-2016. The mean shoot N: P ratio basically remain unchanged over time from 16.72 to 15.85. The N surplus caused major increases in the shoot N concentration of the grassland plants; also, the increased P budget to compensate for past P deficiency resulted in no significant change of shoot P concentrations. Consequently, the grassland system had been in the joint N and P co-limitation over the past 40 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Liu
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Weiwei Chen
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Hui Gao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.
| | - Zhi Sun
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Yalan Wang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China
| | - Haigang Li
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Soil Quality and Nutrient Resources, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Ecological Security and Green Development at Universities of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010018, China.
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22
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Ji S, Jiang L, Hu D, Lv G. Impacts of plant and soil stoichiometry on species diversity in a desert ecosystem. AOB PLANTS 2022; 14:plac034. [PMID: 36046781 PMCID: PMC9422082 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plac034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Plant and soil stoichiometric ratios can be used to explain changes in the structural and functional characteristics of plant communities. Exploring the relationships between the stoichiometric ratios and plant diversity is helpful to further elucidate the effects of soil and nutrient constraints on community vegetation. However, such studies remain poorly understood in desert ecosystems. In this study, we analysed the effects of soil moisture and salt content on soil and leaf stoichiometry, species diversity and their relationships in the desert ecosystem of the Ebinur Lake basin. The results showed that: (i) Compared with the low soil moisture and salinity (SW2) environment, the soil and leaf C, N, P contents and soil stoichiometric ratios were larger in the high soil moisture and salinity (SW1) environment, and the leaf stoichiometric ratios were smaller. (ii) In SW1 environment, species diversity was negatively correlated with soil C:N and C:P, but weakly correlated with soil stoichiometric ratios in SW2 environment. In addition, the relationships between it and leaf stoichiometric ratios were reversed in different moisture and salinity environments. (iii) Structural equation modelling showed that leaf C:P, C:N and soil C:P had strong effects on species diversity. This research aims to provide a scientific reference for maintaining plant diversity, vegetation reconstruction and ecosystem restoration in desert areas, and enrich the ecological stoichiometric theory of desert ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suwan Ji
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
| | - Lamei Jiang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, China
| | - Dong Hu
- College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, China
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Biogeographic Patterns of Leaf Element Stoichiometry of Stellera chamaejasme L. in Degraded Grasslands on Inner Mongolia Plateau and Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11151943. [PMID: 35893647 PMCID: PMC9370359 DOI: 10.3390/plants11151943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Plant leaf stoichiometry reflects its adaptation to the environment. Leaf stoichiometry variations across different environments have been extensively studied in grassland plants, but little is known about intraspecific leaf stoichiometry, especially for widely distributed species, such as Stellera chamaejasme L. We present the first study on the leaf stoichiometry of S. chamaejasme and evaluate its relationships with environmental variables. S. chamaejasme leaf and soil samples from 29 invaded sites in the two plateaus of distinct environments [the Inner Mongolian Plateau (IM) and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QT)] in Northern China were collected. Leaf C, N, P, and K and their stoichiometric ratios, and soil physicochemical properties were determined and compared with climate information from each sampling site. The results showed that mean leaf C, N, P, and K concentrations were 498.60, 19.95, 2.15, and 6.57 g kg−1; the average C:N, C:P, N:P, N:K and K:P ratios were 25.20, 245.57, 9.81, 3.13, and 3.21, respectively. The N:P:K-ratios in S. chamaejasme leaf might imply that its growth is restricted by K- or K+N. Moreover, the soil physicochemical properties in the S. chamaejasme-infested areas varied remarkably, and few significant correlations between S. chamaejasme leaf ecological stoichiometry and soil physicochemical properties were observed. These indicate the nutrient concentrations and stoichiometry of S. chamaejasme tend to be insensitive to variations in the soil nutrient availability, resulting in their broad distributions in China’s grasslands. Besides, different homeostasis strength of the C, N, K, and their ratios in S. chamaejasme leaves across all sites were observed, which means S. chamaejasme could be more conservative in their use of nutrients improving their adaptation to diverse conditions. Moreover, the leaf C and N contents of S. chamaejasm were unaffected by any climate factors. However, the correlation between leaf P content and climate factors was significant only in IM, while the leaf K happened to be significant in QT. Besides, MAP or MAT contribution was stronger in the leaf elements than soil by using mixed effects models, which illustrated once more the relatively weak effect of the soil physicochemical properties on the leaf elements. Finally, partial least squares path modeling suggested that leaf P or K contents were affected by different mechanisms in QT and IM regions, suggesting that S. chamaejasme can adapt to changing environments by adjusting its relationships with the climate or soil factors to improve its survival opportunities in degraded grasslands.
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Li T, Zhang Z, Sun J, Fu Z, Zhao Y, Xu W. Seasonal Variation Characteristics of C, N, and P Stoichiometry and Water Use Efficiency of Messerschmidia sibirica and Its Relationship With Soil Nutrients. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.948682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The seasonal dynamic characteristics of C, N, and P stoichiometry and water use efficiency (WUE) of Messerschmidia sibirica and the soil in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) were studied. The correlations of stoichiometric characteristics and WUE between organs of M. sibirica and soil were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) the contents of C, N, and P and their stoichiometric ratios in various organs of M. sibirica varied with seasons. The seasonal dynamics of leaf N:P showed that the degree of nutrient restriction by N decreased in July and increased in September. (2) The contents of C, N, and P, as well as their stoichiometric ratio, showed a high correlation throughout the growing season, with N:P showing a significantly positive correlation among organs and the lowest stoichiometric correlation between leaf and root. (3) C13 stable isotope analysis showed that the WUE of M. sibirica in May was significantly higher than that of other months (July and September). The WUE had a significantly positive correlation with leaf C and N content and a significantly negative correlation with leaf C:N, indicating that M. sibirica can compensate for the decline in N use efficiency through the improvement of WUE. The structural equation model (SEM) showed that the leaf N and P contents were affected by the joint effect of season and WUE, and the leaf C content was mainly directly affected by WUE. (4) Redundancy analysis (RDA) analysis showed that soil P content and soil N:P were the main factors affecting the variation of stoichiometry and WUE in various organs of M. sibirica. This study is helpful to deeply understand the adaptive mechanism of plant nutrient and water use, which provides a theoretical basis for vegetation protection and restoration in the study area.
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Xu M, Zhao Z, Zhou H, Ma L, Liu X. Plant Allometric Growth Enhanced by the Change in Soil Stoichiometric Characteristics With Depth in an Alpine Meadow Under Climate Warming. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:860980. [PMID: 35615124 PMCID: PMC9125202 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.860980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The effects of global warming have warmed the climate of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) leading to changes in plant growth and soil nutrients in the alpine meadows. However, few studies have addressed the effects of warming on plant allometric growth and soil stoichiometry in these meadows on a long-term scale. Therefore, the effects of soil stoichiometry on plant allometric growth remain unclear under long-term warming in the alpine meadows. This study adopted infrared radiators to conduct an 8-year warming experiment in a permafrost region on the QTP starting in 2010, and surveyed growth indices of the plant community during the growing season. Soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and total phosphorus (P) in an alpine meadow were measured. We initially learned that the aboveground part of the alpine meadow vegetation in the warming treatment changed from an isometric to an allometric growth pattern while the allometric growth pattern of the belowground part was further strengthened. Second, the contents of soil C, N, and P decreased at the 0-20 cm depth and increased at the 20-30 cm depth in warming. The ratios of soil C:N, C:P, and N:P showed increasing trends at different soil depths with artificial warming, and their amplitudes increased with soil depths. Warming promoted the migration of soil stoichiometric characteristics of C, N, and P to deep soil. Finally, the correlations of plant growth with soil stoichiometric characteristics were weakened by warming, demonstrating that the downward migration of soil stoichiometric characteristics to deep soil in warming had effects on the growth of vegetation in the alpine meadow. It concludes that the change in soil stoichiometric characteristics with soil depths promotes plant allometric growth in the alpine meadow under climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manhou Xu
- Institute of Geographical Science, Taiyuan Normal University, Jinzhong, China
- Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology of Cold Area in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Zitong Zhao
- Institute of Geographical Science, Taiyuan Normal University, Jinzhong, China
| | - Huakun Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology of Cold Area in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Li Ma
- Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology of Cold Area in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
| | - Xiaojiao Liu
- Institute of Geographical Science, Taiyuan Normal University, Jinzhong, China
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Guo Z, Chen W, Chen Q, Liu X, Hong S, Zhu X, Gong H. Biomass distribution pattern and stoichiometric characteristics in main shrub ecosystems in Central Yunnan, China. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13005. [PMID: 35251784 PMCID: PMC8893025 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND With the exacerbating effects of the global climate change and the more and more attention to the study of plant carbon sink, an increasing number of researches on plant carbon sinks has grown. Although many studies exist on shrub vegetation, soil and litters, most studies focus on the community structure, biomass, surface soil of single plant and shrub layer vegetation, and lack the studies which included the potential relationships between climate change and ecological stoichiometric elements, comprehensive research on main species, even herb and litter layer. In order to provide relevant theoretical basis and data support, it is necessary to take the main terrestrial shrub ecosystem in Central Yunnan as the starting point to analyze and explore its carbon sink distribution characteristics, formation causes, the correlation between climatic factors (temperature and precipitation) and stoichiometric elements, which from community and species levels. METHODS Plants which originated from 12 main shrub species, litter and soil samples which collected in 69 plots were from 23 plots (Q1-Q23) of 11 cities (countries) in the central Yunnan, China. The biomass and carbon density distribution pattern of each shrub ecosystem and the potential correlations with main climate factors was explored and identified. Some indexes were analyzed such as biomass and carbon density of each part of the shrub ecosystem distribution pattern, correlation, significant changes, formation reasons with the mean value (±standard deviation: SD). Through the redundancy analysis(RDA) of carbon (c), nitrogen (n), phosphorus (P) and main climate factors (precipitation and temperature), the distribution pattern of stoichiometric elements in shrub ecosystem can be judged. RESULTS (1) The above-ground biomass (AGB), under-ground biomass (UGB) and root-shoot ratio (R/S) were between 1.13-2.03 t/hm2, 0.62-1.49 t/hm2, and 0.38-0.84, the carbon element was distributed in herb layer under-ground part and rhizomes of the shrub layer mostly. (2) The fitting slope of AGB and UGB of shrub communities and species was in accordance with the allometric distribution growth relationship, the R/S of shrubs was smaller than other vegetation types. Mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) are not the main factors which affect the biomass and R/S. (3) The contents of C, N and P elements in leaves were significantly higher than other parts in shrub layer. P in shrub layer above-ground part is much higher than under-ground part. The surface soil layer has the highest C content, and decreased with the depth, so as the impact of vegetation and litter on the content of soil elements. Both of the correlation of MAT with N content of leaf, C/N of stem, the correlation of MAP with C content, C/N of soil is the greatest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zihao Guo
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Chen
- College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Qianwei Chen
- Green Development Research Institute, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xingyue Liu
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Sisi Hong
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiuwen Zhu
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hede Gong
- School of Geography and Ecotourism, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, People’s Republic of China
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Sun L, Yang G, Zhang Y, Qin S, Dong J, Cui Y, Liu X, Zheng P, Wang R. Leaf Functional Traits of Two Species Affected by Nitrogen Addition Rate and Period Not Nitrogen Compound Type in a Meadow Grassland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:841464. [PMID: 35295632 PMCID: PMC8918929 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.841464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Plasticity of plant functional traits plays an important role in plant growth and survival under changing climate. However, knowledge about how leaf functional traits respond to the multi-level N addition rates, multiple N compound and duration of N application remains lacking. This study investigated the effects of 2-year and 7-year N addition on the leaf functional traits of Leymus chinensis and Thermopsis lanceolata in a meadow grassland. The results showed that the type of N compounds had no significant effect on leaf functional traits regardless of duration of N application. N addition significantly increased the leaf total N content (LN) and specific leaf area (SLA), and decreased the leaf total P content (LP) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) of the two species. Compared with short-term N addition, long-term N addition increased LN, LP, SLA, and plant height, but decreased the LDMC. In addition, the traits of the two species were differentially responsive to N addition, LN and LP of T. lanceolata were consistently higher than those of L. chinensis. N addition would make L. chinensis and T. lanceolata tend to "quick investment-return" strategy. Our results provide more robust and comprehensive predictions of the effects of N deposition on leaf traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Sun
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Guojiao Yang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Siqi Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Jibin Dong
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Yangzhe Cui
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiao Liu
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Peiming Zheng
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
| | - Renqing Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Shandong University, Jinan, China
- Qingdao Forest Ecology Research Station of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Qingdao, China
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Estimating Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents of West–East Grassland Transect in Inner Mongolia Based on Sentinel-2 and Meteorological Data. REMOTE SENSING 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/rs14020242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Estimating the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents of a large-span grassland transect is essential for evaluating ecosystem functioning and monitoring biogeochemical cycles. However, the field measurements are scattered, such that they cannot indicate the continuous gradient change in the grassland transect. Although remote sensing methods have been applied for the estimation of nutrient elements at the local scale in recent years, few studies have considered the effective estimation of C, N, and P contents over large-span grassland transects with complex environment including a variety of grassland types (i.e., meadow, typical grassland, and desert grassland). In this paper, an information enhancement algorithm (involving spectral enhancement, regional enhancement, and feature enhancement) is used to extract the weak information related to C, N, and P. First, the spectral simulation algorithm is used to enhance the spectral information of Sentinel-2 imagery. Then, the enhanced spectra and meteorological data are fused to express regional characteristics and the fractional differential (FD) algorithm is used to extract sensitive spectral features related to C, N, and P, in order to construct a partial least-squares regression (PLSR) model. Finally, the C, N, and P contents are estimated over a West–East grassland transect in Inner Mongolia, China. The results demonstrate that: (i) the contents of C, N, and P in large-span transects can be effectively estimated through use of the information enhancement method involving spectral enhancement, regional feature enhancement, and information enhancement, for which the estimation accuracies (R2) were 0.88, 0.78, and 0.85, respectively. Compared with the estimation results of raw Sentinel-2 imagery, the RMSE was reduced by 3.42 g/m2, 0.14 g/m2, and 13.73 mg/m2, respectively; and (ii) the continuous change trend and spatial distribution characteristics of C, N, and P contents in the west–east transect of the Inner Mongolia Plateau were obtained, which showed decreasing trends in C, N, and P contents from east to west and the characteristics of meadow > typical grassland > desert grassland. Thus, the information enhancement algorithm can help to improve estimates of C, N, and P contents when considering large-span grassland transects.
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Tao Y, Qiu D, Gong YM, Liu HL, Zhang J, Yin BF, Lu HY, Zhou XBB, Zhang YM. Leaf-root-soil N:P stoichiometry of ephemeral plants in a temperate desert in Central Asia. JOURNAL OF PLANT RESEARCH 2022; 135:55-67. [PMID: 34762207 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-021-01355-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Ephemeral plants are a crucial vegetation component in temperate deserts of Central Asia, and play an important role in biogeochemical cycle and biodiversity maintenance in desert ecosystems. However, the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) status and interrelations of leaf-root-soil of ephemeral plants remain unclear. A total of 194 leaf-root-soil samples of eight ephemeral species at 37 sites in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China were collected, and then the corresponding N and P concentrations, and the N:P ratio were measured. Results showed that soil parameters presented no significant difference among the eight species. The total soil N:P was only 0.116 (geomean), indicating limited soil N, while the available soil N:P (4.896, geomean) was significantly larger than the total N:P. The leaf N (averagely 30.995 mg g-1) and P (averagely 1.523 mg g-1) concentrations were 2.64-8.46 and 0.93-3.99 times higher than the root N (averagely 8.014 mg g-1) and P (averagely 0.802 mg g-1) concentrations, respectively. Thus, leaf N:P (averagely 21.499) was 1.410-2.957 times higher than root N:P (averagely 11.803). Meanwhile, significant interspecific differences existed in plant stoichiometric traits. At the across-species level, N content scaled as the 3/4-power of P content in both leaves and roots. Leaf and root N:P ratios were mainly influenced by P; however, the leaf-to-root N or P ratio was dominated by roots. Leaf and root N, P contents and N:P were generally unrelated to soil nutrients, and the former presented lower variation than the latter, indicating a strong stoichiometric homeostasis for ephemerals. These results demonstrate that regardless of soil nutrient supply capacity in this region, the fast-growing ephemeral plants have formed a specific leaf-root-soil stoichiometric relation and nutrient use strategy adapting to the extreme desert environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Dong Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yan-Ming Gong
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hui-Liang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Ben-Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Hai-Ying Lu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, No. 159 Longpan Road, Nanjing, 210042, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Xiao-Bing B Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China.
| | - Yuan-Ming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi, 830011, Xinjiang, China.
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Qin Y, Liu W, Zhang X, Adamowski JF, Biswas A. Leaf Stoichiometry of Potentilla fruticosa Across Elevations in China's Qilian Mountains. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:814059. [PMID: 35283932 PMCID: PMC8907977 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.814059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
As an individual plant species can develop its own leaf stoichiometry to adapt to environmental changes, this stoichiometry can provide critical information about a plant species' growth and its potential management in the ecosystem housing it. However, leaf stoichiometry is largely undocumented in regions with large environmental changes arising from differences in elevation. The leaf stoichiometry of Potentilla fruticosa L., a major alpine shrub playing an important role in supporting ecosystem functions and services in China's Qilian Mountains (Northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau), was investigated at different elevations (2,400, 2,600, 2,800, 3,000, 3,200, 3,500, and 3,800 m). At each elevation, leaf elemental (C, N, and P) concentrations were measured in P. fruticosa leaves sampled from three plots (10 × 10 m), and edaphic properties were assessed in nine quadrats (1 × 1 m, three quadrats per plot). Temperature and precipitation were calculated using an empirical formula. Maximum and minimum leaf carbon (C) concentrations ([C] leaf ) of 524 ± 5.88 and 403 ± 3.01 g kg-1 were measured at 2,600 and 3,500 m, respectively. Leaf nitrogen (N) concentration ([N] leaf ) showed a generally increasing trend with elevation and peaked at 3,500 m (27.33 ± 0.26 g kg-1). Leaf phosphorus (P) concentration ([P] leaf ) varied slightly from 2,400 to 3,200 m and then dropped to a minimum (0.60 ± 0.10 g kg-1) at 3800 m. The [C] leaf :[N] leaf , [C] leaf :[P] leaf , and [N] leaf :[P] leaf varied little from 2,400 to 3,000 m but fluctuated somewhat at higher elevations. The main factors affecting P. fruticosa leaf stoichiometry were soil organic C, pH, and soil total P, and the main limiting element for the growth of P. fruticosa in the study area was P. In conclusion, changes in elevation affected leaf stoichiometry of P. fruticosa mainly due to altered soil properties, and addressing phosphorus limitation, especially at higher elevations mainly due to losses caused by high precipitation and sparse vegetation, is a key measure to promote P. fruticosa growth in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanyan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institution of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Qilian Mountains Eco-environment Research Center in Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institution of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Qilian Mountains Eco-environment Research Center in Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Liu,
| | - Xiaofang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institution of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jan F. Adamowski
- Department of Bioresource Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
| | - Asim Biswas
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
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Su Y, Cui B, Luo Y, Wang J, Wang X, Ouyang Z, Wang X. Leaf Functional Traits Vary in Urban Environments: Influences of Leaf Age, Land-Use Type, and Urban–Rural Gradient. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.681959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of studies have focused on the response and adaptation of plants to urbanization by comparing differences in leaf functional traits between urban and rural sites. However, considerable uncertainties remain because differences in land-use type have not frequently been taken into account when assessing the effect of urbanization on leaf traits. In this study, we sampled the needles of Chinese pine (Pinus tabuliformis Carr.) in areas with three land-use types (roadsides, parks, and neighborhoods) along an urban–rural gradient in Beijing, China to determine the effect of urbanization on leaf functional traits. There were significant differences in the values of leaf functional traits between the needles of the current and previous year and across land-use types. Pines growing on roadsides had leaves with smaller length, width, and area, as well as lower stomatal density, compared with those growing in parks and neighborhoods. This implies that on roadsides, plant capacity to acquire resources (e.g., light and carbon dioxide) was degraded. Stomatal density, leaf width, and leaf P concentration increased with increasing distance from the city center, while leaf K concentration decreased with increasing distance from the city center. Importantly, there were significant differences in the urban–rural gradient of leaf functional traits between leaves of different ages, and across land-use types. Leaf age was the most important factor influencing leaf nutrient traits, while land-use type was the most important factor influencing leaf morphological traits in urban environments. Thus, considering the effects of the plant characteristic and land-use type on traits is important for assessing the urban–rural gradients of plant functional traits.
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32
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Fan J, Liu T, Liao Y, Li Y, Yan Y, Lu X. Distinguishing Stoichiometric Homeostasis of Soil Microbial Biomass in Alpine Grassland Ecosystems: Evidence From 5,000 km Belt Transect Across Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:781695. [PMID: 34925425 PMCID: PMC8675581 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.781695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The biogeographic characteristics of soil microbial biomass stoichiometry homeostasis and also its mechanisms are commonly thought to be key factors for the survival strategies and resource utilization of soil microbes under extreme habitat. In this work, we conducted a 5,000-km transect filed survey in alpine grassland across Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in 2015 to measure soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and nitrogen (MBN) across alpine steppe and meadow. Based on the differences of climate and soil conditions between alpine steppe and meadow, the variation coefficient was calculated to investigate the homeostatic degree of MBC to MBN. Furthermore, the "trade-off" model was utilized to deeply distinguish the homeostasis degree of MBC/MBN between alpine steppe and meadow, and the regression analysis was used to explore the variability of trade-off in response to environmental factors in the alpine grassland. The results showed that the coefficient of variation (CV) of MBC/MBN in alpine meadow (CV = 0.4) was lower than alpine steppe (CV = 0.7). According to the trade-off model, microbial turnover activity of soil N relative to soil C increased rapidly and then decreased slightly with soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), and soil water content across alpine meadow. Nevertheless, in alpine steppe, SOC/STN had a positive effect on microbial turnover of soil N. These results suggested that water, heat, and soil nutrients availability were the key factors affecting the C:N stoichiometry homeostasis of soil microbial biomass in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP)'s alpine grassland. Since the difference of survival strategy of the trade-off demands between soil C and N resulting in different patterns and mechanism, the stoichiometry homeostasis of soil microbial biomass was more stable in alpine meadow than in alpine steppe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jihui Fan
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Tianyuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Liao
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yiying Li
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Yan
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
| | - Xuyang Lu
- Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
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33
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Pang Y, Tian J, Liu L, Han L, Wang D. Coupling of different plant functional group, soil, and litter nutrients in a natural secondary mixed forest in the Qinling Mountains, China. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:66272-66286. [PMID: 34333746 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-15632-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Soil and litter play important roles in ecosystem nutrient storage and cycling, which both affect plant growth and ecosystem productivity. However, the potential linkages between soil and litter nutrient characteristics and nutrient characteristics of different plant functional groups (PFGs) remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations and stoichiometric ratios in different organs of three PFGs (trees, shrubs, and herbs), litter, and soil in nine natural secondary mixed forests in the Qinling Mountains. Leaves N and P concentrations and N:P ratios, varied from 15.6 to 18.97 mg·g-1, 1.86 to 2.01 mg·g-1, and 7.34 to 8.72, were highest at the organ level, whereas the C:N and C:P values were lowest in leaves. At the PFG level, N and P concentrations of herbaceous were 1.23 to 3.69 and 1.42 to 1.93 times higher than those in same organs of woody species, while the N:P ratio was significantly lower in herb leaves than in tree and shrub leaves. Tree organs had significantly higher C concentrations and C:N and C:P ratios than shrub and herb organs. The leaf N:P ratios of all PFGs were less than 14, suggesting that plant growth was limited by N in the study region. The nutrient contents and stoichiometric ratios in plant organs had different degrees of linkages with those in litter and soil. Soil nutrient characteristics mainly affected (23.9 to 56.4%) the nutrient characteristics of the different PFGs, and litter nutrient characteristics also had important contributions (4.5 to 49.7%) to the nutrient characteristics of PFGs, showing the following order: herbs > trees > shrubs. Our results indicate that the functional difference in plant organs resulted in diverse nutrient concentrations; and varied nutrient connections exist among different ecosystem components. Furthermore, nutrient characteristics of litter and soil can together affect the nutrient characteristics of PFGs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Pang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jing Tian
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lanxin Liu
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Lina Han
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China
| | - Dexiang Wang
- College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100, Shaanxi, China.
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Wang F, Tang J, Li Z, Xiang J, Wang L, Tian L, Jiang L, Luo Y, Hou E, Shao X. Warming reduces the production of a major annual forage crop on the Tibetan Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 798:149211. [PMID: 34375235 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming has been proposed to increase primary production of natural grasslands in cold regions. However, how climate warming affects the production of artificial pastures in cold regions remains unknown. To address this question, we used open-top chambers to simulate warming in a major artificial pasture (forage oat) on the cold Tibetan Plateau for three consecutive years. Surprisingly, climate warming decreased aboveground and belowground biomass production by 23.1%-44.8% and 35.0%-46.5%, respectively, without a significant impact on their ratio. The adverse effects on biomass production could be attributed to the adverse effects of high-temperatures on leaf photosynthesis through increases in water vapor pressure deficit (by 0.05-0.10 kPa), damages to the leaf oxidant system, as indicated by a 46.6% increase in leaf malondialdehyde content, as well as reductions in growth duration (by 4.7-6.7 days). The adverse effects were also related to exacerbated phosphorus limitation, as indicated by decreases in soil available phosphorus and plant phosphorus concentrations by 31.9%-40.7% and 14.3%-49.4%, respectively, and increases in the plant nitrogen: phosphorus ratio by 19.2%-108.3%. The decrease in soil available phosphorus concentration could be attributed to reductions in soil phosphatase activities (by 9.6%-18.5%). The findings of this study suggest an urgent need to advance agronomic techniques and cultivate more resilient forage genotypes to meet the increasing demand of forage for feeding livestock and to reduce grazing damage to natural grasslands on the warming-sensitive Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Agricultural, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiwang Tang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Agricultural, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhaolei Li
- College of Resources and Environment, Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jie Xiang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Agricultural, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Liwei Wang
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Agricultural, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Tian
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Agricultural, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Lifen Jiang
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, USA
| | - Enqing Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Xiaoming Shao
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Organic Agricultural, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China; Engineering and Technology Research Center for Prataculture on the Xizang Plateau, Lhasa, China.
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35
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Jiang X, Jia X, Gao S, Jiang Y, Wei N, Han C, Zha T, Liu P, Tian Y, Qin S. Plant Nutrient Contents Rather Than Physical Traits Are Coordinated Between Leaves and Roots in a Desert Shrubland. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:734775. [PMID: 34764966 PMCID: PMC8576145 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.734775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Although leaf economics spectrum (LES) has been extensively tested with regional and global datasets, the correlation among functional traits of desert plants remains largely unclear. Moreover, examinations on whether and how leaf and root traits are coordinated have yielded mixed results. We investigated variations in leaf and fine-root traits across 48 species in a desert community of northern China to test the hypotheses that (1) the leaf-trait syndrome of plant species in desert shrublands follows the predictions of the global LES, and is paralleled by a similar root-trait syndrome, (2) functional traits related to nutrient contents and resource uptake are tightly coordinated between leaves and fine roots in desert ecosystems where plant growth is limited primarily by dry and nutrient-poor conditions, and (3) traits as well as their relationships vary among functional groups. Our results partially supported the LES theory. Specific leaf area (SLA) was correlated with leaf tissue density, phosphorus content, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, but not with leaf nitrogen content. Specific root length (SRL) was not correlated with other fine-root traits, and fine-root traits were largely independent of each other. Therefore, fine-root traits did not mirror the leaf-trait syndrome. Fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus contents, nitrogen-to-phosphorous ratio, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio all increased with analogous leaf traits, whereas SRL was not correlated with SLA. After phylogenetic effects were considered, nutrient contents and their ratios still displayed stronger coordination between leaves and fine roots than did SRL and SLA. The overall pattern of trait variations and relationships suggested differentiation among functional groups. Our results suggest that despite the absence of a root-trait syndrome, fine-root functions in the studied desert community were probably coordinated with leaf functions with respect to nutrient allocation and use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Jiang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Jia
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shengjie Gao
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yan Jiang
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Ningning Wei
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Cong Han
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianshan Zha
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Peng Liu
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yun Tian
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shugao Qin
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for Soil and Water Conservation, State Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Navarro T, Hidalgo-Triana N. Variations in Leaf Traits Modulate Plant Vegetative and Reproductive Phenological Sequencing Across Arid Mediterranean Shrublands. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:708367. [PMID: 34497623 PMCID: PMC8420881 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.708367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Structural and nutrient traits of a leaf are important for understanding plant ecological strategies (e.g., drought avoidance). We studied the specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon content (LCC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), leaf phosphorous content (LPC), and the phenophase sequence index (PSI) in 126 Mediterranean perennial species from predesert (SMS) and semiarid (SaMS) to subalpine (SAS), alpine cushion (AcS), and oro-Mediterranean (AjS) shrublands, which represent eight functional groups (evergreen and deciduous trees, evergreen large and half shrubs, deciduous large and half shrubs, succulents and perennial herbs). We analyzed the variation and relationships between leaf traits and PSI among shrublands, functional groups, and within species with drought-avoidance mechanisms. SLA variation of 20-60% could be ascribed to differences between functional groups and only 38-48% to different shrublands increasing from the predesert to the alpine. Alpine species display low PSI and N:P and high SLA, LNC, LPC, LCC, and C:N. On the contrary, predesert and semiarid showed high PSI and low SLA. SLA mediates the vegetative and reproductive phenological plant sequencing, high SLA is often associated with the overlapping in growth and reproductive phenophases with a seasonal reduction of vegetative growth, whereas low SLA is associated with vegetative and reproductive sequencing and a seasonal extension of vegetative growth. Species with drought-avoidance mechanisms (e.g., semideciduous species) contribute to an increase in the mean values of the SLA and LNC because these species show similar leaf and phenological patterns as the deciduous (high SLA and LNC and low PSI). The N:P indicates that only the alpine shrublands could present P limitations. The positive correlations between SLA and LPC and LNC and LPC (leaf economic spectrum) and the negative correlation between SLA and C:N were consistently maintained in the studied arid Mediterranean shrublands.
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Liu AN, Zhang Y, Hou ZF, Hui Lü G. Allometric scaling of biomass with nitrogen and phosphorus above- and below-ground in herbaceous plants varies along water-salinity gradients. AOB PLANTS 2021; 13:plab030. [PMID: 34646433 PMCID: PMC8500215 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Biomass allocation affects the ability of plants to acquire resources and nutrients; a limited allocation of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, affects ecological processes. However, little research has been conducted on how plant allocation patterns change and on the trade-offs involved in allocation strategies when microhabitat gradients exist. We selected a 3.6 km transect in the Ebinur Lake Wetland Natural Reserve of Xinjiang, China, to investigate the relationships between plant traits (biomass and N and P concentrations) of herbaceous plants and environmental factors (soil moisture, salinity and nutrient content), and to determine the allometric scaling of biomass and stoichiometric traits between the above- and below-ground plant parts. The results show that the biomass and stoichiometric traits of plants reflected both the change of micro-environment and the natural characteristics of plants. With a decrease of the soil water availability and salinity, above- and below-ground N and P concentrations decrease gradually; scaling relationships exist between above- and below-ground plant parts, for biomass and N and P concentrations. Biomass allocation is influenced by soil nutrient ratios, and the allocation strategy tended to be conserved for N and variable for P. Second, the scaling relationships also show interspecific differences; all scaling exponents of Suaeda prostrata are larger than for other species and indicate a 'tolerance' strategy, while other species tend to increase the below-ground biomass and N and P concentrations, i.e. a 'capture' strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- An Na Liu
- Institute of Arid Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Education Ministry, Urumqi 830046, China
- Institute of Resources and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 8300462, China
- College of Science, Shihezi University, Shehezi 832003, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Institute of Arid Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Education Ministry, Urumqi 830046, China
- Institute of Resources and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 8300462, China
| | - Zhu Feng Hou
- Institute of Arid Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Education Ministry, Urumqi 830046, China
- Institute of Resources and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 8300462, China
| | - Guang Hui Lü
- Institute of Arid Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Education Ministry, Urumqi 830046, China
- Institute of Resources and Environment Sciences, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 8300462, China
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The Variation in the Stoichiometric Characteristics of the Leaves and Roots of Karst Shrubs. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12070852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Currently, vegetation restoration is being implemented in the ecologically fragile karst areas in southwest China; however, the stoichiometry of the dominant shrubs and their relationship with the environmental factors in the degraded habitats is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the stoichiometry of C, N, and P, their internal correlations, and influencing factors in 23 shrub species in the Huanjiang County in northwest Guangxi Province, China. We found that the mean contents of C, N and P in leaves were higher than those in roots. In addition, the N:P ratio in the leaves was significantly higher than that in the roots, but the opposite was observed for the C:N and C:P ratios. Except for Leaf C and Root C, significant positive or negative correlations were observed across the stoichiometry of the shrub leaves and roots. A factor analysis of variance demonstrated that the differences across species had higher explanatory power than the topography and soil nutrients in terms of the shrub leaf and root stoichiometry. Hence, our results can improve the understanding of the distribution patterns of these vital elements, as well as of the interactions and influencing factors in the different organs of the karst shrubs.
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Yang L, Zhao H, Zuo Z, Li X, Yu D, Wang Z. Generality and Shifts in Leaf Trait Relationships Between Alpine Aquatic and Terrestrial Herbaceous Plants on the Tibetan Plateau. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.706237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant traits mirror both evolutionary and environmental filtering process with universal trait-trait relationships across plant groups. However, plants also develop unique traits precisely to different habitats, inducing deviations of the trait coupling relations. In this study, we aimed to compare the differences in leaf traits and examine the generality and shifts of trait-trait relationships between alpine aquatic and terrestrial herbaceous plants on the Tibetan Plateau, to explore the precise adaptive strategies of aquatic and terrestrial plants for its habitats. We measured mass-based and area-based leaf N and P concentrations, N:P ratios and specific leaf area (SLA) of aquatic and terrestrial herbaceous plants. Standardized major axis analysis were applied to build the correlations for every trait pairs of each plant group, and then to compare the differences in the trait-trait correlations among different plant groups. Leaf Nmass and Pmass of two groups of aquatic plants (emergent and submerged plants) were higher, but N:P ratios were lower than those of two groups of terrestrial plants (sedges and grasses). Submerged plants had extremely high SLA, while grasses had the lowest SLA. Nmass positively correlated with Pmass in three out of four plant groups. The two terrestrial plant groups had positive Nmass-SLA relationships but these two traits coupled weakly in aquatic plants. Pmass showed positive relationships to SLA in three out of four plant groups. Significant shifts of trait-trait relationships between aquatic and terrestrial plants were observed. In general, aquatic plants, especially submerged plants, are characterized by higher SLA, greater leaf nutrientmass than terrestrial plants, tend to pursue fast-return investment strategies, and represent the acquisitive end of leaf economics spectrum. The deviations of trait-trait relationships between different plant groups reveal the precise adaptions of submerged plants to the unique aquatic habitats.
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Tong R, Zhou B, Jiang L, Ge X, Cao Y. Spatial patterns of leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry and nutrient resorption in Chinese fir across subtropical China. CATENA 2021; 201:105221. [PMID: 0 DOI: 10.1016/j.catena.2021.105221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
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Tong R, Zhou B, Jiang L, Ge X, Cao Y, Shi J. Leaf litter carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) across China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
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Wang J, Gao J, Wu Y, Xu B, Shi F, Zhou H, Bisht N, Wu N. Effects of Heterogeneous Environment After Deforestation on Plant Phenotypic Plasticity of Three Shrubs Based on Leaf Traits and Biomass Allocation. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.608663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity among natural plant populations is a species-specific ecological phenomenon of paramount importance that depends on their life forms, development stages, as well as environmental factors. While this phenomenon is broadly understood, it has hardly been observed in nature. This study aimed at understanding phenotypic plasticity and ecological adaptability in three shrubs (Salix etosia, Rubus setchuenensis, and Hydrangea aspera) affected by potential environmental variables after deforesting in sparse Larix spp. forest and tall shrub mixed secondary forests. Soil organic carbon content, total nitrogen content, and available nitrogen content were greater outside the forests, contrary to other measured factors whose availability was higher in the forest interiors. In case of leaf traits and stoichiometric indicators, there were significant interactions of leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter (DW), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf phosphorus content (LPC) between shrub species and heterogeneous environments (P < 0.05) but not for leaf C/N, N/P, and C/P. Principal components analysis (PCA) indicated that soil temperature, pH value, soil carbon content, soil nitrogen content, and MBC and MBN mainly constituted the first component. Summarized results indicated that TB and leaf C/P of S. etosia were significantly correlated with three principal components, but only marginal significant correlations existed between R/S and relevant components. SLA and R/S of R. setchuenensis had marginal significant relationships with independent variables. Both SLA and TB of H. aspera were significantly correlated with three principal components. Based on the pooled values of leaf functional traits and leaf stoichiometric indicators, R. setchuenensis (vining type) had better leaf traits plasticity to adapt to a heterogeneous environment. In descending order, the ranks of biomass allocation plasticity index of three shrubs were H. aspera (bunch type), R. setchuenensis (vining type), and S. etosia (erect type). The highest integrated plasticity values of leaf traits and biomass allocation was observed in H. aspera (bunch type), followed by R. setchuenensis, and by S. etosia with less adaptive plasticity in heterogeneous environments.
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Tao Y, Nuerhailati M, Zhang YM, Zhang J, Yin BF, Zhou XB. Influence of Branch Death on Leaf Nutrient Status and Stoichiometry of Wild Apple Trees (Malus sieversii) in the Western Tianshan Mountains, China. POLISH JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.3161/15052249pje2020.68.4.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ye Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Maziyirea Nuerhailati
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yuan-Ming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Jing Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Ben-Feng Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Xiao-Bing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Beijing Road, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China
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Sun W, Shi F, Chen H, Zhang Y, Guo Y, Mao R. Relationship between relative growth rate and C:N:P stoichiometry for the marsh herbaceous plants under water-level stress conditions. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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45
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Kang X, Li Y, Zhou J, Zhang S, Li C, Wang J, Liu W, Qi W. Response of Leaf Traits of Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Broad-Leaved Woody Plants to Climatic Factors. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:679726. [PMID: 34394139 PMCID: PMC8363248 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.679726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Plant ecologists have long been interested in quantifying how leaf traits vary with climate factors, but there is a paucity of knowledge on these relationships given a large number of the relevant leaf traits and climate factors to be considered. We examined the responses of 11 leaf traits (including leaf morphology, stomatal structure and chemical properties) to eight common climate factors for 340 eastern Qinghai-Tibetan woody species. We showed temperature as the strongest predictor of leaf size and shape, stomatal size and form, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, implying the important role of local heat quantity in determining the variation in the cell- or organ-level leaf morphology and leaf biochemical properties. The effects of moisture-related climate factors (including precipitation and humidity) on leaf growth were mainly through variability in leaf traits (e.g., specific leaf area and stomatal density) related to plant water-use physiological processes. In contrast, sunshine hours affected mainly cell- and organ-level leaf size and shape, with plants developing small/narrow leaves and stomata to decrease leaf damage and water loss under prolonged solar radiation. Moreover, two sets of significant leaf trait-climate relationships, i.e., the leaf/stomata size traits co-varying with temperature, and the water use-related leaf traits co-varying with precipitation, were obtained when analyzing multi-trait relationships, suggesting these traits as good indicators of climate gradients. Our findings contributed evidence to enhance understanding of the regional patterns in leaf trait variation and its environmental determinants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaomei Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yanan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Jieyang Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Shiting Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Chenxi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Juhong Wang
- College of Life Science and Food Technology, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Qi
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Wei Qi,
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Wang Z, Bu H, Wang M, Huang H, Niklas KJ. Allocation Strategies for Seed Nitrogen and Phosphorus in an Alpine Meadow Along an Altitudinal Gradient on the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:614644. [PMID: 33362840 PMCID: PMC7756027 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.614644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) play important roles in many aspects of plant biology. The allocation of N and P in plant vegetative organs (i.e., leaves, stems, and fine roots) is critical to the regulation of plant growth and development. However, how these elements are allocated in seeds is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the N and P allocation strategies of seeds in an alpine meadow along an altitudinal gradient. We measured the seed N and P contents of 253 herbaceous species in 37 families along an altitudinal gradient (2,000-4,200 m) in the east Tibetan alpine meadow. The geometric means of seed N and P concentrations and N:P ratios were 34.81 mg g-1, 5.06 mg g-1, and 6.88, respectively. Seed N and P concentrations varied across major taxonomic groups and among different altitude zones. N:P ratios showed no significant variations among different taxonomic groups with the exception of N-fixing species. The numerical value of the scaling exponent of seed N vs. P was 0.73, thus approaching 3/4, across the entire data set, but varied significantly across major taxonomic groups. In addition, the numerical value of the scaling exponent of N vs. P declined from 0.88 in the high altitude zone to 0.63 in the low altitude zone. These results indicate that the variations in the numerical value of the scaling exponent governing the seed N vs. P scaling relationship varies as a function of major taxonomic groups and among different altitude zones. We speculate that this variation reflects different adaptive strategies for survival and germination in an alpine meadow. If true, the data presented here advance our understanding of plant seed allocation strategies, and have important implications for modeling early plant growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Wang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Haiyan Bu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mingcheng Wang
- Institute for Advanced Study, Chengdu University, Chengdu, China
| | - Heng Huang
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
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Liu H, Li Y, Li S. Cu and Na contents regulate N uptake of Leymus chinensis growing in soda saline-alkali soil. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0243172. [PMID: 33259559 PMCID: PMC7707461 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0243172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Leymus chinensis (L. chinensis) is the dominant plant in the eastern margins of the Eurasian temperate grasslands. It is a very robust species, exhibiting good saline-alkali resistance and stabilizing soil. In this study, 67 soil samples and L. chinensis were collected in western Jilin province, China. The contents of N, P, K, S, Mn, Fe, Zn, Cu and Na were measured, revealing that the growth of L. chinensis was mainly restricted by N based on the stoichiometric N: P ratios of plant. Furthermore, path analysis indicated that N was significantly correlated with K, S, Cu, and Zn. Imbalances in the homeostasis of these four elements may thus constrain N. The homeostasis index of Cu (HCu) in sites with 100%-70% of vegetation cover was only 0.79, it was classified as a sensitive element. However, K, S and Zn, whose concentrations in L. chinensis were significantly related to those of N, exhibited no homeostatic characteristics. These results suggest that when seeking to treat saline-alkali stress, it is important to add fertilizers containing K, S, and Zn to avoid growth limitation. Na+, an ion associated with high soil alkalinity, exhibited weak homeostasis in L. chinensis even in sites with only 40%-10% of vegetation cover. When soil Na exceeded 16000 mg/kg, the homeostasis mechanism of L. chinensis appeared to be overwhelmed, resulting in rapid and probably harmful accumulation of Na. Proper control of N content can alleviate the toxicity of Na stress in L. chinensis and enhance its Na tolerance. Together, these results suggest that combined fertilization with N, K, S, Zn and Cu should be applied to improve grasslands growth. The results of this study can provide a reference basis for sustainable grassland management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongshan Liu
- College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Yuefen Li
- College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Evaluation in Northeast Asia, Ministry of Land and Resources, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Shujie Li
- College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
- * E-mail:
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Wang Z, Zheng F. Ecological stoichiometry of plant leaves, litter and soils in a secondary forest on China's Loess Plateau. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10084. [PMID: 33088618 PMCID: PMC7568494 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological stoichiometry can reveal nutrient cycles in soil and plant ecosystems and their interactions. However, the ecological stoichiometry characteristics of leaf-litter-soil system of dominant grasses, shrubs and trees are still unclear as are their intrinsic relationship during vegetation restoration. This study selected three dominant plant types of grasses (Imperata cylindrica (I. cylindrica) and Artemisiasacrorum (A.sacrorum)), shrubs (Sophora viciifolia (S. viciifolia) and Hippophae rhamnoides (H. rhamnoides)) and trees (Quercus liaotungensis (Q. liaotungensis) and Betula platyphylla (B. platyphylla)) in secondary forest areas of the Chinese Loess Plateau to investigate ecological stoichiometric characteristics and their intrinsic relationships in leaf-litter-soil systems. The results indicated that N concentration and N:P ratios in leaf and litter were highest in shrubland; leaf P concentration in grassland was highest and litter in forestland had the highest P concentration. Soil C, N and P concentrations were highest in forestland (P < 0.05) and declined with soil depth. Based on the theory that leaf N:P ratio indicates nutritional limitation of plant growth, this study concluded that grass and shrub growth was limited by N and P element, respectively, and forest growth was limited by both of N and P elements. The relationships between the N concentration in soil, leaf and litter was not significant (P >0.5), but the soil P concentration was significantly correlated with litter P concentration (P < 0.05). These finding enhance understanding of nutrient limitations in different plant communities during vegetation restoration and provide insights for better management of vegetation restoration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zongfei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fenli Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, China
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Mapping the Forage Nitrogen-Phosphorus Ratio Based on Sentinel-2 MSI Data and a Random Forest Algorithm in an Alpine Grassland Ecosystem of the Tibetan Plateau. REMOTE SENSING 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/rs12182929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Nondestructive and accurate estimating of the forage nitrogen–phosphorus (N:P) ratio is conducive to the real-time diagnosis of nutrient limitation and the formulation of a management scheme during the growth and development of forage. New-generation high-resolution remote sensors equipped with strategic red-edge wavebands offer opportunities and challenges for estimating and mapping forage N:P ratio in support of the sustainable utilization of alpine grassland resources. This study aims to detect the forage N:P ratio as an ecological indicator of grassland nutrient content by employing Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI) data and a random forest (RF) algorithm. The results showed that the estimation accuracy (R2) of the forage N:P ratio model established by combining the optimized spectral bands and vegetation indices (VIs) is 0.49 and 0.59 in the vigorous growth period (July) and the senescing period (November) of forage, respectively. Moreover, Sentinel-2 MSI B9 and B12 bands contributed greatly to the estimation of the forage N:P ratio, and the VIs (RECI2) constructed by B5 and B8A bands performed well in the estimation of the forage N:P ratio. Overall, it is promising to map the spatial distribution of the forage N:P ratio in alpine grassland using Sentinel-2 MSI data at regional scales. This study will be potentially beneficial in implementing precise positioning of vegetation nutrient deficiency and scientific fertilization management of grassland.
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Hao Q, Yang S, Song Z, Li Z, Ding F, Yu C, Hu G, Liu H. Silicon Affects Plant Stoichiometry and Accumulation of C, N, and P in Grasslands. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:1304. [PMID: 33013953 PMCID: PMC7493684 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/11/2020] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Silicon (Si) plays an important role in improving soil nutrient availability and plant carbon (C) accumulation and may therefore impact the biogeochemical cycles of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in terrestrial ecosystems profoundly. However, research on this process in grassland ecosystems is scarce, despite the fact that these ecosystems are one of the most significant accumulators of biogenic Si (BSi). In this study, we collected the aboveground parts of four widespread grasses and soil profile samples in northern China and assessed the correlations between Si concentrations and stoichiometry and accumulation of C, N, and P in grasses at the landscape scale. Our results showed that Si concentrations in plants were significantly negatively correlated (p < 0.01) with associated C concentrations. There was no significant correlation between Si and N concentrations. It is worth noting that since the Si concentration increased, the P concentration increased from less than 0.10% to more than 0.20% and therefore C:P and N:P ratios decreased concomitantly. Besides, the soil noncrystalline Si played more important role in C, N, and P accumulation than other environmental factors (e.g., MAT, MAP, and altitude). These findings indicate that Si may facilitate grasses in adjusting the utilization of nutrients (C, N, and P) and may particularly alleviate P deficiency in grasslands. We conclude that Si positively alters the concentrations and accumulation of C, N, and P likely resulting in the variation of ecological stoichiometry in both vegetation and litter decomposition in soils. This study further suggests that the physiological function of Si is an important but overlooked factor in influencing biogeochemical cycles of C and P in grassland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Hao
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Shilei Yang
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhaoliang Song
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Zichuan Li
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
- Key Laboratory of Recycling and Eco-treatment of Waste Biomass of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fan Ding
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agriculture University, Shenyang, China
| | - Changxun Yu
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Guozheng Hu
- Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Peking, China
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