Relationships between species diversity and C, N and P ecological stoichiometry in plant communities of sub-alpine meadow

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00101

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Our objective was to investigate relationships between species diversity of pasture and C, N and P stoichiometry characteristics of plants at the community level.
Methods This field survey focused on plant nutrient stoichiometry of two-level yields in alpine meadow in Eastern Qilian Mountain, China was conducted in early August 2012. Two survey sites were identified as high-yield grassland and low-yield grassland. At each survey site, two 8 m × 8 m plots were selected and divided into 64 1 m × 1 m subplots. For each subplot, the number of species was counted, and newly matured leaves were randomly selected after collecting the aboveground parts by clipping the plant at the soil surface. The collected leaves were sun-dried in the field and oven-dried at 80 °C to constant weight. All samples were finely ground and passed through a 40-mesh screen. Plant C concentration was analyzed by ash determination, plant N concentration was tested by Kjeldahl acid-digestion method and plant P concentration was analyzed by phosphorus vanadium molybdate yellow colorimetric method. Pearson’s bivariate correlation was used to test the relationship between plant C, N, and P stoichiometric traits and number of species. Two-tailed Student’s t-tests were used to compare plant stoichiometric variables.
Important findings Mean values of plant C, N and P concentrations in high-yield grassland were 53.05%, 1.99%, and 0.22%, respectively, and those in low-yield grassland were 52.51%, 2.28% and 0.19%, respectively. In high-yield grassland, the number of species was significantly positively correlated with plant N concentration and N:P ratio, while significantly negatively correlated with plant C:N ratio. In low-yield grassland, the number of species was significantly negatively correlated with N and P concentrations, but significantly positively correlated with C:N and C:P. Results indicated that the species of high-yield grassland were primarily limited by N concentration and positively correlated with N concentration. However, the species of low-yield grassland was co-limited by N and P concentrations and negatively correlated with N and P concentrations, thus indicating heterogeneity in C, N and P stoichiometry characteristics between high- and low-yield grasslands.

Key words: ecological stoichiometry, high-yield grassland, low-yield grassland, species diversity, sub-alpine meadow

CHEN Jun-Qiang,ZHANG Rui,HOU Yao-Chen,MA Li-Na,DING Lu-Ming,LONG Rui-Jun,SHANG Zhan-Huan. Relationships between species diversity and C, N and P ecological stoichiometry in plant communities of sub-alpine meadow[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2013, 37(11): 979-987.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00101

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2013/V37/I11/979

Figures/Tables 9

References 32

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元素 Element (%)	C	N	P
高产草地 High-yield grassland	53.05 ± 0.53^a	1.99 ± 0.16^b	0.22 ± 0.03^a
低产草地 Low-yield grassland	52.51 ± 1.04^b	2.28 ± 0.22^a	0.19 ± 0.03^b

元素 Element (%)	C	N	P
高产草地 High-yield grassland	53.05 ± 0.53^a	1.99 ± 0.16^b	0.22 ± 0.03^a
低产草地 Low-yield grassland	52.51 ± 1.04^b	2.28 ± 0.22^a	0.19 ± 0.03^b

元素比例 Element ratio	高产草地 High-yield grassland	低产草地 Low-yield grassland
C:N	26.80 ± 2.20^a	23.22 ± 2.26^b
C:P	247.86 ± 45.02^b	283.41 ± 51.70^a
N:P	9.30 ± 1.84^b	12.25 ± 2.21^a

元素比例 Element ratio	高产草地 High-yield grassland	低产草地 Low-yield grassland
C:N	26.80 ± 2.20^a	23.22 ± 2.26^b
C:P	247.86 ± 45.02^b	283.41 ± 51.70^a
N:P	9.30 ± 1.84^b	12.25 ± 2.21^a

研究区域 Research region	C含量 C content (%)		N含量 N content (%)		P含量 P content (%)
研究区域 Research region	样本数 Sample size	平均值 Mean	样本数 Sample size	平均值 Mean	样本数 Sample size	平均值 Mean
亚高山草甸植物群落高产样地(本研究) High-yield grassland in plant community of sub-alpine meadow (in this study)	128	53.05	128	1.99	128	0.22
亚高山草甸植物群落低产样地(本研究) Low-yield grassland in plant community of sub-alpine meadow (in this study)	128	52.51	128	2.28	128	0.19
青藏高原草地植物群落(杨阔等, 2010) Grassland communities of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China (Yang et al., 2010)			133	2.35	133	0.19
中国草地(Han et al., 2005) Chinese grassland (Han et al., 2005)			376	2.331	362	0.183
全球植物(Reich & Oleksyn, 2004) Global plant (Reich & Oleksyn, 2004)			1 251	2.009	923	0.177 2