Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 2015, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (1): 52-62.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2015.0006

Special Issue: 生态化学计量

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Leaf carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry at different growth stages in dominant tree species of a monsoon broad-leaved evergreen forest in Pu’er, Yunnan Province, China

LIU Wan-De1,2, SU Jian-Rong1,2,*(), LI Shuai-Feng1,2, LANG Xue-Dong1,2, ZHANG Zhi-Jun1,2, HUANG Xiao-Bo1,2   

  1. 1Research Institute of Resources Insect, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Kunming 650224, China
    2Pu’er Forest Ecosystem National Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Kunming 650224, China
  • Received:2014-08-25 Accepted:2014-11-06 Online:2015-01-10 Published:2015-01-22
  • Contact: Jian-Rong SU
  • About author:

    # Co-first authors

Abstract: Aims

Our objective was to explore the effect of growth stage on leaf C:N:P stoichiometry in dominant species of a monsoon broad-leaved evergreen forest in Pu’er, Yunnan Province.

Methods

We collected leaves from six dominant species (i.e. Castanopsis hystrix, C. echidnocarpa, Lithocarpus fenestratus, L. truncatus, Schima wallichii and Anneslea fragrans) at different growth stages from seedlings to mature trees. The leaf N, P and C contents were measured. The effects of species, growth stage and their interaction on leaf C, N and P contents and stoichiometry were analyzed by Repeated-Measure ANOVA in SPSS 19.0.

<i>Important findings</i>

The ranges of leaf N, P and C contents and mass ratios of C:N, N:P and C:P in the six species across different growth stages were 7.90-17.72 mg·g-1, 0.34-1.39 mg·g-1, 458.48-516.87 mg·g-1, 28.04- 65.70, 11.41-63.50 and 355.23-1878.17, respectively. The coefficient of variation (CV) for N:P mass ratio ranged between 19.19%-91.65%, with an average of 36.46%; CV for C:P varied between 15.99%-91.60%, with an average of 34.80%; whilst CV for C varied between 1.61%-5.89%, with an average of 3.12%. Factorial analysis of the variation for each variable, with growth stage and species as independent factors, showed that leaf N and C contents and the mass ratios of leaf C:N, N:P and C:P were mainly determined by growth stage, while leaf P content was mainly determined by an interaction between growth stage and species.

Key words: stoichiometry, dominant species, monsoon broad-leaved evergreen forest, interaction, coefficient of variation