Relationships between plant stoichiometry and biomass in an arid-hot valley, Southwest China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2015.0077

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The micro-elemental stoichiometry as well as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) plays an important role in ecosystem process. However, the drivers of the variations in these stoichiometric ratios in plants are less explored in compared with N and P. Plant productivity and plant stoichiometry can response simultaneously to environmental changes, such as water and nutrient supply levels. However, the relationships between the changes in plant stoichiometry and biomass were unclear yet although both of them play important roles in ecosystem functioning. Our object was to investigate the changes in plant stoichiometry (including multiple macro- and micro-elements) and in biomass under different nutrient and water supply. Methods We collected seeds from six grass species in an arid-hot valley and performed a nutrient-water addition experiment in 2012 with a complete factorial design (nutrient × water). The concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn and Mn in different organs and plant biomass were measured. The effects of species, water and nutrient on element concentration and plant biomass were analyzed by three-way ANOVA. Linear regressions were used to test the relationships between changes in plant stoichiometry and changes in biomass after nutrient and water addition. Important findings Nutrient addition increased plant biomass by 32.55% compared with control. High-level water supply increased plant biomass by 31.35% and the combination of nutrient and high-level water addition increased plant biomass by 110.60%. Nutrient, water, species identity and their two-way interactions significantly affected plant biomass. Changes in total plant K:Ca, K:Mg, K:Mn, K:Zn and Mg:Mn were significantly and positively related to changes in plant biomass. The ratio between the concentrations of macro-elements and micro-elements tended to increase with biomass. Species identity and treatment had no effects in most of these relationships, suggesting that the changes in stoichiometry were mostly driven by the variations in biomass. The relationships between changes in stoichiometry and in biomass also occurred in leaves, stems and roots. The covariation between plant stoichiometry and biomass can have profound effects on ecosystem functioning under the global environmental changes.

Key words: ecological stoichiometry, micro-element, macro-element, plasticity, biomass

YAN Bang-Guo,LIU Gang-Cai,FAN Bo,HE Guang-Xiong,SHI Liang-Tao,LI Ji-Chao,JI Zhong-Hua. Relationships between plant stoichiometry and biomass in an arid-hot valley, Southwest China[J]. Chin J Plan Ecolo, 2015, 39(8): 807-815.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2015.0077

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2015/V39/I8/807

Figures/Tables 8

Table 1 Results (F64,7 values) of three-way ANOVAs on the effects of nutrient addition (N), water treatment (W), species identity (S) and their interactions on biomass

	N	W	S	N × W	N × S	W × S	N × W × S
生物量 Biomass	58.876^***	56.373^***	81.222^***	10.269^**	23.014^***	4.025^*	0.073

Fig. 1 Response of plant biomass to nutrient and water treatments (mean ± SE). Hc, Heteropogon contortus; Bp, Bothriochloa pertusa; Cg, Cymbopogon goeringii; Da, Dichanthium annulatum; Sb, Schizachyrium brevifolium; Mr, Melinis repens. For each species different letters denote significant difference in biomass between treatments (p < 0.05).

Table 2 Element concentrations in plants and their coefficients of variation (CV)

	N	P	K	Ca	Mg	Mn	Zn
植物总体 Whole plant
平均值 Mean (mg·g^-1)	9.243	0.718	10.788	4.621	1.707	0.144	0.066
变异系数 CV	0.249	0.173	0.211	0.229	0.138	0.184	0.295
叶片 Leaf
平均值 Mean (mg·g^-1)	13.176	0.885	13.060	6.567	2.098	0.130	0.025
变异系数 CV	0.296	0.325	0.312	0.347	0.327	0.339	0.210
茎干 Stem
平均值 Mean (mg·g^-1)	9.232	0.809	13.290	3.433	1.841	0.197	0.065
变异系数 CV	0.481	0.301	0.270	0.220	0.188	0.169	0.345
根系 Root
平均值 Mean (mg·g^-1)	5.950	0.451	5.528	4.636	1.196	0.091	0.111
变异系数 CV	0.172	0.387	0.312	0.382	0.253	0.527	0.517

Fig. 2 Relationships between response index of whole-plant stoichiometry (Rstoichiometry) and response index of plant biomass (Rbiomass). N, nutrient addition; W, water addition. **, p < 0.01; *, p < 0.05.

Table 3 Coefficients of correlation between response index of plant element concentrations (R) and response index of plant biomass (Rbiomass)

R_biomass	元素含量响应指数 Response index of element concentration
R_biomass	R_N	R_P	R_K	R_Ca	R_Mg	R_Zn	R_Mn
植物总体元素 Whole plant	-0.057	-0.328	0.015	-0.535*	-0.473*	-0.557*	-0.592**
植物叶片元素 Leaf	-0.007	-0.067	0.072	-0.212	-0.216	-0.415	-0.504*
植物茎干元素 Stem	-0.059	-0.180	0.004	-0.206	-0.221	-0.461	-0.357
植物根系元素 Root	0.009	-0.217	-0.137	-0.446	-0.236	-0.236	-0.391

Fig. 3 Relationship between response index of leaf stoich- iometry (Rstoichiometry) and response index of plant biomass (Rstoichiometry). N, nutrient addition; W, water addition.

Fig. 4 Relationship between response index of root stoich- iometry (Rstoichiometry) and response index of plant biomass (Rbiomass). N, nutrient addition; W, water addition.

Fig. 5 Relationship between response index of stem stoich- iometry (Rstoichiometry) and response index of plant biomass (Rbiomass). N, nutrient addition; W, water addition.

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