C, N and P stoichiometric ratios in mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forests in Shennongjia, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2019.0064

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Ecological stoichiometry focuses on the balance of chemical elements in ecological processes, in which the stoichiometric ratios of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are important features of ecological functions. The objectives of this study were to determine the stoichiometric characteristics in different organs and components of mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forests, and to examine the discrepancy in stoichiometric ratios among different components of the ecosystem and plant organs. Methods We measured the concentrations of C, N and P in different plant organs, litter and soil in a mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forest in Shennongjia of Hubei Province, China, and computed the stoichiometric ratios using the biomass-weighted mean method. Important findings The C concentration, C:N and C:P of different components were ranked in the order of plant community > litter > soil, and concentrations of N and P and N:P in the order of litter > plant community > soil. There were little differences in C concentration among various organs, with the coefficient of variation (CV) much lower and less variable than that for N and P concentrations. Both N and P concentrations were highest in leaves with the lowest CV value; N:P was highest in the bark, but with the lowest CV value in branches. Additionally, there were considerable differences in N and P concentrations in leaves between evergreen and deciduous species. Compared with other forest types, this forest had lower C:P and N:P ratios in plant community, higher C:P and N:P ratios in litter, and the C, N and P stoichiometric ratios in soils were consistent with, and the C:N ratio in ecosystem was lower than, that in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests. Our findings demonstrated the patterns of differences among components in stoichiometry using the integral biomass-weighted mean method differ from that using the arithmetic mean method in selective organs. Furthermore, the distribution and homeostasis of C, N and P concentrations and their stoichiometric ratios could be closely related to the physiology of different organs.

Key words: biomass-weighted mean method, organ, plant community, ecosystem, homeostasis

LIU Lu, GE Jie-Lin, SHU Hua-Wei, ZHAO Chang-Ming, XU Wen-Ting, SHEN Guo-Zhen, XIE Zong-Qiang. C, N and P stoichiometric ratios in mixed evergreen and deciduous broadleaved forests in Shennongjia, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2019, 43(6): 482-489.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2019.0064

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2019/V43/I6/482

Figures/Tables 5

References 30

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生态系统组分 Ecosystem component	C (g·kg^-1)	N (g·kg^-1)	P (g·kg^-1)	C:N	C:P	N:P
植物群落 Plant community	470.67	5.51	0.43	85.45	1 087.39	12.72
凋落物 Litter	443.90	12.23	0.46	36.30	958.92	26.42
土壤 Soil	12.94	1.04	0.21	12.45	60.58	4.86

生态系统组分 Ecosystem component	C (g·kg^-1)	N (g·kg^-1)	P (g·kg^-1)	C:N	C:P	N:P
植物群落 Plant community	470.67	5.51	0.43	85.45	1 087.39	12.72
凋落物 Litter	443.90	12.23	0.46	36.30	958.92	26.42
土壤 Soil	12.94	1.04	0.21	12.45	60.58	4.86

器官 Organ	C (g·kg^-1)	N (g·kg^-1)	P (g·kg^-1)	C:N	C:P	N:P
干 Trunk	473.28 (0.03)	3.19 (0.24)	0.30 (0.63)	148.39 (0.23)	1 591.32 (2.11)	10.72 (1.53)
叶 Leaf	474.94 (0.04)	17.29 (0.23)	0.97 (0.26)	27.47 (0.27)	487.33 (0.53)	17.74 (0.61)
枝 Branch	468.74 (0.03)	6.91 (0.25)	0.63 (0.33)	67.83 (0.28)	744.63 (0.38)	10.98 (0.23)
树皮 Bark	462.39 (0.05)	5.69 (0.25)	0.29 (0.40)	81.30 (0.25)	1 592.32 (0.46)	19.59 (0.37)
粗根 Thick root	465.06 (0.03)	3.52 (0.30)	0.28 (0.57)	132.16 (0.29)	1 652.41 (0.44)	12.50 (0.32)
细根 Fine root	467.06(0.04)	5.87 (0.33)	0.38 (0.43)	79.51 (0.33)	1 235.11 (0.38)	15.53 (0.38)

器官 Organ	C (g·kg^-1)	N (g·kg^-1)	P (g·kg^-1)	C:N	C:P	N:P
干 Trunk	473.28 (0.03)	3.19 (0.24)	0.30 (0.63)	148.39 (0.23)	1 591.32 (2.11)	10.72 (1.53)
叶 Leaf	474.94 (0.04)	17.29 (0.23)	0.97 (0.26)	27.47 (0.27)	487.33 (0.53)	17.74 (0.61)
枝 Branch	468.74 (0.03)	6.91 (0.25)	0.63 (0.33)	67.83 (0.28)	744.63 (0.38)	10.98 (0.23)
树皮 Bark	462.39 (0.05)	5.69 (0.25)	0.29 (0.40)	81.30 (0.25)	1 592.32 (0.46)	19.59 (0.37)
粗根 Thick root	465.06 (0.03)	3.52 (0.30)	0.28 (0.57)	132.16 (0.29)	1 652.41 (0.44)	12.50 (0.32)
细根 Fine root	467.06(0.04)	5.87 (0.33)	0.38 (0.43)	79.51 (0.33)	1 235.11 (0.38)	15.53 (0.38)

器官Organ	氮含量 N concentration (g·kg^-1)		磷含量 P concentration (g·kg^-1)
器官Organ	常绿树种 Evergreen tree	落叶树种 Deciduous tree	常绿树种 Evergreen tree	落叶树种 Deciduous tree
干 Trunk	2.67 ± 0.53^a	2.81 ± 0.70^a	0.23 ± 0.11^a	0.25 ± 0.16^a
叶 Leaf	13.66 ± 2.68^a	17.81 ± 3.69^b	0.84 ± 0.19^a	1.06 ± 0.26^b
枝 Branch	6.01 ± 1.45^a	5.39 ± 1.35^a	0.34 ± 0.08^a	0.34 ± 0.15^a
树皮 Bark	6.23 ± 1.32^a	6.82 ± 1.78^a	0.61 ± 0.23^a	0.63 ± 0.20^a
粗根 Thick root	3.34 ± 0.97^a	3.61 ± 1.09^a	0.29 ± 0.17^a	0.30 ± 0.17^a
细根 Fine root	5.18 ± 1.94^a	6.01 ± 1.84^a	0.49 ± 0.24^a	0.38 ± 0.13^b