Temporal variation and resorption of nutrients in plant culms and leaves in Hulun Buir grassland

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2021.0125

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Nutrient resorption in different organs of plants is important for plant nutrient use strategies and elemental biogeochemical cycles. Previous researches on nutrient resorption have focused on leaves, but neglected culms. Additionally, leaves of different species have been collected at the same time during the peak growth stage in previous studies, ignoring the different peak times of nutrient content of different species, which leads to the underestimation of nutrient resorption efficiency.

Methods In order to explore the seasonal variation of nutrients and nutrient resorption efficiency in the culms and leaves of herbaceous plants, 22 common plants in Hulun Buir grassland were chosen as the research objects to determine the temporal dynamics of nutrient content during the growing season, and the resorption efficiency of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in plant culms and leaves.

Important findings The content of N, P in plants had obvious temporal dynamics during the growing season, showing an increasing trend first and then a decreasing trend. For most of the 22 species, the maximum content occurred in the middle and late August, but the peak time differed among different species. The resorption efficiency of N in leaves was higher than in culms, but that of P did not differ between leaves and culms. Nutrient resorption efficiency of plants was closely related to the nutrient content at the senescence stage, but not to that at the growth stage. In previous studies, different plants were sampled at the same time during the growth stage, which led to underestimation of N and P resorption efficiency of culms and leaves. This study re-examined the sampling strategy in nutrient resorption studies, and showed that the sampling time of mature tissues in the growth stage could be determined according to the peak nutrient content time of different species.

Key words: herbaceous, element content, temporal dynamics, plant organ, nutrient resorption

ZHANG Xiao-Jing, LIANG Xiao-Sa, MA Wang, WANG Zheng-Wen. Temporal variation and resorption of nutrients in plant culms and leaves in Hulun Buir grassland[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2021, 45(7): 738-748.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2021.0125

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2021/V45/I7/738

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1 Sampling species name, functional groups of plants in Hulun Buir area and whether culm and leaf were distinguished or not

物种 Species	生活型 Life form	区分茎秆和叶片 Distinguishing culm and leaf
羊草 Leymus chinensis	多年生禾草 Perennial grasses	√
狼针草 Stipa baicalensis	多年生禾草 Perennial grasses	×
糙隐子草 Cleistogenes squarrosa	多年生禾草 Perennial grasses	√
草 Koeleria macrantha	多年生禾草 Perennial grasses	×
柄状薹草 Carex pediformis	多年生莎草 Perennial sedges	×
寸草 Carex duriuscula	多年生莎草 Perennial sedges	×
广布野豌豆 Vicia cracca	多年生豆科 Perennial legumes	√
披针叶野决明 Thermopsis lanceolata	多年生豆科 Perennial legumes	√
狭叶沙参 Adenophora gmelinii	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
龙蒿 Artemisia dracunculus	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
阿尔泰狗娃花 Aster altaicus	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
麻花头 Klasea centauroides	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
裂叶蒿 Artemisia tanacetifolia	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×
冷蒿 Artemisia frigida	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
达乌里芯芭 Cymbaria daurica	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
瓣蕊唐松草 Thalictrum petaloideum	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	√
白头翁 Pulsatilla chinensis	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×
二裂委陵菜 Potentilla bifurca	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×
星毛委陵菜 Potentilla acaulis	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×
菊叶委陵菜 Potentilla tanacetifolia	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×
野鸢尾 Iris dichotoma	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×
囊花鸢尾 Iris ventricosa	多年生杂草 Perennial forbs	×

Table 2 Nitrogen and phosphorus contents of culm and leaf at the growth and senescence stages (mean ± SD)

	器官 Organ	样本量 n	氮含量 Nitrogen content (mg·g^-1)	磷含量 Phosphorus content (mg·g^-1)
生长盛期 Growth stage	叶片 Leaf	22	24.14 ± 6.69^a	2.07 ± 0.71^a
生长盛期 Growth stage	茎秆 Culm	11	12.46 ± 3.94^b	1.18 ± 0.31^b
枯叶期 Senescence stage	叶片 Leaf	22	12.34 ± 4.96^b	0.73 ± 0.39^c
枯叶期 Senescence stage	茎秆 Culm	11	7.32 ± 2.55^c	0.40 ± 0.25^c

Fig. 1 Temporal variation of nitrogen (N) content in leaves and culms. A, Artemisia dracunculus. B, Cleistogenes squarrosa. C, Adenophora gmelinii. D, Vicia cracca. E, Cymbaria daurica. F, Aster altaicus. G, Klasea centauroides. H, Leymus chinensis. I, Thermopsis lanceolata. J, Artemisia frigida. K, Thalictrum petaloideum. Circle, leaves; triangle, culms. The solid line indicates that leaf N content is related to sampling time (p < 0.05); the dotted line indicates that culm N content is related to sampling time (p < 0.05).

Fig. 2 Temporal variation of phosphorus (P) content in leaves and culms. A, Artemisia dracunculus. B, Cleistogenes squarrosa. C, Adenophora gmelinii. D, Vicia cracca. E, Cymbaria daurica. F, Aster altaicus. G, Klasea centauroides. H, Leymus chinensis. I, Thermopsis lanceolata. J, Artemisia frigida. K, Thalictrum petaloideum. Circle, leaves; triangle, culms. The solid line indicates that leaf P content is related to sampling time (p < 0.05); The dotted line indicates that culm P content is related to sampling time (p < 0.05).

Fig. 3 Time of the highest nutrient content in different plant species. A, Nitrogen (N) content of leaves. B, N content of culms. C, Phosphorus (P) content of leaves. D, P content of culms. A.A., Aster altaicus; A.D., Artemisia dracunculus; A.F., Artemisia frigida; A.G., Adenophora gmelinii; A.T., Artemisia tanacetifolia; C.D., Carex duriuscula; C.P., Carex pediformis; C.S., Cleistogenes squarrosa; Cy.D., Cymbaria daurica; I.D., Iris dichotoma; I.V., Iris ventricosa; K.C., Klasea centauroides; K.M., Koeleria macrantha; L.C., Leymus chinensis; P.A., Potentilla acaulis; P.B., Potentilla bifurca; P.C., Pulsatilla chinensis; P.T., Potentilla tanacetifolia; S.B., Stipa baicalensis; T.L., Thermopsis lanceolata; T.P., Thalictrum petaloideum; V.C., Vicia cracca.

Table 3 Differences of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency in plant culm and leaf (mean ± SD)

器官 Organ	样本量 n	N回收效率 N resorption efficiency (%)	P回收效率 P resorption efficiency (%)	元素间差异 Differences between elements (p)
叶片 Leaf	11	65.19 ± 8.21	75.58 ± 7.22	p < 0.05
茎秆 Culm	11	61.65 ± 4.24	78.33 ± 9.90	p < 0.05
器官间差异 Differences between organs (p)	-	p < 0.05	p = 0.189	-

Fig. 4 Correlations between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency. Circle, leaves; triangle, culms. The solid line indicates that leaf N resorption efficiency is related to P resorption efficiency (p < 0.05).

Fig. 5 Correlations between nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents at the growth and senescence stages and nutrient resorption efficiency. A, N content and N resorption efficiency at the growth stage. B, P content and P resorption efficiency at the growth stage. C, N content and N resorption efficiency at the senescence stage. D, P content and P resorption efficiency at the senescence stage. Circle, leaves; triangle, culms. The solid line indicates that leaf resorption efficiency is related to nutrient content (p < 0.05); the dotted line indicates that culm resorption efficiency is related to nutrient content (p < 0.05).

Table 4 Difference in nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency of Hulun Buirr grassland plant culms and leaves obtained by different calculation methods (mean ± SD)

器官 Organ	养分 Nutrient	样本量 n	回收效率 Resorption efficiency (%)		低估值 Underestimation value (%)
器官 Organ	养分 Nutrient	样本量 n	基于养分最大含量 Based on maximum nutrient content	基于8月20日养分含量 Based on nutrient content of August 20	低估值 Underestimation value (%)
叶片 Leaf	N	22	66.75 ± 7.70	64.69 ± 8.80	2.06 ± 3.31
叶片 Leaf	P	22	77.26 ± 7.97	71.32 ± 14.32	5.94 ± 9.35
茎秆 Culm	N	11	61.65 ± 4.24	58.72 ± 6.55	2.93 ± 4.85
茎秆 Culm	P	11	78.33 ± 9.90	70.93 ± 15.33	7.39 ± 11.81

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