Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (化学计量与功能性状): 0-0.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2024.0374

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C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics of leaves and fine roots in different mycorrhizal tree species in subtropical forests

Meng-Xue WANG1,Ming-Yan HU2,Cheng-Jin CHU3,Yang CHEN3,Wen-Qi LUO4,Zilong Ma5   

  1. 1. 中山大学生态学院
    2. School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University,
    3. School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University
    4. School of Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University
    5. Sun Yat-sen University
  • Received:2024-10-21 Revised:2025-01-17 Online:2026-01-20 Published:2025-01-20
  • Contact: Zilong Ma

Abstract: Aims Mycorrhizal fungi are closely related to the host's carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics. However, whether the C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics in leaves and fine roots of different mycorrhizal tree species are significantly correlated in subtropical forests remains unclear. Therefore, this study aims to clarify the differences of the C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics in leaves and fine roots be-tween arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree species, and whether the C, N, P stoichio-metric ratio in leaves and fine roots of AM and ECM tree species changes consistently. Methods This study collected leaf and fine root samples of 81 AM tree species and 16 ECM tree species from the forest dynamic monitoring sample plot in Heishiding Nature Reserve, located in Guangdong Province, and meas-ured their C, N, and P concentrations. We calculated Blomberg's K statistic to test phylogenetic signals, used the linear mixed model to test the differences in C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios of leaves and fine roots among different mycorrhizal species, and used the Pearson correlation coefficient to test the correlation be-tween C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios in leaves and fine roots of different mycorrhizal species. Finally, we used standardised major axis regression to analyze the relationship of C, N and P concentrations and stoichiometric ratios between leaves and fine roots in different mycorrhizal species. Important findings The P concentration in fine roots of AM species was higher than that of ECM species, but C:P was lower than that of ECM species. There was a significant positive correlation between the N and P concentra-tions, C:N and C:P in the leaves and fine roots of AM and ECM tree species. There was a significant correlation between the concentrations of C, N and P and stoichiometric ratios of leaves and fine roots in AM species, while there was a significant correlation between N concentration, C:N and N:P of leaves and fine roots in ECM species. The results of this study confirm that the colonization of mycorrhizal fungi affected the chemical element compo-sition and stoichiometric ratio of plants, but the C, N and P stoichiometric ratios between leaves and fine roots in AM and ECM tree species were all significantly correlated.

Key words: arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizal fungi, stoichiometric ratio, leaves, fine roots