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

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2024.0374

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Mycorrhizal fungi are closely related to the host’s carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) concentrations, 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. This study collected leaf and fine root samples of 81 arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species and 16 ectomycorrhizal (ECM) tree species from the forest dynamic monitoring sample plot in Heishiding Nature Reserve, located in Guangdong Province, and measured their C, N, and P concentrations to clarify the differences of the C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics in leaves and fine roots between AM and ECM tree species, and whether the C, N, P stoichiometric ratio in leaves and fine roots of AM and ECM tree species changes consistently.

Methods 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 between 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 concentrations, 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 composition 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, leaf, fine root

WANG Meng-Xue, HU Ming-Yan, CHU Cheng-Jin, CHEN Yang, LUO Wen-Qi, MA Zi-Long. C, N, P stoichiometric characteristics of leaves and fine roots in different mycorrhizal tree species in subtropical forests[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2026, 50(2): 334-343.

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Figures/Tables 6

References 40

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变量 Variable	所有树种 All tree species		丛枝菌根树种 AM tree species		外生菌根树种 ECM tree species
变量 Variable	K	p	K	p	K	p
叶片碳浓度 Leaf carbon (C) concentration	0.154	0.001	0.153	0.020	0.241	0.045
叶片氮浓度 Leaf nitrogen (N) concentration	0.220	0.001	0.250	0.001	0.142	0.122
叶片磷浓度 Leaf phosphorus (P) concentration	0.247	0.001	0.268	0.001	0.138	0.043
叶片碳氮比 Leaf C:N	0.230	0.001	0.260	0.001	0.144	0.062
叶片碳磷比 Leaf C:P	0.183	0.001	0.205	0.002	0.109	0.193
叶片氮磷比 Leaf N:P	0.121	0.048	0.133	0.099	0.080	0.367
细根碳浓度 Fine root C concentration	0.101	0.112	0.101	0.250	0.124	0.047
细根氮浓度 Fine root N concentration	0.132	0.017	0.145	0.024	0.077	0.357
细根磷浓度 Fine root P concentration	0.104	0.174	0.094	0.406	0.195	0.069
细根碳氮比 Fine root C:N	0.193	0.001	0.240	0.001	0.091	0.190
细根碳磷比 Fine root C:P	0.175	0.002	0.171	0.013	0.184	0.006
细根氮磷比 Fine root N:P	0.079	0.452	0.084	0.524	0.070	0.632

变量 Variable	所有树种 All tree species		丛枝菌根树种 AM tree species		外生菌根树种 ECM tree species
变量 Variable	K	p	K	p	K	p
叶片碳浓度 Leaf carbon (C) concentration	0.154	0.001	0.153	0.020	0.241	0.045
叶片氮浓度 Leaf nitrogen (N) concentration	0.220	0.001	0.250	0.001	0.142	0.122
叶片磷浓度 Leaf phosphorus (P) concentration	0.247	0.001	0.268	0.001	0.138	0.043
叶片碳氮比 Leaf C:N	0.230	0.001	0.260	0.001	0.144	0.062
叶片碳磷比 Leaf C:P	0.183	0.001	0.205	0.002	0.109	0.193
叶片氮磷比 Leaf N:P	0.121	0.048	0.133	0.099	0.080	0.367
细根碳浓度 Fine root C concentration	0.101	0.112	0.101	0.250	0.124	0.047
细根氮浓度 Fine root N concentration	0.132	0.017	0.145	0.024	0.077	0.357
细根磷浓度 Fine root P concentration	0.104	0.174	0.094	0.406	0.195	0.069
细根碳氮比 Fine root C:N	0.193	0.001	0.240	0.001	0.091	0.190
细根碳磷比 Fine root C:P	0.175	0.002	0.171	0.013	0.184	0.006
细根氮磷比 Fine root N:P	0.079	0.452	0.084	0.524	0.070	0.632

变量 Variable	菌根类型 Mycorrhizal type		生活型 Life form
变量 Variable	估计值 Estimate	p	估计值 Estimate	p
叶片碳浓度 Leaf C concentration	0.040	0.051	-0.012	0.670
叶片氮浓度 Leaf N concentration	-0.093	0.162	-0.116	0.222
叶片磷浓度 Leaf P concentration	-0.040	0.621	-0.146	0.210
叶片碳氮比 Leaf C:N	0.135	0.055	0.109	0.280
叶片碳磷比 Leaf C:P	0.083	0.310	0.134	0.255
叶片氮磷比 Leaf N:P	-0.051	0.331	0.027	0.714
细根碳浓度 Fine root C concentration	0.019	0.125	-0.016	0.376
细根氮浓度 Fine root N concentration	-0.068	0.385	0.038	0.738
细根磷浓度 Fine root P concentration	-0.135	0.036	0.051	0.573
细根碳氮比 Fine root C:N	0.067	0.392	-0.051	0.653
细根碳磷比 Fine root C:P	0.145	0.033	-0.047	0.626
细根氮磷比 Fine root N:P	0.068	0.331	-0.001	0.993

变量 Variable	菌根类型 Mycorrhizal type		生活型 Life form
变量 Variable	估计值 Estimate	p	估计值 Estimate	p
叶片碳浓度 Leaf C concentration	0.040	0.051	-0.012	0.670
叶片氮浓度 Leaf N concentration	-0.093	0.162	-0.116	0.222
叶片磷浓度 Leaf P concentration	-0.040	0.621	-0.146	0.210
叶片碳氮比 Leaf C:N	0.135	0.055	0.109	0.280
叶片碳磷比 Leaf C:P	0.083	0.310	0.134	0.255
叶片氮磷比 Leaf N:P	-0.051	0.331	0.027	0.714
细根碳浓度 Fine root C concentration	0.019	0.125	-0.016	0.376
细根氮浓度 Fine root N concentration	-0.068	0.385	0.038	0.738
细根磷浓度 Fine root P concentration	-0.135	0.036	0.051	0.573
细根碳氮比 Fine root C:N	0.067	0.392	-0.051	0.653
细根碳磷比 Fine root C:P	0.145	0.033	-0.047	0.626
细根氮磷比 Fine root N:P	0.068	0.331	-0.001	0.993

相关关系 Correlation relationship	丛枝菌根树种 AM tree species		外生菌根树种 ECM tree species
相关关系 Correlation relationship	叶片 Leaf	细根 Fine root	叶片 Leaf	细根 Fine root
氮浓度—碳浓度 N concentration — C concentration	-0.093	0.087	0.325	-0.139
磷浓度—碳浓度 P concentration — C concentration	-0.063	-0.288^**	0.510^*	-0.270
磷浓度—氮浓度 P concentration — N concentration	0.750^***	0.528^***	0.644^**	0.637^**
碳氮比—碳磷比 C:N — C:P	0.791^***	0.569^***	0.709^**	0.701^**
碳氮比—氮磷比 C:N — N:P	-0.071	-0.566^***	-0.433	-0.595^*
碳磷比—氮磷比 C:P — N:P	0.552^***	0.349^**	0.327	0.153