Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on C∶N∶P ecological stoichiometry in leaves and roots of different canopy species in Hulunbuir grassland

doi:10.11686/cyxb2020093

Abstract

Abstract: Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) ecological stoichiometry can indicate the interactions between plants and environment, which is an important basis for evaluating the response of plants to environmental changes. At present, most of the studies of ecological stoichiometry are about plants and leaves, the aboveground parts of plants, and few studies have investigated roots. Here we report a three-year nitrogen and phosphorus addition experiment with two nitrogen rates (0, 10 g N·m^-2·yr^-1) two phosphorus rates (0, 10 g P·m^-2·yr^-1), and the interaction between the two (N₀P₀ control, and N+P), a total of four treatments, with each treatment repeated five times. Two canopy upper-layer species (Leymus chinensis and Thermopsis lanceolata) and two understory species (Potentilla acaulis and Cymbaria dahurica) in Hulunbuir grassland were investigated, and the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on C∶N∶P ecological stoichiometric characteristics in leaves and roots were analyzed. It was found that nitrogen and phosphorus addition had no impact on C contents in leaves and roots of the four species. Nitrogen addition significantly increased N contents and decreased C∶N in leaves and roots of the three non-leguminous plants, though the effect on P. acaulis leaves was marginal. Phosphorus addition significantly increased P contents and decreased C∶P in leaves and roots of the four species. Nitrogen and phosphorus addition had no significant interaction effects on C, N, or P contents or stoichiometric ratio. C∶N, and C∶P of L. chinensis was the highest among the four species, and thus, we inferred that higher nutrient utilization efficiency was one of key factors for L. chinensis to become a dominant species and a constructive species. In addition, N was the main limiting factor, judging by the N∶P ratio in plant leaves. Therefore N∶P of leaves and not N∶P of roots should be used as the criterion when determining nutrient limitation. Overall, our study suggested that the above and below-ground organs had a synergistic response to nitrogen and phosphorus addition, and the canopy height of plants had no significant effect on C, N, and P ecological stoichiometric characteristics.

Key words: nitrogen addition, phosphorus addition, Hulunbuir, stoichiometry

WANG Hong-yi, DING Rui, WANG Zhi-hui, YANG Feng-jun. Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on C∶N∶P ecological stoichiometry in leaves and roots of different canopy species in Hulunbuir grassland[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2020, 29(8): 37-45.

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