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- Title
Scaling of nitrogen and phosphorus across plant organs in shrubland biomes across Northern China.
- Authors
Xian Yang; Zhiyao Tang; Chengjun Ji; Hongyan Liu; Wenhong Ma; Anwar Mohhamot; Zhaoyong Shi; Wei Sun; Tao Wang; Xiangping Wang; Xian Wu; Shunli Yu; Ming Yue; Chengyang Zheng
- Abstract
Allocation of limiting resources, such as nutrients, is an important adaptation strategy for plants. Plants may allocate different nutrients within a specific organ or the same nutrient among different organs. In this study, we investigated the allocation strategies of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in leaves, stems and roots of 126 shrub species from 172 shrubland communities in Northern China using scaling analyses. Results showed that Nand P have different scaling relationships among plant organs. The scaling relationships of N concentration across different plant organs tended to be allometric between leaves and non-leaf organs, and isometric between non-leaf organs. Whilst the scaling relationships of P concentration tended to be allometric between roots and non-root organs, and isometric between non-root organs. In arid environments, plant tend to have higher nutrient concentration in leaves at given root or stem nutrient concentration. Evolutionary history affected the scaling relationships of N concentration slightly, but not affected those of P concentration. Despite fairly consistent nutrients allocation strategies existed in independently evolving lineages, evolutionary history and environments still led to variations on these strategies.
- Subjects
PLANT organelles; PHOSPHORUS; CHEMICAL composition of plants; NITROGEN content of plants; SHRUBLAND ecology; BIOMES; PLANT nutrients
- Publication
Scientific Reports, 2014, p1
- ISSN
2045-2322
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/srep05448