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- Title
Foliar nutrient concentrations and resorption efficiency in plants of contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies along a 2-million-year dune chronosequence.
- Authors
Hayes, Patrick; Turner, Benjamin L.; Lambers, Hans; Laliberté, Etienne; Bellingham, Peter
- Abstract
Long-term pedogenesis leads to important changes in the availability of soil nutrients, especially nitrogen ( N) and phosphorus ( P). Changes in the availability of micronutrients can also occur, but are less well understood. We explored whether changes in leaf nutrient concentrations and resorption were consistent with a shift from N to P limitation of plant productivity with soil age along a > 2-million-year dune chronosequence in south-western Australia. We also compared these traits among plants of contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies, focusing on N, P and micronutrients., The range in leaf [ P] for individual species along the chronosequence was exceptionally large for both green (103-3000 μg P g−1) and senesced (19-5600 μg P g−1) leaves, almost equalling that found globally. From the youngest to the oldest soil, cover-weighted mean leaf [ P] declined from 1840 to 228 μg P g−1, while P-resorption efficiency increased from 0% to 79%. All species converged towards a highly conservative P-use strategy on the oldest soils., Declines in cover-weighted mean leaf [ N] with soil age were less strong than for leaf [ P], ranging from 13.4 mg N g−1 on the youngest soil to 9.5 mg N g−1 on the oldest soil. However, mean leaf N-resorption efficiency was greatest (45%) on the youngest, N-poor soils. Leaf N: P ratio increased from 8 on the youngest soil to 42 on the oldest soil., Leaf zinc ( Zn) concentrations were low across all chronosequence stages, but mean Zn-resorption efficiency was greatest (55-74%) on the youngest calcareous dunes, reflecting low Zn availability at high p H., N2-fixing species had high leaf [ N] compared with other species. Non-mycorrhizal species had very low leaf [ P] and accumulated Mn across all soils. We surmise that this reflects Mn solubilization by organic acids released for P acquisition., Synthesis. Our results show community-wide variation in leaf nutrient concentrations and resorption that is consistent with a shift from N to P limitation during long-term ecosystem development. High Zn resorption on young calcareous dunes supports the possibility of micronutrient co-limitation. High leaf [ Mn] on older dunes suggests the importance of carboxylate release for P acquisition. Our results show a strong effect of soil nutrient availability on nutrient-use efficiency and reveal considerable differences among plants of contrasting nutrient-acquisition strategies.
- Subjects
PLANT nutrients; RESORPTION (Physiology); SOIL chronosequences; SAND dune plants; NITROGEN content of plants; MANGANESE content of plants; BIOACCUMULATION in plants
- Publication
Journal of Ecology, 2014, Vol 102, Issue 2, p396
- ISSN
0022-0477
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/1365-2745.12196