Shrub type dominates the vertical distribution of leaf C : N : P stoichiometry across an extensive altitudinal gradient

doi:10.5194/bg-15-2033-2018

	Shrub type dominates the vertical distribution of leaf C : N : P stoichiometry across an extensive altitudinal gradient
	Zhao, Wenqiang 2; Reich, Peter B.3; Yu, Qiannan 1,2; Zhao, Ning 4; Yin, Chunying 2; Zhao, Chunzhang 2; Li, Dandan 2; Hu, Jun 2; Li, Ting 2; Yin, Huajun 2
刊名	BIOGEOSCIENCES
	2018-04-09
卷号	15 期号:7 页码:2033-2053
ISSN号	1726-4170
DOI	10.5194/bg-15-2033-2018
产权排序	1
文献子类	Article
英文摘要	Understanding leaf stoichiometric patterns is crucial for improving predictions of plant responses to environmental changes. Leaf stoichiometry of terrestrial ecosystems has been widely investigated along latitudinal and longitudinal gradients. However, very little is known about the vertical distribution of leaf C : N : P and the relative effects of environmental parameters, especially for shrubs. Here, we analyzed the shrub leaf C, N and P patterns in 125 mountainous sites over an extensive altitudinal gradient (523-4685 m) on the Tibetan Plateau. Results showed that the shrub leaf C and C : N were 7.3-47.5% higher than those of other regional and global flora, whereas the leaf N and N: P were 10.2-75.8% lower. Leaf C increased with rising altitude and decreasing temperature, supporting the physiological acclimation mechanism that high leaf C (e.g., alpine or evergreen shrub) could balance the cell osmotic pressure and resist freezing. The largest leaf N and high leaf P occurred in valley region (altitude 1500 m), likely due to the large nutrient leaching from higher elevations, faster litter decomposition and nutrient resorption ability of deciduous broadleaf shrub. Leaf N: P ratio further indicated increasing N limitation at higher altitudes. Interestingly, drought severity was the only climatic factor positively correlated with leaf N and P, which was more appropriate for evaluating the impact of water status than precipitation. Among the shrub ecosystem and functional types (alpine, subalpine, montane, valley, evergreen, deciduous, broadleaf, and conifer), their leaf element contents and responses to environments were remarkably different. Shrub type was the largest contributor to the total variations in leaf stoichiometry, while climate indirectly affected the leaf C : N: P via its interactive effects on shrub type or soil. Collectively, the large heterogeneity in shrub type was the most important factor explaining the overall leaf C : N: P variations, despite the broad climate gradient on the plateau. Temperature and drought induced shifts in shrub type distribution will influence the nutrient accumulation in mountainous shrubs.
学科主题	Environment ; Ecology
URL标识	查看原文
WOS关键词	ERICOID MYCORRHIZAL FUNGI ; PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATIONS ; NITROGEN ; SOIL ; TERRESTRIAL ; CLIMATE ; GROWTH ; CARBON ; TREES ; TEMPERATURE
WOS研究方向	Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Geology
语种	英语
出版者	COPERNICUS GESELLSCHAFT MBH
WOS记录号	WOS:000429474600002
内容类型	期刊论文
源URL	[http://210.75.237.14/handle/351003/29886]
专题	成都生物研究所_生态研究
作者单位	1.Southwest Jiaotong University & Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Chengdu 611756, China; 2.CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences,Chengdu 610041, China; 3.Department of Forest Resources and Institute on the Environment, University of Minnesota, Minnesota 55108, USA; 4.Chinese Acad Sci, Cold & Arid Reg Environm & Engn Res Inst, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Zhao, Wenqiang,Reich, Peter B.,Yu, Qiannan,et al. Shrub type dominates the vertical distribution of leaf C : N : P stoichiometry across an extensive altitudinal gradient[J]. BIOGEOSCIENCES,2018,15(7):2033-2053.
APA	Zhao, Wenqiang.,Reich, Peter B..,Yu, Qiannan.,Zhao, Ning.,Yin, Chunying.,...&Liu, Qing.(2018).Shrub type dominates the vertical distribution of leaf C : N : P stoichiometry across an extensive altitudinal gradient.BIOGEOSCIENCES,15(7),2033-2053.
MLA	Zhao, Wenqiang,et al."Shrub type dominates the vertical distribution of leaf C : N : P stoichiometry across an extensive altitudinal gradient".BIOGEOSCIENCES 15.7(2018):2033-2053.