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Linkages of plant and soil C:N:P stoichiometry and their relationships to forest growth in subtropical plantations

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Abstract

Background and aims

Ecological stoichiometry plays important roles in ecosystem dynamics and functioning, but relationships between above- and belowground stoichiometry and stoichiometric effects on the growth of different plant functional groups in forests remain poorly understood.

Methods

In an age sequence of 2-, 4- and 6-year-old Eucalyptus plantations in subtropical China, we examined C, N and P concentrations and their ratios in the soil and leaves. Each plantation was divided into overstory and understory plant functional groups. The relationships between stoichiometric characteristics and forest growth were analyzed.

Results

Soil C and P decreased in the Eucalyptus age sequence, which led to changes in soil stoichiometric characteristics. Leaf C:P and N:P ratios were higher for Eucalyptus trees than for understory plants because of the low P concentrations in Eucalyptus leaves. Soil and plant N:P ratios were strongly related. Understory biomass was positively related to N:P ratios, while overstory growth was negatively related to N:P ratios.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that nutrient concentrations in soil and plants are tightly linked in Eucalyptus plantations and that P limitation increases with stand age. Stoichiometric characteristics appear to mediate forest properties and functions under nutrient limitation in subtropical regions.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on the manuscript. This work was financially supported by the National Science Foundation of China (no. 31160153; 31200406), the Jiangxi Natural Science Foundation (20142BAB214006), Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education (KJLD12097; GJJ14744), and Opening Funding of KLVRMDE, SCBG, CAS (201010).

Ethical Statement

The authors declare no ethical issues for this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Ecology & Environmental Sciences, Nanchang Institute of Technology, NO. 289, Tianxiang Road, Nanchang, 330099, China

    Houbao Fan, Jianping Wu, Wenfei Liu, Yinghong Yuan, Liang Hu & Qiankun Cai

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  1. Houbao Fan
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  2. Jianping Wu
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  3. Wenfei Liu
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Correspondence to Jianping Wu.

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Responsible Editor: Jeffrey Walck .

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Supplemental Figure 1

Location of the Eucalyptus chronosequence research site in Zhangzhou, China. (DOC 165 kb)

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Fan, H., Wu, J., Liu, W. et al. Linkages of plant and soil C:N:P stoichiometry and their relationships to forest growth in subtropical plantations. Plant Soil 392, 127–138 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2444-2

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