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Stoichiometric mechanisms of Dicranopteris dichotoma growth and resistance to nutrient limitation in the Zhuxi watershed in the red soil hilly region of China

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Abstract

Aims

Little is known about why Dicranopteris dichotoma can succeed in a nutrient-limited environment. This study investigated the stoichiometric mechanisms of D. dichotoma growth and resistance to nutrient limitation in the red soil hilly region of China.

Methods

We examined D. dichotoma growth, soil nutrients, and stoichiometric variables in the early ecological restoration stage and across the ecological restoration chronosequence.

Results

Most of the D. dichotoma growth factors rapidly increased with the arbor-bush-herb mixed plantation and maintained a high level. Soil P was a main factor influencing D. dichotoma growth across the ecological restoration chronosequence, whereas its role is unclear in the early ecological restoration stage. D. dichotoma demanded low C and P and possessed high N and P utilization rates, and N and P distribution was ranked as leaf > root and rhizome > stem. The stoichiometry of D. dichotoma is a relatively weak stoichiometric homeostasis across the whole ecological restoration chronosequence with relatively strong stoichiometric homeostasis in the early ecological restoration stage.

Conclusions

Stoichiometry can be used to explore the underlying mechanisms that allow D. dichotoma to succeed to a great extent. D. dichotoma can play an important role in ecological restoration, and microtopography, especially valleys, should be created to trigger the succession of D. dichotoma in the red soil hilly region of China.

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Acknowledgments

This research was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41371512, 41171232)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Geography, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Zhiqiang Chen, Zhibiao Chen & Xinyu Yan

  2. State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Mountain Ecology (Funded by Ministry of Science and Technology and Fujian Province), Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Zhiqiang Chen, Zhibiao Chen & Xinyu Yan

  3. College of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Zhiqiang Chen, Zhibiao Chen & Xinyu Yan

  4. Institute of Agriculture Regional Planning of Fujian Province, Fuzhou, 350007, China

    Liyue Bai

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  1. Zhiqiang Chen
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  2. Zhibiao Chen
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  4. Liyue Bai
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Correspondence to Zhiqiang Chen.

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Chen, Z., Chen, Z., Yan, X. et al. Stoichiometric mechanisms of Dicranopteris dichotoma growth and resistance to nutrient limitation in the Zhuxi watershed in the red soil hilly region of China. Plant Soil 398, 367–379 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-015-2670-7

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