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Nitrogen and Phosphorus Uptake Stoichiometry Tracks Supply Ratio During 2-year Whole-Ecosystem Nutrient Additions

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Abstract

Nutrient uptake, storage, and release are critical ecosystem functions that affect carbon processing and food web dynamics. Yet, mechanisms controlling when ecosystems are net sinks or sources of nutrients are uncertain. Specifically, how nutrient supply ratios alter rates and ratios of net nutrient uptake and release is unclear. To assess whether net nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) uptake and release are linked to supply N:P, we experimentally enriched five forest streams at different N:P (target molar N:P range 2:1–128:1) for 2 years. We quantified net nutrient exchange (NNE) as the difference between the expected N and P fluxes assuming conservative transport (background concentrations plus experimental inputs) and the observed nutrient fluxes at the downstream end of each experimental stream reach. Supply N:P did not affect the magnitude of NNE for either N or P, but the likelihood of net N and P uptake was greatest at intermediate N:P supply (N:P = 99:1 and 55:1, respectively). Streams appeared to be highly flexible in their N:P uptake and release; the slopes between NNEN and NNEP within each stream increased with supply N:P. Furthermore, slopes comparing supply N:P to uptake and release N:P were near one (0.98 ± 0.06 SE and 0.82 ± 0.13 SE, respectively), indicating a high degree of flexibility. Overall, we found greater stoichiometric flexibility than has been shown in short-term nutrient-addition experiments. We suggest that this flexibility results from changes in nutrient recycling within biofilms or changes in community structure, which may take longer to manifest than the duration of shorter-term experiments.

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Data Availability

Data and code used for this paper are published through Zenodo and open access at: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7057891

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Science Foundation (DEB-0918894 to A.D. Rosemond and J.C. Maerz, DEB-0918904 to J.P. Benstead, and DEB-0919054 to V. Gulis). NJT was supported in part by DEB-1655789 while developing this manuscript. This work was also aided by the Coweeta Long Term Ecological Research site (NSF award DEB-0823293). Construction of infrastructure was supported by Rob Case, Daniel Hutcheson, and Kevin Simpson from YSI Integrated Systems and Services. Ammonium nitrate was provided by The Andersons, Inc. We would also like to thank Jason Coombs, Katie Norris, Christian Barrett, Phillip Bumpers, John Davis, Hannah Dolan, Kaitlin Farrell, Tom Maddox, Chelsea Norman, and James Wood for help with field and laboratory work. This manuscript was improved with comments from Phillip Bumpers, Carolyn Cummins, Laura Naslund, and Caitlin Conn. This is contribution 1516 from the Institute of Environment at Florida International University.

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Author notes

  1. Author contributions: NJT, ADR, JPB, VG, and SAT conceived of and designed the study, NJT, JSK, DWPM, JPB, and VG performed the research, NJT analyzed the data, and all authors contributed to the writing of the paper.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA

    Nathan J. Tomczyk & Amy D. Rosemond

  2. Institute of Environment & Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, 33199, USA

    John S. Kominoski

  3. Department of Biology, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, Nebraska, 68182, USA

    David W. P. Manning

  4. Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 35487, USA

    Jonathan P. Benstead

  5. Department of Biology, Coastal Carolina University, Conway, South Carolina, 29528, USA

    Vladislav Gulis

  6. School of Natural Resources, University of NE – Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68583, USA

    Steven A. Thomas

  7. Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, 24061, USA

    Erin R. Hotchkiss

  8. Department of Natural Resources & the Environment and the Center for Environmental Sciences and Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut, 06269, USA

    Ashley M. Helton

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  1. Nathan J. Tomczyk
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Correspondence to Nathan J. Tomczyk.

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Tomczyk, N.J., Rosemond, A.D., Kominoski, J.S. et al. Nitrogen and Phosphorus Uptake Stoichiometry Tracks Supply Ratio During 2-year Whole-Ecosystem Nutrient Additions. Ecosystems 26, 1018–1032 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10021-022-00813-1

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