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Foliar C, N, and P stoichiometry characterize successful plant ecological strategies in the Sonoran Desert

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Abstract

Ecological processes are centered to water availability in drylands; however, less known nutrient stoichiometry can help explain much of their structure and ecological interactions. Here we look to the foliar stoichiometry of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) of 38 dominant plant species from the Sonoran Desert, grouped in four different functional types to describe ecological characteristics and processes. We found that foliar N, C:N, C:P, and N:P stoichiometric ratios, but not P, were higher than those known to most other ecosystems and indicate P but not N limitations in leaves. Biological N fixers (BNF) had even higher leaf N concentrations, but bio-elemental concentrations and stoichiometry ratios were not different to other non-N-fixing legume species which underscores the need to understand the physiological mechanisms for high N, and to how costly BNF can succeed in P-limiting drylands environments. Stoichiometry ratios, and to lesser extent elemental concentrations, were able to characterize BNF and colonizing strategies in the Sonoran Desert, as well as explain leaf attribute differences, ecological processes, and biogeochemical niches in this dryland ecosystem, even when no direct reference is made to other water-limitation strategies.

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Acknowledgements

The manuscript benefited from the reading and suggestions from two anonymous reviewers. AEC and JRRL acknowledge the support of grants from CONABIO (LI005) and CONACYT (CB223525-R and INF2012/1-188387) and support from UNISON to JMLl. Scholarships were granted by CONACYT to IM and JEP for their BSc dissertations. JS and JP acknowledge the support of grants from the European Research Council Synergy ERC-SyG-2013-610028 IMBALANCE-P, the Spanish Government CGL2016-79835-P, and the Catalan Government SGR2014-274. We thank C. Trujillo, R. Méndez, D.E. Moreno, G. Díaz, A.K. Bustamante, and the ecophysiology group for field and lab support.

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  1. Departamento de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas, Universidad de Sonora, Blvd. Luis Encinas y Rosales S/N, Col. Centro, C.P. 83000, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico

    Alejandro E. Castellanos, José M. Llano-Sotelo, Luis I. Machado-Encinas, José E. López-Piña & Jose R. Romo-Leon

  2. CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, 08193, Catalonia, Spain

    Jordi Sardans & Josep Peñuelas

  3. CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Catalonia, Spain

    Jordi Sardans & Josep Peñuelas

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  1. Alejandro E. Castellanos
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  3. Luis I. Machado-Encinas
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Correspondence to Alejandro E. Castellanos.

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Communicated by Dafeng Hui.

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Castellanos, A.E., Llano-Sotelo, J.M., Machado-Encinas, L.I. et al. Foliar C, N, and P stoichiometry characterize successful plant ecological strategies in the Sonoran Desert. Plant Ecol 219, 775–788 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-018-0833-3

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