Abstract
The study aimed to reveal the elevational patterns and drivers of leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations and their stoichiometry at both the individual and community levels in the alpine-gorge region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Based on the datasets of leaf C, N and P concentrations from 665 field samples and information on plant community structure from 150 plots along the elevation, linear mixed model and general linear model were used to identify drivers of leaf C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry at the individual and community levels, respectively. Leaf C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry showed a linear elevation pattern at the individual level and a nonlinear elevation pattern at the community level. At the individual level, elevational variations in leaf C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry were determined mainly by plant taxonomy and growth forms. At the community level, interspecific variation was larger than intraspecific variation for leaf C, N concentrations, and C/N, whereas intraspecific variation was larger than interspecific variation for leaf N/P. The interspecific variation in leaf C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry was affected jointly by edaphic and climatic factors, whereas edaphic factors mainly drove their intraspecific variation. This study indicated that both intraspecific and interspecific variation play critical roles in adjusting leaf ecological stoichiometry to increase the resilience and tolerance of the community to environmental change in the alpine-gorge region on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.
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The datasets analyzed in the study can be obtained via the corresponding author on reasonable request.
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This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD2200405), the Fundamental Research Funds of Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAFYBB2021ZA002-2, CAFYBB2022QC002, CAFYBB2022SY021), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32201321).
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Zuomin Shi and Jian Chen conceived the ideas and designed the research. Jian Chen, Miao Chen, Shun Liu, Hongshuang Xing, Feifan Li, and Gexi Xu participated in plot construction and data collecting. Jian Chen analyzed the data and led the writing of the manuscript in close collaboration with Zuomin Shi. All authors commented on and approved the final manuscript.
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Chen, J., Chen, M., Liu, S. et al. Elevational Patterns and Drivers of Leaf Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Stoichiometry in an Alpine-Gorge Region on the Eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. J Soil Sci Plant Nutr (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01816-8
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Published:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42729-024-01816-8