Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem
Abstract Soil moisture and salt play key roles in regulating desert plant nutrient cycles on a local scale. However, information on the response of plant nutrient stoichiometric patterns to soil water and salt gradients is limited. Here, we assessed leaf N and P levels of 18 species of desert plants...
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Nature Portfolio
2017
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oai:doaj.org-article:bcda9505027342d89c0facbae80eb87c2021-12-02T16:08:13ZInfluence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem10.1038/s41598-017-07240-62045-2322https://doaj.org/article/bcda9505027342d89c0facbae80eb87c2017-07-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-07240-6https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Soil moisture and salt play key roles in regulating desert plant nutrient cycles on a local scale. However, information on the response of plant nutrient stoichiometric patterns to soil water and salt gradients is limited. Here, we assessed leaf N and P levels of 18 species of desert plants and measured the corresponding soil nutrient, water and salt concentrations, at four dry sites, five humid-saline sites and four humid-non-saline sites (reference sites) along a transect in a temperate desert in Xinjiang Province, northwest China. Our results indicated that the desert plants had lower N and P concentrations and higher N:P mass ratios in dry and humid-saline sites than in the humid-non-saline sites. Unlike the single-factor effect of salinity driving the plasticity of species N concentration, aridity and salinity interacted in their impact on the plasticity of plant P and the N:P ratio. Moreover, the plant community N and P concentrations and N:P ratio exhibited significant positive linear and nonlinear correlations with soil moisture in shallow and deep soil, respectively. Aridity reduced the N plasticity and increased P plasticity of the plant community. The results strongly supported the hypothesis that soil moisture and salt concentration were the dominant drivers of leaf N and P concentrations and their plasticity across species and community scales.Yanming GongGuanghui LvZhenjie GuoYue ChenJing CaoNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 7, Iss 1, Pp 1-12 (2017) |
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Medicine R Science Q Yanming Gong Guanghui Lv Zhenjie Guo Yue Chen Jing Cao Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
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Abstract Soil moisture and salt play key roles in regulating desert plant nutrient cycles on a local scale. However, information on the response of plant nutrient stoichiometric patterns to soil water and salt gradients is limited. Here, we assessed leaf N and P levels of 18 species of desert plants and measured the corresponding soil nutrient, water and salt concentrations, at four dry sites, five humid-saline sites and four humid-non-saline sites (reference sites) along a transect in a temperate desert in Xinjiang Province, northwest China. Our results indicated that the desert plants had lower N and P concentrations and higher N:P mass ratios in dry and humid-saline sites than in the humid-non-saline sites. Unlike the single-factor effect of salinity driving the plasticity of species N concentration, aridity and salinity interacted in their impact on the plasticity of plant P and the N:P ratio. Moreover, the plant community N and P concentrations and N:P ratio exhibited significant positive linear and nonlinear correlations with soil moisture in shallow and deep soil, respectively. Aridity reduced the N plasticity and increased P plasticity of the plant community. The results strongly supported the hypothesis that soil moisture and salt concentration were the dominant drivers of leaf N and P concentrations and their plasticity across species and community scales. |
format |
article |
author |
Yanming Gong Guanghui Lv Zhenjie Guo Yue Chen Jing Cao |
author_facet |
Yanming Gong Guanghui Lv Zhenjie Guo Yue Chen Jing Cao |
author_sort |
Yanming Gong |
title |
Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
title_short |
Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
title_full |
Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
title_fullStr |
Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
title_full_unstemmed |
Influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
title_sort |
influence of aridity and salinity on plant nutrients scales up from species to community level in a desert ecosystem |
publisher |
Nature Portfolio |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doaj.org/article/bcda9505027342d89c0facbae80eb87c |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT yanminggong influenceofaridityandsalinityonplantnutrientsscalesupfromspeciestocommunitylevelinadesertecosystem AT guanghuilv influenceofaridityandsalinityonplantnutrientsscalesupfromspeciestocommunitylevelinadesertecosystem AT zhenjieguo influenceofaridityandsalinityonplantnutrientsscalesupfromspeciestocommunitylevelinadesertecosystem AT yuechen influenceofaridityandsalinityonplantnutrientsscalesupfromspeciestocommunitylevelinadesertecosystem AT jingcao influenceofaridityandsalinityonplantnutrientsscalesupfromspeciestocommunitylevelinadesertecosystem |
_version_ |
1718384555650449408 |