Abstract
Background and aims
Plant carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) levels and their stoichiometry and N uptake strategies are important aspects influencing vegetation composition and C dynamics in boreal peatlands. However, C, N and P levels and N sources of different plants remain poorly understood, which prevents a better assessment of plant responses to projected increasing N availability in boreal ecosystems with climate warming and increasing N deposition.
Methods
We investigated differences of leaf C, N and P concentrations and C and N isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) between graminoids and shrubs in 18 peatlands in northeastern China.
Results
Ericoid mycorrhizal (ERM) and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) shrubs have higher C and P while lower C/N and C/P than nonmycorrhizal (NM) graminoids. Shrubs and graminoids have similar leaf N/P, mainly exhibiting N limitation or N and P co-limitation. ECM shrubs show higher N and lower δ15N than NM graminoids despite having similar rooting depths, indicating higher N availability and more uptake of 15 N-depleted organic N of ECM shrubs. However, deep-rooted ECM shrubs show slightly higher N than shallow-rooted ERM shrubs, and their δ15N differences are insignificant. Shallow-rooted ERM shrubs have higher N and lower δ15N than deep-rooted NM graminoids.
Conclusions
Our results imply lower N and P use efficiencies of shrubs than graminoids, and the important role of mycorrhizal association in differentiating N availabilities and sources between shrubs and graminoids. These findings are useful for understanding peatland plant responses to environmental changes.
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source variables (upward arrows: higher, downward arrows: lower) among nonmycorrhizal (NM), ericoid mycorrhizal (ERM), and ectomycorrhizal (ECM) plants, respectively. Lower 15 N discrimination of N uptake for the ERM shrubs was judged by the negative correlation between their leaf δ15N and N concentration (Fig. 4)
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Acknowledgements
We thank Prof. Erik Alan Hobbie at University of New Hampshire for his helps and suggestions on statistical analysis and writing. We also thank Dr. Rui Li for her helps on laboratory works. This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2016YFA0600802), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41730855, 41522301, 41971143), the Open Project Foundation in Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education (GPES201904), and Special Foundation for Biodiversity Conservation from Ministry of Ecology and Environment, China (8-2-3-4-2, 20-01-06). Xue-Yan Liu was also supported by the 11th Recruitment Program of Global Experts (the Thousand Talents Plan) for Young Professionals granted by the central budget of China.
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Xianwei Wang, and Xueyan Liu designed the study; Xianwei Wang conducted field sampling; Chaochen Hu, and Xianwei Wang carried out the laboratory works; Chongjuan Chen, and Xueyan Liu performed data analysis and wrote the paper. All other authors commented on the manuscript.
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Chen, CJ., Liu, XY., Wang, XW. et al. Different leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry and carbon and nitrogen isotopes among peatland plants in northeastern China. Plant Soil 467, 345–357 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05085-7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-021-05085-7