Comparing carbon and nutrient allocations among the different organs of plants Suaeda salsa between two typically coastal wetlands, China

Abstract

The allocations of nutrients and biomass are important in understanding the growth processes of plants affected by different environmental conditions. In this study, two coastal wetlands were chosen to study the same species how to adapt to soil environments if plant biomass C allocation existed. The results showed that plants Suaeda salsa from the different coastal wetlands had similar carbon allocation patterns that C contents of plants Suaeda salsa’ leaves were lower than their stems and roots, while N contents were contrary. By analysis, C, N, P contents of plants Suaeda salsa’s leaves, stems and roots in the Yellow River Delta coastal wetlands were almost higher than in the Yancheng coastal wetlands. For soil total N, no differences existed between the two coastal wetlands while soil total P was higher in the Yancheng coastal wetlands than in the Yellow River Delta wetlands. When N:P of soil was lower than 2, the N:P variations of plants Suaeda salsa were described by line correlation significantly, and this phenomenon also existed in their corresponding soil nutrients. Plants Suaeda salsa, the growth of which at different sites was limited by soil nutrition, would allocate their biomass C to their stems and roots more than leaves to adapt to coastal environments such as strong wind and inundation of tide.