Effect of the elevated ozone on greening tree species of urban: Alterations in C-N-P stoichiometry and nutrient stock allocation to leaves and fine roots

Abstract

Anthropogenic ground-level ozone (O3) pollution can alter the phosphorus (P), carbon (C), and nitrogen (N) of terrestrial plants’ ecological stoichiometry, which in turn affects forest productivity, nutrient utilization, and carbon sink capacity. However, there is still quite a lot of uncertainty regarding the impact of high O3 levels on C-N-P stoichiometry in organs with a rapid turnover (i.e., fine roots and leaves) across varied functional types. This study investigated the effects of O3 on the stoichiometry of C-N-P nutrient allocation of stocks to various plant organs, with a special focus on tree species frequently employed for urban greening. The impact of O3 on C-N-P stoichiometry among different functional tree types was subsequently evaluated by reviewing the published literature. Under a pooling of all species, elevated O3 decreased and leaf C and P concentrations increased, thereby decreasing the leaf C: P ratio. Elevated O3 increased the N concentration in fine roots, thereby decreasing the C: N ratio, although no significant impact was observed in leaves. Elevated O3 significantly reduced the leaf stocks of C (CSleaf) and N (NSleaf), however, there was no observed variation in these stocks in fine roots. The content of P, C, and N in fine roots and leaves in evergreen broadleaf species exceeded those in deciduous species. Elevated O3 significantly reduced CSleaf, NSleaf, and PSleaf in deciduous broadleaf species, whereas there was a significant reduction for the same in evergreen species. The literature analysis further demonstrated a larger O3-induced increment in leaf P concentration in deciduous species as compared to evergreen species. Elevated O3 significantly increased the difference in C and N stocks between fine roots and leaves in deciduous broadleaf species, whereas this difference was observed to decrease in evergreen species. The results of this study can facilitate an improved understanding of ecological stoichiometric responses of urban greening tree species under O3 stress and the resulting nutrient use strategies.