Abstract
Leaf stoichiometry of plants can respond to variation in environments such as elevation ranging from low to high and success in establishing itself in a given montane ecosystem. An evaluation of the leaf stoichiometry of Qinghai Spruce (Picea crassifolia Kom.) growing at different elevations (2400 m, 2600 m, 2800 m, 3000 m, and 3200 m) in eastern China’s Qilian Mountains, showed that leaf carbon (LC) and leaf phosphorus (LP) were similar among elevations, with ranges of 502.76–518.02 g·kg−1, and 1.00–1.43 g·kg−1, respectively. Leaf nitrogen (LN) varied with changes of elevation, with a maxima of 12.82 g·kg−1 at 2600 m and a minima of 10.74 g·kg−1 at 2800 m. The LC:LN under 2400 m and 2600 m was lower than that under other elevations, while LC:LP and LN:LP were not different among these elevations. Except for LN and LC:LN, P. crassifolia’s other leaf stoichiometries remained relatively stable across elevations, partly supporting the homeostasis hypothesis. Variations in leaf stoichiometry across elevations were mainly linked to mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, soil pH, and the soil organic C to soil total N ratio. P. crassifolia growth within the study area was more susceptible to P limitation.
Highlights
Over the past several decades, leaf stoichiometry—leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) (LC, Leaf nitrogen (LN), leaf phosphorus (LP), respectively) and their ratios—has been shown to be a key tool in the study of element cycling, nutrient limitations for plant growth, and response of plants to environmental change [1]
The sampled sites were all located on north-facing slopes and the dominant species was P. crassifolia, we found that the composition of understory vegetation gradually changed as elevation increased, from herbaceous plants to shrubby plants
Our study provided a detailed picture of the spatial patterns of the leaf stoichiometry of P. crassifolia at varying elevations in the Qilian Mountains
Summary
Over the past several decades, leaf stoichiometry—leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) (LC, LN, LP, respectively) and their ratios—has been shown to be a key tool in the study of element cycling, nutrient limitations for plant growth, and response of plants to environmental change [1]. Patterns in the variation of plant element levels and their relationships with environmental factors have been intensively studied at local [5,6,7], regional [8,9,10,11] and global scales [12,13]. In temperate forest ecosystems situated along elevation gradients in northeastern China’s Changbai. Mountains, increasing elevation led to a rise in LC and declines in LN and LP [6]. In this setting, plant life form (e.g., herb, shrub, or tree) was the dominant factor influencing leaf stoichiometry in 175 plant species. Plant ecotypes and taxonomic groups proved to be the main determinants of leaf stoichiometry of 348 tree species in China’s forests [11]
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