Leaf Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Stoichiometry in a Pinus yunnanensis Forest in Southwest China

Abstract

Pinus yunnanensis forest is a unique forest type in southwest China and one of the main forest types in Yunnan Province, which also has great ecological, economic and social significance. Understanding the changes in the stoichiometric characteristics is a key to study the nutrient cycling, limiting factors and stability mechanisms of the forest ecosystem. However, the stoichiometric characteristics, stability of the ecosystem of P. yunnanensis natural forests and whether they are limited by nutrients are still poorly understood. Based on a K-S test, ANOVA analysis and OLS regression analysis, we analyzed the concentrations of leaf C, N and P in 48 woody species of natural P. yunnanensis forests from 122 plots to explore the pattern of leaf C:N:P stoichiometry. Our results showed that the mean values of leaf C, N and P plus C:N, C:P and N:P for the 48 woody species were 451.12, 11.05 and 1.11 mg/g and 45.03, 496.98 and 11.27, respectively. The coefficients of variation of leaf C, N and P plus C:N, C:P and N:P were 5.29%, 36.75%, 51.53%, 29.63%, 43.46% and 41.68%, respectively. The geometric mean values of leaf N, P and N:P were 10.49 and 1.00 mg/g and 10.51, respectively. Leaf C and N, and C and P relationships showed significant negative correlations, but a significant positive correlation was observed between leaf N and P. There were significant differences in leaf N and C:N across functional groups. There were significant differences in leaf C and P between evergreen and deciduous, conifer and broadleaf trees. Significant differences in leaf C:P were only observed between evergreen and deciduous trees, and significant differences in leaf N:P were observed between conifer and broadleaf trees. The relatively low N:P in all sampled trees indicated that N was a limiting factor in the distribution of natural P. yunnanensis forests. However, the higher leaf C:N and C:P ratios indicated that the P. yunnanensis natural forest ecosystem was in a relatively stable state.