Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition has negative consequences for plant communities and ecosystem functioning. Nitrogen deposition is declining or is projected to decline in many regions due to the reduction of N-compound emissions. It remains unknown whether the cessation of N deposition will have legacy effects on plant nutrient stoichiometry. If there are stoichiometric legacy effects at the community-level from prior N enrichment, the contribution of changes in community composition relative to the stoichiometric responses of individual functional groups in driving these changes is unknown. We measured plant N:P ratio at both functional group level and community level in a temperate steppe in three consecutive years following cessation of a 7-year N addition experiment with a wide-range of total amount added N in which the total amount of N added ranged from 0 to 350 g m−2. The total amount of N addition was positively correlated with tall rhizomatous grass productivity and negatively correlated with tall bunchgrass productivity. Plant N:P ratios at both functional group and community levels did not change across N addition gradient. Community composition shifts contributed less than intra-group variation to the total variation of community level nutrient status in response to historic N addition. Our results indicated that biological N:P imbalance in response to N deposition can be rapidly ameliorated after the cessation of N deposition. Such legacy effects of N deposition on plant nutrient status are largely driven by the changes of nutrient status of individual plants instead of N-induced shifts in community composition.
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