Abstract. To understand whether base cations and micronutrients in the plant-soil system change with elevation, we investigated the patterns of base cations and micronutrients in both soils and plant tissues along three elevational gradients and three different climate zones in China. Base cations of Ca, Mg and K and micronutrients of Fe, Mn and Zn were determined in soils, trees and shrubs growing at lower and middle elevations as well as at their upper limits on Balang (subtropical, SW China), Qilian (dry-temperate, NW China) and Changbai (wet-temperate, NE China) mountains. No consistent elevational patterns were found for base cation and micronutrient concentrations in both soils and plant tissues (leaves, roots, shoots and stem sapwood). Rather, soil pH, total soil nitrogen (TN), the soil organic carbon (SOC) to TN ratio (C:N), and total soil inorganic nitrogen (TIN) determined the elevational patterns of soil exchangeable Ca and Mg. Furthermore, multiple regression models showed that soil pH and C:N were pivotal factors affecting soil Fe, Mn and Zn availabilities. In return, soil base cation and micronutrient availabilities played fundamental roles in determining the base cation and micronutrient concentrations in plant tissues. Our results highlight the importance of soil physicochemical properties (mainly SOC, C:N and pH) rather than elevation (i.e., canopy cover and environmental factors, especially temperature), in determining base cation and micronutrient availabilities in soils and subsequently their concentrations in plant tissues.
Isotopic and molecular distribution of leaf-wax in plant-soil system of the Gangetic floodplain and its implication for paleorecords
