Response of biomass allocation strategies to plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry in Alfalfa artificial grassland of different ages on the Mu Us Desert, China

Plant nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption is an important strategy to conserve N and P in the face of nutrient limitation. However, little is known about the variation of N and P resorption efficiency (NRE and PRE) and their correlation with leaves and soil C:N:P stoichiometry in black locust forests (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) of different ages. In this study, we measured C, N, and P concentrations in soil, green leaves, and senesced leaves from black locust forests of different ages (i.e, 10-, 20-, 30-, 36-, and 45-year-old), and calculated the NRE, PRE, and C:N:P stoichiometry ratios. The NRE and PRE tended to increase and then decrease with stand age, ranging from 46.8% to 57.4% and from 37.4% to 58.5%, with averages of 52.61 and 51.89, respectively. The PRE:NRE decreased with increased stand ages. The C:P and N:P of soil and green leaves increased with stand ages, indicating the increase of P limitation. In the senesced leaves, C:P and N:P were lower than in green leaves and first increased and then decreased with stand age. The PRE was significantly negatively correlated with the C:P and N:P of soil and green leaves. The NRE was significantly correlated with the C concentration of green leaves, P of the senesced leaves, and C:N. Results suggested that the NRE and PRE responded differently to soil and plant nutrients in black locust forests of different ages. In addition, the black locust plantations would alter the conservation and use strategy of nutrients in the ecosystem through a plant-mediated pathway. Future studies should elucidate the central nutrient utilization strategy of black locust in response to a nutrient-poor environment and determine how it is involved in regulating nutrient resorption.

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Effects of soil C:N:P stoichiometry on biomass allocation in the alpine and arid steppe systems

Ecology and Evolution ◽

10.1002/ece3.2710 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 1354-1362 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Xiaodan Wang ◽

Xingxing Ma ◽

Yan Yan

Keyword(s):

Biomass Allocation ◽

C:N:P Stoichiometry ◽

Arid Steppe

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Grazing-induced changes in plant-soil feedback alter plant biomass allocation

Oikos ◽

10.1111/j.1600-0706.2013.01077.x ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 123 (7) ◽

pp. 800-806 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

G. F. Ciska Veen ◽

Saskia de Vries ◽

Elisabeth S. Bakker ◽

Wim H. van der Putten ◽

Han Olff

Keyword(s):

Biomass Allocation ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Soil Feedback ◽

Induced Changes

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Plant-soil feedback induces shifts in biomass allocation in the invasive plantChromolaena odorata

Journal of Ecology ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009.01574.x ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 97 (6) ◽

pp. 1281-1290 ◽

Cited By ~ 51

Author(s):

Mariska te Beest ◽

Nicola Stevens ◽

Han Olff ◽

Wim H. van der Putten

Keyword(s):

Biomass Allocation ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Soil Feedback

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Drought alters plant‐soil feedback effects on biomass allocation but not on plant performance

Plant and Soil ◽

10.1007/s11104-021-04861-9 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Rutger A. Wilschut ◽

Mark van Kleunen

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Plant Species ◽

Biomass Allocation ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Control Soil ◽

Feedback Effects ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Soil Feedback ◽

Species Specific ◽

Relative Root

Abstract Aims Drought events can alter the composition of plant and soil communities, and are becoming increasingly common and severe due to climate change. However, how droughts affect plant-soil feedbacks is still poorly understood. Plants accumulate species-specific rhizosphere communities, and droughts may have varying impacts across plant species and soil biota. We therefore tested the hypothesis that drought alters plant-soil feedbacks differently among closely related plant species that differ in their preferences for soil moisture. Methods In a two-phase greenhouse experiment, we first conditioned grassland soil with seven Geranium species and, as controls, we conditioned soil with a grass species or left soil unplanted. In the second phase, we grew the Geranium species in conspecific, grass-conditioned and unplanted soil, maintained soil moisture at 5 %, 10 % or 20 % (w/w), and determined biomass responses after 35 days. Results Independent of conditioning, plants showed a weaker performance with decreasing soil moisture. Under the driest conditions, soil conditioning by conspecifics most negatively affected relative root weight in comparison to plants growing in unplanted control soil, while the effects of conspecific conditioning on relative root weights were species-specific when compared to plants grown in grass-conditioned control soil. Conclusions We conclude that decreased soil moisture modified plant-soil feedback effects on biomass allocation, and that these modifications acted in species-specific ways. However, drought effects on plant-soil feedbacks were subtle, and did not affect overall plant performance. Therefore, plant-soil feedback effects on plant performance during a drought event may be limited in comparison with the direct effects of drought.

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Biomass allocation in relation to heterophylly and growth stage of seedlings on Sabina vulgaris Ant. in the Mu-us Desert, Inner Mongolia, China

Journal of the Japanese Society of Revegetation Technology ◽

10.7211/jjsrt.30.657 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 657-661 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Kenzo TANAKA ◽

Ayumi ODA ◽

Ikuo NINOMIYA ◽

Lin-he WAN ◽

Guo-sheng ZHANG ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biomass Allocation ◽

Inner Mongolia ◽

Growth Stage ◽

Mu Us Desert ◽

Sabina Vulgaris

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Response of Soil Microbial Community to C:N:P Stoichiometry along a Caragana korshinskii Restoration Gradient on the Loess Plateau, China

Forests ◽

10.3390/f11080823 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 823

Author(s):

Xinyi Zhang ◽

Wenjie Li ◽

Zekun Zhong ◽

Qingyue Zhang ◽

Xing Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Microbial Community ◽

Microbial Biomass ◽

Microbial Diversity ◽

Soil Microbe ◽

C:N:P Stoichiometry ◽

Soil Microbial ◽

Plant Soil ◽

Soil Systems ◽

Caragana Korshinskii ◽

N:P Ratios

Soil microorganisms play crucial roles between plants and soil following afforestation. However, the relationship between the microbial community and carbon:nitrogen:phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry in the plant–soil–microbe continuum remains unclear. In this study, we investigated this relationship by collecting plant and soil samples from Caragana korshinskii Kom. plantations with different years of afforestation (17-, 32-, and 42-year-old plantations), and from farmland. Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal RNA was used to examine the soil microbial community and the C, N, and P concentrations in plants, soil, and microbial biomass. Other soil characteristics were also measured. The results showed that the C and N concentrations in plants (leaves, herbs, and litter), soil, and microbial biomass increased as the vegetation restoration stage increased, but the P concentration in leaves and herbs slightly decreased. The C:P and N:P ratios in the plant–soil–microbe continuum substantially increased over time, particularly that of the microbial biomass. These results suggest that the unbalanced increase of C, N, and P following vegetation restoration may result in a P limitation in plant–soil systems. Moreover, bacterial and fungal alpha diversity significantly increased following afforestation. Afforestation had a greater impact on bacterial diversity (both alpha and beta diversity) than did fungal diversity. Among the dominant bacterial taxa, Proteobacteria increased significantly with afforestation time, whereas Actinobacteria decreased and Acidobacteria peaked in 32-year-old C. korshinskii plantations. However, there were no significant changes in the dominant fungal taxa. Collectively, we found that microbial diversity and dominant phyla were closely associated with the C:P and N:P ratios in the plant–soil–microbe continuum, particularly the N:P ratio. These results suggest that microbial diversity and composition may be limited by the imbalances of C, N, and especially P in afforested ecosystems, which provides evidence of linkages between microbial diversity and plant–soil systems in afforested ecosystems and could help in improving the predictions of sustainably restoring C. korshinskii plantations.

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