Changes in species abundances with short-term and long-term nitrogen addition are mediated by stoichiometric homeostasis

• Published in: Plant and soil 2021-12, Vol.469 (1/2), p.39-48
• Main Authors: Yang, Tian, Long, Min, Smith, Melinda D., Gu, Qian, Yang, Yadong, He, Nianpeng, Xu, Chong, Wu, Honghui, Vilonen, Leena, Zhao, Jinling, Jentsch, Anke, Yu, Qiang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abundance; Agriculture; Analysis; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Chenopodium; China; Dominance; Dominance (Genetics); Ecology; Flowers & plants; Grasslands; Homeostasis; Identification and classification; Kengia squarrosa; Leymus chinensis; Life Sciences; Nitrogen; Nitrogen enrichment; Nutrients; Plant communities; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Plant species; Plants; sand; soil; Soil Science & Conservation; Species; species abundance; Stoichiometry
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-021-05141-2

Background Increasing nitrogen (N) deposition has altered plant communities globally, however the changes in species abundances with short-term vs. long-term N enrichment remains unclear. Stoichiometric homeostasis, quantified by the homoeostatic regulation coefficient ( H ) is a key trait predictive of plant species dominance and species responses to short-term global changes. It is unknown whether H changes with N enrichment over time, thereby affecting species responses to long-term N addition. Methods Here we investigated three representative plant species how species dominance changed to short-term and long-term N addition with a field N addition experiment (2006–2013) in an Inner Mongolia grassland. Changes in species H with long-term N addition were analyzed using a sand culture experiment, and the correlation between species H and species abundances were explored to address the above research gaps. Results The abundance of Leymus chinensis decreased with short-term N addition, and increased with long-term N addition, while Chenopodium glaucum exhibited the opposite pattern. Cleistogenes squarrosa was only favored by 1-year N addition, and depressed by two or more years of N addition. The H values of L. chinensis and C. glaucum decreased significantly with long-term N addition, but did not change for C. squarrosa . The H values were significantly related with the abundance both in Control and long-term N addition treatments. Conclusion Species abundance had opposite responses to short-term vs. long-term N addition. The decrease of H suggested the nutrients use strategy became more progressive, which mediated the responses of species abundances to short- and long-term N addition.