Global-scale latitudinal patterns of plant fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus

Most water and essential soil nutrient uptake is carried out by fine roots in plants. It is therefore important to understand the global geographic patterns of fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Here, by compiling plant root data from 211 studies in 51 countries, we show that live fine roots...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature communications 2011-06, Vol.2 (1), p.344-344, Article 344
Main Authors: Yuan, Z.Y., Chen, Han Y.H., Reich, Peter B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/158/47
631/449
Adaptation, Biological - physiology
Climate
Computational Biology
Geography
Humanities and Social Sciences
Hypotheses
Leaves
multidisciplinary
Nitrogen
Nitrogen - analysis
Nutrients
Phosphorus
Phosphorus - analysis
Plant Leaves - chemistry
Plant Roots - chemistry
Ratios
Regression Analysis
Science
Science (multidisciplinary)
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Summary:Most water and essential soil nutrient uptake is carried out by fine roots in plants. It is therefore important to understand the global geographic patterns of fine-root nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Here, by compiling plant root data from 211 studies in 51 countries, we show that live fine roots have low nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), but similar N:P ratios when compared with green leaves. The fine-root N:P ratio differs between biomes and declines exponentially with latitude in roots of all diameter classes. This is in contrast to previous reports of a linear latitudinal decline in green leaf N:P, but consistent with nonlinear declines in leaf litter N:P. Whereas the latitudinal N:P decline in both roots and leaves reflects collective influences of climate, soil age and weathering, differences in the shape of the response function may be a result of their different N and P use strategies. Through fine-root nutrient chemistry, it is possible to study ecosystem-scale biogeochemical cycling. Compiling data from 211 studies measuring nitrogen and phosphorus in plant roots, Yuan et al . find that tropical ecosystems are more phosphorous-limited than higher latitudes.
ISSN:2041-1723
2041-1723
DOI:10.1038/ncomms1346