Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China
ABSTRACT Altitude‐induced variations in hydrothermal conditions and vegetation affect plant nutrients and induce tradeoffs in survival strategies. However, nutrient allocation to different plant organs along altitudinal gradients remains unclear. Here, 24 plots were established across eight altitudi...
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Wiley
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71451 |
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| author | Chunlin Huo Zhonghua Zhang Gang Hu Yinghua Luo |
| author_facet | Chunlin Huo Zhonghua Zhang Gang Hu Yinghua Luo |
| author_sort | Chunlin Huo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Altitude‐induced variations in hydrothermal conditions and vegetation affect plant nutrients and induce tradeoffs in survival strategies. However, nutrient allocation to different plant organs along altitudinal gradients remains unclear. Here, 24 plots were established across eight altitudinal gradients (300, 500, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, and 1400 m) in subtropical forests on Daming Mountain, South China. We analyzed the altitudinal patterns and factors influencing carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content and their ratios in the leaves, branches, and roots of woody plants. We found that branches had higher mean C content and C:N and C:P ratios than roots and leaves, leaves had higher N and P content than roots and branches, and roots exhibited a higher mean N:P ratio than the other organs. With increasing altitude, the leaf and branch C, C:N, and leaf C:P increased, whereas the leaf N and P, branch N and N:P, and root N:P decreased. Plant N:P ratios above 16 indicate that plant growth in the study area was mainly restricted by P. The positive correlation between N and P content across plant organs suggests synergistic absorption of these nutrients by plants. These results demonstrate that soil nutrients and stoichiometry directly influenced C, N, and P stoichiometry among different organs and that the soil C:P ratio was a common impact factor for these organs. These findings may elucidate the nutrient allocation patterns and adaptive strategies of plants in subtropical mountains and provide a foundation for forest management and restoration. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ce9f1b1d524c4255a24b4048fc58339c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-ce9f1b1d524c4255a24b4048fc58339c2025-08-20T03:33:31ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-06-01156n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71451Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South ChinaChunlin Huo0Zhonghua Zhang1Gang Hu2Yinghua Luo3Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry Guangxi University Nanning ChinaKey Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Education Nanning Normal University Nanning ChinaKey Laboratory of Environment Change and Resources Use in Beibu Gulf, Ministry of Education Nanning Normal University Nanning ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry Guangxi University Nanning ChinaABSTRACT Altitude‐induced variations in hydrothermal conditions and vegetation affect plant nutrients and induce tradeoffs in survival strategies. However, nutrient allocation to different plant organs along altitudinal gradients remains unclear. Here, 24 plots were established across eight altitudinal gradients (300, 500, 700, 900, 1100, 1200, 1300, and 1400 m) in subtropical forests on Daming Mountain, South China. We analyzed the altitudinal patterns and factors influencing carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) content and their ratios in the leaves, branches, and roots of woody plants. We found that branches had higher mean C content and C:N and C:P ratios than roots and leaves, leaves had higher N and P content than roots and branches, and roots exhibited a higher mean N:P ratio than the other organs. With increasing altitude, the leaf and branch C, C:N, and leaf C:P increased, whereas the leaf N and P, branch N and N:P, and root N:P decreased. Plant N:P ratios above 16 indicate that plant growth in the study area was mainly restricted by P. The positive correlation between N and P content across plant organs suggests synergistic absorption of these nutrients by plants. These results demonstrate that soil nutrients and stoichiometry directly influenced C, N, and P stoichiometry among different organs and that the soil C:P ratio was a common impact factor for these organs. These findings may elucidate the nutrient allocation patterns and adaptive strategies of plants in subtropical mountains and provide a foundation for forest management and restoration.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71451altitudeDaming Mountainecological stoichiometryphosphorus limitationplant organs |
| spellingShingle | Chunlin Huo Zhonghua Zhang Gang Hu Yinghua Luo Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China Ecology and Evolution altitude Daming Mountain ecological stoichiometry phosphorus limitation plant organs |
| title | Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China |
| title_full | Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China |
| title_fullStr | Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China |
| title_short | Altitude‐Related Variation in Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Contents and Their Stoichiometry of Woody Organs in the Subtropical Mountain Forests, South China |
| title_sort | altitude related variation in carbon nitrogen and phosphorus contents and their stoichiometry of woody organs in the subtropical mountain forests south china |
| topic | altitude Daming Mountain ecological stoichiometry phosphorus limitation plant organs |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71451 |
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