Different Environmental and Phylogenetic Controls over the Altitudinal Variation in Leaf N and P Resorption Traits between Woody and Herbaceous Plants

Abstract

Leaf nutrient resorption traits are regarded as important indicators reflecting the strategy of plant nutrient conservation, yet the mechanism underlying the variation of resorption traits in different plant growth forms (PGFs) remains unclear. In order to untangle the phylogenetic and environmental influences on leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption traits between woody and herbaceous plants, we investigated N and P contents of green and senesced leaves in 53 species along an altitudinal gradient (1374–3649 m) in the Taibai Mountain of central China and estimated leaf N and P resorption efficiency and proficiency. Our results show that leaf N and P resorption efficiency (NRE and PRE) had significant positive trends with altitude in both woody and herbaceous plants (all p < 0.05); however, their altitudinal patterns of N and P resorption proficiency (NRP and PRP) were different. For woody plants, leaf NRP and NRE:PRE first decreased and then increased with altitude (p < 0.05), while NRP:PRP had the opposite trend (p < 0.05). In herbaceous plants, leaf NRP and PRP decreased but NRP:PRP increased with altitude (p < 0.05). Climatic factors exerted the major influences on the variation in leaf NRE and PRE (18.5–24.8% explained variation). However, phylogenetic taxonomy mainly affected the variation of leaf PRP and NRP:PRP (45.2% and 41.4% explained variation) in all species, NRP:PRP in woody plants (37.8% explained variation), and NRE:PRE in herbaceous plants (49.7% explained variation). In addition, leaf NRP:PRP showed a significant phylogenetic signal (Blomberg’s p < 0.05). These results highlight the importance of taking PGFs and phylogenetic information into consideration when examining the interspecies variation in leaf resorption under environmental changes, which can advance our knowledge of plant nutrient utilization strategies in response to fluctuating environments and lay the groundwork for the development of complex element biogeochemical models.

Influence of the Nitrogen Fertilization on the Yield, Biometric Characteristics and Chemical Composition of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni Grown in Poland

“…It is common knowledge that proper nutrition of growing plants contributes to the increase in plant size and number of shoots and leaves, crucial parameters influencing the yield of herbaceous plants [27][28][29][30][31]. The conducted experiment demonstrates that the addition of just 50 kg of N per hectare can increase the height of the stevia plants by over 20% and appears necessary for cultivating stevia in Poland.…”

The Construction of a High-Density Genetic Map for the Interspecific Cross of Castanea mollissima × C. henryi and the Identification of QTLs for Leaf Traits

“…Fifteen QTLs for LA, one QTL for LDW, and thirteen QTLs for LW were major QTLs identified in this study that control leaf traits which then affect the physiology of Chinese chestnut. Leaf traits also affect nitrogen and phosphorus resorption, which reflect a plant's nutrient conservation strategy [46]. More shade-tolerant plant species showed higher leaf K contents, thickness, Fv/Fm values and qN values, which enhance their resistance to light stress [47].…”