Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry across 753 terrestrial plant species in China

• Published in: The New phytologist Vol. 168; no. 2; pp. 377 - 385
• Main Authors: Han, Wenxuan, Fang, Jingyun, Guo, Dali, Zhang, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Science 01.11.2005; Blackwell Science Ltd
• Subjects: China; Ecosystem; Flora; Functional groups; Geography; Geometric mean; Herbs; latitude; leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents; leaves; Mass ratio; Nitrogen; Nitrogen - analysis; N : P ratio; Phosphorus; Phosphorus - analysis; Plant ecology; plant functional groups; Plant Leaves - chemistry; plant nutrition; Plants; Soil - analysis; Soil ecology; soil P; Species Specificity; stoichiometry; China; China, People's Rep
• ISSN: 0028-646X; 1469-8137
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2005.01530.x

$\bullet$ Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus stoichiometry of Chinese terrestrial plants was studied based on a national data set including 753 species across the country. $\bullet$ Geometric means were calculated for functional groups based on life form, phylogeny and photosynthetic pathway, as well as for all 753 species. The relationships between leaf N and P stoichiometric traits and latitude (and temperature) were analysed. $\bullet$ The geometric means of leaf N, P, and N : P ratio for the 753 species were 18.6 and $1.21 mg g^{-1}$ and 14.4, respectively. With increasing latitude (decreasing mean annual temperature, MAT), leaf N and P increased, but the N : P ratio did not show significant changes. $\bullet$ Although patterns of leaf N, P and N : P ratios across the functional groups were generally consistent with those reported previously, the overall N : P ratio of China's flora was considerably higher than the global averages, probably caused by a greater shortage of soil P in China than elsewhere. The relationships between leaf N, P and N : P ratio and latitude (and MAT) also suggested the existence of broad biogeographical patterns of these leaf traits in Chinese flora.