Stoichiometry of root and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus in a dry alpine steppe on the northern Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have been used widely in the ecological stoichiometry to understand nutrient limitation in plant. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between root nutrients and environmental factors. The main objective of this study was to clarify the pattern of root and leaf N and P concentrations and the relationships between plant nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentrations with climatic factors under low temperature conditions in the northern Tibetan Plateau of China. We conducted a systematic census of N and P concentrations, and the N:P ratio in leaf and root for 139 plant samples, from 14 species and 7 families in a dry Stipa purpurea alpine steppe on the northern Tibetan Plateau of China. The results showed that the mean root N and P concentrations and the N:P ratios across all species were 13.05 mg g-1, 0.60 mg g-1 and 23.40, respectively. The mean leaf N and P concentrations and the N:P ratio were 23.20 mg g-1, 1.38 mg g-1, and 17.87, respectively. Compared to global plant nutrients concentrations, plants distributing in high altitude area have higher N concentrations and N:P, but lower P concentrations, which could be used to explain normally-observed low growth rate of plant in the cold region. Plant N concentrations were unrelated to the mean annual temperature (MAT). The root and leaf P concentrations were negatively correlated with the MAT, but the N:P ratios were positively correlated with the MAT. It is highly possible this region is not N limited, it is P limited, thus the temperature-biogeochemical hypothesis (TBH) can not be used to explain the relationship between plant N concentrations and MAT in alpine steppe. The results were valuable to understand the bio-geographic patterns of root and leaf nutrients traits and modeling ecosystem nutrient cycling in cold and dry environments.