Seasonal Variation of N and P Stoichiometric Characteristics in Leaves of Certain Ephemeral Plants in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China

doi:10.11983/CBB16248

Abstract

Abstract:

Ephemeral plants are an important part of desert ecosystems. To understand the stoichiometric characteristics of leaf N and P in growth season variation, we compared plant leaf N and P with seasonal variation among 6 main species of ephemeral plants in the Gurbantunggut Desert in China, including 3 species of annual ephemeral plants and 3 of perennial ephemeral plants: Erodium oxyrrhynchum, Nepeta micrantha, Alyssum linifolium, Eremurus chinensis, Scorzonera pusilla, and Soranthus meyeri. The mean N content for the 3 annual ephemeral species was (11.23±7.16), (14.11±6.38) and (10.85±6.14) mg·g^-1 and mean P content was (2.82±0.73), (3.12±1.24) and (3.43±0.55) mg·g^-1. The mean N content for the 3 perennial ephemeral species was (19.97±5.94), (15.08±4.01) and (17.94±9.03) mg·g^-1and mean P content was (3.55±0.83), (2.73±1.11) and (5.03±0.65) mg·g^-1. The stoichiometric characteristics of leaf N-P differed during the growth of ephemeral plants. The content of N and P in each species was higher in the early growth stage than during other growing seasons. The content of N and P decreased with increasing leaf biomass in the growing season but increased in the late growth season. The relation among the elements at different life stages differed, with no significant difference in the relation between the elements of the same life stage, so it embodies the consistency of inter species.

Key words: ephemeral plants, stoichiometric characteristics, seasonal variation, life type

Liu Jianguo, Liu Weiguo, Zhu Yuanyuan, Huo Jusong, Maria?Nurlan. Seasonal Variation of N and P Stoichiometric Characteristics in Leaves of Certain Ephemeral Plants in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China[J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2017, 52(6): 756-763.

Figures/Tables 2

References 43

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Month	Element	Erodium oxyrrhynchum	Nepeta micrantha	Alyssum linifolium	Eremurus chinensis	Scorzonera pusilla	Soranthus meyeri
April	N (mg·g^-1)	19.45±0.43 Aa	18.57±1.4 Aa	17.60±1.7 Aa	19.47±0.7 Ba	15.85±1.1 Ab	13.83±0.42 Bc
	P (mg·g^-1)	3.50±0.1 Aa	4.45±0.2 Ca	4.00±0.23 Ba	4.50±0.32 Aa	3.40±0.4 Ab	5.70±0.36 Ac
	N:P	5.56±0.3 Aa	4.17±0.6 Ab	4.40±0.5 Ab	4.33±0.2 Ab	4.66±0.42 Ab	2.43±0.12 Ac
May	N (mg·g^-1)	7.95±0.64 Ba	6.80±1 Cb	5.60±1 Cb	26.15±1.1 Ac	18.65±2.25 Bd	28.30±1 Ac
	P (mg·g^-1)	2.05±0.4 Ba	2.00±0.1 Ba	2.90±0.1 Aa	2.95±0.7 Ba	1.45±0.4 Bb	4.40±0.1 Ac
	N:P	3.88±0.15 Ba	3.40±0.5 Aa	1.93±0.3 Bb	8.86±0.2 Bc	12.86±0.5 Bd	6.43±0.23 Bc
June	N (mg·g^-1)	6.30±0.1 Ca	16.95±0.8 Bb	9.35±0.6 Bc	14.30±0.78 Cd	10.75±0.3 Ce	11.70±1 Be
	P (mg·g^-1)	2.90±0.5 Aa	2.90±0.2 Aa	3.40±0.3 Aa	3.20±0.14 Aa	3.35±0.1 Aa	5.00±0.1 Ab
	N:P	2.17±0.2 Ca	5.84±0.4 Bb	2.75±0.2 Ca	4.47±0.52 Ab	3.21±0.12 Aa	2.34±0.3 Aa

Month	Element	Erodium oxyrrhynchum	Nepeta micrantha	Alyssum linifolium	Eremurus chinensis	Scorzonera pusilla	Soranthus meyeri
April	N (mg·g^-1)	19.45±0.43 Aa	18.57±1.4 Aa	17.60±1.7 Aa	19.47±0.7 Ba	15.85±1.1 Ab	13.83±0.42 Bc
	P (mg·g^-1)	3.50±0.1 Aa	4.45±0.2 Ca	4.00±0.23 Ba	4.50±0.32 Aa	3.40±0.4 Ab	5.70±0.36 Ac
	N:P	5.56±0.3 Aa	4.17±0.6 Ab	4.40±0.5 Ab	4.33±0.2 Ab	4.66±0.42 Ab	2.43±0.12 Ac
May	N (mg·g^-1)	7.95±0.64 Ba	6.80±1 Cb	5.60±1 Cb	26.15±1.1 Ac	18.65±2.25 Bd	28.30±1 Ac
	P (mg·g^-1)	2.05±0.4 Ba	2.00±0.1 Ba	2.90±0.1 Aa	2.95±0.7 Ba	1.45±0.4 Bb	4.40±0.1 Ac
	N:P	3.88±0.15 Ba	3.40±0.5 Aa	1.93±0.3 Bb	8.86±0.2 Bc	12.86±0.5 Bd	6.43±0.23 Bc
June	N (mg·g^-1)	6.30±0.1 Ca	16.95±0.8 Bb	9.35±0.6 Bc	14.30±0.78 Cd	10.75±0.3 Ce	11.70±1 Be
	P (mg·g^-1)	2.90±0.5 Aa	2.90±0.2 Aa	3.40±0.3 Aa	3.20±0.14 Aa	3.35±0.1 Aa	5.00±0.1 Ab
	N:P	2.17±0.2 Ca	5.84±0.4 Bb	2.75±0.2 Ca	4.47±0.52 Ab	3.21±0.12 Aa	2.34±0.3 Aa