Low investment in sexual reproduction threatens plants adapted to phosphorus limitation.
Plant species diversity in Eurasian wetlands and grasslands depends not only on productivity but also on the relative availability of nutrients, particularly of nitrogen and phosphorus. Here we show that the impacts of nitrogen:phosphorus stoichiometry on plant species richness can be explained by selected plant life-history traits, notably by plant investments in growth versus reproduction. In 599 Eurasian sites with herbaceous vegetation we examined the relationship between the local nutrient conditions and community-mean life-history traits. We found that compared with plants in nitrogen-limited communities, plants in phosphorus-limited communities invest little in sexual reproduction (for example, less investment in seed, shorter flowering period, longer lifespan) and have conservative leaf economy traits (that is, a low specific leaf area and a high leaf dry-matter content). Endangered species were more frequent in phosphorus-limited ecosystems and they too invested little in sexual reproduction. The results provide new insight into how plant adaptations to nutrient conditions can drive the distribution of plant species in natural ecosystems and can account for the vulnerability of endangered species.
KWR Watercycle Research Institute, PO Box 1072, 3430 BB Nieuwegein, The Netherlands.
Yuki
Y
Fujita
Plant Biology and Nature Management, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Pleinlaan 2, 1050 Brussels, Belgium.
Harry Olde
HO
Venterink
Department of Ecological Science, VU University Amsterdam, de Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Peter M
PM
van Bodegom
Centre for Crop Systems Analysis, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, 6708PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Jacob C
JC
Douma
Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Princetonplein 5, 3584 CC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Gerrit W
GW
Heil
Institute of Landscape Ecology, Faculty of Geosciences, University of Münster, Robert-Koch-Strasse 28, 48149 Münster, Germany.
Norbert
N
Hölzel
Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Institute of Botany, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, Warsaw, Poland.
Ewa
E
Jabłońska
Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Institute of Botany, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, Warsaw, Poland.
Wiktor
W
Kotowski
Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 02-722 Warsaw, Nowoursynowska 166, Poland.
Tomasz
T
Okruszko
Department of Plant Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Institute of Botany, University of Warsaw, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, Warsaw, Poland.
Paweł
P
Pawlikowski
Biometris, Wageningen University, PO Box 100, 6700 AC Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Peter C
PC
de Ruiter
Environmental Sciences, Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80115, 3508 TC Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Martin J
MJ
Wassen
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D056727:Endangered Species; D053476:Extinction, Biological; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000378:metabolism*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000378:metabolism; D058526:Plant Vascular Bundle / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012098:Reproduction
D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen