title: Nutrient levels within leaves, stems, and roots of the xeric species Reaumuria soongorica in relation to geographical, climatic, and soil conditions.
abstract: Besides water relations, nutrient allocation, and stoichiometric traits are fundamental feature of shrubs. Knowledge concerning the nutrient stoichiometry of xerophytes is essential to predicting the biogeochemical cycling in desert ecosystems as well as to understanding the homoeostasis and variability of nutrient traits in desert plants. Here, we focused on the temperate desert species Reaumuria soongorica and collected samples from plant organs and soil over 28 different locations that covered a wide distributional gradient of this species. Carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations and their stoichiometry were determined and subsequently compared with geographic, climatic, and edaphic factors. The mean leaf C, N, and P concentrations and C/N, C/P, and N/P ratios were 371.6 mg g(-1), 10.6 mg g(-1), 0.73 mg g(-1), and 59.7, 837.9, 15.7, respectively. Stem and root C concentrations were higher than leaf C, while leaf N was higher than stem and root N. Phosphorus concentration and N/P did not differ among plant organs. Significant differences were found between root C/N and leaf C/N as well as between root C/P and leaf C/P. Leaf nutrient traits respond to geographic and climatic factors, while nutrient concentrations of stems and roots are mostly affected by soil P and pH. We show that stoichiometric patterns in different plant organs had different responses to environmental variables. Studies of species-specific nutrient stoichiometry can help clarify plant-environment relationships and nutrient cycling patterns in desert ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Mingzhu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China ; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Huijuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Jieqiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China ; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Yafeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou, 730000, China ; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province Lanzhou, 730000, China.
authors.forename: Xinrong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
keywords: Aridity index; carbon; climate; nitrogen; nutrient storage; pH; phosphorus; soil property; stoichiometry