title: Biogeographic bases for a shift in crop C : N : P stoichiometries during domestication.
abstract: We lack both a theoretical framework and solid empirical data to understand domestication impacts on plant chemistry. We hypothesised that domestication increased leaf N and P to support high plant production rates, but biogeographic and climate patterns further influenced the magnitude and direction of changes in specific aspects of chemistry and stoichiometry. To test these hypotheses, we used a data set of leaf C, N and P from 21 herbaceous crops and their wild progenitors. Domestication increased leaf N and/or P for 57% of the crops. Moreover, the latitude of the domestication sites (negatively related to temperature) modulated the domestication effects on P (+), C (-), N : P (-) and C : P (-) ratios. Further results from a litter decomposition assay showed that domestication effects on litter chemistry affected the availability of soil N and P. Our findings draw attention to evolutionary effects of domestication legacies on plant and soil stoichiometry and related ecosystem services (e.g. plant yield and soil fertility).
authors.affiliation: Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, 2751, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Delgado-Baquerizo
authors.affiliation: Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, 2751, New South Wales, Australia.|Department of Forest Resources, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, 55108, USA.
authors.forename: Peter B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Reich
authors.affiliation: Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: García-Palacios
authors.affiliation: Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain.
authors.forename: Rubén
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Milla
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D018556:Crops, Agricultural / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071278:Domestication; D017753:Ecosystem; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D010758:Phosphorus; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Crops; T-physiology hypothesis; decomposition; growth rate hypothesis; nutrient cycling; soil age hypothesis