Global meta-analysis shows pervasive phosphorus limitation of aboveground plant production in natural terrestrial ecosystems

Hou, Enqing; Luo, Yiqi; Kuang, Yuanwen; Chen, Chengrong; Lu, Xiankai; Jiang, Lifen; Luo, Xianzhen; Wen, Dazhi

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-14492-w

Cited by 431 publications

(235 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…Leaf [P] mainly depends on the supply of soil P (Cleveland et al., 2011), but the responses of leaf [P] and [N] as well as that of SLA to both canopy and understorey N addition (Figure 3) indicate that N addition approach affected leaf [P] (Figure 3d), which is likely due to more N added to the soil surface under UAN than under CAN, leading to soil acidification (Lu, Mao, Gilliam, Luo, & Mo, 2014). The different effects of UAN versus CAN on the understorey plants were probably explained by the canopy closure of the forest (Zhang et al., 2015), canopy retention of N (Wortman et al., 2012), leading to a greater N input into soil and to lower availability of soil P due to soil acidification, under UAN than CAN treatments (Lu et al., 2014), the abundant N availability (Fang et al., 2011) and the limiting P supply (Cleveland et al., 2011; Hou et al., 2020) in subtropical forest soils. This finding partly supports our first hypothesis, which stated that leaf traits of understorey plants would be affected more by UAN than by CAN.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addition of nitrogen to canopy versus understorey has different effects on leaf traits of understorey plants in a subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest

et al. 2020

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Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has substantial effects on forest ecosystems. The effects of N deposition on understorey plants have been simulated by spraying N on the forest floor. Such understorey addition of N (UAN) might simulate atmospheric N deposition in a biased manner, because it bypasses the canopy. We compared the effects of UAN and canopy addition of N (CAN) at 0, 25 and 50 kg N ha−1 year–1 on SLA, leaf construction costs (CC), concentrations of leaf carbon ([C]), nitrogen ([N]), phosphorus ([P]), minerals ([Mineral]), nitrate ([NO3‐]), lignin ([Lignin]), lipids ([Lipid]), organic acids ([OA]), soluble phenolics ([SP]), total non‐structural carbohydrates ([TNC]) and total structural carbohydrates ([TSC]) in six dominant understorey species in a subtropical evergreen forest after 5 years of N treatments. We found that leaf CC, [C], [Lignin], [OA], [TNC] and [TSC] were significantly affected by N addition approach and rate, but leaf [P] and [Lipid] were affected by N addition approach and N addition rate respectively; leaf CC, [C], [P], [OA] and [TNC] were significantly lower under UAN than under CAN, but leaf [TSC] and [Lignin] were significantly higher and lower, respectively, under UAN than under CAN at 50 kg N ha−1 year–1; the decline of leaf [C] and [Lignin] contributed to the significantly lower leaf CC under UAN than under CAN. Synthesis. We show that canopy and understorey N addition exerted significantly different effects on leaf traits of understorey plants. The results indicate that understorey plants in subtropical forest respond differently to UAN from those to atmospheric deposition of N. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the unbiased ecological processes and functions of forest ecosystem responding to atmospheric N deposition via both CAN and UAN experiments over a longer term.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addition of nitrogen to canopy versus understorey has different effects on leaf traits of understorey plants in a subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest

et al. 2020

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“…Although smaller than the global total annual N deposition, phosphorus (P) deposition is also rapidly increasing and the increase in soil P availability has no historical precedent (Peñuelas et al., 2020). Tropical soil is characterized by a low P concentration due to intense weathering, leaching or erosion and the primary productivity of tropical forests is usually limited by low soil P availability (Hou et al., 2020; Li et al., 2016; Wright et al., 2018; Yang et al., 2013). Imbalanced N and P input into terrestrial ecosystems may cause changes in ecosystem structure and function which would affect soil carbon cycling in P‐poor tropical forests (Crews et al., 1995; Liu et al., 2015; Vitousek et al., 2010).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Phosphorus addition decreases microbial residual contribution to soil organic carbon pool in a tropical coastal forest

Yuan

Mou

et al. 2020

Global Change Biology

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The soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability often constrains soil carbon (C) pool, and elevated N deposition could further intensify soil P limitation, which may affect soil C cycling in these N‐rich and P‐poor ecosystems. Soil microbial residues may not only affect soil organic carbon (SOC) pool but also impact SOC stability through soil aggregation. However, how soil nutrient availability and aggregate fractions affect microbial residues and the microbial residue contribution to SOC is still not well understood. We took advantage of a 10‐year field fertilization experiment to investigate the effects of nutrient additions, soil aggregate fractions, and their interactions on the concentrations of soil microbial residues and their contribution to SOC accumulation in a tropical coastal forest. We found that continuous P addition greatly decreased the concentrations of microbial residues and their contribution to SOC, whereas N addition had no significant effect. The P‐stimulated decreases in microbial residues and their contribution to SOC were presumably due to enhanced recycling of microbial residues via increased activity of residue‐decomposing enzymes. The interactive effects between soil aggregate fraction and nutrient addition were not significant, suggesting a weak role of physical protection by soil aggregates in mediating microbial responses to altered soil nutrient availability. Our data suggest that the mechanisms driving microbial residue responses to increased N and P availability might be different, and the P‐induced decrease in the contribution of microbial residues might be unfavorable for the stability of SOC in N‐rich and P‐poor tropical forests. Such information is critical for understanding the role of tropical forests in the global carbon cycle.

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“…Phosphorus (P) is an essential element for life on Earth and commonly limits plant growth across terrestrial ecosystems (Hou et al., 2020). In many regions, producers have overcome soil P limitation of crop yields using inputs of mineral P fertilizers mined from finite phosphate rock resources (Cordell, Drangert, & White, 2009).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tropical soybean yield response to reduced or zero phosphorus fertilization depends on soils

Bomeisl

Neill

Porder

et al. 2020

Agrosystems Geosci & Env

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Oxisol soils with high P sorption capacity are widespread in Brazil, which is the world's second largest producer of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. To counter low P availability within highly weathered soils, Brazilian soybean producers commonly fertilize with approximately twice as much P as is harvested in soybean. This has led to the accumulation of P in the soil, especially during the 2000s and 2010s, but the degree to which producers can capitalize on this residual soil P stock to offset fertilizer inputs remains unclear. We tested the effect of residual soil P in a field trial in Mato Grosso, Brazil on a field that has been fertilized for a decade. We grew soybean under three P treatments: 0, 50, and 100% of the farm's standard P fertilization rate for soybean (38 kg P ha −1 yr −1). This experiment was conducted for one growing season on two sites within the same farm field that had different soil texture, Al 2 O 3 + Fe 2 O 3 (R 2 O 3), soil test P, and degree of P saturation. Soybean yield on the soil with greater clay content and R 2 O 3 showed yield declines under reduced P input but yields on sandier soils that had higher soil test P were unaffected by reduced P inputs. These results highlight opportunities to enhance P fertilizer use efficiency in intensive tropical agriculture on highly weathered soils by using site-specific soil fertility management to harness residual soil P.

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Global meta-analysis shows pervasive phosphorus limitation of aboveground plant production in natural terrestrial ecosystems

Cited by 431 publications

References 43 publications

Addition of nitrogen to canopy versus understorey has different effects on leaf traits of understorey plants in a subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest

Addition of nitrogen to canopy versus understorey has different effects on leaf traits of understorey plants in a subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forest

Phosphorus addition decreases microbial residual contribution to soil organic carbon pool in a tropical coastal forest

Tropical soybean yield response to reduced or zero phosphorus fertilization depends on soils

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