Nutrient limitation of eco-physiological processes in tropical trees

Santiago, Louis S.

doi:10.1007/s00468-015-1260-x

Cited by 35 publications

(41 citation statements)

References 87 publications

(106 reference statements)

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“…When the forest ecosystems showed a positive response to added nutrient, e.g. plant growth or rates of physiological processes were promoted, the added nutrient then could be interpreted as limiting to the ecosystem -and otherwise, as not limiting to the ecosystem (Santiago, 2015). We initially expected positive growth responses of trees exposed to N fertilization in this subtropical forest because N availability in the soil would be enhanced by N fertilization and the potential N limitation of plants in the forest ecosystem could be alleviated.…”

Section: Growth Responses Of Trees To N Fertilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Given the high stand density in this mature subtropical forest, we suggest that N fertilization might potentially lead to increased self-and alien thinning of individuals through decreasing understory light availability. The pivotal role of light availability in the ecophysiological processes of understory growth forms has been widely recognized (Santiago, 2015). Due to the limited light availability, understory plants may not be able to incorporate the added nutrient and promote their photosynthetic rates (Alvarez-Clare et al, 2013).…”

Section: Growth Responses Of Small Trees Understorymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Growth responses of trees and understory plants to nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical forest in China

Tian

Fang

et al. 2017

Biogeosciences

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Abstract. Reactive nitrogen (N) increase in the biosphere has been a noteworthy aspect of global change, producing considerable ecological effects on the functioning and dynamics of the terrestrial ecosystems. A number of observational studies have explored responses of plants to experimentally simulated N enrichment in boreal and temperate forests. Here we investigate how the dominant trees and different understory plants respond to experimental N enrichment in a subtropical forest in China. We conducted a 3.4-year N fertilization experiment in an old-aged subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in eastern China with three treatment levels applied to nine 20 m × 20 m plots and replicated in three blocks. We divided the plants into trees, saplings, shrubs (including tree seedlings), and ground-cover plants (ferns) according to the growth forms, and then measured the absolute and relative basal area increments of trees and saplings and the aboveground biomass of understory shrubs and ferns. We further grouped individuals of the dominant tree species, Castanopsis eyrei, into three size classes to investigate their respective growth responses to the N fertilization. Our results showed that the plot-averaged absolute and relative growth rates of basal area and aboveground biomass of trees were not affected by N fertilization. Across the individuals of C. eyrei, the small trees with a DBH (diameter at breast height) of 5-10 cm declined by 66.4 and 59.5 %, respectively, in N50 (50 kg N ha −1 yr −1 ) and N100 fertilized plots (100 kg N ha −1 yr −1 ), while the growth of median and large trees with a DBH of > 10 cm did not significantly change with the N fertilization. The growth rate of small trees, saplings, and the aboveground biomass of understory shrubs and ground-cover ferns decreased significantly in the N-fertilized plots. Our findings suggested that N might not be a limiting nutrient in this mature subtropical forest, and that the limitation of other nutrients in the forest ecosystem might be aggravated by the enhanced N availability, potentially resulting in an adverse effect on the development of natural subtropical forest.

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Section: Growth Responses Of Trees To N Fertilizationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Growth Responses Of Small Trees Understorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth responses of trees and understory plants to nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical forest in China

Tian

Fang

et al. 2017

Biogeosciences

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“…El hecho de que los árboles pequeños hayan sido más sensibles a la fertilización se debe probablemente a que éstos se suelen encontrar bajo condiciones de luminosidad limitada en el sotobosque, además de que presentan un sistema radical más superficial y menos desarrollado, por lo que son más vulnerables a los incrementos extras de nutrientes en el sistema (Wright et al, 2011;Sayer & Banin, 2016). Asimismo, los árboles medianos y grandes tienden a inmovilizar más los nutrientes aplicados en la fertilización, por lo que es más difícil detectar sus efectos (Miller, 1981;Santiago, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…con N y NPK), otras negativamente (Eschweilera sclerophylla, Miconia sp., Inga sp., y Faramea multiflora), pero la mayoría no respondieron a la aplicación de nutrientes, lo cual también se evidenció en los experimentos de Mirmanto et al (1999) y Álvarez-Clare et al (2013. Para encontrar respuestas a tal variabilidad, es útil la revisión reciente de experimentos de fertilización en el trópico por Santiago (2015), quien concluyó que las mayores respuestas de los árboles a la aplicación de nutrientes se pueden agrupar en dos: por un lado, las respuestas a corto plazo, que incluyen aumento de concentración foliar de nutrientes, tasa fotosintética, conductancia estomática y eficiencia en el uso del agua. Por otro lado, las respuestas a largo plazo que incluyen incremento en el CDA, cambios en la biomasa de raíces y colonización por micorrizas, reducción en la capacidad de captura de nutrientes, entre otros (Santiago, 2015).…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

“…Para encontrar respuestas a tal variabilidad, es útil la revisión reciente de experimentos de fertilización en el trópico por Santiago (2015), quien concluyó que las mayores respuestas de los árboles a la aplicación de nutrientes se pueden agrupar en dos: por un lado, las respuestas a corto plazo, que incluyen aumento de concentración foliar de nutrientes, tasa fotosintética, conductancia estomática y eficiencia en el uso del agua. Por otro lado, las respuestas a largo plazo que incluyen incremento en el CDA, cambios en la biomasa de raíces y colonización por micorrizas, reducción en la capacidad de captura de nutrientes, entre otros (Santiago, 2015). En concordancia con esa revisión, el presente estudio no evidencia aumento de CDA a corto plazo, después de la fertilización.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

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Efectos de la fertilización del suelo sobre el crecimiento arbóreo en bosques pluviales tropicales del Chocó, Colombia

Mosquera

Urrutia

Hurtado

2017

RBT

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Efectos de la fertilización del suelo sobre el crecimiento arbóreo en bosques pluviales tropicales del Chocó, Colombia Abstract: Effects of soil fertilization on tree growth in tropical rainforests of Choco, Colombia. The tree diameter growth (CDA) is a fundamental component of net primary productivity (NPP) and carbon storage in forest ecosystems; therefore, it plays a key role in mitigating global climate change. It has been hypothesized that CDA in lowland tropical rain forests is limited by the availability of soil nutrients, yet little experimental evidence is available, especially in forest of high precipitation (>5 000 mm per year). This study evaluated the effects of soil fertilization on CDA in tropical rainforests of the Colombian Pacific, one of the wettest areas of the world. Such effects were assessed at the level of localities, diametric categories, wood density, and functional groups. To do this, two arboreal inventories (2014 and 2015) were performed, five fertilization treatments (Nitrogen-N, Phosphorus-P, Potassium-K, NPK and Control) were applied, and the CDA was determined in five permanent plots of one hectare. We found that the application of N and NPK had little effect on CDA as compared to the control; while the addition of P and K produced significant reduction of the trees relative growth rate, with respect to the control at the level of localities, in small and medium sized trees, in all wood densities (low, medium and high), and in the group of dicotyledonous species. Although these results did not corroborate the hypothesis of nutrient limitation on CDA in the studied forests, it was found that during the early years of fertilization (mainly with P and K), different patterns of aboveground and belowground NPP occurred to maximize photosynthesis and soil nutrient acquisition. Rev. Biol. Trop. 65 (3): 1161-1173. Epub 2017 September 01.

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Bringing function to structure: Root–soil interactions shaping phosphatase activity throughout a soil profile in Puerto Rico

Cabugao

Yaffar

Stenson

et al. 2021

Ecology and Evolution

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Large areas of highly productive tropical forests occur on weathered soils with low concentrations of available phosphorus (P). In such forests, root and microbial production of acid phosphatase enzymes capable of mineralizing organic phosphorus is considered vital to increasing available P for plant uptake. We measured both root and soil phosphatase throughout depth and alongside a variety of root and soil factors to better understand the potential of roots and soil biota to increase P availability and to constrain estimates of the biochemical mineralization within ecosystem models. We measured soil phosphatase down to 1 m, root phosphatase to 30 cm, and collected data on fine‐root mass density, specific root length, soil P, bulk density, and soil texture using soil cores in four tropical forests within the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico. We found that soil phosphatase decreased with soil depth, but not root phosphatase. Furthermore, when both soil and root phosphatase were expressed per soil volume, soil phosphatase was 100‐fold higher that root phosphatase. Both root and soil factors influenced soil and root phosphatase. Soil phosphatase increased with fine‐root mass density and organic P, which together explained over 50% of the variation in soil phosphatase. Over 80% of the variation in root phosphatase per unit root mass was attributed to specific root length (positive correlation) and available (resin) P (negative correlation). Synthesis: Fine‐root traits and soil P data are necessary to understand and represent soil and root phosphatase activity throughout the soil column and across sites with different soil conditions and tree species. These findings can be used to parameterize or benchmark estimates of biochemical mineralization in ecosystem models that contain fine‐root biomass and soil P distributions throughout depth.

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Nutrient limitation of eco-physiological processes in tropical trees

Cited by 35 publications

References 87 publications

Growth responses of trees and understory plants to nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical forest in China

Growth responses of trees and understory plants to nitrogen fertilization in a subtropical forest in China

Efectos de la fertilización del suelo sobre el crecimiento arbóreo en bosques pluviales tropicales del Chocó, Colombia

Bringing function to structure: Root–soil interactions shaping phosphatase activity throughout a soil profile in Puerto Rico

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