Nutrients limit photosynthesis in seedlings of a lowland tropical forest tree species

Pasquini, Sarah C.; Santiago, Louis S.

doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2099-5

Cited by 81 publications

(88 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…In general, tree growth limitation by N and P strongly depends on specific site conditions and on co-limitation by other nutrients. Santiago et al (2012) showed a 24% increase in relative height growth in naturally established tropical tree seedlings as a response to K addition and a smaller but also positive effect of combined long-term addition of N and P. Increased growth rates are probably the result of enhanced photosynthetic productivity as reported by Pasquini and Santiago (2012) for Alseis blackiana seedlings from the same tropical lowland forest in Panama.…”

Section: Discussion Seedling Mortality and Growthmentioning

confidence: 54%

“…Therefore, it is crucial to understand the impact of changed nutrient availability at this stage of the life cycle. Several studies have used seedlings of locally abundant tropical tree species to study if these species are able to optimize their resource use after nutrient addition (e.g., Lawrence, 2001;Yavitt and Wright, 2008;Andersen et al, 2010;Pasquini and Santiago, 2012;Alvarez-Clare et al, 2013) and concluded that changes in establishment and growth rates might be considered as a key driver of structural changes of tree communities to altered nutrient availability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biomass allocation varies, depending on how seedlings accumulate carbohydrates to aboveground tissues vs. root surface (Burslem et al, 1995;Wan Juliana et al, 2009). Carbon gain and plant growth are highly dependent on leaf traits, in particular photosynthetic capacity and leaf area, which both tend to increase with nutrient addition (Burslem et al, 1995;Wan Juliana et al, 2009;Pasquini and Santiago, 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Performance of Seedlings of a Shade-Tolerant Tropical Tree Species after Moderate Addition of N and P

2015

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Nitrogen deposition to tropical forests is predicted to increase in future in many regions due to agricultural intensification. We conducted a seedling transplantation experiment in a tropical premontane forest in Ecuador with a locally abundant late-successional tree species (Pouteria torta, Sapotaceae) aimed at detecting species-specific responses to moderate N and P addition and to understand how increasing nutrient availability will affect regeneration. From locally collected seeds, 320 seedlings were produced and transplanted to the plots of the Ecuadorian Nutrient Manipulation Experiment (NUMEX) with three treatments (moderate N addition: 50 kg N ha −1 year −1 , moderate P addition: 10 kg P ha −1 year −1 and combined N and P addition) and a control (80 plants per treatment). After 12 months, mortality, relative growth rate, leaf nutrient content and leaf herbivory rate were measured. N and NP addition significantly increased the mortality rate (70 vs. 54% in the control). However, N and P addition also increased the diameter growth rate of the surviving seedlings. N and P addition did not alter foliar nutrient concentrations and leaf N:P ratio, but N addition decreased the leaf C:N ratio and increased SLA. P addition (but not N addition) resulted in higher leaf area loss to herbivore consumption and also shifted carbon allocation to root growth. This fertilization experiment with a common rainforest tree species conducted in old-growth forest shows that already moderate doses of added N and P are affecting seedling performance which most likely will have consequences for the competitive strength in the understory and the recruitment success of P. torta. Simultaneous increases in growth, herbivory and mortality rates make it difficult to assess the species' overall performance and predict how a future increase in nutrient deposition will alter the abundance of this species in the Andean tropical montane forests.

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Section: Discussion Seedling Mortality and Growthmentioning

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Performance of Seedlings of a Shade-Tolerant Tropical Tree Species after Moderate Addition of N and P

2015

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“…In lowland tropical forest in Panama, seedlings, saplings and poles increase growth rates when n and K limitations are alleviated by experimental nutrient addition, whereas large trees only respond to P addition Wright et al 2011). enhanced supplies of n, P or K all have the potential to enhance growth because of their positive effects on photosynthetic productivity and activation of key enzymes necessary for efficient growth (evans 1989;Pasquini and santiago 2012). however, increased growth in large trees, but not in saplings, in response to environmental n availability suggests that the importance of n for carboxylation capacity increases with the elevated light availability of large trees.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Determinants of change in subtropical tree diameter growth with ontogenetic stage

et al. 2014

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“…The literature is conflicting with some studies showing growth-nutrient relationships but others suggesting that additional factors limit growth, such as light. To address these and other questions, a growing number of recent studies specifically analyze physiological responses of tropical trees to nutrient addition (Bucci et al 2006;Lovelock et al 2006;Pasquini and Santiago 2012). This review focuses on what is known about tropical tree responses to nutrients and how such information is critical for developing a more complete picture of the ability of tropical forest to respond to a changing world.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutrient limitation of eco-physiological processes in tropical trees

Santiago

2015

Trees

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Key Message Tropical forests play a disproportionately large role in the global climate system, yet the extent to which nutrients limit the potential for tropical trees to increase carbon gain as atmospheric carbon dioxide rises is unknown. Abstract This review focuses on what is known about tropical tree responses to experimental nutrient addition and how such information is critical for developing a more complete picture of the ability of tropical forest to respond to a changing world. Most of our knowledge of nutrient limitation of eco-physiological processes in tropical trees is derived from stand-scale nutrient addition experiments, in which physiological or growth responses signify limitation by that element. Our knowledge is further supplemented by fertilization studies of individual plants in pots. There is emerging evidence that fine root biomass decreases and maximum photosynthetic rates, water transport capacity and plant growth in tropical trees increase with nutrient addition, but the magnitude of response depends upon the successional status of the species, the size of the individual, light availability and the element in question. The sheer variation in responses of tropical trees to nutrient addition calls for a more complete evaluation across tropical environments.

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Nutrients limit photosynthesis in seedlings of a lowland tropical forest tree species

Cited by 81 publications

References 53 publications

Performance of Seedlings of a Shade-Tolerant Tropical Tree Species after Moderate Addition of N and P

Performance of Seedlings of a Shade-Tolerant Tropical Tree Species after Moderate Addition of N and P

Determinants of change in subtropical tree diameter growth with ontogenetic stage

Nutrient limitation of eco-physiological processes in tropical trees

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