Recent advances and future research in ecological stoichiometry

Sardans, Jordi; Janssens, Ivan A.; Ciais, Philippe; Obersteiner, Michael; Peñuelas, Josep

doi:10.1016/j.ppees.2021.125611

Cited by 91 publications

(78 citation statements)

References 475 publications

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“…Thus, this higher level of woody species homogeneity and associated lower levels of species coexistence and interspecific competition are likely to lead to lower levels of phenotypic plasticity and greater stability of foliar N:P ratios. In the other forest biomes, where levels of species diversity and heterogeneity are greater, it is likely that species foliar N:P ratios reflect levels of species coexistence (Peñuelas et al., 2019; Sardans et al., 2021), thus limiting the predictive power of phylogeny and species, as supported by our results showing that tropical forest foliar N:P ratios were least explained by these random factors. Northern tree species are adapted to resist hard conditions and can be considered stress‐tolerant species; consequently, they tend to have more conservative strategies and lower levels of plasticity resulting from their strict adaptation to a concrete hard stress (Grime, 1977; Güsewell, 2004).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

“…When essential resources, such as N or light, are at high levels of availability, an increased growth rate is dependent on increases in P‐rich RNA, as indicated by research showing that N:P ratios, particularly of leaf tissue, are negatively correlated with plant growth rate (Jing et al., 2017; Peng et al., 2011; Rivas‐Ubach et al., 2012; Yan et al., 2015; Yu et al., 2012). In non‐limiting conditions, balanced foliar N:P ratios of mature plants can be 14–16 on a mass basis (Elser et al., 2000; Knecht & Göransson, 2004; Zhang & Elser, 2017), although further research is needed for confirmation (Sardans et al., 2021), because Güsewell (2004) and Greenwood et al. (2008) reported that ratios of N:P on a mass basis of <10 indicate limited N and ratios >20 indicate limited P, in contrast to Koerselman and Meuleman (1996), who reported that ratios of <14 indicate limited N and ratios >16 indicate limited P. In terrestrial plants, N:P increases relatively at low growth rates and decreases relatively at high growth rates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global distribution and drivers of forest biome foliar nitrogen to phosphorus ratios (N:P)

Vallicrosa

Sardans

Maspons

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 64%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global distribution and drivers of forest biome foliar nitrogen to phosphorus ratios (N:P)

Vallicrosa

Sardans

Maspons

et al. 2022

Global Ecol Biogeogr

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“…In addition to C, N, and P, recent studies have taken into account additional mineral elements, such as potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg), which would improve our understanding of how warming affects basic biological functions such as growth, stress responses, and defense mechanisms (Prieto and Querejeta, 2020;Gao et al, 2021;Sardans et al, 2021). For example, it was reported that warming increased Ca concentration in Erica multiflora and Lotus dorycnium by 42 and 38%, respectively, which helped to improve the water-use efficiency of plants (Sardans et al, 2008b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variations in Rainfall Affect the Responses of Foliar Chemical Properties of Cunninghamia lanceolata Seedlings to Soil Warming

et al. 2021

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Climate warming is becoming an increasingly serious threat. Understanding plant stoichiometry changes under climate warming is crucial for predicting the effects of future warming on terrestrial ecosystem productivity. Nevertheless, how plant stoichiometry responds to warming when interannual rainfall variation is considered, remains poorly understood. We performed a field soil warming experiment (+5°C) using buried heating cables in subtropical areas of China from 2015 to 2018. Stoichiometric patterns of foliar C:N:P:K:Ca:Mg, non-structural carbohydrate, and stable isotope of Cunninghamia lanceolata seedlings were studied. Our results showed that soil warming decreased foliar P and K concentrations, C:Ca, P:Ca, and P:Mg ratios. However, soil warming increased foliar Ca concentration, δ15N value, C:P and N:P ratios. The response ratios of foliar N, C:N, and δ15N to soil warming were correlated with rainfall. Our findings indicate that there was non-homeostasis of N and C:N under warming conditions. Three possible reasons for this result are considered and include interannual variations in rainfall, increased loss of N, and N limitation in leaves. Piecewise structural equation models showed that stoichiometric non-homeostasis indirectly affected the growth of C. lanceolata seedlings in response to soil warming. Consequently, the growth of C. lanceolata seedlings remained unchanged under the warming treatment. Taken together, our results advance the understanding of how altered foliar stoichiometry relates to changes in plant growth in response to climate warming. Our results emphasize the importance of rainfall variations for modulating the responses of plant chemical properties to warming. This study provides a useful method for predicting the effects of climate warming on economically important timber species.

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“…Thus, the proportions of atoms composing juvenile food can be used as a proxy for the nutritional quality of this food for the consumer (Filipiak, 2018), as shown in previous studies (e.g., Baggett et al, 2013;Lind and Jeyasingh, 2018;Zhang et al, 2018) and reviews (Kaspari, 2021;Sardans et al, 2021). Clearly, the framework of ecological stoichiometry alone does not cover all aspects of the complicated interactions between bees and plants (Parreño et al, 2021), and it is impossible in a single study to consider all the factors driving bee biology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 89%

Unravelling the dependence of a wild bee on floral diversity and composition using a feeding experiment

Filipiak

Denisow

Stawiarz

et al. 2022

Preprint

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We investigated nutrition as a potential mechanism underlying the link between floral diversity/composition and wild bee performance. The health, resilience, and fitness of bees may be limited by a lack of nutritionally balanced larval food (pollen), influencing the entire population, even if adults are not limited nutritionally by the availability and quality of their food (mainly nectar). We hypothesized that the nutritional quality of bee larval food is indirectly connected to the species diversity of pollen provisions and is directly driven by the pollen species composition. Therefore, the accessibility of specific, nutritionally desirable key plant species for larvae might promote bee populations. Using a fully controlled feeding experiment, we simulated different pollen resources that could be available to bees in various environments, reflecting potential changes in floral species diversity and composition that could be caused by landscape changes. Suboptimal concentrations of certain nutrients in pollen produced by specific plant species resulted in reduced bee fitness. The negative effects were alleviated when scarce nutrients were added to these pollen diets. The scarcity of specific nutrients was associated with certain plant species but not with plant diversity. Thus, one of the mechanisms underlying the decreased fitness of wild bees in homogenous landscapes may be nutritional imbalance, i.e., the scarcity of specific nutrients associated with the presence of certain plant species and not with species diversity in pollen provisions eaten by larvae. Accordingly, we provide a conceptual representation of how the floral species composition and diversity can impact bee populations by affecting fitness-related life history traits. Additionally, we suggest that mixes of ‘bee-friendly’ plants used to improve the nutritional base for wild bees should be composed considering the local flora to supplement bees with vital nutrients that are scarce in the considered environment.

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Recent advances and future research in ecological stoichiometry

Cited by 91 publications

References 475 publications

Global distribution and drivers of forest biome foliar nitrogen to phosphorus ratios (N:P)

Global distribution and drivers of forest biome foliar nitrogen to phosphorus ratios (N:P)

Variations in Rainfall Affect the Responses of Foliar Chemical Properties of Cunninghamia lanceolata Seedlings to Soil Warming

Unravelling the dependence of a wild bee on floral diversity and composition using a feeding experiment

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