Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) have key roles in leaf metabolism, resulting in a strong coupling of chemical composition traits to metabolic rates in field-based studies. However, in such studies, it is difficult to disentangle the effects of nutrient supply per se on trait-trait relationships. Our study assessed how high and low N (5 mM and 0.4 mM, respectively) and P (1 mM and 2 μM, respectively) supply in 37 species from six plant functional types (PTFs) affected photosynthesis (A) and respiration (R) (in darkness and light) in a controlled environment. Low P supply increased scaling exponents (slopes) of area-based log-log A-N or R-N relationships when N supply was not limiting, whereas there was no P effect under low N supply. By contrast, scaling exponents of A-P and R-P relationships were altered by P and N supply. Neither R : A nor light inhibition of leaf R was affected by nutrient supply. Light inhibition was 26% across nutrient treatments; herbaceous species exhibited a lower degree of light inhibition than woody species. Because N and P supply modulates leaf trait-trait relationships, the next generation of terrestrial biosphere models may need to consider how limitations in N and P availability affect trait-trait relationships when predicting carbon exchange.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 992-1008 |
Number of pages | 17 |
Journal | New Phytologist |
Volume | 215 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2017 |
Keywords
- nitrogen
- phosphorus
- photosynthesis
- plant ecophysiology
- plant nutrients
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A controlled-environment study using 37 species (6 functional groups) examining how photosynthesis and respiration rates are impacted by a factorial combination of high and low N and P supply
Crous, K. & Atkin, O., Western Sydney University, 23 Mar 2017
DOI: 10.4225/35/58d3114760d93, https://research-data.westernsydney.edu.au/published/02f038b0519411ecb15399911543e199
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