Variations of Herbaceous Plant Leaf C, N, P Ecological Stoichiometrical Characteristics during Growth Period in Waifang Mountain

Authors Tian Yaowu; He Chunling; Zhao Yan; Xu Shaojun

Journal Journal of Henan Agricultral Sciences , 2017,5:46

Abstract In order to explore variations of leaf ecological stoichiometrical characteristics during the growth period of herbaceous plants with the same life form,three kinds of experimental plots with Carex rigescens,Miscanthus sinensis and Dendranthema indicum were chosen in Waifang mountain area in Southwest of Henan province,China. We monitored carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents, C/N, C/P and N/P mass ratios in three plant species mentioned above at different growth dates from May to October, 2014. The results showed that plant leaf carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus contents and C/N/P stoichiometrical characteristics had variability among plant species. The average content in leaves of three species were 447.6 g/kg,448.1 g/kg and 459.9 g/kg for carbon,26.8 g/kg,23.5 g/kg and 25.6 g/kg for nitrogen,and 1.9 g/kg, 1.5 g/kg and 2.0 g/kg for phosphorus during the growth period, respectively. Considering the comprehensive analysis based on total variation (resulting from two factors: sampling date and species), the rank of coefficient of variation(CV) for each parameter was phosphorus content(45.0%) > C/P ratio(33.2%) > N/P ratio(30.1%) > C/N ratio(26.0%) > nitrogen content(25.3%) > carbon content (2.0%),carbon content had a minimum variation width,followed by nitrogen element,phosphorus element was less stable. The negative correlation between carbon content and nitrogen content was not significant (P > 0.05), and the correlation between carbon content and phosphorus content was the same. But phosphorus content and nitrogen content were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.736,P < 0.01). Nitrogen content and C/N ratio were significantly negatively correlated(r =-0.700, P <0.01), phosphorus content and C/P ratio were significantly negatively correlated (r = -0.891,P<0.01),C/N ratio and C/P ratio were significantly positively correlated(r =0.283,P < 0.05). The effect of plant species on leaf carbon content was significant(P < 0.05),the nitrogen content,phosphorus content, C/N ratio and C/P ratio were mainly affected by sampling date(P <0.05), the N/P ratio was not affected by sampling time and plant species (P > 0.05). When plant leaf ecological stoichiometrical characteristics was studied in some regional ecosystems, the effects of plant species and growth period should be considered.

Species covered 白颖薹草（亚种） Carex duriuscula subsp. rigescens 芒 Miscanthus sinensis 野菊 Dendranthema indicum