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Foliar elemental composition of European forest tree species associated with evolutionary traits and present environmental and competitive conditions
Sardans i Galobart, Jordi (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Janssens, Ivan (Universiteit Antwepen.)
Alonso, Rocío (Centro de Investigaciones Energéticas, Medioambientales y Tecnológicas (Espanya))
Veresoglou, Stavros (Freie Universität Berlin)
Rilling, Mathias C. (Freie Universität Berlin)
Sanders, Tanja G. M. (University of Greifswald. Institute of Botany and Landscape Ecology)
Carnicer i Cols, Jofre (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Filella, Iolanda (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)
Farré Armengol, Gerard (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals)
Peñuelas, Josep (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Biologia Animal, de Biologia Vegetal i d'Ecologia)

Date: 2015
Abstract: Aim Plant elemental composition and stoichiometry is crucial for plant structure and function. We studied to what extent plant stoichiometry might be caused by environmental drivers and competition from coexisting species. Location Europe. Methods We analyzed foliar N, P, K, Ca and Mg concentrations and their ratios among 50 species of European forest trees sampled in 5284 plots across Europe and their relationships with phylogeny, forest type, current climate and N deposition. Results Phylogeny is strongly related to overall foliar elemental composition in European tree species. Species identity explained the 56. 7 percent of the overall foliar elemental composition and stoichiometry. Forest type and current climatic conditions also partially explained the differences in foliar elemental composition among species. In the same genus co-occuring species had overall higher differences in foliar elemental composition and stoichiometry than the non co-occuring species. Main conclusions The different foliar elemental compositions among species are related to phylogenetic distances, but they are also related to current climatic conditions, forest types, global change drivers such as atmospheric N deposition, and to differences among co-occurring species as a probable consequence of niche specialization to reduce direct competition for the same resources. Different species have singular "fixed" foliar elemental compositions but retain some degree of plasticity to the current climatic and competitive conditions. A wider set of elements beyond N and P better represents the biogeochemical niche and is highly sensitive to plant function. Foliar elemental composition can thus be useful for representing important aspects of plant species niches.
Grants: Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad CGL2013-48074-P
Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación CSD2008-00040
Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca 2014/SGR-274
European Commission 610028
Rights: Tots els drets reservats.
Language: Anglès
Document: Article ; recerca ; Versió acceptada per publicar
Subject: Calcium ; Ca:Mg ; Competition ; Biogeochemical niche ; Ecological stoichiometry ; Forests ; Magnesium ; Nitrogen ; N:K ; N:P ; Phosphorus ; P:K ; Phylogeny ; Potassium
Published in: Global ecology and biogeography, Vol. 24, Issue 2 (February 2015) , p. 240-255, ISSN 1466-822X

DOI: 10.1111/geb.12253


Post-print
36 p, 1.2 MB

Material suplementari
15 p, 1.2 MB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Experimental sciences > CREAF (Centre de Recerca Ecològica i d'Aplicacions Forestals) > Imbalance-P
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles

 Record created 2016-03-15, last modified 2023-12-31



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