AUTHOR=Zhang Xiaofang , Feng Qi , Cao Jianjun , Biswas Asim , Su Haohai , Liu Wei , Qin Yanyan , Zhu Meng 

TITLE=Response of leaf stoichiometry of Potentilla anserina to elevation in China's Qilian Mountains

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.941357

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.941357

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Plants adapt to changes in elevation by regulating their leaf ecological stoichiometry. Potentilla anserine L. that growth rapidly in poor or even bare soil conditions, has become an important ground cover plant for ecological restoration. However, its leaf ecological stoichiometry has given little attention, resulting in insufficient understanding of its environmental adaptability and growth strategies. The objective of this study was to compare the leaf stoichiometry of P. anserine at different elevations (2400 m, 2600 m, 2800 m, 3000 m, 3200 m, 3500 m and 3800 m) in the middle eastern Qilian mountains. With the increase in elevation, leaf carbon concentration ([C]leaf) significantly decreased, with the maximum value of 446.04 g·kg-1 (2400 m) and the minimum value of 396.78 g·kg-1 (3500 m). Leaf nitrogen concentration ([N]leaf) also increased with increase in elevation, and its maximum and minimum values were 37.57 g·kg-1 (3500 m) and 23.71 g·kg-1 (2800 m), respectively. Leaf phosphorus concentration ([P]leaf) was the highest (2.79 g·kg-1) at 2400 m and lowest (0.91 g·kg-1) at 2800 m , respectively. The [C]leaf:[N]leaf decreased with increase in elevation, while [N]leaf:[P]leaf showed an opposite trend. The mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, soil pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus at different elevation mainly affected [C]leaf, [N]leaf, and [P]leaf. The growth of P. anserine in the study area was mainly limited by P, and this limitation was stronger with increased elevation. Progressively reducing P loss at high elevation is of great significance to the survival of P. anserine in this specific region.