Mechanistic insights into plant community responses to environmental variables: genome size, cellular nutrient investments, and metabolic tradeoffs.

ABSTRACT: Affecting biodiversity, plants with larger genome sizes (GS) may be restricted in nutrient-poor conditions. This pattern has been attributed to their greater cellular nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) investments and hypothesized nutrient-investment tradeoffs between cell synthesis and physiological attributes associated with growth. However, the influence of GS on cell size and functioning may also contribute to GS-dependent growth responses to nutrients. To test whether and how GS is associated with cellular nutrient, stomata, and/or physiological attributes, we examined > 500 forbs and grasses from seven grassland sites conducting a long-term N and P fertilization experiment. Larger GS plants had increased cellular nutrient contents and larger, but fewer stomata than smaller GS plants. La

SUBMITTER: Hersch-Green EI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11798896 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature