Intra-Specific Latitudinal Clines in Leaf Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus and their Underlying Abiotic Correlates in Ruellia Nudiflora.

ABSTRACT: While plant intra-specific variation in the stoichiometry of nutrients and carbon is well documented, clines for such traits have been less studied, despite their potential to reveal the mechanisms underlying such variation. Here we analyze latitudinal variation in the concentration of leaf nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), carbon (C) and their ratios across 30 populations of the perennial herb Ruellia nudiflora. In addition, we further determined whether climatic and soil variables underlie any such latitudinal clines in leaf traits. The sampled transect spanned 5° latitude (ca. 900 km) and exhibited a four-fold precipitation gradient and 2 °C variation in mean annual temperature. We found that leaf P concentration increased with precipitation towards lower latitudes, whereas N and C did not

SUBMITTER: Abdala-Roberts L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5766631 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature