Effects of Nitrogen Addition and Reproductive Effort on Nutrient Resorption of a Sand-Fixing Shrub.

ABSTRACT: Caragana microphylla is a sand-fixing leguminous shrub with strong resistance to drought, cold, and low soil fertility. As a result, it plays an essential role in combating desertification in northern China, but little is known about its nutrient budget. Nutrient resorption is a key process in plant nutrient conservation and has marked ecological implications for plant fitness and ecosystem nutrient cycling. We studied the effects of both nitrogen (N) addition and reproductive effort on leaf N resorption of C. microphylla in a temperate semi-arid sandy land in China. The results showed that sprouting of the early leaves from over-wintered buds employs a strategy for slow returns on nutrient investment with smaller specific leaf area (SLA) and higher N resorption effici

SUBMITTER: Wang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7769775 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature