Allocation strategies for nitrogen and phosphorus in forest plants

The allocation of limiting elements, such as nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), in plants is an important basis for structural stability and functional optimization in natural plant communities. However, because of the lack of systematic investigation data, the mechanisms of optimal nutrient allocation in plants in natural forests are still unclear. Using consistent measurements of N and P contents in 930 plant species, we explored the allocation strategies for N and P in different plant organs and plant functional groups (PFGs) in natural communities. The N and P contents and N:P ratio were the highest in the leaf (the most active organ) at the organ level. At the PFG level, the N and P contents were higher in herbs than in woody plants, but the trend was opposite for the N:P ratio. The elemental plasticity of root was higher than that of leaf. Furthermore, at the large scale, the allometric exponents of N and P were less than 1 and showed no difference, indicating strong conservatism of...

植物体内限制性元素（如氮（N）、磷（P））的分配格局，是自然植物群落结构稳定与功能优化的重要基础。然而，由于缺乏系统性野外调查数据，天然林植物养分最优分配的内在调控机制仍未明晰。本研究通过对930种植物的氮、磷含量开展统一标准化测定，探究了自然群落中不同植物器官与植物功能群（Plant Functional Groups, PFGs）内的氮、磷分配策略。在器官尺度上，作为植物最为活跃的器官，叶片的氮、磷含量及氮磷比均为所有器官之首。在植物功能群尺度上，草本植物的氮、磷含量显著高于木本植物，但氮磷比的变化趋势恰好相反。根系的元素可塑性显著高于叶片。此外，在大尺度研究范围内，氮与磷的异速生长指数均小于1且无显著差异，表明其具有较强的养分保守性……