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Nutrient‐uptake and nutrient‐use efficiency of Pinus thunbergii Parl. along a topographical gradient of soil nutrient availability
Author(s) -
Enoki Tsutomu,
Kawaguchi Hideyuki,
Iwatsubo Goro
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
ecological research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.628
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1440-1703
pISSN - 0912-3814
DOI - 10.1007/bf02523784
Subject(s) - nutrient , plant litter , phosphorus , environmental science , agronomy , nutrient cycle , litter , nitrogen , ecology , chemistry , biology , organic chemistry
Abstract To examine responses of a plant species to nutrient availability, we investigated changes in soil nutrient availability, litterfall production and nutrient content in litterfall along a topographic gradient in a Pinus thunbergii Parl. plantation. Responses were evaluated in terms of three efficiency indices: (i) nutrient‐uptake efficiency (the ratio of nutrient return in litterfall to soil nutrient availability); (ii) nutrient‐use efficiency (the ratio of litterfall mass to nutrient return in litterfall); and (iii) nutrient‐response efficiency (the ratio of litterfall mass to soil nutrient availability). These indices can distinguish the ability of a species to acquire nutrients and its ability to use them in litterfall production. Nitrogen and phosphorus availabilities in soil were lower in upper slope positions. The three efficiencies were higher in upper slope positions and negatively correlated with soil nutrient availability for both nitrogen and phosphorus. An increase in nutrient‐response efficiency was achieved by both increases in nutrient‐uptake and nutrient‐use efficiencies.