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Potassium, phosphorus, or nitrogen limit root allocation, tree growth, or litter production in a lowland tropical forest.
- Source :
-
Ecology [Ecology] 2011 Aug; Vol. 92 (8), pp. 1616-25. - Publication Year :
- 2011
-
Abstract
- We maintained a factorial nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) addition experiment for 11 years in a humid lowland forest growing on a relatively fertile soil in Panama to evaluate potential nutrient limitation of tree growth rates, fine-litter production, and fine-root biomass. We replicated the eight factorial treatments four times using 32 plots of 40 x 40 m each. The addition of K was associated with significant decreases in stand-level fine-root biomass and, in a companion study of seedlings, decreases in allocation to roots and increases in height growth rates. The addition of K and N together was associated with significant increases in growth rates of saplings and poles (1-10 cm in diameter at breast height) and a further marginally significant decrease in stand-level fine-root biomass. The addition of P was associated with a marginally significant (P = 0.058) increase in fine-litter production that was consistent across all litter fractions. Our experiment provides evidence that N, P, and K all limit forest plants growing on a relatively fertile soil in the lowland tropics, with the strongest evidence for limitation by K among seedlings, saplings, and poles.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0012-9658
- Volume :
- 92
- Issue :
- 8
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Ecology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 21905428
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1890/10-1558.1