Stoichiometric Ratios of Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus of Shrub Organs Vary with Mycorrhizal Type

Abstract

Mycorrhizal types are a predictive framework for nutrient cycling within and across ecosystems, and their types represent different nutrient-acquisition strategies for plants. Carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) stoichiometric ratios are essential for understanding biogeochemical processes. The purpose of this study was to reflect the balance in the process of plant resource acquisition by exploring the C, N and P stoichiometric ratios (C/N, N/P, and C/P) in shrub organs in different mycorrhizal types. In this study, the C, N, and P stoichiometric ratios in leaves, stems and roots were analyzed in the types of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM), ectomycorrhizal (ECM) and AM + ECM of shrubs in Northern China. The results showed that C/N in the stems and roots of AM plants (95.75 and 81.42) was significantly lower than in AM + ECM plants (109.89 and 102.37) and ECM plants (107.67 and 96.93), while both N/P and C/P in the leaves, stems and roots of AM shrubs (38.67, 36.17, 40.69; 1028.14, 2989.13, and 2659.18) were significantly higher than in ECM shrubs (30.52, 22.31, 20.47; 796.51, 2208.28, and 1714.95). Moreover, different elements among the same plant organs were closely correlated, and the same pattern was found among the same element ratios among different plant organs. This suggests that mycorrhizal type can influence C, N and P ratios among different organs.