Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are con...

Research

Associated organisational unit

Electronic data

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Published

Standard

Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs. / Firn, J.; McGree, J.M.; Harvey, E. et al.
In: Nature Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 3, 04.02.2019, p. 400-406.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Firn, J, McGree, JM, Harvey, E, Flores-Moreno, H, Schütz, M, Buckley, YM, Borer, ET, Seabloom, EW, La Pierre, KJ, MacDougall, AM, Prober, SM, Stevens, CJ, Sullivan, LL, Porter, E, Ladouceur, E, Allen, C, Moromizato, KH, Morgan, JW, Harpole, WS, Hautier, Y, Eisenhauer, N, Wright, JP, Adler, PB, Arnillas, CA, Bakker, JD, Biederman, L, Broadbent, AAD, Brown, CS, Bugalho, MN, Caldeira, MC, Cleland, EE, Ebeling, A, Fay, PA, Hagenah, N, Kleinhesselink, AR, Mitchell, R, Moore, JL, Nogueira, C, Peri, PL, Roscher, C, Smith, MD, Wragg, PD & Risch, AC 2019, 'Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs', Nature Ecology and Evolution, vol. 3, pp. 400-406. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0790-1

APA

Firn, J., McGree, J. M., Harvey, E., Flores-Moreno, H., Schütz, M., Buckley, Y. M., Borer, E. T., Seabloom, E. W., La Pierre, K. J., MacDougall, A. M., Prober, S. M., Stevens, C. J., Sullivan, L. L., Porter, E., Ladouceur, E., Allen, C., Moromizato, K. H., Morgan, J. W., Harpole, W. S., ... Risch, A. C. (2019). Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 3, 400-406. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-018-0790-1

Vancouver

Firn J, McGree JM, Harvey E, Flores-Moreno H, Schütz M, Buckley YM et al. Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs. Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2019 Feb 4;3:400-406. doi: 10.1038/s41559-018-0790-1

Author

Firn, J. ; McGree, J.M. ; Harvey, E. et al. / Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs. In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 2019 ; Vol. 3. pp. 400-406.

Bibtex

@article{08ab3e1127384b68ac1927acb2fa8900,
title = "Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs",
abstract = "Leaf traits are frequently measured in ecology to provide a {\textquoteleft}common currency{\textquoteright} for predicting how anthropogenic pressures impact ecosystem function. Here, we test whether leaf traits consistently respond to experimental treatments across 27 globally distributed grassland sites across 4 continents. We find that specific leaf area (leaf area per unit mass)—a commonly measured morphological trait inferring shifts between plant growth strategies—did not respond to up to four years of soil nutrient additions. Leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations increased in response to the addition of each respective soil nutrient. We found few significant changes in leaf traits when vertebrate herbivores were excluded in the short-term. Leaf nitrogen and potassium concentrations were positively correlated with species turnover, suggesting that interspecific trait variation was a significant predictor of leaf nitrogen and potassium, but not of leaf phosphorus concentration. Climatic conditions and pretreatment soil nutrient levels also accounted for significant amounts of variation in the leaf traits measured. Overall, we find that leaf morphological traits, such as specific leaf area, are not appropriate indicators of plant response to anthropogenic perturbations in grasslands.",
author = "J. Firn and J.M. McGree and E. Harvey and H. Flores-Moreno and M. Sch{\"u}tz and Y.M. Buckley and E.T. Borer and E.W. Seabloom and {La Pierre}, K.J. and A.M. MacDougall and S.M. Prober and C.J. Stevens and L.L. Sullivan and E. Porter and E. Ladouceur and C. Allen and K.H. Moromizato and J.W. Morgan and W.S. Harpole and Y. Hautier and N. Eisenhauer and J.P. Wright and P.B. Adler and C.A. Arnillas and J.D. Bakker and L. Biederman and A.A.D. Broadbent and C.S. Brown and M.N. Bugalho and M.C. Caldeira and E.E. Cleland and A. Ebeling and P.A. Fay and N. Hagenah and A.R. Kleinhesselink and R. Mitchell and J.L. Moore and C. Nogueira and P.L. Peri and C. Roscher and M.D. Smith and P.D. Wragg and A.C. Risch",
note = "{\textcopyright} 2019 Springer Nature Publishing AG",
year = "2019",
month = feb,
day = "4",
doi = "10.1038/s41559-018-0790-1",
language = "English",
volume = "3",
pages = "400--406",
journal = "Nature Ecology and Evolution",
issn = "2397-334X",
publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Leaf nutrients, not specific leaf area, are consistent indicators of elevated nutrient inputs

AU - Firn, J.

AU - McGree, J.M.

AU - Harvey, E.

AU - Flores-Moreno, H.

AU - Schütz, M.

AU - Buckley, Y.M.

AU - Borer, E.T.

AU - Seabloom, E.W.

AU - La Pierre, K.J.

AU - MacDougall, A.M.

AU - Prober, S.M.

AU - Stevens, C.J.

AU - Sullivan, L.L.

AU - Porter, E.

AU - Ladouceur, E.

AU - Allen, C.

AU - Moromizato, K.H.

AU - Morgan, J.W.

AU - Harpole, W.S.

AU - Hautier, Y.

AU - Eisenhauer, N.

AU - Wright, J.P.

AU - Adler, P.B.

AU - Arnillas, C.A.

AU - Bakker, J.D.

AU - Biederman, L.

AU - Broadbent, A.A.D.

AU - Brown, C.S.

AU - Bugalho, M.N.

AU - Caldeira, M.C.

AU - Cleland, E.E.

AU - Ebeling, A.

AU - Fay, P.A.

AU - Hagenah, N.

AU - Kleinhesselink, A.R.

AU - Mitchell, R.

AU - Moore, J.L.

AU - Nogueira, C.

AU - Peri, P.L.

AU - Roscher, C.

AU - Smith, M.D.

AU - Wragg, P.D.

AU - Risch, A.C.

N1 - © 2019 Springer Nature Publishing AG

PY - 2019/2/4

Y1 - 2019/2/4

N2 - Leaf traits are frequently measured in ecology to provide a ‘common currency’ for predicting how anthropogenic pressures impact ecosystem function. Here, we test whether leaf traits consistently respond to experimental treatments across 27 globally distributed grassland sites across 4 continents. We find that specific leaf area (leaf area per unit mass)—a commonly measured morphological trait inferring shifts between plant growth strategies—did not respond to up to four years of soil nutrient additions. Leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations increased in response to the addition of each respective soil nutrient. We found few significant changes in leaf traits when vertebrate herbivores were excluded in the short-term. Leaf nitrogen and potassium concentrations were positively correlated with species turnover, suggesting that interspecific trait variation was a significant predictor of leaf nitrogen and potassium, but not of leaf phosphorus concentration. Climatic conditions and pretreatment soil nutrient levels also accounted for significant amounts of variation in the leaf traits measured. Overall, we find that leaf morphological traits, such as specific leaf area, are not appropriate indicators of plant response to anthropogenic perturbations in grasslands.

AB - Leaf traits are frequently measured in ecology to provide a ‘common currency’ for predicting how anthropogenic pressures impact ecosystem function. Here, we test whether leaf traits consistently respond to experimental treatments across 27 globally distributed grassland sites across 4 continents. We find that specific leaf area (leaf area per unit mass)—a commonly measured morphological trait inferring shifts between plant growth strategies—did not respond to up to four years of soil nutrient additions. Leaf nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium concentrations increased in response to the addition of each respective soil nutrient. We found few significant changes in leaf traits when vertebrate herbivores were excluded in the short-term. Leaf nitrogen and potassium concentrations were positively correlated with species turnover, suggesting that interspecific trait variation was a significant predictor of leaf nitrogen and potassium, but not of leaf phosphorus concentration. Climatic conditions and pretreatment soil nutrient levels also accounted for significant amounts of variation in the leaf traits measured. Overall, we find that leaf morphological traits, such as specific leaf area, are not appropriate indicators of plant response to anthropogenic perturbations in grasslands.

U2 - 10.1038/s41559-018-0790-1

DO - 10.1038/s41559-018-0790-1

M3 - Journal article

VL - 3

SP - 400

EP - 406

JO - Nature Ecology and Evolution

JF - Nature Ecology and Evolution

SN - 2397-334X

ER -