Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Potassium, phosphorus, or nitrogen limit root allocation, tree growth, or litter production in a lowland tropical forest. / Wright, S. Joseph; Yavitt, Joseph B.; Wurzburger, Nina et al.
In: Ecology, Vol. 92, No. 8, 01.08.2011, p. 1616-1625.Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Potassium, phosphorus, or nitrogen limit root allocation, tree growth, or litter production in a lowland tropical forest
AU - Wright, S. Joseph
AU - Yavitt, Joseph B.
AU - Wurzburger, Nina
AU - Turner, Benjamin L.
AU - Tanner, Edmund V. J.
AU - Sayer, Emma J.
AU - Santiago, Louis S.
AU - Kaspari, Michael
AU - Hedin, Lars O.
AU - Harms, Kyle E.
AU - Garcia, Milton N.
AU - Corre, Marife D.
PY - 2011/8/1
Y1 - 2011/8/1
N2 - 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 × 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.
AB - 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 × 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.
KW - Barro Colorado Nature Monument, Panama
KW - fertilization
KW - fine litter
KW - fine roots
KW - nitrogen
KW - nutrient limitation
KW - phosphorus
KW - potassium
KW - tree growth
KW - tropics
U2 - 10.1890/10-1558.1
DO - 10.1890/10-1558.1
M3 - Journal article
VL - 92
SP - 1616
EP - 1625
JO - Ecology
JF - Ecology
SN - 0012-9658
IS - 8
ER -