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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil
12:03

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil

Published on: September 1, 2020

Nutrient efficiency along nutrient availability gradients.

J Pastor1, S D Bridgham

  • 1Biology Department and Natural Resources Research Institute, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN 55811, USA email: jpastor@sage.nrri.umn.edu; Tel: +1-218-7204271; Fax: +1-218-7209412, , , , , , US.

Oecologia
|February 6, 2010
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study clarifies nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in ecosystem ecology. It distinguishes NUE from nutrient response efficiency, showing NUE is unimodal with nutrient availability, challenging previous models.

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Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements
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Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements

Published on: July 13, 2016

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Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil
12:03

Two-Dimensional Visualization and Quantification of Labile, Inorganic Plant Nutrients and Contaminants in Soil

Published on: September 1, 2020

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements
09:13

Hydroponics: A Versatile System to Study Nutrient Allocation and Plant Responses to Nutrient Availability and Exposure to Toxic Elements

Published on: July 13, 2016

Area of Science:

  • Ecosystem Ecology
  • Biogeochemistry
  • Theoretical Ecology

Background:

  • The concept of nutrient use efficiency (NUE) in ecosystem ecology faces challenges due to data autocorrelation and interpretation issues.
  • A lack of a sound theoretical basis hinders the measurement and interpretation of NUE.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a theoretical framework for nutrient use efficiency based on mass balance.
  • To differentiate between nutrient use efficiency and nutrient response efficiency.
  • To identify plant traits influencing ecosystem nutrient dynamics along availability gradients.

Main Methods:

  • Developed a theory of nutrient use efficiency grounded in fundamental mass balance principles.
  • Proposed a graphical approach to test hypotheses and avoid data autocorrelation.
  • Theoretically identified plant traits controlling nutrient use and response efficiencies.

Main Results:

  • Distinguished nutrient use efficiency (production per unit nutrient uptake) from nutrient response efficiency (production per unit nutrient available).
  • Demonstrated that nutrient response efficiency exhibits a unimodal relationship with nutrient availability, peaking at intermediate levels.
  • Showed that plant traits dictate ecosystem efficiencies along nutrient availability gradients, leading to species replacement.

Conclusions:

  • The developed theory provides a robust foundation for understanding and measuring nutrient use efficiency in ecosystems.
  • The distinction between nutrient use efficiency and nutrient response efficiency resolves previous conceptual ambiguities.
  • The model predicts species replacement along nutrient availability gradients, driven by plant traits and differing efficiencies.