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Inconsistent intraspecific pattern in leaf life span along nitrogen-supply gradient.

Shimpei Oikawa1,2, Koya Suno3, Noriyuki Osada4

  • 1Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Ibaraki University, Mito 310-0056 Japan shimpei.oikawa.dx@vc.ibaraki.ac.jp.

American Journal of Botany
|February 17, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Leaf life span (LLS) does not consistently increase or show a hump-shaped response to decreasing soil nitrogen (N) supply across various plant types. Limited N-supply comparisons can be misleading.

Keywords:
Adenocaulon himalaicumXanthium canadensefertilization experimentleaf longevityleaf senescencerepeated measurementsoil fertility

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Area of Science:

  • Plant Ecology
  • Plant Physiology
  • Nutrient Cycling

Background:

  • The hypothesis that leaf life span (LLS) increases with decreasing soil nitrogen (N) supply to maximize N retention is widely accepted.
  • However, empirical evidence for this trend is inconsistent, and a recent model suggests a hump-shaped quadratic response of LLS to N supply.
  • Previous studies often compared LLS at only two N levels, limiting a comprehensive understanding of this relationship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To experimentally investigate the response of leaf life span (LLS) to a gradient of soil nitrogen (N) supply in two forb species.
  • To synthesize existing literature on LLS response to N supply across different plant life forms.
  • To test the hypothesis of a plastic increase and a hump-shaped quadratic response of LLS to N availability.

Main Methods:

  • Experimental cultivation of *Adenocaulon himalaicum* and *Xanthium canadense* at eight distinct levels of soil N supply.
  • Literature review of studies reporting LLS along N-supply gradients.
  • Analysis of LLS trends in relation to N availability for multiple plant species and life forms.

Main Results:

  • Neither *Adenocaulon himalaicum* nor *Xanthium canadense* exhibited a hump-shaped LLS response to the N-supply gradient.
  • Existing studies on aquatic forbs, terrestrial shrubs, and trees with more than four N levels also did not support the hump-shaped hypothesis.
  • No consistent increase in LLS was observed with decreasing N supply across the tested species and life forms.

Conclusions:

  • The leaf life span (LLS) of individual species does not show a consistent increase or a hump-shaped response to reduced soil nitrogen (N) supply.
  • The assumption of a universal LLS response to N availability is not supported by the data.
  • Comparing LLS at a limited number of N levels can lead to misleading conclusions about plant responses to nutrient gradients.