Plant Soil Environ., 2024, 70(3):154-163 | DOI: 10.17221/356/2023-PSE

Effects of temporal variation and grazing intensity on leaf C : N : P stoichiometry in Northwest desert, ChinaOriginal Paper

Helong Yang1, Yiqiang Dong1, Shazhou An1, Zongjiu Sun1, Peiying Li1, Huixia Liu2
1 College of Grassland Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology of Xinjiang, Urumqi Xinjiang, Urümqi, P.R. China
2 College of Life Sciences, Xinjiang Normal University, Urümqi, P.R. China

The Seriphidium transiliense desert pasture is an important spring-autumn pasture in northern Xinjiang, China, and has been subjected to grazing by livestock at different intensities, thus resulting in widespread deterioration of its biodiversity and ecosystem services. To understand the response mechanism of stoichiometric characteristics of desert vegetation to grazing, the leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and C : N : P ratios of S. transiliense were studied under different grazing intensities. The results show that the control S. transiliense leaf C, N and P contents and C : N, C : P and N : P ratios were 458.79 ± 53.5 g/kg, 20.6 ± 7.18 g/kg, 2.83 ± 1.24 g/kg, 25.69 ± 11.08, 190.28 ± 75.65 and 8.21 ± 4.01, respectively. The differences in these characteristics varied with grazing intensity in accordance with sampling time, so both factors need to be considered comprehensively. General linear model (GLM) analysis indicated that grazing intensity had a strong main effect on S. transiliense leaf C, N, and P content, C : N ratio and N : P ratio. As grazing intensity increased, the leaf N content and N : P ratio increased (P < 0.01), and the C : N ratio decreased (P < 0.01). N content was the limiting factor for the growth of S. transiliense, but the grazing intensity, sampling year and growth season each affected the degree of N limitation. Our findings suggest that the remaining moderate stocking rate was essential for sustaining desert stabilisation in Xinjiang, and although S. transiliense could adapt its nutrient content and leaf stoichiometry to the grazing intensity, N was always the limiting element for the growth of S. transiliense.

Keywords: plant growth rate; cycling; nutrition; grassland; Artemisia deserts

Received: August 29, 2023; Revised: January 7, 2024; Accepted: January 26, 2024; Prepublished online: February 27, 2024; Published: March 5, 2024  Show citation

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Yang H, Dong Y, An S, Sun Z, Li P, Liu H. Effects of temporal variation and grazing intensity on leaf C : N : P stoichiometry in Northwest desert, China. Plant Soil Environ. 2024;70(3):154-163. doi: 10.17221/356/2023-PSE.
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