TY  - JOUR
AU  - Hattenschwiler, S.
AU  - Aeschlimann, B.
AU  - Couteaux, M.M.
AU  - Roy, J.
AU  - Bonal, D.
PY  - 2008//
TI  - High variation in foliage and leaf litter chemistry among 45 tree species of a neotropical rainforest community
T2  - New Phytol.
JO  - New Phytologist
SP  - 165
EP  - 175
VL  - 179
IS  - 1
PB  - BLACKWELL PUBLISHING
KW  - French Guiana
KW  - interspecific and intraspecific variation
KW  - leaf litter traits
KW  - neotropical rainforest
KW  - nitrogen
KW  - nutrient resorption
KW  - phosphorus
KW  - stoichiometry
N2  - Distinct ecosystem level carbon : nitrogen : phosphorus (C : N : P) stoichiometries in forest foliage have been suggested to reflect ecosystem-scale selection for physiological strategies in plant nutrient use. Here, this hypothesis was explored in a nutrient-poor lowland rainforest in French Guiana. Variation in C, N and P concentrations was evaluated in leaf litter and foliage from neighbour trees of 45 different species, and the litter concentrations of major C fractions were also measured. Litter C ranged from 45.3 to 52.4%, litter N varied threefold (0.68-2.01%), and litter P varied seven-fold (0.009-0.062%) among species. Compared with foliage, mean litter N and P concentrations decreased by 30% and 65%, respectively. Accordingly, the range in mass-based N : P shifted from 14 to 55 in foliage to 26 to 105 in litter. Resorption proficiencies indicated maximum P withdrawal in most species, but with a substantial increase in variation in litter P compared with foliage. These data suggest that constrained ecosystem-level C : N : P ratios do not preclude the evolution of highly diversified strategies of nutrient use and conservation among tropical rainforest tree species. The resulting large variation in litter quality will influence stoichiometric constraints within the decomposer food web, with potentially far-ranging consequences on nutrient dynamics and plant-soil feedbacks.
SN  - 0028-646X
N1  - ISI:000256412500017
ID  - Hattenschwiler_etal2008
ER  -