Interspecific differences in the responses of root phosphatase activities and morphology to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization in Bornean tropical rain forests. Issue 3 (7th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hirano, Yu; Kitayama, Kanehiro; Imai, Nobuo
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 12:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2022-03-07
• Subjects: fertilization experiment -- mycorrhizal type -- phosphatase activity -- resource partitioning -- root morphology -- successional status; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8669
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Soil organic phosphorus (P) compounds can be the main P source for plants in P‐limited tropical rainforests. Phosphorus occurs in diverse chemical forms, including monoester P, diester P, and phytate, which require enzymatic hydrolysis by phosphatase into inorganic P before assimilation by plants. The interactions between plant interspecific differences in organic P acquisition strategies via phosphatase activities with root morphological traits would lead to P resource partitioning, but they have not been rigorously evaluated. We measured the activities of three classes of phosphatases (phosphomonoesterase, PME; phosphodiesterase, PDE; and phytase, PhT), specific root length (SRL), root diameter, and root tissue density in mature tree species with different mycorrhizal associations (ectomycorrhizal [ECM] or arbuscular mycorrhizal [AM]) and different successional status (climax or pioneer species) in Sabah, Malaysia. We studied nitrogen (N)‐ and P‐fertilized plots to evaluate the acquisition strategies for organic P under P‐limited conditions 7 years after fertilization was initiated. P fertilization reduced the PME activity in all studied species and reduced PhT and PDE activities more in climax species than in the two pioneer species, irrespective of the mycorrhizal type. PDE activity increased in some climax species after N fertilization, suggesting that these species allocate excess N to the synthesis of PDE. Moreover, PME and PhT activities, but not PDE activity, correlated positively with SRL. We suggest that climax species tend to be more strongly dependent on recalcitrant organic P (i.e., phytate and/or diester P) than pioneer species, regardless of the mycorrhizal type. We also suggest that trees in which root PME or PhT activity is enhanced can increase their SRL to acquire P efficiently. Resource partitioning of soil organic P would occur among species through differences in their phosphatase activities, which plays potentially ecologically important role in reducing the competition among coexisting tree species in lowland tropical rainforests. Abstract : We investigated the response of root morphological traits and activities of three classes of root phosphatase to nitrogen and phosphorus (P) fertilization for seven dominant tree species in Bornean tropical rain forest to verify the interspecific difference in organic P acquisition strategies. Climax species were more dependent on more recalcitrant organic P than pioneer species, regardless of mycorrhizal types (ectomycorrhizal or arbuscular mycorrhizal). Our results suggest that resource partitioning for soil organic P occur among tree species through differences in their phosphatase activities in P‐limited lowland tropical rainforests.