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Soil nitrogen supply exerts largest influence on leaf nitrogen in environments with the greatest leaf nitrogen demand
  • +15
  • Alissar Cheaib,
  • Elizabeth F Waring,
  • Risa McNellis,
  • Evan A Perkowski,
  • Jason Martina,
  • Eric Seabloom,
  • Elizabeth Borer,
  • Peter Wilfahrt,
  • Ning Dong,
  • Colin Prentice,
  • Ian Wright,
  • Sally A Power,
  • Erika Hersch-Green,
  • Anita Risch,
  • Maria Caldeira,
  • Carla Nogueira,
  • Qingqing Chen,
  • Nicholas Smith
Alissar Cheaib
Texas Tech University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Elizabeth F Waring
Texas Tech University
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Risa McNellis
Texas Tech University
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Evan A Perkowski
Texas Tech University
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Jason Martina
Texas State University
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Eric Seabloom
University of Minnesota
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Elizabeth Borer
University of Minnesota
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Peter Wilfahrt
University of Minnesota Twin Cities
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Ning Dong
Imperial College London
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Colin Prentice
Macquarie University
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Ian Wright
Macquarie University
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Sally A Power
Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment
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Erika Hersch-Green
Michigan Technological University
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Anita Risch
Swiss Federal Institute for Forest Snow and Landscape Research
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Maria Caldeira
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Carla Nogueira
University of Lisbon
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Qingqing Chen
Peking University
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Nicholas Smith
Texas Tech University
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Abstract

Accurately representing the relationships between nitrogen supply and photosynthesis is crucial for reliably predicting carbon-nitrogen cycle coupling in Earth System Models (ESMs). Most ESMs assume positive correlations among soil nitrogen supply, leaf nitrogen content, and photosynthetic capacity. However, leaf photosynthetic nitrogen demand may influence the leaf nitrogen response to soil nitrogen supply, thus responses to nitrogen supply are expected to be largest in environments where demand is greatest. Using a nutrient addition experiment replicated at 26 sites spanning four continents, we demonstrated that climate variables were stronger predictors of leaf nitrogen content than soil nutrient supply. Leaf nitrogen increased more strongly with soil nitrogen supply in regions with highest theoretical leaf nitrogen demand, increasing more in colder and drier environments than warmer and wetter ones. Thus, leaf nitrogen responses to nitrogen supply are primarily influenced by climatic gradients in photosynthetic nitrogen demand, an insight that will improve ESM predictions.
27 May 2024Submitted to Ecology Letters
02 Jun 2024Submission Checks Completed
02 Jun 2024Assigned to Editor
20 Jul 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Jul 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Major
21 Aug 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
21 Aug 20241st Revision Received
22 Aug 2024Submission Checks Completed
22 Aug 2024Assigned to Editor
31 Aug 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
02 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
08 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
08 Oct 20242nd Revision Received
09 Oct 2024Submission Checks Completed
09 Oct 2024Assigned to Editor
09 Oct 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
16 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
17 Oct 20243rd Revision Received
17 Oct 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
18 Oct 2024Editorial Decision: Accept