BEIJING, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Chinese researchers have disclosed that the nitrogen and phosphorous interactions can promote uptake of both nutrients by plants.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are two of the essential nutrient elements for plant growth. But how the interactions of the two elements differ among different terrestrial ecosystems remains unclear, according to the research paper published in the journal Plant and Soil.
The efficiency of soil nitrogen and phosphorous, nutrient uptake and concentrations of the plants and plant productivity need to be recognized.
Researchers from the South China Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted a quantitative assessment of four terrestrial ecosystems including tropical forests, grasslands, wetlands and tundras based on 1,818 pieces of observation data in 133 research papers on global nitrogen and phosphorous fertilization experiments.
They examined the interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on plant growth-related variables.
The results showed that the interactions of the nitrogen and phosphorous promoted plants' uptake of the two elements. Specifically, the biomass growing in tropical forests received the least response of the nitrogen and phosphorous interactions, while tundra plants responded most remarkably.
Besides, plants tended to maintain the optimal nutrient balance for growth and reproduction through regulating biomass production and adjusting nutrient concentrations, said the paper.
