Global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen and phosphorus limitation
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation constrains the magnitude of terrestrial carbon uptake in response to elevated carbon dioxide and climate change. However, global maps of nutrient limitation are still lacking. Here we examined global N and P limitation using the ratio of site-averaged leaf N and P resorption efficiencies of the dominant species across 171 sites. We evaluated our predictions using a global database of N- and P-limitation experiments based on nutrient additions at 106 and 53 sites, respectively. Globally, we found a shift from relative P to N limitation for both higher latitudes and precipitation seasonality and lower mean annual temperature, temperature seasonality, mean annual precipitation and soil clay fraction. Excluding cropland, urban and glacial areas, we estimate that 18% of the natural terrestrial land area is significantly limited by N, whereas 43% is relatively P limited. The remaining 39% of the natural terrestrial land area could be co-limited by N and P or weakly limited by either nutrient alone. This work provides both a new framework for testing nutrient limitation and a benchmark of N and P limitation for models to constrain predictions of the terrestrial carbon sink.
- Authors:
-
[1];
[2];
[4];
[3]
- Beijing Normal Univ. (China). State Key Lab. of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, School of Natural Resources; Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States); Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
- Lund Univ. (Sweden); Stanford Univ., CA (United States)
- Univ. of Utrecht (Netherlands)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)
- Beijing Normal Univ. (China). School of Natural Resources
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1615892
- Report Number(s):
- LLNL-JRNL-798177
Journal ID: ISSN 1752-0894; 1000287
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC52-07NA27344
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Nature Geoscience
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 13; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 1752-0894
- Publisher:
- Nature Publishing Group
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES
Citation Formats
Du, Enzai, Terrer, César, Pellegrini, Adam F. A., Ahlström, Anders, van Lissa, Caspar J., Zhao, Xia, Xia, Nan, Wu, Xinhui, and Jackson, Robert B. Global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen and phosphorus limitation. United States: N. p., 2020.
Web. doi:10.1038/s41561-019-0530-4.
Du, Enzai, Terrer, César, Pellegrini, Adam F. A., Ahlström, Anders, van Lissa, Caspar J., Zhao, Xia, Xia, Nan, Wu, Xinhui, & Jackson, Robert B. Global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen and phosphorus limitation. United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0530-4
Du, Enzai, Terrer, César, Pellegrini, Adam F. A., Ahlström, Anders, van Lissa, Caspar J., Zhao, Xia, Xia, Nan, Wu, Xinhui, and Jackson, Robert B. Mon .
"Global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen and phosphorus limitation". United States. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-019-0530-4. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1615892.
@article{osti_1615892,
title = {Global patterns of terrestrial nitrogen and phosphorus limitation},
author = {Du, Enzai and Terrer, César and Pellegrini, Adam F. A. and Ahlström, Anders and van Lissa, Caspar J. and Zhao, Xia and Xia, Nan and Wu, Xinhui and Jackson, Robert B.},
abstractNote = {Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) limitation constrains the magnitude of terrestrial carbon uptake in response to elevated carbon dioxide and climate change. However, global maps of nutrient limitation are still lacking. Here we examined global N and P limitation using the ratio of site-averaged leaf N and P resorption efficiencies of the dominant species across 171 sites. We evaluated our predictions using a global database of N- and P-limitation experiments based on nutrient additions at 106 and 53 sites, respectively. Globally, we found a shift from relative P to N limitation for both higher latitudes and precipitation seasonality and lower mean annual temperature, temperature seasonality, mean annual precipitation and soil clay fraction. Excluding cropland, urban and glacial areas, we estimate that 18% of the natural terrestrial land area is significantly limited by N, whereas 43% is relatively P limited. The remaining 39% of the natural terrestrial land area could be co-limited by N and P or weakly limited by either nutrient alone. This work provides both a new framework for testing nutrient limitation and a benchmark of N and P limitation for models to constrain predictions of the terrestrial carbon sink.},
doi = {10.1038/s41561-019-0530-4},
journal = {Nature Geoscience},
number = 3,
volume = 13,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2020},
month = {Mon Feb 10 00:00:00 EST 2020}
}
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