C, N, and P stoichiometry and their interaction with different plant communities and soils in subtropical riparian wetlands

Ecological stoichiometry represents the balance of nutrient elements under ecological interactions, which are crucial for biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems. Little is known about carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) ecological stoichiometry in aboveground biomass, roots, and soil, especially in the subtropical riparian wetlands. Here, eight dominate plant communities in riparian wetlands were chosen, and C, N, and P contents, and C:N:P ratios of aboveground biomass, roots, and soil were investigated. The results demonstrated that plant community had remarkable effects on the C:N:P stoichiometry in aboveground biomass, roots, and soil, which varied widely. C, N, and P concentrations in aboveground biomass were mostly higher than that in roots, while no significant difference was detected in C:N:P ratios. Moreover, there were higher soil C, N, and P contents in Cannabis indica plant communities; while lower soil N:P ratios suggested that riparian wetlands were more susceptible to N limitation, rather than P. Pearson correlation analysis and redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that there were strong associations among C, N, and P contents, and C:N:P ratios in aboveground biomass, roots, and soil, indicating that C, N, and P ecological stoichiometry of aboveground biomass were regulated by soil C, N, and P contents through the roots. In addition, the contents of C and N, and N and P exhibited a strong relationship according to linear regression. These findings suggested that the interactions among the C, N, and P stoichiometry were existed in the plant-soil system.