Nitrogen -addition accelerates phosphorus cycling and changes phosphorus use strategy in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest

Abstract

Ecosystem-level effects of increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition on the phosphorus (P) cycle and P use strategy are poorly understood. Here, we conducted a seven year N-addition experiment to comprehensively evaluate the effects of N deposition on P limitation, cycling, and use strategy in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest. N addition significantly increased foliar litterfall by 4.7%–21.7% and subsequent P return to the soil by 49.0%–70.1%. It also increased soil acidity, acid phosphatase activity, and soil microbial biomass P, which substantially contributed to a significantly increased soil P availability and largely alleviated the P limitation. This resulted in a significant decrease in the foliar P-resorption efficiency and the abundance and colonization of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Our results indicate that N deposition can reduce plant internal cycling while enhancing ecosystem-scale cycling of P in Moso bamboo forests. This suggests a shift in P use from a 'conservative consumption' strategy to a 'resource spending' strategy. Our findings shed new light on N deposition effects on P cycle processes and P use strategy at the ecosystem scale under increasing atmospheric N deposition.