Volume 21 (2018) Article 9

CNP stoichiometry and productivity limitations in high-altitude wetland ecosystems of the Eastern Pamir

by M. Metrak, P. Chibowski, M. Sulwinski, P. Pawlikowski and M. Suska-Malawska

Published online: 11.05.2018

Summary

We studied two wetland plant community types that occur on flat lake terraces in the Eastern Pamir mountains (Tajikistan, Central Asia). We selected 13 homogeneous patches of salt marsh vegetation dominated by Blysmus rufus (Huds.) Link, and 20 homogeneous patches of saline small sedge meadow. From each patch we took soil and biomass samples which were analysed in the laboratory. We used ?¹³C and ?¹⁵N values for plant biomass to determine the type of nutrient limitation and to characterise dominant species, and we assessed the impact of detrital input on the CNP stoichiometry of biomass. Biomass ?¹³C was typical for plants growing under low partial pressure of CO₂; while ?¹⁵N was very high, especially in the leaves of Carex orbicularis Boott. N limitation was indicated for the majority of sampled sites, yet we found no significant correlation between ?¹³C or ?¹⁵N and N/P quotient. There were pronounced differences in ?¹⁵N between species, the lowest values being recorded for Carex microglochin Wahlenb. No significant influence of detrital inputs on the chemical composition of plant biomass was detected.

Citation

Metrak, M., Chibowski, P., Sulwinski, M., Pawlikowski, P. & Suska-Malawska, M. (2018): CNP stoichiometry and productivity limitations in high-altitude wetland ecosystems of the Eastern Pamir. Mires and Peat, 21(9), 1-17. (Online: http://www.mires-and-peat.net/pages/volumes/map21/map2109.php); 10.19189/MaP.2017.OMB.297

Reviewers

IMCG and IPS acknowledge the work of the reviewers.