Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of epiphytes, hemiparasites and their hosts in tropical forests of Sri Lanka

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtx049

J Plant Ecol ›› 2018, Vol. 11 ›› Issue (6): 815-826 .DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtx049

• Research Articles • Previous Articles Next Articles

Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of epiphytes, hemiparasites and their hosts in tropical forests of Sri Lanka

Lalith D. B. Suriyagoda^1,2,*, Ranil Rajapaksha¹, Gamini Pushpakumara¹ and Hans Lambers²

¹ Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka
² School of Biological Sciences and Institute of Agriculture, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley (Perth), Western Australia 6009, Australia
^*Correspondence address. Lalith D. B. Suriyagoda, Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, 20400, Sri Lanka, Tel: +94-8-1239-5128; Fax: +94-8-1239-5110; E-mail: lalith.suriyagoda@uwa.edu.au

Received:2017-01-28 Revised:2017-08-12 Accepted:2017-08-26 Online:2017-08-28 Published:2018-12-21

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims

Epiphytes and hemiparasites do not have direct access to soil nutrients. Epiphytes acquire nutrients through symbiosis, foliar leachates and throughfall, whilst hemiparasites have specialized structures (haustoria) to acquire nutrients from their host. Irrespective of the green leaf nutrient concentrations of epiphytes, hemiparasites and their hosts, nutrient-resorption efficiency and proficiency are expected to be the greater in epiphytes than in their hosts and in hemiparasites. These hypotheses were tested.

Methods

Green and senescing leaves of epiphytes (n = 23), hemiparasites (n = 9) and their hosts were collected, and leaf area, leaf dry weight, nutrient (nitrogen-N, phosphorus-P, potassium-K, calcium-Ca) and sodium (Na) concentrations were measured, and resorption efficiency (%) and proficiency were calculated.

Important Findings

Concentrations of N, P, K, Ca and Na in green leaves of epiphytes and hemiparasites were either similar or greater than those of their hosts, except for lower green leaf N concentration in hemiparasites. Epiphytes resorbed N, P, K and Na, while their hosts resorbed only N, P and K. Hemiparasites and their hosts resorbed P, K and Na while N was not resorbed. Overall, resorption efficiency was greatest in epiphytes > hemiparasites = hosts, while the resorption proficiencies were similar or greater for epiphytes and hemiparasites compared with their hosts, except for N in hemiparasites. Relatively high nutrient concentrations in epiphytes were associated with greater resorption efficiency. Understanding contrasting nutrient concentrations in epiphytes, hemiparasites and their hosts will be important in recognising their contribution to ecosystem nutrient cycling.

Key words: calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, resorption, tropical humid forests

Lalith D. B. Suriyagoda, Ranil Rajapaksha, Gamini Pushpakumara and Hans Lambers. Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of epiphytes, hemiparasites and their hosts in tropical forests of Sri Lanka[J]. J Plant Ecol, 2018, 11(6): 815-826.

[1]	Yuzhu Chen, Peng Li, Yunpeng Luo, Longjun Wang, Ying Peng, Tong Li, Xiaolu Zhou, Changhui Peng. Nitrogen deposition altered the climatic sensitivity of vegetation phenology [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(3): 1-.
[2]	Zong-Song Wang, Li-Li Jiang, Kui Wang, Wen-Jing Liu, Mei-Rong Chen, Kai Xue, Yan-Bin Hao, Shi-Ping Wang, Yan-Fen Wang, Xiao-Yong Cui. Nutrients enrichment reduced stability of both soil microbial and plant community in alpine meadow [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(3): 1-.
[3]	Ge Hou, Peili Shi, Ning Zong, Jian Sun, Tiancai Zhou, Jialuo Yu, Yangjian Zhang, Lin Jiang, Juntao Zhu. Initial species evenness modulates divergent stability responses to nitrogen enrichment in Tibetan alpine grasslands [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(3): 1-.
[4]	Yimin Zhao, Zhen Zhang, Li Zhang, Miaojun Ma, Guorui Hu, Shurong Zhou. Nitrogen addition regulates community biomass resistance and recovery to drought by altering species asynchrony rather than the diversity response [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-43.
[5]	Jiatao Zhang, Lan Du, Yonghong Luo, Yann Hautier, Ru Tian, Yan Shen, Mohsin Mahmood, Zhuwen Xu. Distinct effects of drought and nitrogen enrichment on the compositional and productivity stability of temperate grasslands [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[6]	Yanju Gao, Akash Tariq, Fanjiang Zeng, Jordi Sardans, Dhafer A Al-Bakre, Josep Peñuelas. Seasonal dynamics and allocation patterns of foliar phosphorus fractions in deep-rooted desert species under phosphorus-poor environments [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[7]	Qian Liu, Xiaolin Zhu, Nan Jiang, Lihao Zhang, Shiyuan Wu, Ge Meng, Yunze Zang, Miaogen Shen. Improving estimation of aboveground carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus stock in forest ecosystems by integrating radar and optical remote sensing [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[8]	Tiancai Zhou, Gusang Qunzong, Jian Sun. Leaf nitrogen and phosphorus are more coupled in legumes than in non-legumes, globally [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[9]	Ying Guo, Lin Zhang, Wei Shen, Guangshuai Cui, Yanhong Tang, Tianxiang Luo. Nitrogen and carbon supply controls tree radial growth at an alpine treeline [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[10]	Yaping Lin, Qiufang Zhang, Hao Sun, Jiaohong Lu, Zehong Yao, Quanxin Zeng, Chenxing Lian, Huizhi Pi, Xiaochun Yuan, Yuehmin Chen. Parallel patterns of microbial carbon and nitrogen use efficiency in response to nitrogen addition across soil depths in a Castanopsis faberi forest [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 1-.
[11]	Qiuhua Li, Yakun Liu, Xinyue Jin, Xiaotian Fan, Jiaqiang Wang, Wanbing Liu, Chunbo Li, Jishuai Su, Osbert Jianxin Sun, Xingguo Han, Yong Jiang, Heyong Liu. Changes in nutrient resorption efficiency with nitrogen and zinc addition and mowing in a meadow steppe [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(2): 0-.
[12]	Ming Li, Pingping Lian, Xinyu Zhang, Junjiao Ma, Yuhui Jiang, Yangyang Sun, Shundan Chen, Xia Hu, Pengfei Wu, Shuisheng Fan, Xiangqing Ma. Intraspecific underplanting enhances rhizospheric phosphorus availability in subtropical Chinese fir plantations: Implications for sustainable forest management [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2026, 19(1): 1-.
[13]	Meiqi Yin, Hong Zhu, Xiya Zhang, Chenyu Jiang, Hongjin Shao, Borbála Codogno, Xiaowei Cui, Wenyi Sheng, Zhaojie Cui, Ning Du, Lele Liu, Weihua Guo. Effects of waste amendments on soil nutrients and plant growth: role of plant species and P-solubilizing bacteria [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-31.
[14]	Yang Li, Jiangchao Guo, Yaoxin Guo, Yongfu Chai, Ming Yue. Shrubland carbon storage in northern China: a synergistic analysis of climate, plant community and soil traits [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-40.
[15]	Fangling Ma, Yao Zheng, La Wei, Lin Xiang, Lifei Ren, Wenming Bai, Qiuying Tian, Wen-Hao Zhang. Soil chemistry exerts a more significant influence on bacterial responses to nitrogen disturbances than root exudates [J]. J Plant Ecol, 2025, 18(6): 1-37.

Nutrient resorption from senescing leaves of epiphytes, hemiparasites and their hosts in tropical forests of Sri Lanka

HTML

PDF

Knowledge

Abstract

Cite this article

share this article

References

Related Articles 15

Recommended Articles

Metrics

Comments