Biomass allocation and nutrients balance related to the concentration of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Salvinia auriculata (Salviniaceae)

Alocação de biomassa e o Balanço de nutrientes relacionados à concentração de Nitrogênio e Fósforo em Salvinia auriculata (Salviniaceae)

Abstract

Aquatic plants can use differential allocation (trade-off) of carbon among their structures depending on the nutrition concentration. Given that N and P are limiting in the growth of plants, our questions were: Are the N and P concentrations in S. auriculata related to the biomass allocation to its structures? Is a differential allocation of N and P between floating and submerged leaves? We evaluated the relation between the nutrients and the biomass allocation, and the trade-off among the leaves using the Spearman correlation. Our results showed that N and P concentrations in S. auriculata are related to the biomass allocation to its structures, and that there is no trade-off of these nutrients between “shoot and root”. Thus, we can see the importance of N and P concentration in the biomass of S. auriculata, and why this plant is capable to development in different environments as a weedy.

Keywords:
nutrients; Salviniaceae; trade-off; resources