In this section
@article{Liang:2025:10.1111/gcb.70193,
author = {Liang, G and Sun, P and Waring, BG and Fu, Z and Reich, PB},
doi = {10.1111/gcb.70193},
journal = {Global Change Biology},
title = {Alleviating nitrogen and phosphorus limitation does not amplify potassiuminduced increase in terrestrial biomass},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70193},
volume = {31},
year = {2025}
}
TY - JOUR
AB - Potassium (K) is the second most abundant nutrient element in plants after nitrogen (N), and has been shown to limit aboveground production in some contexts. However, the role of N and phosphorus (P) availability in mediating K limitation in terrestrial production remains poorly understood; and it is unknown whether K also limits belowground carbon (C) stocks, which contain at least three times more C than those aboveground stocks. By synthesizing 779 global paired observations (528, 125, and 126 for aboveground productivity, root biomass, and soil organic C [SOC], respectively), we found that K addition significantly increased aboveground production and SOC by 8% and 5%, respectively, but did not significantly affect root biomass (+9%). Moreover, enhanced N and/or P availability (through N and P addition) did not further amplify the positive effect of K on aboveground productivity. In other words, K had a positive effect on aboveground productivity only when N and/or P were limiting, indicating that K could somehow substitute for N or P when they were limiting. Climate variables mostly explained the variations in K effects; specifically, stronger positive responses of aboveground productivity and SOC to K were found in regions with high mean annual temperature and wetness. Our results suggest that K addition enhances C sequestration by increasing both aboveground productivity and SOC, contributing to climate mitigation, but the positive effects of K on terrestrial C stocks are not further amplified when N and P limitations are alleviated.
AU - Liang,G
AU - Sun,P
AU - Waring,BG
AU - Fu,Z
AU - Reich,PB
DO - 10.1111/gcb.70193
PY - 2025///
SN - 1354-1013
TI - Alleviating nitrogen and phosphorus limitation does not amplify potassiuminduced increase in terrestrial biomass
T2 - Global Change Biology
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70193
UR - https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70193
VL - 31
ER -
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