C, N, and P stoichiometry for leaf litter of 62 woody species in a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest.

To understand leaf litter stoichiometry in a subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest, we measured the contents of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in leaf litters of 62 main woody species in a natural forest of C. kawakamii Nature Reserve in Sanming, Fujian Province. Differences in leaf litter stoichiometry were analyzed across leaf forms (evergreen, deciduous), life forms (tree, semi-tree or shrub), and main families. Additionally, the phylogenetic signal was measured by Blomberg's K to explore the correlation between family level differentiation time and litter stoichiometry. Our results showed that the contents of C, N and P in the litter of 62 woody species were 405.97-512.16, 4.45-27.11, and 0.21-2.53 g·kg-1, respectively. C/N, C/P and N/P were 18.6-106.2, 195.9-2146.8, and 3.5-68.9, respectively. Leaf litter P content of evergreen tree species was significantly lower than that of deciduous tree species, and C/P and N/P of evergreen tree species were significantly higher than those of deciduous tree species. There was no significant difference in C, N content and C/N between the two leaf forms. There was no significant difference in litter stoichiometry among trees, semi-trees and shrubs. Effects of phylogeny on C, N content and C/N in leaf litter was significant, but not on P content, C/P and N/P. Family differentiation time was negatively correlated with leaf litter N content, and positively correlated with C/N. Leaf litter of Fagaceae had high C and N contents, C/P and N/P, and low P content and C/N, with an opposite trend for Sapidaceae. Our findings indicated that litter in subtropical forest had high C, N content and N/P, but low P content, C/N, and C/P, compared with the global scale average value. Litter of tree species in older sequence of evolutionary development had lower N content but higher C/N. There was no difference of leaf litter stoichiometry among life forms. There were significant differences in P content, C/P, and N/P between different leaf forms, with a characteristic of convergence.