Leaf resorption efficiency in relation to foliar and soil nutrient concentrations and stoichiometry of Cunninghamia lanceolata with stand development in southern China

Purpose The relationships among resorption, leaf nutrient status, and soil nutrient availability remain unresolved. Moreover, the dynamics of resorption in leaf and soil nutrients and stoichiometry during development of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) stands have rarely been studied. This study quantified the resorption efficiencies of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K), and their potential correlations with stoichiometric ratios in leaf and soil as Chinese fir stands develop, and also evaluated the nutritional control on resorption in the stands based on the “relative resorption hypothesis.”