C:N:P stoichiometry in terrestrial ecosystems in China

Ecological stoichiometry is an efficient tool for exploring the balance and cycling of coupled elements (e.g., carbon [C], nitrogen [N], and phosphorus [P]). Therefore, C:N:P ratios are essential input parameters in most ecological models of productivity or C cycling. However, previous C:N:P ratios estimated using the species arithmetic means exhibit high uncertainty when used as direct model parameters. In this study, we comprehensively calculated C:N:P ratios from organs to ecosystems for 66 typical natural ecosystems in China (e.g., forests, grasslands, and deserts) using the community biomass-weighted mean (CWM), with the consistently measured element data of 3229 site-species combination. The C:N:P ratios were 427:19:1, 885:13:1, 9549:33:1, and 797:18:1 in the leaves, branches, trunks, and roots of terrestrial ecosystems, respectively. Furthermore, the ratios were 91:4:1, 919:17:1, 1121:25:1, and 55:4:1 in ecosystems, plant communities, litter, and soils, respectively. Significant differences were observed in C:N:P ratios among different ecosystem types and biomes, with generally higher ratios in forests. Moreover, the latitudinal patterns of C:N ratios exhibited no obvious trends, whereas both C:P and N:P ratios decreased significantly with increasing latitude, especially in forests. Environmental conditions explained 15.4–86.6% of the spatial variation of C:N:P ratios from organs to ecosystems. In summary, this study systematically demonstrates the variations in biome-scale C:N:P stoichiometry in terrestrial ecosystems, as well as their influencing factors, using the CWM. More importantly, this study provides a systematic dataset of C:N:P ratios from plot to biome scale that can be used to improve relevant ecological models.