Bamboo Expansion and Soil Ecological Stoichiometry

Ecological stoichiometry is a discipline that uses the basic principles of physics, chemistry, and biology to reveal the nature of biological phenomena at different scales, such as molecular, cell, organism, population, ecosystem, and global scales, in the field of life sciences from the perspective of the balance of energy and elements, primarily carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), in life systems. During the long process of evolution, organisms have formed their own unique chemical element composition and stoichiometry, maintaining relatively stable chemical compositions. Therefore, an organism is an internally stable system. Another important theoretical growth rate hypothesis is ecostoichiometry. According to this hypothesis, the growth rate of organisms is related to the nitrogen and phosphorus content in organisms, the latter of which is an important component of nucleic acid. The carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus ratios of different components can be used as a diagnostic and effective predictive index for nutrient limitation as well as carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus saturation. At present, ecostoichiometry has been widely used in the determination of restrictive elements, forest succession and decline, and biological invasion, and many results have been achieved. With the development, the theory of ecostoichiometry has been enriched and developed. As a result, the expansion phenomenon of moso bamboo has attracted the attention of the majority of researchers. Ecostoichiometry research can not only enrich and develop the data and information in this field but also have important significance for how to prevent and control the expansion of moso bamboo and protect the invaded ecosystems.