A meta‐analysis highlights globally widespread potassium limitation in terrestrial ecosystems
Résumé
Summary Potassium (K + ) is the most abundant inorganic cation in plant cells, playing a critical role in various plant functions. However, the impacts of K on natural terrestrial ecosystems have been less studied compared with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). Here, we present a global meta‐analysis aimed at quantifying the response of aboveground production to K addition. This analysis is based on 144 field K fertilization experiments. We also investigate the influences of climate, soil properties, ecosystem types, and fertilizer regimes on the responses of aboveground production. We find that: K addition significantly increases aboveground production by 12.3% (95% CI: 7.4–17.5%), suggesting a widespread occurrence of K limitation across terrestrial ecosystems; K limitation is more prominent in regions with humid climates, acidic soils, or weathered soils; the effect size of K addition varies among climate zones/regions, and is influenced by multiple factors; and previous N : K and K : P thresholds utilized to detect K limitation in wetlands cannot be applied to other biomes. Our findings emphasize the role of K in limiting terrestrial productivity, which should be integrated into future terrestrial ecosystems models.
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Cite 10.6084/m9.figshare.23959320.v3 Jeu de données Chen, B., Fang, J., Piao, S., Ciais, P., Black, A., Wang, F., Niu, S., Zeng, Z., & Luo, Y. (2023). data for ‘meta-analysis highlights globally widespread potassium limitation in terrestrial ecosystems’ [Data set]. figshare. https://doi.org/10.6084/M9.FIGSHARE.23959320.V3