The Species Richness of Vascular Plants and Amphibia in Major Plant Communities in Temperate to Tropical Australia: Relationship with Annual Biomass Production

Figure 3

(a) Both foliar phosphorus and foliar nitrogen levels in overstorey leaves increase to an asymptote in the soil nutrient gradient from extremely nutrient-poor to nutrient-poor to medium-nutrient to nutrient-rich habitats (after [16]). Foliar 𝑁=0.877 LOG (Super-PO₄ optimum) −1.374 (𝑛=6, 𝑟²=0.97). Relative to plant formations on medium-nutrient soils, annual shoot growth (dry weight measured in t ha⁻¹) in major plant formations on nutrient-poor soils is about 60% less, 50% less on extremely nutrient-poor soils, and 130% more on nutrient-rich soils [16, 36]. (b) Response of the chytrid fungal species, Rhizophlyctis rosea, to the addition of superphosphate (kg ha⁻¹) to fertilized plots of heathland vegetation at Frankston, Victoria (after [37]).

(a)

(b)