Data and code associated with: Wong, MY, et al. (2024). Trees adjust nutrient acquisition strategies across tropical forest secondary succession. New Phytol.

Nutrient limitation may constrain the ability of recovering and mature tropical forests to serve as a carbon sink. However, it is unclear to what extent trees can utilize nutrient acquisition strategies – especially root phosphatase enzymes and mycorrhizal symbioses – to overcome low nutrient availability during succession. We use a large-scale, full factorial nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization experiment of 76 replicate plots along a tropical forest secondary succession gradient in Panama to test the extent to which trees adjust nutrient acquisition strategies. We show that tropical forests are highly dynamic in adjusting strategies – particularly root phosphatase – during forest recovery, reflecting a shift from strong nitrogen to weak phosphorus limitation over succession. We contextualize these results within a broader meta-analysis, where tree strategies also dynamically respond to nutrients and forest age. Together, our findings indicate that high functional diversity characterizes nutrient strategies in tropical forests, likely critical for alleviating nutrient limitation on the carbon sink.

File list:

AS_roots_README_04222024.pdf. Contains data dictionaries for data tables, project abstract, creators, full list of funders, methodology, citation list and additional project documentation.

AS_code.R. Commented code for data transformation, statistical analyses, figures, and meta-analysis.

AS_fertilization_root_data.csv. Data for mycorrhizal colonization and root phosphatase activity in response to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization across four forest age classes in Panama.

AS_Plasticity_phosphatase_mycorrhizae.csv. Data for meta-analysis of root phosphatase and mycorrhizal colonization responses to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in tropical forests.

AS_secondary_forest_mycorrhizal_colonization_literature_review.csv. Data for literature review on mycorrhizal colonization rates across secondary succession in tropical forests.