# Effects of Stumping on Ecological Stoichiometry and Allometric Growth in Leaf, Absorptive Root, and Rhizosphere Soil of Hippophae rhamnoides

## TL;DR

This study examines how stumping affects the growth and nutrient allocation in Hippophae rhamnoides in feldspathic sandstone areas.

## Contribution

The study identifies optimal stumping height (15 cm) for enhancing growth and nutrient allocation in H. rhamnoides.

## Key findings

- Stumping at 15 cm height maximized nutrient levels in leaves and roots of H. rhamnoides.
- Phosphorus (P) was the main regulator of growth after stumping treatments.
- Synergistic relationships between leaf and root nutrients were observed in stumped H. rhamnoides.

## Abstract

To clarify the effects of stumping on the C, N, and P allocation strategy of Hippophae rhamnoides L. artificial forests at the decaying stage in feldspathic sandstone areas, we tested stumping heights of 0, 10, 15, and 20 cm from the ground (denoted H1, H2, H3, and H4, respectively) with non-stumped trees as a control (CK). The N (LN, RN), P (LP, RP), and N:P (LN:LP, RN:RP) in the leaves and absorptive roots and the C, N, C:N, C:P, and N:P in rhizosphere soils after different treatments all manifested in the order H3 > H2 > H1 > H4 > CK. Among them, the LN and RN of H3 presented the largest amplitudes of increase (31% and 263%, respectively) compared with those of CK. There were very significant allometric relationships between LC and RC (−0.57, trade-off relationship), between LN and RN, and between LP and RP (0.32, 2.01; synergistic relationship) in stumped H. rhamnoides, and the accumulation rates of LC and LN were slower than those of RC and RN. After the stumping, certain correlations were present between the characteristics, except that neither LC nor RC significantly differed across the different treatments. The growth of H. rhamnoides after the different treatments was mainly regulated by P. The stumped H. rhamnoides grew at a faster rate, and the optimal stumping height was 15 cm. These findings are valuable for revegetation and for the prevention and control of soil erosion in feldspathic sandstone areas.