RESPONSE OF NUTRIENT RESORPTION CHARACTERISTICS OF LEAVES AND RHIZOSPHERE SOILS TO VEGETATION SUCCESSION ALONG THE EARLY VEGETATION PRIMARY SUCCESSION STAGES IN THE HAILUOGOU GLACIER FOREHEAD IN THE SOUTHEAST OF THE TIBETAN PLATEAU, CHINA.

Understanding patterns and drivers of leaf (C, N, P) nutrient resorption, its stoichiometry and efficiency in the early vegetation primary succession in the Hailuogou Glacier Forehead of China is important to understand plant adaptation and competition strategy of vegetation succession in highaltitude and nutrient-poor environment. The results showed that the trends of total nitrogen concentration of green and senescent leaves were: 4 years < 8 years < 16 years. The correlation between C:N ratio and N:P ratio did not reach significance level (p > 0.05), but positive significance was showed between C:P ratio and C:N ratio (p < 0.05). The ranks of the NuRE values showed: the four-year > the eight-year > the sixteen-year. And the value of nutrient resorption efficiency decreased in the following order: PRE > NRE > CRE. 4 years of vegetation succession showed growth competition strategy with low value of N:P ratio and high value of C:N ratio. Consequently, as the vegetation primary succession compelled, the eight-year and the sixteen-year vegetation succession, with high value of N:P ratio and low value of C:N ratio which had competitive advantages, replaced the species of the four-year vegetation succession in this glacier forehead alpine region with high altitude and poor nutrients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]