Facilitation of high leaf phosphorus-use efficiency by nitrate restraint

该项目旨在确定在全球生物多样性热点--澳大利亚西南部极度磷素贫瘠的土壤上共同主导植物区系的三个植物科--豆科、桃金娘科和豆科植物--高磷利用效率与氮代谢之间的联系。预计这些植物极高的磷利用效率与低氮吸收能力是密不可分的。一个预期的结果是对这些植物如何实现高效的磷和氮利用的新见解，提供了对植物在异常生物多样性的生态系统中的功能的新理解，以及对可能导致作物具有更高肥料利用效率的特征的新理解。

This project aims to determine the link between high phosphorus use efficiency and nitrogen metabolism in the Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Proteaceace, the three families of plants that co-dominate the flora on the extremely phosphorus-impoverished soils of south-western Australia, a Global Biodiversity Hotspot. It is expected that the extremely high phosphorus use efficiency in these plants is inextricably linked to a low capacity for nitrogen uptake. An anticipated outcome is new insight into how these plants achieve highly efficient phosphorus and nitrogen use, providing new understanding into the functioning of plants in an exceptionally biodiverse ecosystem and into traits that may lead to to crops with higher fertilizer use efficiency.