Ecological stoichiometry of nitrogen and phosphorus in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) during the explosive growth period of new emergent shoots.

The ecological stoichiometry of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) during the "explosive growth period" (EGP) remains unknown. In a previous study, we showed that the carbon (C) required by shoots during the EGP is derived from attached mature bamboos. In this study, we attempted to answer the following two questions: (1) Is the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) required by shoots during the EGP also derived from attached mature bamboos? (2) Is the ecological stoichiometry of Moso bamboo during the EGP consistent with the growth rate hypothesis (GRH)? We simultaneously investigated changes in the N and P concentrations and N:P ratios of shoots (young bamboos) and attached mature bamboo over an 11-month period.