Mark Andrews Adams and his team from Sydney University compiled a global database constrained to sites to compare plants that fixed nitrogen and those how do not fix nitrogen.
They discovered that legumes are different from other plants. They have more efficient water use, and they showed no relationship between photosynthesis and leaf nitrogen.
The image shows a Swainsona Formosa also called Sturt's desert pea. This Australian plant with bright red flowers similar to blood can be found on the dry plains. Its efficient use of resources has made it a very successful plant in these regions. The plant is named after Isaac Swainson an English Botanic who classified it.
credits William Salter y Mark A. Adams.References
- Adams, M. A., Turnbull, T. L., Sprent, J. I., & Buchmann, N. (2016) Legumes are different: Leaf nitrogen, photosynthesis, and water use efficiency Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(15), 4098-4103.