Pattern of nutrient availability and plant community assemblage in Everglades Tree Islands, Florida, USA

• Published in: Hydrobiologia Vol. 667; no. 1; pp. 89 - 99
• Main Authors: Espinar, J. L, Ross, M. S, Sah, J. P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Dordrecht : Springer Netherlands 01.06.2011; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biogeochemistry; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Community ecology; Ecology; Freshwater; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Herbs; highlands; Hydrology; Islands; Landscape ecology; landscapes; Leaching; Life Sciences; marshes; National parks; nitrogen content; Nutrient availability; Phosphorus; Plant communities; Primary Research Paper; soil; soil nutrients; Soils; surveys; Synecology; trees; variance; Vegetation; vegetation structure; Water levels; Water management; watersheds; Wetlands; Zoology; Florida; Everglades; United States; North America; America; USA, Florida, Everglades; USA, Florida, Everglades Natl. Park; N:P ratio; Self-assembly; Biogeochemical hot-spot; Phosphorus; Spatial patterns; Landscape ecology; Wetlands; Availability; Plant community; Nitrogen; Spatial variation; Island; Biogeochemistry; Spatial distribution; Tree; Nutrient; Ratio; Community
• ISSN: 0018-8158; 1573-5117
• DOI: 10.1007/s10750-011-0641-4

We address the relative importance of nutrient availability in relation to other physical and biological factors in determining plant community assemblages around Everglades Tree Islands (Everglades National Park, Florida, USA). We carried out a one-time survey of elevation, soil, water level and vegetation structure and composition at 138 plots located along transects in three tree islands in the Park's major drainage basin. We used an RDA variance partitioning technique to assess the relative importance of nutrient availability (soil N and P) and other factors in explaining herb and tree assemblages of tree island tail and surrounded marshes. The upland areas of the tree islands accumulate P and show low N concentration, producing a strong island-wide gradient in soil N:P ratio. While soil N:P ratio plays a significant role in determining herb layer and tree layer community assemblage in tree island tails, nevertheless part of its variance is shared with hydrology. The total species variance explained by the predictors is very low. We define a strong gradient in nutrient availability (soil N:P ratio) closely related to hydrology. Hydrology and nutrient availability are both factors influencing community assemblages around tree islands, nevertheless both seem to be acting together and in a complex mechanism. Future research should be focused on segregating these two factors in order to determine whether nutrient leaching from tree islands is a factor determining community assemblages and local landscape pattern in the Everglades, and how this process might be affected by water management.