Plant size of the alpine cushion Thylacospermum caespitosum affects soil amelioration at different elevations

• Published in: Plant ecology Vol. 222; no. 3; pp. 323 - 335
• Main Authors: Zhao, Ruiming, An, Lizhe
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Science + Business Media 01.03.2021; Springer Netherlands; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alpine ecosystems; Alpine environments; Applied Ecology; Biodiversity; Biomass; Biomedical and Life Sciences; canopy; Carbon content; Community & Population Ecology; Ecological effects; Ecology; Electrical conductivity; Electrical resistivity; Elevation; Islands; Life Sciences; microbial biomass; microbial carbon; microbial nitrogen; Microorganisms; Mountain ecology; Mountains; Nitrogen; Nurses; Nutrition; Organic carbon; Organic phosphorus; pH effects; Phosphorus; Plant Ecology; potassium; Size effects; Soil amendment; Soil conditions; Soil fertility; Soil investigations; Soil nutrients; soil organic carbon; Soil properties; soil remediation; Soils; Terrestial Ecology; Thylacospermum caespitosum; Cushion plants; Fertility islands; Nurse effect; Soil microbial biomass; Soil nutrition

Cushion plants (as nurse species) can ameliorate soil conditions under their canopy in alpine environments. However, this amelioration (or the intensity of soil fertility islands) related with the size of plants is rarely studied. To assess size effects of Thylacospermum caespitosum on soil fertilit...