7-days of FREE Audio papers, translation & more with Prime
7-days of FREE Prime access
7-days of FREE Audio papers, translation & more with Prime
7-days of FREE Prime access
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-012-0126-1
Copy DOIJournal: Plant Ecology | Publication Date: Sep 19, 2012 |
Citations: 27 |
In stressful and disturbed ecosystems, seedling establishment may be facilitated by early colonizing plants. We examined the mechanism of such facilitation by tussock-forming species (Carex middendorffii and Eriophorum vaginatum), focusing on the independent and interactive effects of tussock litter and tussock mound substrate. Shading by litter on tussock mounds provides a stable but dryer substrate that may negatively affect early colonizers, owing to the co-occurrence of light deficiency and limited water availability, but positively affect late colonizers by subsequent amelioration of water availability. We used seed sowing and seedling transplant experiments with un-manipulated tussocks and manipulated shading × tussock mounds to examine seedling emergence, survival, and the biomass of early (Moliniopsis japonica) and late (Lobelia sessilifolia) colonizers in a post-mined peatland in northern Japan. Carex and Eriophorum tussocks facilitated seedling emergence and the growth of M. japonica and L. sessilifolia. Manipulation experiments indicated that the major positive effect was in providing stable substrates for seeds and seedlings. While the survival and growth of both colonizers were unaffected by shading alone and were negatively affected by tussock mounds alone, shading on tussock mounds decreased both the survival and growth in M. japonica but increased it in L. sessilifolia. Overall, tussock mounds with litter shading accelerated seedling establishment, especially that of late colonizers, in post-mined peatland. Our results indicate that the importance of facilitation mechanisms, for early successional plant composition that result from independent and interactive processes that co-occur as environmental conditions change.
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.