Vegetation patterns associated with nutrient availability and supply in high-elevation tropical Andean ecosystems

Abstract > 100  cm). Vegetation composition is a relevant indicator of rock-derived nutrient availability in soil solutions. The soil solute chemistry revealed patterns in plant-available nutrients that were not mimicking the distribution of total rock-derived nutrients nor the exchangeable nutrient pool but clearly resulted from strong biocycling of cations and removal of nutrients from the soil by plant uptake or deep leaching. Soils under cushion plants showed solute concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Na of about 3 times higher than forest and tussock grasses. Differences were even stronger for dissolved Si with solute concentrations that were 16 times higher than forest and 6 times higher than tussock grasses. Amongst the macronutrients derived from lithogenic sources, P was a limiting nutrient with very low solute concentrations (< 1  µ M) for all three vegetation types. In contrast K showed greater solute concentrations under forest soils with values that were 2 to 3 times higher than under cushion-forming plants or tussock grasses. Our findings have important implications for future management of Andean páramo ecosystems where vegetation type distributions are dynamically changing as a result of warming temperatures and land use change. Such alterations may lead not only to changes in soil hydrology and solute geochemistry but also to complex changes in weathering rates and solute export downstream with effects on nutrient concentrations in Andean rivers and high-mountain lakes.

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• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Vegetation patterns associated with nutrient availability and supply in high-elevation tropical Andean ecosystems ; volume:21 ; number:12 ; year:2024 ; pages:3075-3091 ; extent:17 ; Biogeosciences ; 21, Heft 12 (2024), 3075-3091 (gesamt 17)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Molina, Armando ; Vanacker, Veerle ; Chadwick, Oliver ; Zhiminaicela, Santiago ; Corre, Marife ; Veldkamp, Edzo

Further information

• DOI: 10.5194/bg-21-3075-2024
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2408061046375.111050043550
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.