000135929 001__ 135929
000135929 005__ 20240627150548.0
000135929 0247_ $$2doi$$a10.1016/j.catena.2024.108192
000135929 0248_ $$2sideral$$a138939
000135929 037__ $$aART-2024-138939
000135929 041__ $$aeng
000135929 100__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-8146-0364$$aMora, Juan Luis$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza
000135929 245__ $$aMosaic coexistence of two subalpine grassland types as a consequence of soil nutrient heterogeneity
000135929 260__ $$c2024
000135929 5060_ $$aAccess copy available to the general public$$fUnrestricted
000135929 5203_ $$aHigh-mountain areas often exhibit high soil heterogeneity, which allows for the close coexistence of plant species and communities with contrasting resource requirements. This study investigated the nutritional factors driving the mosaic distribution of Nardus stricta L. grasslands and chalk grasslands dominated by forbs in the subalpine southern Pyrenees (Spain). The concentrations of C, N, P, S, K, Ca and fiber fractions in herbage were analyzed in relation to soil nutrient availability; soil β-glucosidase, urease, phosphatase and arylsulfatase activities; and plant species and functional type compositions. The chalk grassland showed higher N:P ratios in herbage and higher enzyme demand for P relative to N in the soil, which indicates a greater limitation of P versus N compared to Nardus grassland. This limitation was related to the higher soil and plant Ca levels in the chalk grassland, where the calcareous bedrock lies close to the soil surface. In the Nardus grasslands, the alleviation of P limitation translated into increased productivity and the replacement of forbs with taller graminoids rich in structural carbohydrates, which was mirrored by greater β-D-glucosidase activity. The plant N:K and P:K ratios indicated potential K deficiency in both grasslands, which resulted from decreased uptake of K in competition with Ca, as indicated by the correlation between plant K and the soil K+:Ca2+ ratio. Our results highlight the effect of the heterogeneity of soil nutrient constraints, mediated by stoichiometry and dependent on microtopography, on the biodiversity of high-mountain ecosystems.
000135929 536__ $$9info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA/S51-23R
000135929 540__ $$9info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess$$aby-nc$$uhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/es/
000135929 655_4 $$ainfo:eu-repo/semantics/article$$vinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
000135929 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0001-6566-6944$$aArmas-Herrera, Cecilia
000135929 700__ $$aGómez, Daniel
000135929 700__ $$0(orcid)0000-0002-1006-5030$$aBadía-Villas, David$$uUniversidad de Zaragoza
000135929 7102_ $$15011$$2240$$aUniversidad de Zaragoza$$bDpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural$$cÁrea Edafología y Quím.Agríco.
000135929 773__ $$g243 (2024), 108192 [11 pp.]$$pCatena$$tCatena$$x0341-8162
000135929 8564_ $$s2864919$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/135929/files/texto_completo.pdf$$yVersión publicada
000135929 8564_ $$s2505349$$uhttps://zaguan.unizar.es/record/135929/files/texto_completo.jpg?subformat=icon$$xicon$$yVersión publicada
000135929 909CO $$ooai:zaguan.unizar.es:135929$$particulos$$pdriver
000135929 951__ $$a2024-06-27-13:20:50
000135929 980__ $$aARTICLE