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Soil chemistry of local vegetation gradients in sandy calcareous grasslands

Mårtensson, Linda-Maria LU and Olsson, Pål Axel LU (2010) In Plant Ecology 206(1). p.127-138
Abstract
Acidification and N-deposition are continuous processes that alter the composition of plant communities. We investigated vegetation transitions in sandy grasslands and tested two hypotheses: (1) a shift from vegetation dominated by Koeleria glauca to one dominated by Corynephorus canescens is due to acidification and (2) a shift from vegetation dominated by K. glauca to one dominated by Arrhenatherum elatius is due to increased mineral-N. The occurrence of K. glauca and C. canescens followed pH shifts strikingly well. However, the pH varied considerably between sites, and we found that differences in preference for bare sand may be important for the coexistence of these two species at both high and low pH. In 75% of the gradients, the... (More)
Acidification and N-deposition are continuous processes that alter the composition of plant communities. We investigated vegetation transitions in sandy grasslands and tested two hypotheses: (1) a shift from vegetation dominated by Koeleria glauca to one dominated by Corynephorus canescens is due to acidification and (2) a shift from vegetation dominated by K. glauca to one dominated by Arrhenatherum elatius is due to increased mineral-N. The occurrence of K. glauca and C. canescens followed pH shifts strikingly well. However, the pH varied considerably between sites, and we found that differences in preference for bare sand may be important for the coexistence of these two species at both high and low pH. In 75% of the gradients, the dominance of A. elatius was related to high content of mineral-N. Most species preferred lime-rich soils and we concluded that both N-enrichment and acidification may lead to loss of species in calcareous sandy grasslands. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
enrichment, Succession, N, Sand steppe, Decalcification, Sandy grasslands, Acidification
in
Plant Ecology
volume
206
issue
1
pages
127 - 138
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • wos:000272969600010
  • scopus:72249085111
ISSN
1573-5052
DOI
10.1007/s11258-009-9629-9
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
a6847633-0215-415e-a539-c4d2b7597088 (old id 1533794)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 09:50:02
date last changed
2022-01-25 17:07:26
@article{a6847633-0215-415e-a539-c4d2b7597088,
  abstract     = {{Acidification and N-deposition are continuous processes that alter the composition of plant communities. We investigated vegetation transitions in sandy grasslands and tested two hypotheses: (1) a shift from vegetation dominated by Koeleria glauca to one dominated by Corynephorus canescens is due to acidification and (2) a shift from vegetation dominated by K. glauca to one dominated by Arrhenatherum elatius is due to increased mineral-N. The occurrence of K. glauca and C. canescens followed pH shifts strikingly well. However, the pH varied considerably between sites, and we found that differences in preference for bare sand may be important for the coexistence of these two species at both high and low pH. In 75% of the gradients, the dominance of A. elatius was related to high content of mineral-N. Most species preferred lime-rich soils and we concluded that both N-enrichment and acidification may lead to loss of species in calcareous sandy grasslands.}},
  author       = {{Mårtensson, Linda-Maria and Olsson, Pål Axel}},
  issn         = {{1573-5052}},
  keywords     = {{enrichment; Succession; N; Sand steppe; Decalcification; Sandy grasslands; Acidification}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{127--138}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Plant Ecology}},
  title        = {{Soil chemistry of local vegetation gradients in sandy calcareous grasslands}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11258-009-9629-9}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s11258-009-9629-9}},
  volume       = {{206}},
  year         = {{2010}},
}