Dinámica temporal de la masa de broza en distintos microhábitats del desierto del Monte Central (Mendoza, Argentina)
Fertility patches under woody plant canopies in desert ecosystems may occur because the extended root systems of trees and shrubs absorb nutrients and deposit them below plant canopies during litterfall. The final effect of woody plants on soil fertility depends on different processes that tra...
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| Publicado en: | Revista de la Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias |
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| Autores principales: | , , , |
| Materias: | |
| Acceso en línea: | https://bdigital.uncu.edu.ar/fichas.php?idobjeto=6473 |
| Sumario: | Fertility patches under woody plant
canopies in desert ecosystems may occur
because the extended root systems of trees
and shrubs absorb nutrients and deposit them
below plant canopies during litterfall. The final
effect of woody plants on soil fertility depends
on different processes that transform litter
and liberate nutrients to the soil. The woody
legume Prosopis flexuosa D.C. produces the
highest amount of litter in the Monte desert,
generating islands of fertility under its canopy.
In this study, we analyzed the temporal dynamics
of litter mass fell under P. flexuosa and
experimentally relocalized in different microsites
(under P. flexuosa, under the shrub Larrea
divaricata, in the previous canopy area of cut
P. flexuosa trees, and in exposed areas). We
found the highest decrease of litter mass in
winter, similar for all microsites, and a lower
decrease and higher spatial heterogeneity in
spring and summer. Our results suggest that
litter dynamics in the Monte desert is mainly
controlled by litter quality, because the highest
litter mass loss occurred immediately after the
addition of litter, even under environmental
conditions not favorable for biologic activity
(i.e., cold and dry winter). Although the different
microsites showed differences in litter
mass dynamics, the total magnitude of litter
mass changes was similar for all microsites,
indicating that spatial heterogeneity in litter
mass loss is not an important factor in generating
spatial heterogeneity of soil fertility. Moreover,
other factors, as litter relocalization by
arthropods observed in our study and possibly
wind and water, seem to play an important role
in moderating the spatial differences of litterfall
patterns caused by woody plants. |
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