TY - JOUR
T1 - Vegetation abundance and diversity in relation to soil nutrients and soil water content in Vestfold hills, East Antarctica
AU - Leishman, Michelle R.
AU - Wild, Christie
PY - 2001
Y1 - 2001
N2 - Eighteen paired sites (adjacent to vs away from sea bird nests) and six transects (downslope of nests) across Vestfold Hills were sampled for vegetation, soil nutrients, soil water content and percent rock cover. Three moss and 17 lichen species were recorded, including a new record for the lichen Sarcogyne privigna. Sites adjacent to nesting areas generally had higher soil N and P than sites away from nesting areas; however, larger differences between site locations than within site pairs suggests considerable variation in nutrient input between nesting areas and/or redistribution of nutrients by meltwater around nests. Along transects below nesting sites, average soil total N declined from 0.22% to 0.05% within 2 m from the nest, while average total P declined more gradually from 2343 ppm P to 697 ppm P at 30 m from the nest. Moss and lichen species diversity and mean lichen species abundance were higher in sites adjacent to compared with away from nests. Data from site pairs and transects showed that lichen diversity and abundance increased with increasing soil nutrients, with soil P having a stronger influence than soil N. In contrast, soil nutrients were not significantly associated with moss diversity or abundance. Instead, number of moss species and abundance were positively associated with soil water content.
AB - Eighteen paired sites (adjacent to vs away from sea bird nests) and six transects (downslope of nests) across Vestfold Hills were sampled for vegetation, soil nutrients, soil water content and percent rock cover. Three moss and 17 lichen species were recorded, including a new record for the lichen Sarcogyne privigna. Sites adjacent to nesting areas generally had higher soil N and P than sites away from nesting areas; however, larger differences between site locations than within site pairs suggests considerable variation in nutrient input between nesting areas and/or redistribution of nutrients by meltwater around nests. Along transects below nesting sites, average soil total N declined from 0.22% to 0.05% within 2 m from the nest, while average total P declined more gradually from 2343 ppm P to 697 ppm P at 30 m from the nest. Moss and lichen species diversity and mean lichen species abundance were higher in sites adjacent to compared with away from nests. Data from site pairs and transects showed that lichen diversity and abundance increased with increasing soil nutrients, with soil P having a stronger influence than soil N. In contrast, soil nutrients were not significantly associated with moss diversity or abundance. Instead, number of moss species and abundance were positively associated with soil water content.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0034982726&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S0954102001000207
DO - 10.1017/S0954102001000207
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034982726
SN - 0954-1020
VL - 13
SP - 126
EP - 134
JO - Antarctic Science
JF - Antarctic Science
IS - 2
ER -