Summary
The nutrient relations of five treeless plant communities on acid soils above siliceous rock of the Central Alps are investigated. Three of these communities, situated on Mt. Patscherkofel, are dominated by dwarf shrubs of the Ericaceae family: Loiseleurietum (P 1, 2175 m NN), Loiseleuria heath (P 2, 2000 m NN), and Vaccinium heath (P 3, 1980 m NN). The other two are bound to higher elevations (2500 m NN, at Timmelsjoch): Caricetum curvulae (T 1), forming the mats, and Salicetum herbaceae (T 2), covering the snow-beds.
Phytomass productivity decreases with increasing altitude in the sequence P 3-P 2, P 1-T 1-T 2.
Compared with the turf communities of the Northern Calcareous Alps, nitrogen reserves and experimental net-mineralization of the soils (0–15 cm) are extremely low in P 1, P 2, and P 3 (<0.5 g N/m2 mineralized per GS1). The fluctuation of N in the living above-ground phytomass during the GS is also low (about 1.6 g/m2 in P 1 and P 2; 2.2 g/m2 in P 3, although it exceeds the values of net mineralization. Additional uptake through mycorrhizal fungi or activation of mineralizing microbes in the rhizosphere by exudation is assumed.
The P- and K-reserves are extremely small in the humic soils of P 2 and P 3, but somewhat higher in the more mineral soil of P 1. Mean lactatesoluble P of the three sites is low (0.3 g/m2 or less) whereas Klact (2.7–3.3 g/m2) is higher than the lowest level found in some turf communities, e.g. Caricetum firmae. The amounts of P in the phytomass are in the range of those of the turf communities and agree with the gradation in the mean Plact values (P 1 and P 3>P 2). There are, however, almost no discernible fluctuations of P in the phytomass, and the K-fluctuations are far below the mean Klact level.
The Timmelsjoch communities generally have higher N/C-, P/C-, and K/C-ratios in the soils compared with those of Mt. Patscherkofel, although the N-reserves (g/m2) and the K-reserves (of T 1 only) are lower. The Plact values are higher than those from Mt. Patscherkofel and also exceed those of the calcareous turf communities. Klact is low in T 1 whereas in T 2 it is in the range of P 1, P 2, and P 3. Compared with T 1, T 2 has distinctly higher amounts of the three nutrients in the soils and a higher net mineralization of N, as well as higher values in the phytomass components and in the fluctuation of the latter.
In conclusion, a general view is given (Fig. 9) of the most important nutrient parameters of the communities represented in this series, including some others of lower altitudes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bremner, J.M., Keeney, D.R.: Steam distillation methods for determination of ammonium, nitrate and nitrite. Anal. Chim. Acta 32, 485–495 (1965)
Ehrhardt, F.: Untersuchungen über den Einfluß des Klimas auf die Stickstoffnachlieferung von Waldhumus in verschiedenen Höhenlagen der Tiroler Alpen. Fortstw. Cbl. 80, 193–215 (1961)
Gerlach, A.: Methodische Untersuchungen zur Bestimmung der Stickstoffnettomineralisation. Scripta Geobotanica, Bd. 5. Göttingen: Goltze 1973
Gökçeoglu, M., Rehder, H.: Nutrient turnover studies in alpine ecosystems. III. Communities of lower altitudes dominated by Carex sempervirens Vill. and Carex ferruginea Scop. Oecologia (Berl.) 28, 317–331 (1977)
John, M.K.: Colorimetric determination of phosphorus in soil and plant meterials with ascorbic acid. Soil Sci. 109, 214–220 (1970)
Kubiena, W.L.: Bestimmungsbuch und Systematik der Böden Europas. Stuttgart: Enke 1953
Larcher, W.: Ergebnisse des IBP-Projectes “Zwergstrauchheide Patscherkofel”. Sitzungsber. Österr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, Math.-Naturwiss. K1. (in press, 1978)
Larcher, W., Cernusca, A., Schmidt, L.: Stoffproduktion und Energiebilanz in Zwergstrauchbeständen auf dem Patscherkofel bei Innsbruck. In: Ökosystemforschung (H. Ellenberg, ed.), pp. 175–194. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer 1973
Larcher, W., Cernusca, A., Schmidt, L., Grabherr, G., Nötzel, E., Smeets, N.: Mt. Patscherkofel, Austria. In: Structure and function of tundra ecosystems (T. Rosswall, O.W. Heal, eds.). Ecol. Bull. Stockholm) 20, 125–139 (1975)
León, R.: Balance d'eau et d'azote dans les prairies à litière des alentours de Zurich. Veröff. Geobot. Inst. ETH Zürich 41, 2–67 (1968)
Rehder, H.: Zur Ökologie, insbesondere Stickstoffversorgung subalpiner und alpiner Pflanzengesellschaften im Naturschutzgebiet Schachen (Wettersteingebirge). Diss. Bot., Bd. 6. Lehre: Cramer 1970
Rehder, H.: Nutrient turnover studies in alpine ecosystems. I. Phytomass and nutrient relations in four mat communities of the Northern Calcareous Alps. Oecologia (Berl.) 22, 411–423 (1976a)
Rehder, H.: Nutrient turnover studies in alpine ecosystems. II. Phytomass and nutrient relations in the Caricetum firmae. Oecologia (Berl.) 23, 49–62 (1976b)
Schäfer, A.: Untersuchungen über Biomasse und Nährstoffhaushalt einer Krautweidengesellschaft und eines Krummseggenrasens auf dem Timmelsjoch (Ötztaler Alpen). Examination paper, Techn. Univ. München (Inst. Bot. u. Mikrobiol.) (1976)
Schmidt, L.: Phytomassevorrat und Nettoprimärproduktivität alpiner Zwergstrauchbestände. Oecol. Plant. 12, 195–213 (1977)
Steubing, L.: Pflanzenökologisches Praktikum. Berlin-Hamburg: Parey 1965
Walter, H., Lieth, H.: Klimadiagramm — Weltatlas. Jena: Fischer 1960–1967
Yerly, M.: Ecologie comparée des prairies marécageuses dans les Préalpes de la Suisse occidentale. Veröff. Geobot. Inst. ETH Zürich 44 (1970)
Ziegler, P.: Standortsbedingungen, insbesondere Nährstoffversorgung, in einem Kiefern-Trockenauwald der oberen Isar. Thesis (Diploma), Techn. Univ. München (Inst. Bot. u. Mikrobiol.) (1974)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Rehder, H., Schäfer, A. Nutrient turnover studies in alpine ecosystems. Oecologia 34, 309–327 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00344909
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00344909