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Plants intruding Laretia acaulis (Umbelliferae), a high Andean cushion plant

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Abstract

Several plants invade the cushions of Laretia acaulis in the high Andean communities of central Chile. Humus develops among the rosettes, and 42 different species settle on the cushions. Most of these species are also found outside the cushions. Semi-woody chamaephytes, hemicryptophytes and cryptophytes have a similar cover on both substrates, while the cover of woody chamaephytes and therophytes is smaller on the cushions. The diversity and cover of invading plants, which vary with altitude, result from interactions among the environmental conditions, cushion morphology and the surrounding vegetation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratorio de Botánica, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 114-D, Santiago, Chile

    M. C. Alliende & A. J. Hoffmann

Authors
  1. M. C. Alliende
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  2. A. J. Hoffmann
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Additional information

This study is part of the Chilean contribution to the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, within the framework of the UNEP/UNESCO Andean Project (1105-77-01).

Nomenclature is given in the Appendix.

We thank M. T. K. Arroyo, C. Marticorena and O. Matthei, and the Herbaria of the Universidad Concepción and the Museo de Historia Natural, for help with identification of species.

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Alliende, M.C., Hoffmann, A.J. Plants intruding Laretia acaulis (Umbelliferae), a high Andean cushion plant. Vegetatio 60, 151–156 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039932

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00039932

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