Decreasing nutrient concentrations in soils and trees with increasing elevation across a treeline ecotone in Rolwaling Himal, Nepal
- Author(s)
- Simon Drollinger, Michael Müller, Timo Kobl, Niels Schwab, Jürgen Böhner, Udo Schickhoff, Thomas Scholten
- Abstract
At a global scale, tree growth in alpine treeline ecotones is limited by low temperatures. At a local scale, however, tree growth at its upper limit depends on multiple interactions of influencing factors and mechanisms. The aim of our research was to understand local scale effects of soil properties and nutrient cycling on tree growth limitation, and their interactions with other abiotic and biotic factors in a near-natural Himalayan treeline ecotone. Soil samples of different soil horizons, litter, decomposition layers, and foliage samples of standing biomass were collected in four altitudinal zones along three slopes, and were analysed for exchangeable cations and nutrient concentrations, respectively. Additionally, soil and air temperature, soil moisture, precipitation, and tree physiognomy patterns were evaluated. Both soil nutrients and foliar macronutrient concentrations of nitrogen (N), magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), and foliar phosphorus (P) decrease significantly with elevation. Foliar manganese (Mn) concentrations, by contrast, are extraordinarily high at high elevation sites. Potential constraining factors on tree growth were identified using multivariate statistical approaches. We propose that tree growth, treeline position and vegetation composition are affected by nutrient limitation, which in turn, is governed by low soil temperatures and influenced by soil moisture conditions.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Geography and Regional Research
- External organisation(s)
- Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Universität Hamburg
- Journal
- Journal of Mountain Science
- Volume
- 14
- Pages
- 843 - 858
- No. of pages
- 16
- ISSN
- 1672-6316
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s11629-016-4228-4
- Publication date
- 05-2017
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 105401 Biogeography, 105402 Soil geography, 105405 Geoecology, 106050 Vegetation science
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geography, Planning and Development, Earth-Surface Processes, Geology, Nature and Landscape Conservation, Global and Planetary Change
- Portal url
- https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/1d4e65df-3ff0-4c1b-a7c4-e9d5ae60f932