Fine-Scale Lithogeochemical Features Influence Plant Distribution Patterns in Alpine Grasslands in the Western Alps of Italy.

ABSTRACT: Bedrock geology is crucial in structuring alpine plant communities. Old studies mainly focused on the compositional differences between alpine plant communities on carbonate rocks and crystalline rocks, i.e., calcareous vs. siliceous vegetation. Increasing attention is being paid to bedrock types other than calcareous or siliceous ones, viz. those which have intermediate geochemical characteristics between pure calcareous and pure siliceous ones. Among these types of 'intermediate' bedrocks, calc-schists and serpentines are generally characterized by vegetation comprised of a mixture of basiphilous and acidophilous species. We selected several sites in alpine grasslands in the Western Italian Alps, on calc-schist and serpentine bedrocks, located at 2500 ± 100 m above sea level. X-ray fluor

SUBMITTER: Cazzavillan A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11360244 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature