Calligonum polygonoides L. Shrubs Provide Species-Specific Facilitation for the Understory Plants in Coastal Ecosystem.

ABSTRACT: Plant facilitation has a pivotal role in regulating species coexistence, particularly under arid environments. The present study aimed to evaluate the facilitative effect of Calligonum polygonoides L. on its understory plants in coastal habitat. Forty Calligonum shrubs were investigated and the environmental data (soil temperature, moisture, pH, salinity, carbon and nitrogen content, and light intensity), vegetation composition, and diversity of associated species were recorded under- and outside canopies. Eight of the most frequent understory species were selected for evaluating their response to the facilitative effect of C. polygonoides. Bioactive ingredients of Calligonum roots were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and mycorrhizal biodiversity in their rhizo

SUBMITTER: Abd-ElGawad AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7464817 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature