Conclusions
By controlling their growth, alpine plants do not dilute the scarce nutrients they obtain
from their alpine environment. The major source of nitrogen is microbial recycling of
organic debris. Quite unexpectedly, the tissues of alpine plants are rich or even richer in
nutrients than tissues in related lowland taxa. When nutrients are added, typically slow
growing, small alpine taxa are overgrown by vigorous
"ruderal"
species. Animals play a key role in nutrient cycling. The presence or absence of calcium
rich (calcareous or dolomitic) substrate selects for certain taxa.
Further reading
Part of this unit has been extracted from Körner Ch (2003) Alpine Plant Life: functional
plant ecology of high mountain ecosystems. Springer, Berlin, chapter 10
Acknowledgements
(Institute of Botany, Ecology - University of Basel)
Concept and content, photographs
(Institute of Zoology, Evolution - University of Basel)
Technical realisation, photographs
(Clinical Trial Unit - University Hospital Basel)
photographs
Glossary
- aeolic
- Wind borne, e.g. dust deposited by wind
- calcicole
- A plant with a preference for calcareous substrate
- calcifuge
- A plant not normally growing on calcareous substrate
- cyanobacteria
-
Procaryonts which are able to fix N₂
(often called blue-green algae)
- fertiliser
- Mineral plant nutrient (solid or dissolved salt)
- gynoecium
- The female part of a flower
- humic
- Rich in humus (dark) and often associated with low pH
- podzolisation
- A process of soil leaching
- ruderal
-
Occurring on disturbed habitats, commonly on raw, undeveloped soils
- symbiont
- One of the partners in a symbiosis
- symbiosis
-
(s. l.) A close, often obligatory association of organisms of different species -
(s. str.) A close, often obligatory association of organisms of different species with
an advantage for all partners
