Does nutrient enrichment interact with <i>Castilleja miniata</i> to alter plant communities in montane meadows?
Abstract
Many studies have demonstrated the negative effects of hemiparasites on host performance, such as decreased host biomass and reproductive capabilities. Much less work, however, has examined the role of hemiparasites in shaping plant community structure, though it has been proposed that the effect of a hemiparasite can vary based on a number of factors, including nutrient availability. Using Castilleja miniata as a test species, I tested for an interactive effect of hemiparasite removal and nitrogen enrichment on plant community structure. I found no evidence of an interactive effect altering species richness, total plant cover, diversity, or evenness. Nitrogen availability and C. miniata presence or absence may have an additive effect on nitrogen-fixer productivity. Nitrogen-fixers grew more in plots under ambient soil conditions where C. miniata was removed. The importance of nitrogen-fixers in an ecosystem warrants further research into the dynamics between nutrient cycling, hemiparasites, and nitrogen-fixer performance.
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References (23)
1 in Knowledge Hub, 22 external