Edaphic Control of Plant Distribution in the White Mountains, Eastern California
1973
Marchand, Denis E.
Vegetation in a part of the southern White Mountains is primarily distributed according to geologic substrate, although superimposed trends controlled by climatic, microclimatic, and topographic gradients are also evident. Carbonate—noncarbonate discontinuities are the most striking, but distinct plant assemblages on basalt, adamellite, and sandstone are also recognizable. Certain species, chiefly but not entirely those associated with the more favorable noncarbonate substrates, occur independently according to nutrient, moisture, temperature, or root—stability requirements. Lupinus argenteus, a strict calcifuge, was found to require high available P, and to a lesser extent, high available Fe. Many species occur on carbonate substrates, unstable slopes, and other unfavorable sites because of competitive exclusion imposed by more tenacious species, especially sagebrush. The principle adverse properties of carbonate soils are chemical (low available P. and Fe, low percentage exchangeable K, high pH) and, secondarily thermal (low soil temperature caused by high albedo). A number of other unevaluated factors must be involved in the observed vegetational patterns, however. Factor analysis of edaphic, geographical, and botanical parameters indicates many associative and mutually exclusive relationships which may provide an informational basis for future investigations.
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