Azorella monantha

Dandelions Taraxacum officinale, Asteraceae), a well known weed from temperate to tropical climates (Holm et al., 1997), is one of several alien species that have colonized the high Andes from Venezuela to Chile, especially in areas under anthropogenic disturbance. A recent study investigated the association of dandelions introduced from Europe with the cushion plant Azorella monantha (Apiaceae) between 3100 and 3300 asl with reference to survival facilitation of dandelion seedlings, their effect on native species growing on the invaded cushions, and photosynthetic performance (Cavieres et al., 2005). 

Arroyo, M. T. K., Cavieres, L. A., Penaloza, A., Arroyo-Kalin, M. A. 2003. Positive associations between the cushion plant Azorella monantha (Apiaceae) and alpine plant species in the Chilean Patagonian Andes. Plant Ecol. 169 121-129. 

Cavieres, L. A., Quiroz, C. L., Molina-Montenegro, M. A., Mufioz, A. A., Pauchard, A. 2005. Nurse effect of the native cushion plant Azorella monantha on the invasive non-native Taraxacum ojficinale in the high-Andes of central Chile. Persp. Plant Ecol. Evol. Syst. 7 217-226. 

It was concluded that T. officinale was positively associated with A. monantha. A milder microclimate within its mat, water retention and nutrient availability in the soil beneath these plants were possible causes for the enhanced performance of the intruder. However, it would be instructive to determine to what extent this relationship is competitive as resources are shared because both species are of the dominant type. Various other Azorella cushion species grow in the periglacial zone along the Andean chain from Venezuela to Argentina (e.g. A. crenata, and A. julianii in the Venezuelan and Colombian paramos), (Vareschi, 1970) and they support other plant species within their round-shaped mats (pers. obsv.). However, no systematic studies of these associations have been conducted yet. 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ , ]

See also in sourсe #XX -- [ , ]

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