Macro-element composition of tall-tussocks (Chionochloa) in the South Island, New Zealand, and their relationship with soil chemical properties

Abstract

Concentrations in sheaths, green blades, and dead tips, and weights per shoot,

Growth, Phosphate Absorption, and Phosphorus Chemical Fractions in Two Chionochloa Species

“…Within any given climatic and altitudinal zone, Chionochloa species often tend to segregate along gradients of soil fertility. For example, the first member of each of the following species pairs generally occurs on older soils of lower phosphate availability than the second: C. flavescens Zotov (sensu stricto) and C. pallens Zotov in the humid subalpine zone of the Tararua Mountains of the North Island (Williams 1975;Williams et al 1978a); C. macra Zotov and C. rigida (Raoul) Zotov in subhumid to humid montane and subalpine zones of South Canterbury and Otago Williams et al 1978b); C. macra and C. flavescens (eastern Canterbury form) in the subhumid montane zone of mid-Canterbury (Connor 1965;Williams et al 1978b); and C. crassiuscula (T. Kirk) Zotov and C. pallens in the extremely wet subalpine and alpine zones of Fiordland and the Main Divide of the Southern Alps (Burrows 1969;Williams et al 1976Williams et al , 1978b.…”

“…Adaptive radiation within this genus appears to have occurred relatively recently (Connor 1967;Connor & Purdie 1976;Wardle 1978), in part as a consequence of active mountain building and the frequent juxtaposition of young eroding soils of moderate phosphate availability with more mature soils of lower phosphate availability (Williams et al 1978b). Within any given climatic and altitudinal zone, Chionochloa species often tend to segregate along gradients of soil fertility.…”

Alpine tussockland communities and vegetation-landform-soil relationships, Wapiti Lake, Fiordland, New Zealand

“…Soils age rapidly in the wet climate. Recent soils probably develop through to gleyed or podzolised yellow-brown earths in 1000-2000 years, therefore well-developed soils are unlikely on landforms subject to continual intense erosion or deposition (Archer 1973;Williams et al 1976Williams et al ,1978O'Connor 1980O'Connor , 1984Basher et al 1985).…”

Biosystematics of higher plants in New Zealand 1965–1984

“…We mterpreted the rigida-type plants as hybrids between C. rubra and C. /lavescens. Chionochloa flavescens x C. ruhra is the hybrid most frequently found: it is at least on the Tararua Range (Greenwood 1953, Druce 1957, Williams et al 1978c, at Jacks Pass, Marlborough, (Connor 1967), in Central Otago (Williams et al 1978a), and on the Paparoa Range (Connor & Purdie 1981 is not infrequent (Park 1968). Purdie and I found little or no evidence for contemporary interspecific gene-exchange as measured by TME presence, although we sampled at many sites where several species were sympatric.…”