Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments
Abstract Cushion plants are life forms with a hemispherical or mat‐like, prostrate canopy well adapted to the extreme conditions of cold regions that have appealed to scientists for their ability to cope with extreme environments in most mountains, arctic, and subantarctic regions of the world. They...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:9bef6e2fca094b36995a3ad0f2ee2cea 2023-05-15T15:11:05+02:00 Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments Francisco I. Pugnaire José A. Morillo Cristina Armas Susana Rodríguez‐Echeverría Aurora Gaxiola 2020-02-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3031 https://doaj.org/article/9bef6e2fca094b36995a3ad0f2ee2cea EN eng Wiley https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3031 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.3031 https://doaj.org/article/9bef6e2fca094b36995a3ad0f2ee2cea Ecosphere, Vol 11, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) cushion plants high‐elevation ecosystems long‐lived plants plant‐microbe interactions Puna Ecology QH540-549.5 article 2020 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3031 2022-12-31T11:35:08Z Abstract Cushion plants are life forms with a hemispherical or mat‐like, prostrate canopy well adapted to the extreme conditions of cold regions that have appealed to scientists for their ability to cope with extreme environments in most mountains, arctic, and subantarctic regions of the world. They can buffer the effects of low temperature and drought and improve soil conditions, which makes them notable facilitator species. Living at the edge in the Atacama Desert is one such species, Azorella compacta (yareta or llareta), in the Apiaceae family that can reach much over 6 m (~20 ft) in diameter with a mat‐like shape that tends to hemispherical growth form. Azorella compacta can be found in the dry Puna system, which spreads from northern Chile and Argentina to southern Peru and western Bolivia, between 3800 and 5200 m elevation, making it one of the woody plant species occurring at highest elevations in the world. In this deserted edge of the Atacama, nutrient limitation adds to other stressors such as water scarcity and high UV radiation. A compact canopy and the fact that they are embedded in resin prevent beneficiary species from growing within the cushion and condition how senesced leaves decompose inside the canopy. They can reach 3000 yr old and have to deal with episodic disturbance and herbivory events. Plants in such environments may potentially act as microbial refuges, and it could be expected that bacterial endophytes and mycorrhizal fungi have a main role in the functioning of these survival champions. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic Argentina Ecosphere 11 2 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
cushion plants high‐elevation ecosystems long‐lived plants plant‐microbe interactions Puna Ecology QH540-549.5 |
spellingShingle |
cushion plants high‐elevation ecosystems long‐lived plants plant‐microbe interactions Puna Ecology QH540-549.5 Francisco I. Pugnaire José A. Morillo Cristina Armas Susana Rodríguez‐Echeverría Aurora Gaxiola Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
topic_facet |
cushion plants high‐elevation ecosystems long‐lived plants plant‐microbe interactions Puna Ecology QH540-549.5 |
description |
Abstract Cushion plants are life forms with a hemispherical or mat‐like, prostrate canopy well adapted to the extreme conditions of cold regions that have appealed to scientists for their ability to cope with extreme environments in most mountains, arctic, and subantarctic regions of the world. They can buffer the effects of low temperature and drought and improve soil conditions, which makes them notable facilitator species. Living at the edge in the Atacama Desert is one such species, Azorella compacta (yareta or llareta), in the Apiaceae family that can reach much over 6 m (~20 ft) in diameter with a mat‐like shape that tends to hemispherical growth form. Azorella compacta can be found in the dry Puna system, which spreads from northern Chile and Argentina to southern Peru and western Bolivia, between 3800 and 5200 m elevation, making it one of the woody plant species occurring at highest elevations in the world. In this deserted edge of the Atacama, nutrient limitation adds to other stressors such as water scarcity and high UV radiation. A compact canopy and the fact that they are embedded in resin prevent beneficiary species from growing within the cushion and condition how senesced leaves decompose inside the canopy. They can reach 3000 yr old and have to deal with episodic disturbance and herbivory events. Plants in such environments may potentially act as microbial refuges, and it could be expected that bacterial endophytes and mycorrhizal fungi have a main role in the functioning of these survival champions. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Francisco I. Pugnaire José A. Morillo Cristina Armas Susana Rodríguez‐Echeverría Aurora Gaxiola |
author_facet |
Francisco I. Pugnaire José A. Morillo Cristina Armas Susana Rodríguez‐Echeverría Aurora Gaxiola |
author_sort |
Francisco I. Pugnaire |
title |
Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
title_short |
Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
title_full |
Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
title_fullStr |
Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
title_full_unstemmed |
Azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
title_sort |
azorella compacta: survival champions in extreme, high‐elevation environments |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3031 https://doaj.org/article/9bef6e2fca094b36995a3ad0f2ee2cea |
geographic |
Arctic Argentina |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Argentina |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Ecosphere, Vol 11, Iss 2, Pp n/a-n/a (2020) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3031 https://doaj.org/toc/2150-8925 2150-8925 doi:10.1002/ecs2.3031 https://doaj.org/article/9bef6e2fca094b36995a3ad0f2ee2cea |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3031 |
container_title |
Ecosphere |
container_volume |
11 |
container_issue |
2 |
_version_ |
1766341993081864192 |