| Summary: | Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. ENGLISH ABSTRACT: To estimate nutrient budgets and model nutrient cycling at a whole ecosystem level on sub-Antarctic Marion Island requires information on the spatial variability of plant nutrient concentrations on the island. The complexity of constructing budgets and models will also be reduced if, instead of considering each plant species individually, the species can be grouped on the basis of their similarities/differences in nutrient concentrations. This thesis presents the results of an investigation into both these aspects. Altitude and distance from the sea are highly correlated with each other and thus influence the concentrations of all the nutrients considered (N, P, K, Ca, Mg and Na) very similarly. Concentrations of N, P and Na in living leaves, dead leaves, stems and roots decrease going inland, due to a decline in the influence of animal manuring and of sea spray. Ca concentration increases going inland, away from the organic peats characteristic of the lowland regions toward the mineral rawmark inland soils. Declining sea spray and increasing soil minerality going inland both affect plant Mg concentration; the net effect is a slight decrease in Mg concentration going away from the coast. K concentration in living leaves and roots did not change going inland; dead leaf and stem K concentrations showed a weak decline. Bryophyte shoot nutrient concentrations do not show such marked patterns of change going inland. Considering the bryophyte species as a whole, the only significant effect is that shoot Na concentration decreases, and Ca concentration increases, going inland. Although information on nutrient concentrations in all plant organs from all four (N, E, W and S) sides of the island was available for only a few species, and in many instances the between-side effect was not significant for individual species, the pattern of between-side differences is quite clear. Living leaf N, P and Mg concentrations are higher in west side than east side ...
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