Mountain Soils and Vegetation in the Owen Range, Nelson

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Abstract
Frequency and cover % are given of mountain plants sampled at 10 sites in shrubland on marble, and at 10 sites in grassland on both marble and schist, in the Owen Range, Nelson. The main communities occurring at sampled areas are described, and the distributions of the species are discussed with emphasis on soil-plant relationships. There are two main subalpine shrubland communities; (1) a dense growth dominated by Dracophyllum filifolium, Olearia nummularifolia, and Phyllocladus alpinus, whtch may form strongly acid organic-rich soils on the marble, providing an environment suitable for growth of calcifuge species, and (2) open shrub growth, composed of a great variety of species, which forms less acid soils with high exchangeable calcium levels. There are three main alpine grassland communities and these are dominated by (1) Chionochloa ausiralis sward grass, a strict calcifuge found on the most acid soils on schist, but rare on marble, (2) Ch. pallens snow tussock, which is less strongly calcifuge and dominates widely on schist, and at the higher elevation in grassland on marble, and (3) Ch. sp. all. flavescens broad-leaved tussock, which is markedly calcicolous and dominates on marble, on calcium-rich soils at lower elevations in the grassland.

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