Effect of Nurse Plants on the Microhabitat and Growth of Cacti
Franco AC and Nobel PS. 1989. Effect of Nurse Plants on the Microhabitat and Growth of Cacti. Journal of Ecology. 77(3):870-886
Nurse plants studied at two sites in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument provided shelter for saguaro cacti, and greatly aided the development of seedlings. The sheltered cacti experienced lower temperatures near the soil surface than exposed plants, and had access to soil with higher nitrogen content. The shaded condition and competition for water with the "host" plant, however, does noticeably reduce growth rates for the cacti seedlings, the amount depending on seedling size and the degree of sheltering. Bibliography, 10 figures, 3 tables.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Franco, A; Nobel, P
- Units
- ORPI
- Keywords
- Botany, Columnar Cacti (Cactaceae), Competition (Species), Growth, nirtogen (N), Plants, Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea), Soils, Water Use