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Spatial distribution of Tephrocactus aoracanthus (Lem.) Lem. in relation to shrubs in the hyperarid regions of west‐central Argentina
Author(s) -
ALMIRÓN MARTÍN,
MARTÍNEZ CARRETERO EDUARDO
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
austral ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.688
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1442-9993
pISSN - 1442-9985
DOI - 10.1111/j.1442-9993.2012.02385.x
Subject(s) - intraspecific competition , photosynthetically active radiation , edaphic , interspecific competition , ecology , biological dispersal , spatial distribution , cladodes , environmental science , biology , physical geography , geography , cactus , botany , soil water , population , photosynthesis , demography , remote sensing , sociology
The spatial intraspecific and interspecific distribution of Tephrocactus aoracanthus (Lem.) Lem. was studied using univariate and bivariate point pattern analysis, at landscape scale in four different physiographic units and at microscale in terms of the shrubs found in those units. The influence of shrubs on photosynthetically active radiation and on soil temperature under their canopies was analysed. Results show a high environmental variability in light and temperature under shrubs that generally has no influence on the distribution of T. aoracanthus . Apparently, this cactus has great ability to adapt to different conditions of both photosynthetically active radiation and temperature. However, intraspecific distribution was highly clustered in all physiographic units, independently of bushes. Possibly, the mode of seed dispersal and the rooting of cladodes at small scale are the main processes that determine the strong intraspecific clustering of T. aoracanthus .