Nilsson Hegethorn, Marie-Charlotte
- Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
This paper reviews the knowledge on crowberry (Empetrum nigrum ssp. nigrum and ssp. hermaphroditum) dominated ecosystems in the Nordic region. Empetrum leaves and litter have high phenolic content resulting in slow decomposition, and with the formation of an organic top soil, nutrients are kept in an organic nutrient bank in the soil mainly available for plants with ericoid mycorrhiza. Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum is a strong nutrient competitor and outcompetes most plants in late successional stages. This is due to chemical interference (allelopathy) and resource competition. Crowberry as an organism is resistant to atmospheric pollution and may even increase in vigor by high atmospheric N deposition in nemoral coastal heaths, but is very sensitive to mechanical disturbances and fire. However, there are indications that the closed nutrient cycle established when Empetrum is dominant may be disturbed after airborne inputs of inorganic N.
Published in
AMBIO :: A Journal of the Human Environment
2000, volume: 29, number: 2, pages: 90-97
Publisher: ROYAL SWEDISH ACAD SCIENCES
SLU Authors
UKÄ Subject classification
Environmental Sciences
Publication identifier
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1639/0044-7447(2000)029[0090:NEDEFA]2.0.CO;2
Permanent link to this page (URI)
https://res.slu.se/id/publ/115285