نبذة مختصرة : International audience ; Methods: We sampled 117 individual cushions from seven species, together with 26 bare soil controls from 2600 to 3200m of elevation. Soil property (carbon and nitrogen content, soil C:N and available phosphorus) were compared between species, and the role of cushion plant traits was assessed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM).Results: The soils beneath cushion plants showed similar characteristics to those found 1000m below, where vegetation is continuously distributed. Isotopic signatures showed that the soil organic matter beneath cushions originated from the plant itself. Soil characteristics (C, N, C:N, P) differed among plant species. SEM revealed that soil characteristics were not driven by leaf C/N or phenolic content, but rather by cushion size and bedrock type.Conclusions: providing a unique overview of soil formation in nival ecosystems, our study provides novel insights into the mechanisms of ecosystem engineering by foundation plants and shows how interspecific variability contributes to this process.
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