RESPONSE OF ANTHOXANTHUM ODORATUM AND A. ARISTATUM TO DIFFERENT HABITAT TYPES AND NUTRIENT CONCENTRATIONS IN SOIL

摘要

Anthoxanthum odoratum is a small tussock grass, which grows abundantly on a wide scale in numerous habitats, from mesotrophic and eutrophic fens and wet grasslands, forests, to dry grasslands and swards. In contrast, A. aristatum is characterised by a narrow ecological scale, and occurs mostly in oligotrophic, segetal habitats, rarely on sandy road sides. This specificity caused that in some regions in Central Europe, the species is observed to disappear from certain sites. The effect of habitat parameters on Anthoxanthum odoratum and A. aristatum occurrence and distribution was analysed in west-central and northern Poland. Additionally, variability of morphological traits of the examined grasses in different types of habitats was studied. Habitat conditions and morphological traits of Anthoxanthum odoratum and A. aristatum were analysed in different types of habitats. The study on A. odoratum included three types of habitats, i.e. forest, grasslands and fallow lands, while A. aristatum was analysed in segetal habitats (arable land), forest and fallow lands. In total, 22 populations of Anthoxanthum odoratum and A. aristatum were studied. In our experiments, A. odoratum and A. aristatum were generally associated with a high range of N concentrations in soil. Anthoxanthum aristatum usually grows in sites with low nitrogen concentrations, except for coniferous forest habitat where N concentrations were high and comparable to the concentrations found in forest sites with A. odoratum. Our study suggests that phosphorus plays the most important role in plant distribution and growth of Anthoxanthum species. This factor seems to play a more important role in the spread of Anthoxanthum species and their competitiveness than nitrogen concentrations in the soil. Stoichiometric indices, N:P and N:K ratios, strongly correlated with plant species traits and well characterised habitats.