M. Vila et J. Terradas, EFFECTS OF NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY AND NEIGHBORS ON SHOOT GROWTH, RESPROUTING AND FLOWERING OF ERICA-MULTIFLORA, Journal of vegetation science, 6(3), 1995, pp. 411-416
To test if low soil fertility and competition limit the performance of
Mediterranean shrubs, and if the effects of competition on plant perf
ormance were modified by soil fertility, we subjected shrubs of Erica
multiflora to a factorial field experiment of fertilization and remova
l of neighbours around target plants. After 18 months of treatment, fe
rtilization had stimulated the growth of pre-existent sprouts and biom
ass allocation into stems to new sprouts, but decreased the frequency
of sprout flowering. Removal of neighbours increased the number and bi
omass of new sprouts, the probability of sprout flowering and the biom
ass of flowers. Fertilization slightly enhanced sprout recruitment and
the probability of sprout flowering when neighbours were removed, but
did not modify the other parameters of plant performance. According t
o our results, both low soil fertility and competition limited plant p
erformance. Competition was slightly more intense in fertilized plants
, but only in determining sprout and flowering bud stimulation.