High nitrogen contribution by Gunnera magellanica and nitrogen transfer by mycorrhizas drive an extraordinarily fast primary succession in sub‐Antarctic Chile

What is it about?

After glacier retreat, primary colonization is a long process theoritically constrained by nutrient availability. We show that the extraordinarily fast plant colonization in front of Pia Glacier (Tierra del Fuego, Chile) is driven by the extraordinary high Nitrogen fixation of the herb Gunnera magellanica and the efficient nutrient acquisition mechanisms provided by the establishment of mycorrhizal symbiosis with tree and bushes in the chronosequence.

Featured Image