The Importance of Nurse Associations for Three Tropical Alpine Life Forms

We investigated biotic and abiotic associations for four growth forms in Chile’s Parque Nacional Lauca, a tropical alpine puna ecosystem. We determined the biotic associations between Parastrephia lucida (Meyen) Cabr. [Asteraceae] and Festuca orthophylla Pilger. [Poaceae]. To determine if F. orthophylla was acting as a nurse plant for P. lucida, we used chi-square analysis to test for nurse plant effects. Our results indicated that F. orthophylla roots more often on bare ground and that P. lucida grows more often in association with F. orthophylla than would be expected. In testing for abiotic associations, we observed that both a tree, Polylepis tarapacana [Rosaceae], and a cactus, Tephrocactus ignescens [Cactaceae], showed positive abiotic associations with large boulders. These studies indicate that in an extreme environment, such as the South American puna, abiotic and biotic associations are important for plant survival.