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Development of soil and vegetation climaxes in the Mount Kosciusko area, Australia

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Summary

Rates of development of alpine herbfield vegetation and alpine humus soils are studied in an area of fjaeldmark, on solifluction terraces, in the Mt. Kosciusko area of Australia.

In relatively favourable sites, at the base of the solifluction terraces, the development from fjaeldmark to mature herbfield vegetation and soils can occur rapidly, within 40–50 years.

Evidence is presented that much of the existing vegetation and soils at Kosciusko has developed from fjaeldmark by the successional processes described in this paper.

Zusammenfassung

Die Entwicklungsschnellheit der Vegetation einer Alpenwiese und eines alpinen Humus-Bodens wurden in einem Fjaeldmark-Gebiet, auf Solifluktions-Terrassen, in der Umgebung des Mt. Kosciusko, Australien, studiert. An verhaltnismäßig günstigen Stellen, am Fuße der Erdfluß-Terrassen, kann die Entwicklung von Fjaeldmark zur reifen Wiesenvegetation schnell vorsichgehen, innerhalb von 40–50 Jahren.

Es wird angezeigt daß große Teile bestehender Vegetation und Boden beim Kosciusko durch den hier Beschriebenen Sukzessionsprozess aus Fjaeldmark entstanden sind.

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Costin, A.B., Wimbush, D.J., Barrow, M.D. et al. Development of soil and vegetation climaxes in the Mount Kosciusko area, Australia. Vegetatio Acta Geobot 18, 273–288 (1969). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00332842

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