Description:

The frequency of creosotebushes with inverted cone canopies is greatest in environments which are more water-limited. Hemispherical shaped creosotebushes are more abundant in less water limited environments. In ecosystems where overland flow of water exerts a greater influence on the movement of organic litter than does wind, shrub shape has little effect on long-term litter accumulation. Shrubs with hemispherical shapes are more efficient at accumulating particulate matter under the crown. Soil under hemispherical shrubs have greater concentrations of inorganic nutrients and organic matter. Differences in creosotebush morphology may reflect changes in the relative demand for water versus nutrient resources by a plant, coinciding with its own growth and development. While nutrients accumulated under shrubs may also be available to ephemeral plant taxa, shrub self-augmentation including the development of larger, more dense, hemispherical crowns should lead to a decrease in the biomass of ephemeral plants exploiting undershrub areas.

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