Table 1 Location and climatic characteristics of the four study sites.

From: Functional diversity and spatial association analyses at different spatial scales reveal no changes in community assembly processes along an aridity gradient in the Atacama Desert

Locality

Coordinates

Climatic characteristics

Variability in within site soil properties—CV (%)

MAP (mm)

MAT (°C)

DEMAI

Soil chemistry

Soil physics

QL

26° 57ʹ 53ʹʹ S–70° 45 59ʹʹ W

14

17.2

0.5

0.54

0.36

LLCHA

27° 59ʹ 21ʹʹ S–71° 07ʹ 22ʹʹ W

28

16.6

1.1

0.72

0.54

CHA

29° 06ʹ 16ʹʹ S–71° 27ʹ 18ʹʹ W

45

16.1

1.7

0.62

0.18

ROM

29° 43ʹ 48ʹʹ S–71° 19ʹ 24ʹʹ W

80

15.3

3.2

0.38

0.44

  1. The De Martonne aridity index (DEMAI) was calculated as MAP/ (MAT + 10); thus, lower values reveal greater aridity. Climate data (Mean annual precipitation, MAP; Mean annual temperature, MAT) were obtained from Dirección General de Aguas, Chile (www.dga.cl) and from CEAZA-Met weather station (www.ceazamet.cl). Values of coefficients of variation (CV) in within site soil properties were calculated as (Standard deviation/mean) × 100.
  2. QL Quebrada El León, LLCHA Norte Llanos de challe, CHA Chañaral de Aceituno, ROM Romeral.
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