Organism
Myrica faya
TL;DR
In Hawaiian lava flows, the nitrogen-fixing tree Myrica faya is a keystone nutrient provider.
In Hawaiian lava flows, the nitrogen-fixing tree Myrica faya is a keystone nutrient provider. It colonizes barren lava, fixes nitrogen through symbiotic bacteria, and transforms the soil from nitrogen-poor to nitrogen-rich within decades. The added nitrogen enables the establishment of dozens of other plant species. Remove Myrica, and succession stalls - nitrogen remains limiting, and the ecosystem remains stuck in a low-diversity pioneer state.
Notable Traits of Myrica faya
- Nitrogen fixation
- Pioneer species on barren lava
- Enables succession through nutrient provision