Natural Floristic Areas of the Western United States

McLaughlin, Steven P.

doi:10.2307/2845260

Cited by 57 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 24 publications

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“…The San Andreas fault which opened up the proto Bay of California and originated the Baja peninsula began its work only 15 million years ago (Kumar, 2013). Both the Baja Peninsula and the American Southwest are heterogeneous in their topography, flora, and weather regimes that have led to high levels of endemism and diversity (Hopkins, 2014;Kumar, 2013;McLaughlin, 1986;1989;Calsbeek et al, 2003). In addition to the geologic forces upon the landscape, alternating wet and dry periods, and more recently cold and hot oscillations, have resulted in present day deserts interspersed with mountains, canyons, relic watersheds, playas, alluvial fans, eolian dune fields, as well as plant-stabilized dunes, (http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/2004/1007/geologic.html, and citations therein) all of which are inhabited by Arenivaga.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors to the niche of the cockroach genus Arenivaga (Rehn) (Blattodea: Corydiidae)

Hopkins¹,

Giermakowski²

2014

LEB

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Arenivaga occur across the American Southwest and Mexico, as well as in the scrub and high pine communities of Florida. This study analyzes the relative contribution of 22 abiotic and one biotic variable to the niche of the genus Arenivaga. This analysis revealed that more than 95% of their ecological niche is described by eight variables: soil, isothermality, minimum temperature of the coldest month, mean temperature of the driest quarter, annual precipitation, precipitation of the driest month, precipitation of the wettest quarter and ground cover. These eight variables with respect to their relative contributions to the niche of the genus as a whole as well as the individual niches of 27 species in the genus were then examined. This revealed the similarity of niche composition of most of the species, as well as how varied the niches were of several species. A species dendrogram built from similarity of contribution of the eight variables to niche composition was compared to a phylogeny of the genus, but few similarities in topology were found. This analysis revealed that soil is the most important contributor to these species' niches, followed by precipitation of the driest month, and finally, precipitation of the wettest quarter. It also confirmed that the majority of Arenivaga species have niches comprised of similar, but not identical, proportions of as few as four, and as many as eight ecological variables. Currently there is no evidence to support niche conservatism between closely related species, indicating that adapting to new and variable niches is one of the drivers of speciation in this genus.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

An analysis of the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors to the niche of the cockroach genus Arenivaga (Rehn) (Blattodea: Corydiidae)

Hopkins¹,

Giermakowski²

2014

LEB

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“…This includes all of Marble Canyon and much of Grand Canyon (referred to collectively as Grand Canyon). Plant communities vary along the river, and are comprised of species found in the Great Basin, Sonoran, and Mojave Deserts, as well as numerous exotic species (McLaughlin 1986;Huisinga et al 2006). Channel constrictions occurring at side canyons due to alluvial fans and debris create eddies and return flow hydraulic features that allow for deposition of sediments and formation of sandbars (Dolan et al 1974;Howard and Dolan 1981;Schmidt 1990).…”

Section: Methods Site Descriptionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in Community-Level Riparian Plant Traits over Inundation Gradients, Colorado River, Grand Canyon

et al. 2017

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Comparisons of community-level functional traits across environmental gradients have potential for identifying links among plant characteristics, adaptations to stress and disturbance, and community assembly. We investigated community-level variation in specific leaf area (SLA), plant mature height, seed mass, stem specific gravity (SSG), relative cover of C4 species, and total plant cover over hydrologic zones and gradients in years 2013 and 2014 in the riparian plant community along the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon. Vegetation cover was lowest in the frequently inundated active channel zone, indicating constraints on plant establishment and production by flood disturbance and anaerobic stress. Changes in trait values over hydrologic zones and inundation gradients indicate that frequently inundated plots exhibit a community-level ruderal strategy with adaptation to submergence (high SLA and low SSG, height, seed mass, C4 relative cover), whereas less frequently inundated plots exhibit adaptation to drought and infrequent flood disturbance (low SLA and high SSG, height, seed mass, C4 relative cover). Variation in traits not associated with inundation suggests niche differentiation and multiple modes of community assembly. The results enhance understanding of future responses of riparian communities of the Grand Canyon to anticipated drying and changes in hydrologic regime.

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“…The Southwest physiographic region is largely comprised of desert, rocky canyons, semiarid grassland, and piñon-juniper woodland, interspersed with numerous mountain ranges supporting both conifer and deciduous hardwood forests (McLaughlin 1986). From a digital cover map of the Southwest , we selected two forest cover types, mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine, to represent the habitat pattern of interest; all other cover types were considered "nonhabitat.…”

Section: Landscape Datamentioning

confidence: 99%