Multiple factors influence plant richness and diversity in the cold and dry boreal forest of southwest Yukon, Canada
Dates
Year
2016
Citation
Paudel, Shyam, Waeber, Patrick, Simard, Suzanne, Innes, John, and Nitschke, Craig, 2016, Multiple factors influence plant richness and diversity in the cold and dry boreal forest of southwest Yukon, Canada: Plant Ecology, v. 217, no. 5, p. 505-519.
Summary
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) is regarded as an appropriate model for understanding plant diversity-disturbance relationships in the boreal region. However, concern has been raised over its applicability across such a broad region, in particular, in low productive areas of the region such as the cold, dry region of the southwest Yukon. We examined plant richness and diversity in relation to the IDH in the context of both disturbance and productivity gradients. We then tested whether environmental variation and resource quantity interacted with development stage to shape richness patterns in the region. We found that richness and diversity did not conform to the IDH but that environmental variation and resource quantity [...]
Summary
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) is regarded as an appropriate model for understanding plant diversity-disturbance relationships in the boreal region. However, concern has been raised over its applicability across such a broad region, in particular, in low productive areas of the region such as the cold, dry region of the southwest Yukon. We examined plant richness and diversity in relation to the IDH in the context of both disturbance and productivity gradients. We then tested whether environmental variation and resource quantity interacted with development stage to shape richness patterns in the region. We found that richness and diversity did not conform to the IDH but that environmental variation and resource quantity influenced richness and diversity patterns. Overall richness and diversity patterns were not influenced by development stage though plant functional group patterns were. Richness patterns varied between plant functional groups suggesting that divergent processes shape inter functional group richness within the same stands. Our findings highlight the influence of multiple factors governing patterns of plant richness and diversity in the cold dry boreal forests of the southwest Yukon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Plant Ecology is the property of Springer Science & Business Media B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)