Species richness and canopy productivity of Australian plant communities

In an examination of the effect of the forest overstory on species diversity, the annual biomass productivity of the overstory canopy is correlated with the species richness of Australian plant communities. The length of the growing season and the light and water requirements of photosynthesis are t...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biodiversity and conservation 1993-04, Vol.2 (2), p.152-167
Main Authors: Specht, Alison, Specht, Raymond L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In an examination of the effect of the forest overstory on species diversity, the annual biomass productivity of the overstory canopy is correlated with the species richness of Australian plant communities. The length of the growing season and the light and water requirements of photosynthesis are the limiting factors on canopy production. In all regions the species richness of the plant community overstory is exponentially related to the annual shoot growth of the overstory canopy. As the latitude increases outside the tropics, the absorption of solar radiation by the forest overcanopy reduces species richness in the understory.
ISSN:0960-3115
1572-9710
DOI:10.1007/BF00056131