Journal article
Geographic Ranges of Plant Species in Relation to Dispersal Morphology, Growth Form and Diaspore Weight
Journal of biogeography, Vol.20(5), pp.563-571
01/09/1993
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Abstract
We invetigated the relationship of geographic range to growth form, dispersal morphology and diaspore weight within three comparative databases of 219-325 native species from arid central Australia, semi-arid western NSW and maritime Sydney. Geographic range was measured as the number of regions occupied. In the arid and semi-arid floras, but not in the maritime flora, species adapted for dispersal by vertebrates (mainly birds) tended to occupy more regions than species adapted for dispersal by other means. The same pattern occurred within four major families (Chenopodiaceae, Myoporaceae, Mimosaceae and Solanaceae), and thus was not a product of differences between families. We suggest that lineages with adaptations for long-range dispersal may have undergone a leser incidence of geographic speciation, within the arid and semi-arid flora. Shrubs and trees were more likely than herbaceous species to be adapted for dispersal by vertebrates, but tended to have narrower geographic ranges. Thus the tendency for vertebrate adapted species to have broader geographic ranges was stronger when considered within each growth form than when considered acrossall growth forms. There was a weak tendency for species with larger diaspores to have narrower geographic ranges, an effect in the opposite direction from that reported for North American oaks. Much of this can be interpreted as a result of taller growth forms tending to have both larger diaspores and narrower ranges.
Details
- Title
- Geographic Ranges of Plant Species in Relation to Dispersal Morphology, Growth Form and Diaspore Weight
- Creators
- Meri Oakwood - Macquarie UniversityEnrique Jurado - Macquarie UniversityMichelle Leishman - Macquarie UniversityMark Westoby - Macquarie University
- Publication Details
- Journal of biogeography, Vol.20(5), pp.563-571
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Identifiers
- 991013137399602368
- Copyright
- Journal of Biogeography © 1993 Wiley
- Academic Unit
- Faculty of Business, Law and Arts
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article