Current Search: Orchids--Caribbean Area--Geographical distribution (x)
-
-
Title
-
INSULAR BIOGEOGRAPHIC PATTERNS IN THE CARIBBEAN ORCHIDACEAE: A TEST OF THE THEORY OF ISLAND BIOGEOGRAPHY.
-
Creator
-
PLOTECIA, RAYMOND KNIGHT., Florida Atlantic University
-
Abstract/Description
-
The distribution of orchid species on nineteen islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles is listed. These data are used to test hypotheses inferred from the MacArthur and Wilson (1967) theory of island biogeography. Linear regressions show that the slope of the species area curve for orchids on these islands is not different from the range 0.20 to 0.35 predicted in the theory. The slope of this line increases with distance from Central America, the suspected source of colonizing species....
Show moreThe distribution of orchid species on nineteen islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles is listed. These data are used to test hypotheses inferred from the MacArthur and Wilson (1967) theory of island biogeography. Linear regressions show that the slope of the species area curve for orchids on these islands is not different from the range 0.20 to 0.35 predicted in the theory. The slope of this line increases with distance from Central America, the suspected source of colonizing species. Multiple regression analysis is used to test the relationship of the total number of species, the number of endemics, and the number of non-endemics with the geographic parameters of area, altitude, distances from Central and South America, and inter-island isolation. The validity of the theory and the biological implications of the geographic parameters are discussed.
Show less
-
Date Issued
-
1975
-
PURL
-
http://purl.flvc.org/fcla/dt/13709
-
Subject Headings
-
Orchids--Caribbean Area--Geographical distribution
-
Format
-
Document (PDF)
