| Abstract Detail
Ecological Section Keppel, Gunnar [1], Possingham, Hugh P. [2], Buckley, Yvonne M. [3]. Diversity and Forest Structure of lowland tropical rain forests in the insular Pacific. Twelve plots totalling one hectare were set up on New Guinea and four different island archipelagos to the east to test the correspondence of diversity patterns to the theory of island biogeography and to observe patterns in forest structure. All trees with a diameter (dbh) greater or equal to 10 cm were measured and identified. Tree diversity patterns generally corresponded well to predictions by the theory of island biogeography. Tree density (stems.ha-1) decreased with latitude, while basal area (m2.ha-1) showed no distinct patterns and fluctuated around a mean of about 30 m2. ha-1. It hence appears that while aboveground biomass (as estimated from basal area) fluctuates depending on soil conditions, stem density increases at lower latitudes. As cyclone frequency is positively correlated with latitude, cyclones are a possible causative factor for higher stem densities at lower latitudes.
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1 - University of Queensland, Ecology Center, School of Integrative Biology, Goddard Building, St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
2 - The University of Queensland, Ecology Center, School of Integrative Biology, Goddard Bldg., St. Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
3 - University of Queensland, Ecology Center, School of Integrative Biology, Goddard Bldg., St Lucia, Brisbane, Queensland, 4072, Australia
Keywords:
rainforest
latitudinal gradient
species diversity
South Pacific
forest structure
oceanic islands
Biogeography.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper:Papers for Sections
Session: 30
Location: 212/SUB
Date: Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Time: 8:45 AM
Number: 30004
Abstract ID:209 |
