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Covariance of lichen and vascular plant floras

Rhodora
By:  and 

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Abstract

The geographic relationships among taxonomic groups are important to study to determine patterns of biodiversity and whether or not associations occur between large groups, e.g., birds and vascular plants. This study was undertaken to determine relationships between higher plants and lower plants, specifically vascular plant and lichen floras in nine national parks of the Great Lakes region. No significant relationship was found between vascular plant floras and lichen floras in this area, which spans 1200 km longitudinally, or between an additional 19 areas from North America that were less than 1000 km(2) in area. For areas larger than 1000 km(2), however, a significant positive relationship existed for 33 areas that span one to approximately 150 million km(2). The ratio of numbers of vascular plants to lichens appeared to average just over 6 across the 33 areas. In the Great Lakes parks, between 28-30% of either the vascular plant or lichen species were singletons (occurring in only one park), but the parks that contained the most singletons were not congruent: Isle Royale had the most singleton lichens, while Indiana Dunes had the most vascular plant singletons. Fewer lichen species (2%) than vascular plants (4%) occurred in all nine parks. Latitude appeared to explain some of the variation between the two groups: vascular plants decreased with increasing latitude, while lichens increased.

Study Area

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Covariance of lichen and vascular plant floras
Series title Rhodora
Volume 101
Issue 907
Year Published 1999
Language English
Contributing office(s) National Wildlife Health Center
Description p. 277-297
Larger Work Type Article
Larger Work Subtype Journal Article
Larger Work Title Rhodora
First page 277
Last page 297
Country United States
State Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Online Only (Y/N) N
Additional Online Files (Y/N) N
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
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