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Plant Biology

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Taxonomy

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Leaf Micromorphology Aids Taxonomic Delineation Within The Hypervariable Genus Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) On O'Ahu, Gary L. Sur, Richard Keating, Elizabeth Stacy Jul 2018

Leaf Micromorphology Aids Taxonomic Delineation Within The Hypervariable Genus Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) On O'Ahu, Gary L. Sur, Richard Keating, Elizabeth Stacy

Life Sciences Faculty Research

Variation in leaf micromorphology can aid delimitation of taxonomically difficult groups. The woody genus Metrosideros (Myrtaceae) dominates Hawai'i's native forests and comprises striking, predominantly infraspecific, macromorphological variation, including many forms unrecognized in current taxonomic treatments. On taxonomically rich O'ahu, 10 taxa (varieties or unnamed morphotypes of M. polymorpha and other species) occur in a predictable sequence with overlapping ranges from low to high elevation along the numerous leeward ridges of the Ko'olau Range. We used scanning electron and light microscopy to examine mature, nonsenescing sun leaves from each of these 10 taxa. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used to compare …


Bryoecology In The American Southwest: Patterns Of Biodiversity And Responses To Global Change, John Carroll Brinda Dec 2011

Bryoecology In The American Southwest: Patterns Of Biodiversity And Responses To Global Change, John Carroll Brinda

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

This dissertation combines investigation of the large-scale responses of bryophyte species diversity and distribution with small-scale physiological adaptations to global change. These two areas of inquiry are linked because one way to predict plant species responses to global change is to examine their distribution across current ecological gradients produced by factors such as latitude and elevation. By examining these biogeographic patterns one can identify those species that have a narrow tolerance and therefore are most sensitive to change. Selected bryophytes might then be used as indicator species in long-term monitoring programs. Where historical data exist, these can be used to …