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Full-Text Articles in Biology
Toward An Improved Conceptual Understanding Of North American Tree Species Distributions, Paige E. Copenhaver-Parry
Toward An Improved Conceptual Understanding Of North American Tree Species Distributions, Paige E. Copenhaver-Parry
Faculty Publications - Department of Biological & Molecular Science
Species distributions have often been assumed to represent climatic limitations, yet recent evidence has challenged these assumptions and emphasized the potential importance of biotic interactions, dispersal limitation, and disturbance. Despite significant investigation into these factors, an integrated understanding of where and when they may be important is lacking. Here, we review evidence for the factors underlying the historical and contemporary distributions of North American tree species and argue that a cohesive conceptual framework must be informed by an understanding of species ecological and evolutionary history. We further demonstrate that available evidence offers little indication of a significant, independent influence of …
Microclimate Variation And Epiphyte Distribution In Acer Macrophylum, Jeremy Wood
Microclimate Variation And Epiphyte Distribution In Acer Macrophylum, Jeremy Wood
Summer Research
Habitat heterogeneity plays a key role in supporting biodiversity in both animals and plant life. More diverse environments provide more exploitable niches across gradients in temperature, humidity, light availability, and countless other variables at the landscape and regional scales. In specimens of Acer macrophylum in the Hoh Rainforest, we found significant variation in temperature and relative humidity across particular crown zones, and certain epiphyte species were found to distribute according to such microclimate variation.