Specific island biogeographic and landscape features shape plant diversity and habitat specialism on edaphic quartz islands in an arid ocean.

ABSTRACT: Edaphic habitat islands offer unique environmental conditions for plants and often harbour specialized floras, thus having high nature conservation value. Besides edaphic uniqueness, distinct spatial features and landscape filters characterize habitat islands. However, their role as drivers of biodiversity on habitat islands remains unclear. We aim to quantify the extent to which spatial parameters (island shape characteristics, habitat diversity) and landscape filters (insularity parameters, surrounding matrix effects) explain plant diversity on natural edaphic islands in an arid biodiversity hotspot. The quartz islands in our study area (Knersvlakte, South Africa), resemble natural edaphic islands within a semi-arid vegetation matrix, hosting unique, predominantly dwarf and locally endem

SUBMITTER: Eibes PM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11929794 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature