Orchid Species Richness along Elevational and Environmental Gradients in Yunnan, China.

ABSTRACT: The family Orchidaceae is not only one of the most diverse families of flowering plants, but also one of the most endangered plant taxa. Therefore, understanding how its species richness varies along geographical and environmental gradients is essential for conservation efforts. However, such knowledge is rarely available, especially on a large scale. We used a database extracted from herbarium records to investigate the relationships between orchid species richness and elevation, and to examine how elevational diversity in Yunnan Province, China, might be explained by mid-domain effect (MDE), species-area relationship (SAR), water-energy dynamics (WED), Rapoport's Rule, and climatic variables. This particular location was selected because it is one of the primary centers of distribution f

SUBMITTER: Zhang SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4640717 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature