Local patterns of diversity in California northern coastal scrub.

ABSTRACT: Within global biodiversity hotspots such as the California Floristic Province, local patterns of diversity must be better understood to prioritize conservation for the greatest number of species. This study investigates patterns of vascular plant diversity in relation to coast-inland environmental gradients in the shrublands of Central California known as northern coastal scrub. We sampled coastal shrublands of the San Francisco Bay Area at coastal and inland locations, modeled fine-scale climatic variables, and developed an index for local exposure to maritime salts. We compared diversity, composition, and structure of the coastal and inland plots using indirect gradient analysis and estimated species accumulation using rarefaction curves. Coastal plots were significantly higher in alpha,

SUBMITTER: Wrubel E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6106371 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature