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Regional and local patterns in plant species richness with respect to resource availability
Author(s) -
Cornwell William K.,
Grubb Peter J.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
oikos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.672
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1600-0706
pISSN - 0030-1299
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0706.2003.11697.x
Subject(s) - species richness , biome , ecology , productivity , nutrient , wetland , body size and species richness , plant community , environmental science , species diversity , plant species , indicator value , geography , biology , ecosystem , economics , macroeconomics
The hump‐shaped relationship between plant species richness and productivity is a well‐established and important paradigm. While plot‐based species richness patterns on local scales have received much attention, little is currently known about species‐based patterns on a regional scale. Using Ellenberg's indicator values for 1802 plant species in central Europe, we assess the patterns in regional species richness with respect to light, water, and mineral nutrient availability – three variables that strongly influence productivity. The results of this analysis are compared to those of published studies on smaller scales leading to the following conclusions:1 On a regional scale in central Europe there is a hump‐shaped relationship between soil nutrient supply and plant species richness within a given biome. 2 The peak in species richness for grasslands and wetlands occurs on nutrient‐poor soils, while the peak for forests is on nutrient‐rich soils. 3 Gradients in plant productivity controlled by different variables (i.e. water, nutrients, or disturbance) have dissimilar effects on plant species richness.