Spatial Pattern of Vascular Plant Diversity in North America North of Mexico and its Floristic Relationship with Eurasia

This paper reports: (1) patterns of taxonomic richness of vascularplants in North America (north of Mexico), an area accountingfor 16.6% of the total world land, in relation to latitudinaland longitudinal gradients; (2) floristic relationships betweendifferent latitudinal zones, longitudinal zones, and geographicregions of North America; and (3) floristic relationships betweenNorth America and Eurasia at various geographic scales. NorthAmerica was geographically divided into twelve regions, whichwere latitudinally grouped into four zones, each with threeregions, and longitudinally grouped into three zones, each withfour regions. The native vascular flora of North America consistsof 162 orders, 280 families, 1904 genera and 15352 species.Along the latitudinal gradient, species richness shows a strikingincrease with decreasing latitude (e.g. the northernmost latitudinalzone has only 11.7% of the number of species in the southernmostlatitudinal zone). However, about 63% of the species of thenorthernmost latitudinal zone are also present in the southernmostlatitudinal zone of North America. Among the three longitudinalzones, the zone on the Pacific coast has 1.48 and 1.64-timesas many species as the zones in the interior and on the Atlanticcoast, respectively. About 36% of the species in the zone ofthe Atlantic coast also occur in the Pacific coast zone. However,each of over 40% of the species in North America occupies lessthan 10% of the total land area of North America. Some 48% ofthe genera and 6.5% of the species of North America are alsonative to Eurasia. In general, the number of genera common toNorth America and Eurasia increased from the north to the southand from the west to the east of North America, whereas thenumber of species common to the two continents decreased alongthe same two geographic gradients.Copyright 1999 Annals of BotanyCompany Asia, biodiversity, Europe, floristic similarity, latitudinal and longitudinal gradients, North America, taxonomic richness.     

Phytogeography of the bryophyte floras of oak forests and páramo of the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica

Aim Central America is a biogeographically interesting area because of its location between the rich and very different biota of North and South America. We aim to assess phytogeographical patterns in the bryophyte floras of oak forests and páramo of the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Location Tropical America, in particular the montane area of Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. Methods The analysis is based on a new critical inventory of the montane bryophyte flora of Cordillera de Talamanca. All species were assigned to phytogeographical elements on the basis of their currently known distribution. Absolute and percentage similarities were employed to evaluate floristic affinities. Results A total of 401 species [191 hepatics (liverworts), one hornwort, 209 mosses] are recorded; of these, 251 species (128 hepatics, one hornwort, 122 mosses) occur in oak forests. Ninety‐three per cent of all oak forest species are tropical in distribution, the remaining 7% are temperate (4%) and cosmopolitan (3%) species. The neotropical element includes almost 74% of the species, the wide tropical element (pantropical, amphi‐atlantic, amphi‐pacific) only 19%. A significant part of the neotropical species from oak forests are species with tropical Andean‐centred ranges (27%). As compared with bryophyte species, vascular plant genera in the study region are represented by fewer neotropical, more temperate and more amphi‐pacific taxa. Bryophyte floras of different microhabitats within the oak forest and epiphytic bryophyte floras on Quercus copeyensis in primary, early secondary and late secondary oak forest show a similar phytogeographical make‐up to the total oak forest bryophyte flora. Comparison of oak forest and páramo reveals a greater affinity of the páramo bryophyte flora to temperate regions and the great importance of the páramo element in páramo. Surprisingly, oak forests have more Central American endemics than páramo. Main conclusions (1) Providing first insights into the phytogeographical patterns of the bryophyte flora of oak forests and páramo, we are able to confirm general phytogeographical trends recorded from vascular plant genera of the study area although the latter were more rich in temperate taxa. (2) Andean‐centred species are a conspicuous element in the bryophyte flora of Cordillera de Talamanca, reflecting the close historical connection between the montane bryophyte floras of Costa Rica and South America. (3) High percentages of Central American endemics in the bryophyte flora of the oak forests suggest the importance of climatic changes associated with Pleistocene glaciations for allopatric speciation.     

高黎贡山北段种子植物区系研究

高黎贡山北段种子植物种类十分丰富,共记载野生种子植物172科,778属,2514种及302变种(亚种),是植物多样性最为丰富的地区之一。区系成分分析表明:1)本区种子植物区系的性质具有鲜明的温带性,并深受热带植物区系的影响,区系地理成分复杂、联系广泛;2)现代种子植物区系是在古南大陆热带亚洲植物区系的基础上,由古南大陆成分及古北大陆成分在漫长的地质历史过程中融合发展而来,许多源于印度-马来、北温带(特别是东亚)的成分在此都产生了较为丰富的特有类群,它们共同演变成今天的植物区系外貌;3)种子植物区系具有明显的水平和垂直替代现象,间断现象也较为显著,主要表现为滇西北-滇东南间断分布或在此线西南侧连续分布;4)种子植物区系的特有现象十分丰富,物种分化强烈,新老兼备,而以新生的进化成分为主,由此表明高黎贡山北段在保存古老成分的同时,又分化出许多新生成分,它是一个孕育新特有现象的重要舞台。     

Large-scale biogeographic patterns of vascular plant richness in North America: an analysis at the generic level

The richness pattern of native vascular plants in North America (north of Mexico) was studied at the generic level. North America was divided into thirteen geographical regions, which were latitudinally grouped into four horizontal zones (northern, north-middle, south-middle, and southern zones); and longitudinally grouped into three vertical zones (eastern, central, and western zones). The native vascular flora of North America consisted of 1904 genera in 235 families and eighty-three orders. Along the latitudinal gradient, generic richness (in terms of the number of genera) showed a striking increase with decreasing latitude. The southern zone had more than four times as many genera as did the northern zone (with a difference of 1436 genera). 93.3% of genera in the northern zone also occurred in the southern zone. Along the longitudinal gradient, the central zone had the highest generic richness and the eastern zone had the lowest, but the difference in generic richness between the two zones was only sixty-one genera. The western and eastern zones shared 60% or more of their genera. Generic richness of vascular plants in North America was highly correlated ( r =0.965) to available environmental energy (expressed by annual potential evapotranspiration).     

A phytogeographical characterization of the vine flora of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts

Aim This study presents a phytogeographical characterization of the vine flora of two lower North American desert regions as a biogeographical framework for further ecological inquiry into desert vines. Location The phytogeography of the vine flora of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts was c haracterized based on 263 known species. Methods Checklists of the vines of each desert were developed. Represented genera were then grouped into 10 phytogeographical elements based on worldwide distribution patterns. To compare the floristic composition of the desert floras, an index of species similarity was calculated. Results About a third more species of vines occur in the Sonoran Desert than in the Chihuahuan Desert. Based on the analysis, cosmopolitan genera are the only group more numerous in absolute terms in the Chihuahuan Desert than in the Sonoran Desert. Tropical elements are represented in about the same proportion in each desert as the number of species, however, nearly twice as many pantropical and neotropical genera are represented in the Sonoran Desert as in the Chihuahuan Desert. Proportionately, more genera of temperate elements occur in the Chihuahuan Desert than in the Sonoran desert, although the absolute number of genera is slightly higher in the latter. Main conclusions As these deserts are relatively recent ecological formations and as vines evolved in forest ecosystems, the composition of the desert vine floras is the result of the interaction between historical vegetation types, their constituent taxa and climatic and geological history. The main differences in the vining floras of the present‐day Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts appear to be the result of greater historical influence in the Sonoran Desert of (1) tropical vegetation types and (2) the emergence of the Gulf of California. The Chihuahuan Desert vine flora seems to be the result of (1) a more pronounced historical temperate vegetation, (2) the lack of an important isolating event, such as the creation of the Baja California peninsula, and (3) a cooler climate with shorter growing seasons.     

Species diversity,endemism and conservation of the family Caryophyllaceae in Greece

The family Caryophyllaceae includes world-wide 86 genera and approximately 2100 species. Greece is one of its most important centres of diversity and endemism. A total of 428 Caryophyllaceae taxa are distributed in Greece, 161 of them being endemic to the Greek political territory. The endemic element represents approximately 5% of the global diversity of the family at the species level. The aim of this paper is to discuss the distribution patterns of the Greek endemic Caryophyllaceae, as well as those with a limited distribution range to the neighbouring areas of the Balkans and Anatolia, on the basis of the phytogeographical regions of Greece in order to identify the important regions for their conservation. The majority of the Greek endemic Caryophyllaceae (64.6%) are distributed in only one single phytogeographical region, or even a smaller area indicating the extremely restricted distribution ranges of the endemic plants in Greece. Actually 83 Greek endemic Caryophyllaceae can be grouped on cytotaxonomic criteria. Most of them belong to the category of schizoendemics (91.6%), indicating that the endemism of Caryophyllaceae in Greece has mainly originated in an active way. Cluster analysis has been used to classify the phytogeographical regions according to their floristic similarities. Two iterative complementarity methods were used to evaluate the importance of each phytogeographical region in the conservation of the endemic Caryophyllaceae in Greece. Peloponnisos, Kriti-Karpathos and Sterea Ellas are the most important phytogeographical regions in this respect, followed by North Central and North East. When adding the Balkan-Aegean-Anatolian endemics to the analysis, Peloponnisos, North Central, Kriti-Karpathos, North East and Eastern Aegean result as the most important areas. In every case, an elevated number of sites are required for the conservation of Caryophyllaceae in Greece, reflecting the great dissimilarities in the floristic composition of the various phytogeographical regions. The results provided by the different methods are compared. A catalogue of the Greek endemic Caryophyllaceae is appended.     

Desert vines: a comparison of Australia with other areas

Aim To characterize the Australian desert vine flora and to compare it with that of deserts in other continents. Location The Stony Deserts, the Simpson Desert and the four main deserts of Western Australia. Methods The Western Australian Herbarium data base and published papers were used to develop vine checklists for each Australian desert studied. A literature search was used to classify the families and genera into phytogeographical elements and to provide data for intercontinental comparisons. Results Thirty‐seven vine species are listed for the six Australian deserts studied. They constitute from 0.8 to 2.7% of the vascular flora, which is within the normal range for arid zone floras. Comparing Australian data with those from the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts (North America), for non‐vine taxa, very different phylogenetic lines are present. However, for vines, three of the four most important families are the same in each case, viz. Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae and Asclepiadaceae. This reflects large pantropical and cosmopolitan families shared between all three data sets. At the generic level, in Australia pantropical taxa and taxa from the Old World tropics far outnumber endemic ones, as do pantropical and neotropical genera in North America. Herbaceous vines predominate in Australian deserts as they do in North American ones, but nevertheless, the percentage of woody vines is higher in Australia (32%) than in North America (highest value of 24%). Earlier views that Australian deserts are rich in annual vines are not supported. Main conclusions For many life‐forms, the Australian flora is composed of very different phylogenetic lines to the floras of other continents. However, for desert vines, at the level of family and even of genus, there are surprising similarities between Australia and even a continent as distant as North America, because of shared pantropical and cosmopolitan taxa.     

鄂西后河自然保护区蕨类植物区系地理研究

初步探讨了后河自然保护区蕨类植物区系地理特点,结果表明：本区系蕨类植物种类非常丰富,起源十分古老,亚热带成分占居主导地位,温带成分的比例高,组成本区系各成分来源不同,发展极不平衡,鳞毛蕨科,水龙骨科,蹄盖蕨科拥有大量属种,显现出复杂性,优势性特色;本区系中国特有种占较大比重,与我国西南区相似率最高,可能处于我国蕨类植物的川东－鄂西特有现象中心,并支持了秦仁昌在中国蕨类植物地理分区中将鄂西划为西南区     

Brazilian Páramos IV. Phytogeography of the campos de altitude

Aim This contribution treats the phytogeography of the contemporary campos de altitude flora, with a focus on patterns at the level of genus. Comparative analysis using data from 17 other sites in Latin America is used to describe phytogeographical patterns at the continental scale. Results are combined with those of previous publications to shed light on the biogeographical origins of contemporary floristic patterns in the high mountains of south‐east Brazil. Location The campos de altitude are a series of cool‐humid, mountaintop grass‐ and shrublands found above elevations of 1800–2000 m in south‐east Brazil, within the biome of the Atlantic Forest. Methods Vascular floras are compiled for the three best‐known campos de altitude sites, and for 17 other highland and lowland locations in Latin America. Floras are binned into phytogeographical groups based on centres of diversity/origin. Floristic and geographical distances are calculated for all location‐pairs; Mantel tests are used to test for relationships between patterns in geographical distance, and floristic and climatic similarity. Multivariate statistics are carried out on the similarity matrices for all genera, and for each phytogeographical group. Predominant life‐forms, pollination and dispersal syndromes are determined for each genus in the campos de altitude flora, and proportional comparisons are made between phytogeographical groups. Supporting evidence from previously published literature is used to interpret analytical results. Results Two‐thirds of the genera in the campos de altitude are of tropical ancestry; the remainder are of temperate‐zone or cosmopolitan ancestry. Most campos de altitude genera are phanerophytes and hemicryptophytes, insect pollinated, and wind or gravity dispersed, but there are significant differences in the distribution of these traits among phytogeographical groups. The campos de altitude show stronger floristic similarities with other Brazilian mountain sites and distant Andean sites than with nearby low‐ and middle‐elevation sites; these similarities are best explained by climatic similarities. Floristic similarities among sites for temperate genera are better explained by ‘sinuous’ distance (e.g. measured along the spines of mountain ranges) than by direct distance; similarities in tropical genera are more related to direct distance. Different phytogeographical groups appear to be responding to different climatic signals. Main conclusions Many taxa currently living at the summits of the south‐east Brazilian Highlands trace their ancestry to temperate latitudes. Patterns of endemism and diversity in the south‐east Brazilian mountains point to climatically driven allopatry as a principal mechanism for speciation. The tropical component of the campos de altitude flora is primarily derived from drier, highland environments of the Brazilian interior; the temperate component rises in importance with elevation, but never reaches the levels seen in the tropical Andes. Most temperate taxa in the campos de altitude appear to have arrived via migration through favourable habitat rather than by recent, long‐distance dispersal. At least 11% of the plant species in the campos de altitude study sites are directly shared with the Andes. Palynofloras show that the campos de altitude have significantly contracted over the past 10,000 years, as regional temperatures have warmed and become more humid.     

Phytogeographical relations of the Andean dry valleys of Bolivia

Aim The objective of this study is to examine the phytogeographical affinities of the Andean dry valleys of Bolivia in order to contribute to a better understanding of the Andean dry flora's distribution, origin and diversity. Particular emphasis is given to the analysis of the floristic connections of this flora with more austral parts of South America. Location The dry valleys of Bolivia are located in the Andes of the southern half of the country, at elevations between 1300 and 3200 m. Methods An extensive floristic list compiled by the author to evaluate plant diversity in these Andean regions was used as the base for this study. To accomplish this, all recorded genera and species were assigned, respectively, to 11 and 12 phytogeographical elements established previously by the author. Two phytogeographical spectra were thus obtained and analysed. Results At the genus level, the Andean dry valleys of Bolivia are clearly dominated by genera that have widespread distributions (cosmoplitan and subtropical genera). Many of these reached the Andes from the lowland region of the Chaco. At species level, Andean elements constitute more than 60% of the species total, most of which are restricted to the central‐southern Andes. This suggests that Chaco‐related and Andean genera had considerable levels of speciation in these valleys. Many genera and more than half the species have their northernmost distribution in the dry valleys of Bolivia, thereby underlining strong relationships with central‐southern South America (mainly Argentina, Paraguay and southern Brazil). The data supports the belief of the existence, in central‐southern Peru, of a floristic disjunction in dry to arid environments that separates a tropical dry flora north of this limit from a dry subtropical/warm temperate flora south of it. Main conclusions The Andean dry valleys of Bolivia are diverse plant communities with high levels of endemism (c. 18% of the species). The species of this region are more related to those present in central‐southern South America than to the flora of northern South America that ranges southwards to Peru. Many of the species have restricted distributions in the dry Andes of Bolivia and Argentina, and many genera of these dry valleys have their northernmost distribution in Bolivia/southern Peru, too. The data point to high levels of speciation also in the central Andes.     

Geological History,Flora, and Vegetation of Xishuangbanna,Southern Yunnan,China1

Xishuangbanna of southern Yunnan is biogeographically located at a transitional zone from tropical Southeast (SE) Asia to subtropical East Asia, and is at the junction of the Indian and Burmese plates of Gondwana and the Eurasian plate of Laurasia. The flora of the region consists of a recorded 3336 native seed plant species, belonging to 1140 genera in 197 families, among which 83.5 percent are tropical genera and 32.8 percent are endemic to tropical Asia, suggesting a strong affinity to tropical Asian flora. The vegetation of Xishuangbanna is organized into four forest types: tropical rain forest, tropical seasonal moist forest, tropical montane evergreen broad‐leaved forest, and tropical monsoon forest. The tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna has the same floristic composition of families and genera as some lowland equatorial rain forests in SE Asia, and is dominated (with a few exceptions) by the same families both in species richness and stem dominance. The exceptions include some deciduous trees in the canopy layer, fewer megaphanerophytes and epiphytes, and a higher abundance of lianas and microphyllic plants. We consider the tropical rain forest of Xishuangbanna as a type of tropical Asian rain forest, based on their conspicuous similarities in ecological and floristic characteristics.     

中国菊科植物的系统分类与区系的初步研究

为1993年"菊科植物的系统分类与区系地理的初步探讨"(世界)一文的姊妹篇,重点论述我国菊科的系统分类及其区系地理成分。文中介绍了分布我国的菊科240属隶于2亚科、5超族、11族中的系统位置。论述了我国菊科植物区系地理成分的特点是:1.大洲间共同分布或洲际间断分布的属多,且具明显的热带亲缘;2.与亚洲国家,包括中亚国家或亚洲热带国家共同分布的属多,尤其是成"中亚-青藏高原-喜马拉雅山"地区分布的属多;3.中国特有属多,其中我国西南省区特有属最多。文中还讨论了分布我国菊科各族祖先种的起源、迁移以及我国区系地理热带亲缘和"横断山脉-喜马拉雅山脉(东)森林植物亚区"菊科植物分布的特点。     

广东裸子植物区系的特点

广东省裸子植物共有８科１８属３４种,分别占中国同类的８０．０％,５２．９％和１７．６％。其中泛热带分布２属,热带亚洲至热带大洋洲１属,热带亚洲１属,北温带５属,东亚和北美间断分布１属,东亚分布３属,中国特有分布５属,即热带成分共仅４属占２２．２％,而亚热带至温带成分１４属占７７．８％为绝对优势。分析表明：广东裸子植物区系体现了东亚裸子植物区系的特点,其原始中心和现代分布中心都在中国亚热带。同时论文还将广东裸子植物种的分布区类型划分为２０个亚型。     

Ecological distribution of endemic genera of Taxads and Conifers in China and neighbouring area in relation to phytogeographical significance

With highly varied ecological conditions resulted from wide latitudinal and altitudinal ranges and from adequate precipitation, China has developed a very rich flora of great diversity. As far as Taxads and Conifers is concerned, there are 158 species and 43 varieties of them in China, belonging to 6 families and 30 genera, of which 9 genera are endemic. In the present paper the ecological distribution of these endemic genera and its phytogeographical significance are discussed. 1. There are 9 endemic genera of Taxads and Conifers in China and neighbouring area. They are distributed in the mountain areas of southern, southeastern and southwestern China (fig. 1-2) at an altitude of 100-1800 meters, with a few endemic genera reaching as high as 2800 meters. 2. The mean annual temperature varies between 10℃-20℃, with an extreme minimum between -6.3℃ to-11.3℃. The soil pH is between 4.5-5.5, indicating an acidic reaction. 3. As is shown in figure 3, 24 endemic genera of Taxads and Conifers are known to occur in differant parts of the world. Among them, China and neighbouring area ranks the first in having 9 genera. Australia is the second with 5 genera, southern Chile is third (3), followed by Japan (2), western North America (2), New Caledonia (2), and southeastern Siberia, USSR (1). Of the Chinese endemic genera, the first appearence in the fossil records is in the deposits of late Cretaceous or Tertiary (table 1.). It is probable that the southern, southeastern and south-western parts of China is not only the main centre of recent distribution, but also one of the chief survival cen-ters of endemic genera of Taxads and Conifers in the world.     

浙江磐安种子植物地理成分及与其他区系相似关系的研究

在野外调查和已有资料整理的基础上,分析了浙江磐安种子植物区系的组成和分布区类型。现知磐安共有野生种子植物144科、627属、1 298种(包括种以下分类单位);属的地理分布型统计表明,磐安种子植物中温带性质成分和热带性质成分比例相当,区系的温带、亚热带特征显著,应置于中国—日本森林植物亚区从暖温带向亚热带过渡的范围内。以包括磐安在内的国内22个种子植物区系谱的成分比率为指标,分别应用聚类分析中的组建均连法和排序分析中的主坐标法,生成了反映22个种子植物区系相似性关系的树系图和二维投影图,对区系间的相似性关系进行了研究,结果显示,两种分析方法相结合能较简明、客观地反映植物区系间的异同,可为多区系的关系比较提供参考。     

Origin,Differentiation, and Geographic Distribution of the Chenopodiaceae

Numbers of species and genera,endemic genera,extant primitive genera,relationship and distribution patterns of presently living Chenopodiaceae(two subfamilies,12 tribes,and 118 genera)are analyzed and compared for eight distributional areas,namely central Asia,Europe,the Mediterranean region,Africa,North America,South America, Australia and East Asia． The Central Asia,where the number of genera and diversity of taxa are greater than in other areas,appears to be the center of distribution of extant Chenopodiaceae．North America and Australia are two secondary centers of distribution． Eurasia has 11 tribes out of the 12,a total of 70 genera of extant chenopodiaceous plants,and it contains the most primitive genera of every tribe． Archiatriplex of Atripliceae,Hablitzia of Hablitzeae,Corispermum of Corispermeae,Camphorosma of Camphorosmaea,Kalidium of Salicornieae,Polecnemum of Polycnemeae,Alexandra of Suaedeae,and Nanophyton of Salsoleae,are all found in Eurasia,The Beteae is an Eurasian endemic tribe,demonstrating the antiquity of the Chenopodiaceae flora of Eurasia．Hence,Eurasia is likely the place of origin of chenopodiaceous plants． The presence of chenopodiaceous plants is correlated with an arid climate．During the Cretaceous Period,most places of the continent of Eurasia were occupied by the ancient precursor to the Mediterranean,the Tethys Sea．At that time the area of the Tethys Sea had a dry and warm climate．Therefore,primitive Chenopodiaceae were likely present on the beaches of this ancient land．This arid climatic condition resulted in differentiation of the tribes Chenopodieae,Atripliceae,Comphorosmeae,Salicornieae,etc．,the main primitive tribes of the subfamily Cyclolobeae. Then following continental drift and the Laurasian and Gondwanan disintegration, the Chenopodiaceae were brought to every continent to propagate and develop, and experience the vicissitudes of climates, forming the main characteristics and distribution patterns of recent continental floras. The tribes Atripliceae, Chenopodieae, Camphorosmeae, and Salicornieae of recent Chenopodiaceae in Eurasia, North America, South America, southern Africa, and Australia all became strongly differentiated. However, Australia and South America, have no genera of Spirolobeae except for a few maritime Suaeda species. The Salsoleae and Suaedeae have not arrived in Australia and South America, which indicates that the subfamily Spirolobeae developed in Eurasia after Australia separated from the ancient South America-Africa continent, and South America had left Africa. The endemic tribe of North America, the tribe Sarcobateae, has a origin different from the tribes Salsoleae and Suaedeae of the subfamily Spirolobeae. Sarcobateae flowers diverged into unisexuality and absence of bractlets. Clearly they originated in North America after North America had left the Eurasian continent. North America and southern Africa have a few species of Salsola, but none of them have become very much differentiated or developed, so they must have arrived through overland migration across ancient continental connections. India has no southern African Chenopodiaceae floristic components except for a few maritime taxa, which shows that when the Indian subcontinent left Africa in the Triassic period, the Chenopodiaceae had not yet developed in Africa. Therefore, the early Cretaceous Period about 120 million years ago, when the ancient Gondwanan and Laurasian continents disintegrated, could have been the time of origin of Chenopodiaceae plants.The Chinese flora of Chenopodiaceae is a part of Chenopodiaceae flora of central Asia. Cornulaca alaschnica was discovered from Gansu, China, showing that the Chinese Chenopodiaceae flora certainly has contact with the Mediterranean Chenopodiaceae flora. The contact of southeastern China with the Australia Chenopodiaceae flora, however, is very weak.     

Phytogeographical patterns of genera of endemic flora in relation to latitudinal and climatic gradients in China

This paper aims at detecting the relationships between phytogeographical patterns of genera of Chinese endemic seed plants and latitude or climatic factors. The landmass of China was divided into four latitudinal zones, each of c. 8°. Based on a total of 1664 indigenous genera of Chinese endemic seed plants which were grouped into fifteen geographical elements, belonging to three major categories (cosmopolitan, tropical and temperate) and which were absent or present in 28 provinces in China, we analyzed the phytogeographical patterns of genera of Chinese endemic seed plants and detected the relationships between them and main climatic factors. Our results showed that the proportion of tropical genera decreases with the increase in latitude; the proportion of temperate genera increases with the increase in latitude; and the proportion of cosmopolitan genera increased gradually increased gradually with latitude. There are a slow decrease in the proportion of tropical genera and slow increase in the proportion of temperate genera at latitudes 35°–40°. Alternatively, the tropical genera and the temperate genera have the same proportion at latitude c. 25°. These changes and issues about the different genera also appeared in main climate factors. In general, the genera present in a more northerly flora are a subset of the genera present in a more southerly flora. In summary, the large-scale patterns of phytogeography of endemic flora in China are strongly related to latitude, which covary with several climatic variables such as temperature.     

云南省小黑山自然保护区种子植物区系研究

小黑山自然保护区有野生种子植物170科787属2195种。分析表明该区种子植物区系的地理成分复杂,联系广泛。热带性质的属有506属,占总属数的68.6%,温带性质的属有224属,占总属数的30.4%。热带性质的种890种,占总种数的40.9%,温带性质的种有1267种,占总种数的58.3%。表明该地区植物区系具有明显的亚热带性质,同时深受热带植物区系的影响。植物区系来源主要由东亚成分、热带亚洲成分(印度—马来西亚成分)、中国特有成分三部分融合而成。特有现象明显,有东亚特有科5科,中国特有属6属,中国特有种778种,占种总数的35.8%,而云南特有种有355种,占中国特有种的45.6%。保护区还拥有众多的珍稀濒危植物。     

藜科植物的起源、分化和地理分布

全球藜科植物共约130属1500余种,广泛分布于欧亚大陆、南北美洲、非洲和大洋洲的半干旱及盐碱地区。它基本上是一个温带科,对亚热带和寒温带也有一定的适应性。本文分析了该科包含的1l族的系统位置和分布式样,以及各个属的分布区,提出中亚区是现存藜科植物的分布中心,原始的藜科植物在古地中海的东岸即华夏陆台(或中国的西南部)发生,然后向干旱的古地中海沿岸迁移、分化,产生了环胚亚科主要族的原始类群;起源的时间可能在白垩纪初,冈瓦纳古陆和劳亚古陆进一步解体的时期。文章对其迁移途径及现代分布式样形成的原因进行了讨论。     

Large-scale phytogeographical patterns in East Asia in relation to latitudinal and climatic gradients

Aim This paper aims at determining how different floristic elements (e.g. cosmopolitan, tropical, and temperate) change with latitude and major climate factors, and how latitude affects the floristic relationships between East Asia and the other parts of the world. Location East Asia from the Arctic to tropical regions, an area crossing over 50° of latitudes and covering the eastern part of China, Korea, Japan and the eastern part of Russia. Methods East Asia is divided into forty‐five geographical regions. Based on the similarity of their world‐wide distributional patterns, a total of 2808 indigenous genera of seed plants found in East Asia were grouped into fourteen geographical elements, belonging to three major categories (cosmopolitan, tropical and temperate). The 50°‐long latitudinal gradient of East Asia was divided into five latitudinal zones, each of c. 10°. Phytogeographical relationships of East Asia to latitude and climatic variables were examined based on the forty‐five regional floras. Results Among all geographical and climatic variables considered, latitude showed the strongest relationship to phytogeographical composition. Tropical genera (with pantropical, amphi‐Pacific tropical, palaeotropical, tropical Asia–tropical Australia, tropical Asia–tropical Africa and tropical Asia geographical elements combined) accounted for c. 80% of the total genera at latitude 20°N and for c. 0% at latitude 55–60°N. In contrast, temperate genera (including holarctic, eastern Asia–North America, temperate Eurasia, temperate Asia, Mediterranean, western Asia to central Asia, central Asia and eastern Asia geographical elements) accounted for 15.5% in the southernmost latitude and for 80% at 55–60°N, from where northward the percentage tended to level off. The proportion of cosmopolitan genera increased gradually with latitude from 5% at the southernmost latitude to 21% at 55–60°N, where it levelled off northward. In general, the genera present in a more northerly flora are a subset of the genera present in a more southerly flora. Main conclusions The large‐scale patterns of phytogeography in East Asia are strongly related to latitude, which covaries with several climatic variables such as temperature. Evolutionary processes such as the adaptation of plants to cold climates and current and past land connections are likely responsible for the observed latitudinal patterns.