Species performances and vegetation boundaries along an environmental gradient

✍ Scribed by Werger, M. J. A. ;Louppen, J. M. W. ;Eppink, J. H. M.

• Publisher: Springer-Verlag
• Year: 1983
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 685 KB
• Volume: 52
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5052
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00044989

✦ Synopsis

A transect in grassland vegetation in the southern part of the Netherlands, showing both a very gradual and a more marked transition in species composition, was sampled as regards species frequency and a number of soil variables. Clustering (TABORD) and Principal Component Analysis revealed the two types of vegetation boundaries, a strong, rigid and a weak, gradual boundary, and the gradient situation in the transect. Species performance curves were tested for Gaussian form, but less than half of the species showed this form even though limits for acceptance were mild. The few species showing a Gaussian response curve clearly illustrate the two types of vegetation boundaries in this transect in agreement with Whittaker's model for such boundaries. * In memory of R. H. Whittaker ** Species nomenclature follows Heukels & Van Ooststroom (1970).