Tree Diversity, Forest Structure and Productivity along Altitudinal and Topographical Gradients in a Species-Rich Ecuadorian Montane Rain Forest

We studied the spatial heterogeneity of tree diversity, and of forest structure and productivity in a highly diverse tropical mountain area in southern Ecuador with the aim of understanding the causes of the large variation in these parameters. Two major environmental gradients, elevation and topogr...

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Veröffentlicht in:	Biotropica 2010-03, Vol.42 (2), p.140-148
Hauptverfasser:	Homeier, Jürgen, Breckle, Siegmar-W, Günter, Sven, Rollenbeck, Rütger T, Leuschner, Christoph
Format:	Artikel
Sprache:	eng
Schlagworte:	Animal, plant and microbial ecology Applied ecology Biological and medical sciences Canopies Cloud forests Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife diversity-productivity relationship Ecuador Forest soils Forestry Forests Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology General aspects General forest ecology Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology Montane forests Neotropical montane forest pH effects Plants Rain forests Soil nutrients Spatial heterogeneity Species diversity Species richness Topography Tree growth tree species richness Trees Tropical Biology Tropical forests Tropical rain forests tropical tree growth
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Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:	We studied the spatial heterogeneity of tree diversity, and of forest structure and productivity in a highly diverse tropical mountain area in southern Ecuador with the aim of understanding the causes of the large variation in these parameters. Two major environmental gradients, elevation and topography, representing a broad range of climatic and edaphic site conditions, were analyzed. We found the highest species richness of trees in valleys
ISSN:	0006-3606 1744-7429
DOI:	10.1111/j.1744-7429.2009.00547.x