Title: DISTRIBUTION PATTERNS OF ECUADOREAN PLANT SPECIES
Abstract:Summary Ecuador covers some 300,000 km 2 on the west coast of the South American continent. The country is divided into three natural regions: the coastal plain, the Andes cordillera, and the eastern ...Summary Ecuador covers some 300,000 km 2 on the west coast of the South American continent. The country is divided into three natural regions: the coastal plain, the Andes cordillera, and the eastern lowlands. Twenty‐six life zones, including deserts, rainforests, and high montane vegetation types, are represented in the country. The flora includes an estimated 20,000 species of vascular plants. In this study the distribution of a sample of 536 species is analyzed, and some conspicuous phytogeographic patterns are obvious. The lowland flora is rich in widespread species and many of them occur on both sides of the Andes. The coastal plain is rich and the eastern lowlands are poor in endemics. The mid‐elevations between 900 m and 3000 m house about half of the species of the country although they constitute only 10% of the area. Endemism is high at mid‐elevations: 39% of the mid‐elevation species do not reach beyond Ecuador. Especially the western slopes of the Andes are rich in endemics with 10% of the total Ecuadorean flora being restricted to them. The Ecuadorean highlands above 3000 m house 10% of the total flora of the country. Endemism in the highlands is about the same as at mid‐elevations.Read More
Publication Year: 1988
Publication Date: 1988-08-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 61
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