Vascular plant hyperdiversity in high-elevation riparian communities of National Park Service units in the Klamath Network
Smith SB and Sarr DA. 2015. Vascular plant hyperdiversity in high-elevation riparian communities of National Park Service units in the Klamath Network. Park Science. 32(1):65-70
We analyzed vascular plant species richness in 0.1 ha (0.25 acre) plots collected in probabilistic samples of upland and riparian systems of four National Park Service units, Crater Lake National Park (NP), Lassen Volcanic National Park (NP), Redwood National and State Parks (NSP), and Whiskeytown National Recreation Area (NRA), to compare patterns of vascular plant species diversity. We found that riparian plots were richer in species than upland environments in all four parks. Contrary to the typical global pattern of declining species richness with increasing elevation, we noted an increase in average richness of riparian plots from 0 to 2,382 m (7,815 ft) elevation, and a hyperdiversity of species in riparian plots at Crater Lake NP and Lassen Volcanic NP (riparian plots had over three times the mean species richness of upland plots). Higher-elevation riparian plots had a higher proportion of native herbaceous perennial species than lower-elevation riparian plots. The rich flora of moisture- and cold-adapted herbs in riparian areas of Crater Lake NP and Lassen Volcanic NP suggests that these montane riparian zones act as refugia for a rich pool of species that were likely more widespread in colder periods of the Pleistocene, and have since been preserved in these low-latitude refuges by distinct microclimatic and hydrologic conditions that limit warming and drying.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Smith, Sean; Sarr, Daniel
- Units
- CRLA , LAVO , REDW , WHIS
- Keywords
- high-elevation riparian, hyperdiversity, inventory and monitoring plant diversity, Refugia, Riparian