A5070331849- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal and Plant Science Education
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
UNSW Sydney
2014-2020
Environmental Earth Sciences
2015-2020
Abstract Question Are plant traits more closely correlated with mean annual temperature, or precipitation? Location Global. Methods We quantified the strength of relationships between temperature and precipitation 21 from 447,961 species‐site combinations worldwide. used meta‐analysis to provide an overall answer our question. Results Mean was significantly strongly than precipitation. Conclusions Our study provides support for some assumptions classical vegetation theory, points many...
Abstract Aim The idea that species are generally more colourful at tropical latitudes has held great appeal among biologists since the days of exploration by early naturalists. However, advances in colour quantification and analysis only now allow an objective test this idea. We provide first quantitative latitudinal gradient on a broad scale using data from both animals plants, encompassing human‐visible ultraviolet colours. Location A ustralia. Methods collected spectral reflectance 570 or...
Abstract Aims Organisms on islands are thought to escape biotic pressure and lose defensive capabilities. However, broadscale, evidence-based tests of this idea rare. In study, we asked: (i) whether the proportion spinescent plant species differed between mainlands (ii) increased with increasing island area decreasing distance mainland. Methods We compiled lists for 18 island–mainland pairs around Australia. classified 1129 as or non-spinescent using published descriptions. Important...
Abstract Aim Leaf pubescence has several important roles, including regulating heat balance, reducing damage from UV radiation, minimizing water loss and herbivory. Each of these functions could affect a plant's ability to tolerate the biotic abiotic stresses encountered in different parts world. However, we know remarkably little about large scale biogeographic patterns leaf pubescence. Our aims were: (a) determine whether higher proportion species have at sites where it is hot, dry solar...
We aimed to test the hypothesis that plants grow at lower latitudes will be better structurally defended than from higher latitudes. collated binary spinescence data for 5145 species across Australia and New Zealand. Our dataset spanned 35° of latitude, included over 1 million observations, making it largest empirical study ever conducted a single physical defence trait. A weighted logistic regression was applied first within Zealand separately, then combined dataset. There no significant...