The effects of precipitation, substrate age, and fragmentation on species composition, endangerment, and reproductive live history traits of Hawaiian dry forest tree species were examined in order to characterized patterns of diversity unique to this endangered forest. It was found that community composition changes along precipitation, substrate age, and fragment size gradients. Only precipitation was associated with changing proportions of life history traits. The proportion of endangered species was not associated with fragmentation. Additionally, endangerment was associated with changing proportions of autochorous dispersers, which is primarily explained by the presence of Colubrina oppositifolia at one site. This provides conservation managers with information on how to maximize species and functional (reproductive traits) diversity, for example by capturing precipitation and substrate gradients within as large a reserve as possible. / A Thesis submitted to the Department of Geography in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Spring Semester, 2014. / April 18, 2014. / Includes bibliographical references. / Stephanie Pau, Professor Directing Thesis; James Elsner, Committee Member; Victor Mesev, Committee Member.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_185289 |
Contributors | Migliorelli, Loury (authoraut), Pau, Stephanie (professor directing thesis), Elsner, James (committee member), Mesev, Victor (committee member), Interdisciplinary Program in Social Science (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
Publisher | Florida State University, Florida State University |
Source Sets | Florida State University |
Language | English, English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Text, text |
Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
Rights | This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s). The copyright in theses and dissertations completed at Florida State University is held by the students who author them. |
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