Abstract
The Galapagos vascular plant species are divided into two groups, showing preferences for dry and wet habitats. This division is based on the results of a phytosociological study and is not influenced by such factors as island area, elevation, climate or soil types. The different distribution patterns of the dry and wet species are discussed and it is concluded that habitat diversity offers a better explanation for species numbers and distribution patterns than do island size and isolation. Claims that a dynamic MacArthur-Wilson type equilibrium has been reached for vascular plants in the Galapagos archipelago seem premature.
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Nomenclature follows Wiggins & Porter (1971). This is contribution No. 288 to the Charles Darwin Foundation.
I thank Drs M. Cody, J. Sauer, M. Werger, P. Raven, A. Gentry, as well as three reviewers for critically reading the manuscript and suggesting improvements. A grant from the Dutch Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research (WOTRO) made field work in the Galapagos Islands possible.
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van der Werff, H. Species number, area and habitat diversity in the Galapagos Islands. Vegetatio 54, 167–175 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00047106
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00047106