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Patterns of Neotropical Plant Species Diversity

  • Chapter
Evolutionary Biology

Abstract

Diversity has been given a central role in attempts to develop a general theory of ecology (Johnson and Raven, 1970). Much attention has been focused on large-scale trends, such as the increase in species diversity with decreasing latitude (Pianka, 1966; Mac Arthur, 1965; Fischer, 1960; Tramer, 1974), but there is surprisingly little documentation of the equally striking changes in diversity within the tropics. Moreover, additional information on tropical plant species diversity patterns is critically needed because of their potential importance in resolving some of the fundamental and theoretically significant differences of opinion as to the nature and manner of regulation of species diversity.

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  1. Missouri Botanical Garden, 63166, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

    Alwyn H. Gentry

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  1. Queens College of the City University of New York, Flushing, New York, USA

    Max K. Hecht

  2. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA

    Bruce Wallace

  3. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York, USA

    Ghillean T. Prance

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Gentry, A.H. (1982). Patterns of Neotropical Plant Species Diversity. In: Hecht, M.K., Wallace, B., Prance, G.T. (eds) Evolutionary Biology. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-6968-8_1

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