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Leaf diversity of three vegetation types of Tenerife, Canary Islands

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Vegetation between land and sea

Part of the book series: Geobotany ((GEOB,volume 11))

Abstract

At three contrasting sites on Tenerife (Canary Islands), the plant species in a 0.5 ha plot were inventoried for the following characters: leaf size, fresh and dry weight (yielding Leaf Area Development and Specific Leaf Weight), leaf colour characteristics, and stomatal size and density. Variation in most characters was least in the mesic lauriphyll forest in the Anaga mountains, especially when tree layer and undergrowth were treated separately. In the coastal succulent scrub at Teno, species diversity and leaf character diversity were both high. In the alpine desert of the Canadas, species diversity was much lower but leaf character diversity was as high as that at Teno. We hypothesize that leaf character diversity is high at these two sites because of the release from competitive pressure by drought-induced low growth rates and frequent disturbances. We also hypothesize that guild sizes become smaller under harsh conditions while guild structure of the community is still maintained.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Plant Ecology, Lange Nieuwstraat 106, 3512 PN, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    M. J. A. Werger, H. J. During & H. Van Rijnberk

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  1. M. J. A. Werger
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  2. H. J. During
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  3. H. Van Rijnberk
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Delta Institute for Hydrobiological Research, Vierstraat 28, 4401 EA, Yerseke, The Netherlands

    A. H. L. Huiskes

  2. Department of Experimental Plant Ecology, Catholic University, Toernooiveld, 6525 ED, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

    C. W. P. M. Blom

  3. Biological Laboratory, Free University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 7161, 1007 MC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    J. Rozema

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© 1987 Dr W. Junk Publishers, Dordrecht/Boston/Lancaster

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Werger, M.J.A., During, H.J., Van Rijnberk, H. (1987). Leaf diversity of three vegetation types of Tenerife, Canary Islands. In: Huiskes, A.H.L., Blom, C.W.P.M., Rozema, J. (eds) Vegetation between land and sea. Geobotany, vol 11. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4065-9_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-4065-9_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-8305-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-4065-9

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