Regional and Local Diversity in a Patchy Environment: Serpentine Plants in California

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ABSTRACTSusan P. HarrisonDEB 0075369Outcrops of serpentine soil in California support a rich flora of endemicspecies, many of which are naturally rare. This study will test thehypothesis that species diversity in this specialized flora is shaped by theisland-like nature of serpentine outcrops, among other factors. I willanalyze patterns of species diversity in the serpentine endemic flora acrossthe entire state, considering diversity at both the regional scale(subcounties) and the local scale (50 x 20 m plots). The regional data willbe gathered from published sources and analyzed with spatial statistics; thelocal data will be gathered by intensive field sampling at 24 sitesdistributed around the state. Path analysis and other statisticaltechniques will be used to determine the relationships between regionalspecies diversity, local species diversity, and environmental variables(e.g. soil chemistry, climate, topography, and the spatial distribution ofserpentine)."