An altitudinal cline in tropical African grass floras and its paleoecological significance

Auteurs :
LIVINGSTONE, D. A.
CLAYTON, W. D.

Description :
At altitudes below 1300 m most species of grasses in tropical Africa are ones that use 4-carbon photosynthesis. Above 4000 m only species of the subfamily Pooideae using 3-carbon photosynthesis are found. At intermediate altitudes the percent of 3-carbon genera and species in the grass flora is a very regular function of altitude. The correlate of altitude that controls the distribution of grasses appears to be temperature. Fossil grass cuticles are identifiable to genus and should provide a useful palcothermometer. If no other errors were involved, the regular altitudinal distribution of genera in the flora of tropical East Africa would permit paleotemperature estimates with 95% confidence limits of 1.2C.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Quaternary research New York, 1980, vol. 13, n°. 3, p. 392-402, Références bibliographiques : 29 réf.

Date :
1980