Paleovegetation simulations of lowland Amazonia and implications for neotropical allopatry and speciation

Auteurs :
COWLING, S.A.
MASLIN, M.A.
SYKES, M.T.

Description :
Paleovegetation modelling simulations of the lowland Amazon basin were made to assess the relative importance of glacial climate and atmospheric CO2 for altering vegetation type and structure, as well as to explore the potential physiological mechanisms underlying these ecosystem-level responses. Heterogeneous variations in glacial vegetation leaf area index (LAI) may have promoted allopatric speciation by geographically isolating species (called vicariance) in the forest (sub)canopy. The proposed vicariance hypothesis incorporating spatial variations in canopy density conforms to many of the essential tenets addressed by previous neotropical speciation models, but also helps to overcome some of their inconsistencies.


Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Quaternary research, issn : 0033-5894, 2001, vol. 55, n°. 2, p. 140-149, Collation : Illustration, Références bibliographiques : 63 ref.

Date :
2001

Editeur :
Pays édition : Etats-Unis, San Diego, CA, Elsevier