Abstract
The composition, diversity, and phytogeographic affinities of the vascular flora of Bolivia's wetlands were examined and compared with wetland floras from the other Neotropical countries and the New World Temperate region. Forty-six wetlands distributed throughout Bolivia and ranging in elevation from 90 in to >4400 m were established as study sites. Regional and national wetland floras were compiled from field research, the literature, herbarium specimens, and available databases. Two thousand and sixty species in 149 families and 666 genera were identified as associated with wetlands in Mesoamerica and tropical and subtropical South America. Of these, 1026 species in 126 families and 450 genera were noted for Bolivian wetlands. When considered both in terms of number of species per system and in comparisons of species-area curves, Bolivia's wetlands were found to be less diverse than wetlands of the New World Temperate region. At the macroregional level, both South and Central America were less diverse than the New World Temperate region. Thus, at both the system and regional scales, it appeared that phytodiversity in New World wetlands constituted an exception to the widely recognized latitudinal gradient in species richness. Additionally, phytodiversity in Neotropical wetlands was generally not well-correlated with diversity in terrestrial habitats. A large portion of the Neotropical wetland species possessed very broad ranges, and few endemic species were noted relative to the Neotropical terrestrial habitats. Similarity Indices were generally unsatisfactory for analyzing floristic similarities at the system level. Both Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Frequency Analysis produced more satisfactory results. Species that typically tended towards dominance in Bolivian wetlands most often were extremely widely distributed, precluding the identification of regional wetland associations based on dominant species. Nevertheless, ordination of the study sites by DCA generally grouped wetlands from within the same Bolivian region. At the macroregional level, an ordination by DCA ordered the countries of the Neotropics into three groups: (1) Bolivia, Brazil and Peru; (2) Colombia, The Guianas, and Venezuela; and, (3) all Central American countries. Two countries, Mexico and Ecuador, were not clearly associated with any group.
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Claims 18
Claim · model-written summary
Mesoamerican and tropical/subtropical South American wetlands contained 2060 associated species.
Verbatim
e0“Two thousand and sixty species in 149 families and 666 genera were identified as associated with wetlands in Mesoamerica and tropical and subtropical South America”
Claim · model-written summary
Bolivian wetlands contained 1026 species.
Verbatim
e0“1026 species in 126 families and 450 genera were noted for Bolivian wetlands”
Claim · model-written summary
Bolivian wetlands were less diverse than temperate New World wetlands.
Verbatim
e0“Bolivia's wetlands were found to be less diverse than wetlands of the New World Temperate region”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
South American wetlands were less diverse than temperate New World wetlands.
Verbatim
e0“both South and Central America were less diverse than the New World Temperate region”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Central American wetlands were less diverse than temperate New World wetlands.
Verbatim
e0“both South and Central America were less diverse than the New World Temperate region”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Wetland phytodiversity was described as an exception to the latitudinal richness gradient.
Verbatim
e0“phytodiversity in New World wetlands constituted an exception to the widely recognized latitudinal gradient in species richness”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Neotropical wetland phytodiversity generally correlated poorly with terrestrial habitat diversity.
- Taxon
- wetland florat0
- Outcome
- phytodiversity in Neotropical wetlandse0
- Comparator
- diversity in terrestrial habitatse0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“phytodiversity in Neotropical wetlands was generally not well-correlated with diversity in terrestrial habitats”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Many Neotropical wetland species had broad ranges.
Verbatim
e0“A large portion of the Neotropical wetland species possessed very broad ranges”
Claim · model-written summary
Few Neotropical wetland species were endemic relative to terrestrial habitats.
Verbatim
e0“few endemic species were noted relative to the Neotropical terrestrial habitats”
Claim · model-written summary
Similarity indices were unsatisfactory for floristic similarity analysis at the system level.
- Taxon
- wetland florat0
- Outcome
- unsatisfactory for analyzing floristic similarities at the system levele0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Similarity Indices were generally unsatisfactory for analyzing floristic similarities at the system level”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Frequency Analysis gave more satisfactory floristic similarity results.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Both Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Frequency Analysis produced more satisfactory results”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Dominant species in Bolivian wetlands were usually very widely distributed.
Verbatim
e0“Species that typically tended towards dominance in Bolivian wetlands most often were extremely widely distributed”
Claim · model-written summary
The broad range of dominant species precluded regional wetland associations based on dominance.
Verbatim
e0“precluding the identification of regional wetland associations based on dominant species”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
DCA usually grouped wetlands from the same Bolivian region.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“ordination of the study sites by DCA generally grouped wetlands from within the same Bolivian region”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Macroregional DCA grouped Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru together.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“(1) Bolivia, Brazil and Peru”
e1“At the macroregional level, an ordination by DCA ordered the countries of the Neotropics into three groups”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Macroregional DCA grouped Colombia, the Guianas, and Venezuela together.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“(2) Colombia, The Guianas, and Venezuela”
e1“At the macroregional level, an ordination by DCA ordered the countries of the Neotropics into three groups”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Macroregional DCA grouped all Central American countries together.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“(3) all Central American countries”
e1“At the macroregional level, an ordination by DCA ordered the countries of the Neotropics into three groups”
t0“wetland flora”
Claim · model-written summary
Mexico and Ecuador had no clear macroregional DCA group.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Two countries, Mexico and Ecuador, were not clearly associated with any group”
t0“wetland flora”