An estimate of the number of tropical tree species

Robin L Chazdon; See article full text for complete list of authors

doi:10.1073/pnas.1423147112

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An estimate of the number of tropical tree species

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An estimate of the number of tropical tree species

Robin L Chazdon and See article full text for complete list of authors

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol.112, pp.7472-7477

2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1423147112

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Abstract

diversity estimation

Fisher's log series

pantropical

spatial richness patterns

tropical tree species richness

The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of Fisher's alpha and an approximate pantropical stem total to estimate the minimum number of tropical forest tree species to fall between ∼40,000 and ∼53,000, i.e., at the high end of previous estimates. Contrary to common assumption, the Indo-Pacific region was found to be as species-rich as the Neotropics, with both regions having a minimum of ∼19,000-25,000 tree species. Continental Africa is relatively depauperate with a minimum of ∼4,500-6,000 tree species. Very few species are shared among the African, American, and the Indo-Pacific regions. We provide a methodological framework for estimating species richness in trees that may help refine species richness estimates of tree-dependent taxa.

Details

Title: An estimate of the number of tropical tree species
Authors: Robin L Chazdon (Author) - University of Connecticut, United States
See article full text for complete list of authors (Author)
Publication details: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol.112, pp.7472-7477
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Date published: 2015
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423147112
ISSN: 0027-8424
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Forest Research Institute
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99451149402621
Output Type: Journal article

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