How To Identify Plants At The SRP: Plant Distribution

• A direct consequence of this law of biology is that most species are not widespread; they are found only locally. After all, if the number of species grows with area, as you enlarge your area you have to keep encountering species you haven't seen anyplace else before.

• (If you have trouble with numbers, just accept this and skip to viewgraph 24.)

• Define one area as the north half of the SRPER, and another area as the south half. The number of species in the combined area is the third root of 2, about 1.25, times the number in each half.

  0.25 out of 1.25, or 20%, of the total species will thus be found only in each half, making a total of 40% of the species will be found only in one half or the other. Only 60% of the species will be found in both areas.

• The same calculation applies considering one area to be the Vernal Pool Trail and another area to be the Los Santos Trail.

   

http://tchester.org/srp/plants/how_to_id/21c.html Comments and feedback: Tom Chester Last update: 16 October 2003.

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