FUNCTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SPECIES COMPOSITION IN RIPARIAN PLANT COMMUNITIES

• Published in: Journal of the American Water Resources Association Vol. 37; no. 6; pp. 1629 - 1637
• Main Authors: Tabacchi, Eric, Tabacchi, Anne-Marie Planty
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.12.2001
• Subjects: exotic species; France, Adour R; Freshwater; longitudinal pattern; plant species richness; riparian zones; ruderal species; wetlands
• ISSN: 1093-474X; 1752-1688
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-1688.2001.tb03665.x

In 1989 and 1999, longitudinal patterns of plant species richness were examined along the Adour River in southwestern France, and correlations between exotic and native functional groups were assessed. Regional geographic environmental variables were estimated from aerial photographs and from maps. Results showed that total species richness and overall percentage of exotic species remained relatively similar over the study period, but between-period turnover in species composition was observed locally. The composition of the exotic pool was less stable over time than that of the native pool. The proportion of exotic ruderals exhibited a significant positive correlation with the proportion of native ruderals and a negative correlation with the proportion of native competitors. The percentage of exotics was correlated to factors expressing the upstream downstream gradient and to climatic variables.