Results

Most investigations are now completed. We already published some of the results in scientific articles and further articles will appear soon. The relevant data will be made available for researchers and conservation managers through public data bases. Two PhD thesis that were completed at WSL comprise important results of the project:

Thiel-Egenter, C. (2007). Inter- and intraspecific differentiation and genetic diversity in alpine plants: when phylogeography meets biogeography. WSL Birmensdorf, University of Zurich.
The fundaments of biogeography were laid by the early biologists by their recognition of the underlying factors that influence species distribution patterns, namely history, dispersal and ecology. However, biogeographic questions related with these factors are still actively discussed and far from being answered. In this thesis, patterns in the distribution of both species and alleles are inferred from extensive data on alpine plant taxa and related with factors concerning the Quaternary history, barriers for dispersal and species ecological traits. Besides distribution patterns, also levels of genetic diversity were investigated and shed light on historical population processes and on the relative influence of mountain system (Alps and Carpathians), elevation and species- specific traits.
Further information
PhD thesis C. Thiel-Egenter (PDF)
News Von der Eiszeit in den Genen der Alpenpflanzen (in german)

Contact

• Felix Gugerli Künzle
  

Steinmann, K. (2008): Testing basic assumptions of species richness hypotheses using plant species distribution data. WSL Birmensdorf, University of Zurich.
The Earth’s species richness is the result of biological evolution over the last billions of years. Manifold processes interact together and influence the spatial distribution of species richness. Trying to answer the question of “why are there so many kinds of species”, researchers developed countless species richness hypotheses over the last two centuries. Different mechanisms influencing species richness patterns act on different spatial and temporal scales. As in natural systems space and diversity are correlated, it is difficult to disentangle the manifold factors, which are correlated either as a consequence of mechanistic relationships or as a matter of stochasticity. In this thesis we tested the following aspects of plant species diversity:

1. Climate gradients and species richness of functional groups
   
2. Habitat diversity and area effect on species richness
   
3. Climate gradients and historical effects on species richness

Further information
PhD thesis K. Steinmann (PDF)

Contact

• Niklaus Zimmermann
  

The results of this project are published in several scientific articles. List of all publications under Publications