Abstract Detail
Systematics Section / ASPT Williams, Justin [1], Lutterschmidt, William [1], Debelica, Anica [1]. Determining large scale data gaps in herbarium collections using species area relationships. Species-area relationships are used to estimate the number of species per geographic area. Predictions are determined based on the formula S = CAz where z and C are constants varying with location and taxa studied, S = species richness and A = Area. We used 17 checklists and floristic inventories to calculate z (slope) and C (intercept) for the state of Texas. Values for z and C enabled us to calculate the estimated number of species per county. Our estimated values for species richness per county were then compared to a floristic database (Flora of Texas Consortium) that inventories species richness values for each county determined from herbarium collections. Results indicate that 88.6% of Texas counties have values of species richness that are well below predicted values indicating gross data gaps in documentation of species richness. We present a model that provides a quantifiable and unbiased approach to determining data gaps in species occurrence for large scale geographic areas.
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1 - Sam Houston State University, Department of Biological Sciences, Box 2116, Huntsville, Texas, 77341-2116, USA
Keywords:
museum collections
herbarium.
Presentation Type: Oral Paper
Session: 21-2
Location: 410/Hilton
Date: Monday, August 15th, 2005
Time: 3:45 PM
Abstract ID:170 | 
