RT info:eu-repo/semantics/article T1 Variation in species composition and vegetation structure of succulent scrub on Tenerife in relation to environmental variation A1 Otto, Rüdiger A1 Fernández-Palacios, José María A1 Krüsi, Bertil O. K1 Biomass K1 Canary Islands K1 Canonical Correspondence Analysis K1 Plant-available water K1 Plant functional type K1 Precipitation gradient K1 Semi-arid vegetation K1 Species richness AB On Tenerife, the occurrence of environmental gradientsover short distances provides a unique opportunity toinvestigate the relationship between vegetation and environmentalfactors. In the semi-arid coastal region of Tenerife,floristic composition, species richness and vegetation structureof perennial plants have been studied in 67 locationscovering the existing precipitation gradient.On the island as a whole, variation in species compositioncould be best explained by mean annual precipitation; atcoastal sites, substrate age and soil characteristics also playeda significant role. On the other hand, substrate chemistry andthe type of eruptive material explained little of the floristicvariation. Stand biomass was strongly correlated with meanannual precipitation and was, on the youngest lava flowsstudied, also affected by substrate age. The native stem succulentspecies made up the bulk of total biomass along the wholeprecipitation gradient. Disturbed and undisturbed sites differedsignificantly in stand biomass and cover. Species richnesswas correlated with precipitation and substrate age. Distributionof plant functional types was also related to theprecipitation gradient. The relative abundance of hemicryptophytesand shrubs with non-hairy leaves increased withincreasing precipitation whereas the ratio of shrubs with hairy/non-hairy leaves and succulent plants decreased. Some alienplants were quite frequent at disturbed sites but, on the whole,they contributed little to the species spectrum and to the standbiomass. Undisturbed sites remained almost free of introducedspecies not considering annuals. PB IAVS SN 1100-9233 YR 2001 FD 2001 LK http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17785 UL http://riull.ull.es/xmlui/handle/915/17785 LA en DS Repositorio institucional de la Universidad de La Laguna RD 29-mar-2024