LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
SREM 3011
LECTURE 7
Dr Brendan Mackey
Department of Geography
The Australian National University
Cardinal minimum temperatures and expected
dominant physiognomy
Variation in deciduousness with changes in latitude,altitude
and rainfall on different soils
Variation in availability of selected life forms with changes in
latitude,altitude and rainfall
Leaf size categories for rainforest trees
after Raunkier (1934) and Webb (1959)
Variation in leaf size with changes in latitude,altitude,rainfall
and soil mineral nutrient status
Meso - large leaves Noto - medium leaves Micro - small leaves
Mean annual precipitation (mm)
Winter seasonal rainfall (May-Oct) equalled or exceeded 8 yrs in 10
Structure and evaporative capacity of major Australian plant
formations (which may be regarded as climatic climax formations)
The magnitude of the coefficient k indicates the evaporative capacity of Australian evergreen
perennial plant communities (Specht 1972)
Moisture Index = Ratio of actual evaporation (Ea) to Pan evaporation (Eo),
Summer seasonal rainfall (Nov-Apr) equalled or exceeded 8yrs in 10
Climate seasonality of water regime
Summer (Nov-Apr) and winter (May-Oct) rainfall equalled or
exceeded 8 years in 10
Survivorship of cohorts of Sclerolaena birchii under light grazing
by Merino sheep 1936-1947 (per 1 m2)