Merriam life zones

[Chris J. Durden]

Ken is right. Klots mixed and confused Merriam Life Zones with 
Wallacean/Blairian Biotic Provinces.
    In the field, Life Zones are sharpest where Biotic Provinces meet and 
the genetic diversity of the component species is thinned. Near the middle 
of a mature Biotic Province it is difficult or impossible to map life zones 
because the ecotypic diversity of the component species is so rich that 
their altitudinal range is amplified.
..........Chris Durden


At 12:36 PM 9/5/2001 -0800, you wrote:

>         There is a reason why the Merriam life zones that Klots made such
>good use of are not being mentioned as much these days. The basic concept
>of 'climax vegetation' is no longer so firmly in place as it once was,
>and Merriam's zones do not play a major role in modern ecology. The
>situation appears to be a bit more complex...
>
>                                                         Ken Philip
>fnkwp at uaf.edu
>
>
>
>
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