The vascular flora of Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada: a biodiversity analysis from a biogeographical and life form perspective

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Botany
• Main Authors: Charest, René, Brouillet, Luc, Bouchard, André, Hay, Stuart
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2000
• Subjects: Plant Science; Arctic; Canada; Hooker; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/b00-040; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/b00-040

Terra Nova National Park, located on the east coast of Newfoundland, has a vascular flora of 535 taxa, including 33 rare species and 94 introduced taxa. About 75% of the native flora of the Park is composed of hemicryptophyte and cryptophyte species. Phanerophytes and nanophanerophytes represent only 13% of the flora, but the percentages of occurrence of these life forms reaches 31%. The flora of the Park is mainly boreal (56%), composed mainly of Boreal North American, Boreal Eastern North American, and Circumboreal elements. Arctic-alpine species are infrequent. We report two species as new to Newfoundland: Festuca richardsonii Hooker (Poaceae) and Carex communis L.H. Bailey var. communis (Cyperaceae). Significant positive and negative associations between (i) life forms and (ii) phytogeographical elements, and the distribution of species within the habitats of the Park were established using the Fourth Corner Method. Distribution of life forms and phytogeographical elements within habitats of the Park appears to be explained more by ecological characteristics of species than by their history.Key words: life form, biogeography, biodiversity, Terra Nova National Park, Newfoundland, Canada.