Prior to 2005, the flora of most of the 170+ islands in the San Juan archipelago had never been studied. Over the past 15 years, our understanding has begun to change as a result of detailed surveys conducted by the Washington Native Plant Society, Central Puget Sound Chapter. They documented the vascular plants found on over 125 islands. While such a large number of species lists might seem eye-glazing, this data provides a remarkable resource for exploring the biogeography of these islands in the Salish Sea. In this talk, UW Professor Peter Dunwiddie will draw on this information to trace some surprising patterns relating to the abundance and distribution of species, and how mode of dispersal, species origin (native versus non-native), rarity, island size, and remoteness (distance from the mainland or other source areas) affect the composition of species on different islands. More info: https://www.facebook.com/events/375677690367738
Post expires on Friday March 5th, 2021
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