CHARACTERIZING PATTERNS IN TEXAS GULF COAST BEACH DUNE PLANT SPECIES COMPOSITION

<p>Regional vegetation patterns of Texas beach plant communities were analyzed using cluster analysis, ANOSIM, SIMPER, NMDS, and ISA for fives zones representing the foredune complex of twenty Gulf Coast beaches. ANOVA revealed that zones differ in terms of percent bare sand, percent vegetative cover, and species richness. Cluster Analysis, ANOSIM, and SIMPER results indicate that Texas beaches can be divided into northern and southern regions based on differences in species composition of plant communities. Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) indicates that northern beaches are characterized by the presence of <em>Rayjacksonia phyllocephala</em>, <em>Ambrosia Strophostyles</em>, <em>Ambrosia psilostachya</em>, and <em>Panicum amarum</em>. and southern beaches by the presence of <em>Ipomoea pes-caprae</em>.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science - Biology

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Biology

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Foster, Cody

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Donald Pratt
• Dr. Daniel J. Bennett
• Dr. Jeremy Stovall

• Texas
• Gulf Coast
• Dune species
• Ecological botany
• Indicators
• Disturbance
• Botany
• Other Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
• Plant Biology

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarworks.sfasu.edu/etds/350

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarworks.sfasu.edu:etds-1378