Biology ETDs

Publication Date

11-28-1978

Abstract

The Datil Mountains of west-central New Mexico were selected for a floristic inventory and analysis because of the lack of previous study in this section of the state. The location of the study area in relationship to the Basin and Range, Southern Rocky Mountain, and Colorado Plateau physiographic provinces was a major factor in determining the initial need for floristic work in the Datil Mountain area. An annotated checklist of the vascular flora of the study area was compiled. For those 590 collected taxa, available information was compiled which could serve as a useful tool for land management in this region of New Mexico. An appendix of the mammals and birds noted within the study area during the three years of field collection is supplied to serve as an aid in the ecological assessment of the study area. The study area was divided into two sections according to geologic parent material. A sandstone parent material section comprised the northern third of the study area and a volcanic parent material section formed the southern two thirds. Initial observations indicated that these two sections consisted of relatively distinct floristic elements. A distributional analysis was performed on the taxa in each section according to their natural categorization into geographic units and by their presence in the neighboring political entities of Texas, Colorado, Arizona, and Mexico. The degree of relationship was determined by index of similarity and chi-square tests. Test results indicate that the two sections are ecotonal in nature, but the flora of the volcanic section maintains a greater affinity for the Rocky Mountain province and that of the sandstone section has a greater affinity for members of the Madro-Tertiary Geoflora.

Language

English

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Biology

Level of Degree

Masters

Department Name

UNM Biology Department

First Committee Member (Chair)

William Clarence Martin

Second Committee Member

Loren David Potter

Third Committee Member

Clarence Clayton Hoff

Fourth Committee Member

Wayne C. Hickey

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