| Method |
"A total of 56 species from 21 families were measured from
five study sites representing alpine, mixed deciduous forest,
and desert communities (table 1). Communities with contrasting
physical environments were chosen so that a diversity in
leaf form and phylogeny would be represented. The three alpine
sites were located in the Medicine Bow Mountains of
southeastern Wyoming (41°20'N, 106°19'W elevation
3335–3444 m): (1) an alpine meadow site that was adjacent
to a lake and had relatively wet soil, (2) an adjacent slope site
on a steep grade with wet soil from a late-lying snowbed above
the collection area, and (3) a ridge site at the top of a steep
grade on an exposed ridge top that had dry, rocky soil (Oberbauer
and Billings 1981 for a detailed site description)." |