We examine the connections between the current global star formation activity , luminosity , dynamical mass and morphology of galaxies in the Local Volume , using H \alpha data from the 11 Mpc H \alpha and Ultraviolet Galaxy Survey ( 11HUGS ) .
Taking the equivalent width ( EW ) of the H \alpha emission line as a tracer of the specific star formation rate , we analyze the distribution of galaxies in the M _ { B } -EW and rotational velocity ( V _ { max } ) -EW planes .
Star-forming galaxies show two characteristic transitions in these planes .
A narrowing of the galaxy locus occurs at M _ { B } \sim - 15 and V _ { max } \sim 50 km s ^ { -1 } , where the scatter in the logarithmic EWs drops by a factor of two as the luminosities/masses increase , and galaxy morphologies shift from predominately irregular to late-type spiral .
Another transition occurs at M _ { B } \sim - 19 and V _ { max } \sim 120 km s ^ { -1 } , above which the sequence turns off toward lower EWs and becomes mostly populated by intermediate and early-type bulge-prominent spirals .
Between these two transitions , the mean logarithmic EW appears to remain constant at 30Å .
We comment on how these features reflect established empirical relationships , and provide clues for identifying the large-scale physical processes that both drive and regulate star formation , with emphasis on the low-mass galaxies that dominate our approximately volume-limited sample .