Congruence between arthropod and plant diversity in a biodiversity hotspot largely driven by underlying abiotic factors

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. e01883 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Schalkwyk ◽  
J. S. Pryke ◽  
M. J. Samways ◽  
R. Gaigher
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot

scholarly journals The Edge Effect on Plant Diversity and Soil Properties in Abandoned Fields Targeted for Ecological Restoration

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheunesu Ruwanza
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Edge Effect ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Old Fields ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Total N ◽  
Soil Measurements

Changes in biotic and abiotic factors may create opportunities for biodiversity recovery in abandoned agricultural fields. This study examined the natural/old field edge effect on plant diversity and soil properties at Lapalala Wilderness in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Detailed vegetation surveys and soil measurements were conducted in three old fields that share a natural/old field road edge boundary. On each site, three transects, each with four plots (10 × 10 m), located 10 m into the natural area and 10, 30 and 50 m into the old field from the edge, were setup. Plant diversity and composition measurements were conducted on each plot. Soil moisture and total N, C and P were measured at the center of each plot. Results indicate that abundance of some woody species was significantly (P < 0.001) higher close to the edge than far into the old fields. However, this was not the case for herbs and grasses which did not increase with edge proximity. All measured soil properties were significantly (P < 0.001) higher close to the edge than far into the old fields. The study concludes that both vegetation and soil properties are influenced by proximity to the edge.

Plant diversity is linked to nutrient limitation of dominant species in a world biodiversity hotspot

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 745-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burak K. Pekin ◽  
Matthias M. Boer ◽  
Roy S. Wittkuhn ◽  
Craig Macfarlane ◽  
Pauline F. Grierson
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Limitation ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot

scholarly journals Flowering phenology shifts in response to biodiversity loss

2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (13) ◽  
pp. 3463-3468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amelia A. Wolf ◽  
Erika S. Zavaleta ◽  
Paul C. Selmants
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Flowering Phenology ◽  
Plant Phenology ◽  
Precipitation Regimes

Observational studies and experimental evidence agree that rising global temperatures have altered plant phenology—the timing of life events, such as flowering, germination, and leaf-out. Other large-scale global environmental changes, such as nitrogen deposition and altered precipitation regimes, have also been linked to changes in flowering times. Despite our increased understanding of how abiotic factors influence plant phenology, we know very little about how biotic interactions can affect flowering times, a significant knowledge gap given ongoing human-caused alteration of biodiversity and plant community structure at the global scale. We experimentally manipulated plant diversity in a California serpentine grassland and found that many plant species flowered earlier in response to reductions in diversity, with peak flowering date advancing an average of 0.6 days per species lost. These changes in phenology were mediated by the effects of plant diversity on soil surface temperature, available soil N, and soil moisture. Peak flowering dates were also more dispersed among species in high-diversity plots than expected based on monocultures. Our findings illustrate that shifts in plant species composition and diversity can alter the timing and distribution of flowering events, and that these changes to phenology are similar in magnitude to effects induced by climate change. Declining diversity could thus contribute to or exacerbate phenological changes attributed to rising global temperatures.

Determinants of diversity in afrotropical herbivorous insects (Lepidoptera: Geometridae): plant diversity, vegetation structure or abiotic factors?

2009 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 337-349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan C. Axmacher ◽  
Gunnar Brehm ◽  
Andreas Hemp ◽  
Henry Tünte ◽  
Herbert V. M. Lyaruu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Herbivorous Insects

scholarly journals The structure of plant spatial association networks increases plant diversity in global drylands

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Saiz ◽  
J. Gómez-Gardeñes ◽  
J.P. Borda ◽  
F.T. Maestre
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Network Structure ◽  
Structural Equation Models ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Complex Structure ◽  
Spatial Association ◽  
System Level ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Network Analyses

AbstractAimDespite their widespread use and value to unveil the complex structure of the interactions within ecological communities and their value to assess the resilience of communities, network analyses have seldom been applied in plant communities. We aim to evaluate how plant-plant interaction networks vary in global drylands, and to assess whether network structure is related to plant diversity in these ecosystems.Location185 dryland ecosystems from all continents except Antarctica.MethodsWe built networks using the local spatial association between all the perennial plant species present in the communities studied, and used structural equation models to evaluate the effect of abiotic factors (including geography, topography, climate and soil conditions) and network structure on plant diversity.ResultsThe structure of plant networks found at most study sites (72%) was not random and presented properties representative of robust systems, such as high link density and structural balance. Moreover, network indices linked to system robustness had a positive and significant effect on plant diversity, sometimes higher that the effect of abiotic factors.Main conclusionsOur results constitute the first empirical evidence showing the existence of a common network architecture structuring terrestrial plant communities at the global scale, and provide novel evidence of the importance of the network of interactions for the maintenance of biodiversity. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of system-level approaches to explain the diversity and structure of interactions in plant communities, two major drivers of terrestrial ecosystem functioning and resilience against the likely impacts derived from global change.

scholarly journals Abiotic factors and plant biomass, not plant diversity, strongly shape grassland arthropods under drought conditions

Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Prather ◽  
Karen Castillioni ◽  
Ellen A.R. Welti ◽  
Michael Kaspari ◽  
Lara Souza
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Drought Conditions
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