scholarly journals Elevational Patterns of Plant Richness in the Taibai Mountain, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Tang ◽  
Tanbao Li ◽  
Dengwu Li ◽  
Xiaxia Meng
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Seed Plants ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Taibai Mountain

The elevational distribution of plant diversity is a popular issue in ecology and biogeography, and several studies have examined the determinants behind plant diversity patterns. In this study, using published data of the local flora of Taibai Mountain, we explored the effects of spatial and climatic factors on plant species richness. We also evaluated Rapoport’s elevational rule by examining the relationship between elevational range size and midpoint. Species richness patterns were regressed against area, middle domain effect (MDE), mean annual temperature (MAT), and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The results showed that richness of overall plants, seed plants, bryophytes, and ferns all showed hump-shaped patterns along the elevational gradient, although the absolute elevation of richness peaks differed in different plant groups. Species richness of each plant group was all associated strongly with MAT and MAP. In addition to climatic factors, overall plants and seed plants were more related to area in linear regression models, while MDE was a powerful explanatory variable for bryophytes. Rapoport’s elevational rule on species richness was not supported. Our study suggests that a combined interaction of spatial and climatic factors influences the elevational patterns of plant species richness on Taibai Mountain, China.

scholarly journals Superhost Plants Alter the Structure of Plant–Galling Insect Networks in Neotropical Savannas

Plants ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Araújo ◽  
Moreira ◽  
Falcão ◽  
Borges ◽  
Fagundes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Variable Number ◽  
Insect Species ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Neotropical Savannas ◽  
Galling Insects

Host plants may harbor a variable number of galling insect species, with some species being able to harbor a high diversity of these insects, being therefore called superhost plants. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that the occurrence of superhost plant species of genus Qualea (Vochysiaceae) affects the structure of plant–galling insect ecological networks in Brazilian Cerrado. We sampled a total of 1882 plants grouped in 131 species and 43 families, of which 64 species and 31 families of host plants hosted 112 galling insect species. Our results showed that occurrence of superhosts of genus Qualea increased the linkage density of plant species, number of observed interactions, and the size of plant–galling insect networks and negatively affected the network connectance (but had no effect on the residual connectance). Although the occurrence of Qualea species did not affect the plant species richness, these superhosts increased the species richness and the number of interactions of galling insects. Our study represents a step forward in relation to previous studies that investigated the effects of plant diversity on the plant–insect networks, showing that few superhost plant species alter the structure of plant–herbivore networks, even without having a significant effect on plant diversity.

scholarly journals Relationships between Plant Diversity and Grasshopper Diversity and Abundance in the Little Missouri National Grassland

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Branson
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Coarse Grained ◽  
Grasshopper Species ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity ◽  
Western North Dakota ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance

A continuing challenge in orthopteran ecology is to understand what determines grasshopper species diversity at a given site. In this study, the objective was to determine if variation in grasshopper abundance and diversity between 23 sites in western North Dakota (USA) could be explained by variation in plant species richness and diversity. In this system with relatively low plant diversity, grasshopper species richness and abundance were not significantly associated with plant species richness in either year. Although a number of significant associations between plant diversity and grasshopper diversity were found through regression analyses, results differed greatly between years indicating that plant species richness and diversity did not lead to strong effects on grasshopper diversity metrics. Plant species richness appears to be too coarse grained to lead to accurate predictions of grasshopper species richness in this system dominated by generalist grasshopper species.

scholarly journals Growing knowledge: an overview of Seed Plant diversity in Brazil

Rodriguésia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 1085-1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela C. Zappi ◽  
Fabiana L. Ranzato Filardi ◽  
Paula Leitman ◽  
Vinícius C. Souza ◽  
Bruno M.T. Walter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Amazon Rainforest ◽  
Atlantic Rainforest ◽  
Seed Plants ◽  
Seed Plant ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Brazilian Biodiversity

Abstract An updated inventory of Brazilian seed plants is presented and offers important insights into the country's biodiversity. This work started in 2010, with the publication of the Plants and Fungi Catalogue, and has been updated since by more than 430 specialists working online. Brazil is home to 32,086 native Angiosperms and 23 native Gymnosperms, showing an increase of 3% in its species richness in relation to 2010. The Amazon Rainforest is the richest Brazilian biome for Gymnosperms, while the Atlantic Rainforest is the richest one for Angiosperms. There was a considerable increment in the number of species and endemism rates for biomes, except for the Amazon that showed a decrease of 2.5% of recorded endemics. However, well over half of Brazillian seed plant species (57.4%) is endemic to this territory. The proportion of life-forms varies among different biomes: trees are more expressive in the Amazon and Atlantic Rainforest biomes while herbs predominate in the Pampa, and lianas are more expressive in the Amazon, Atlantic Rainforest, and Pantanal. This compilation serves not only to quantify Brazilian biodiversity, but also to highlight areas where there information is lacking and to provide a framework for the challenge faced in conserving Brazil's unique and diverse flora.

scholarly journals Effects of plant species diversity on nematode community composition and diversity in a long-term biodiversity experiment

Oecologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dietrich ◽  
Simone Cesarz ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Christiane Roscher ◽  
Nico Eisenhauer
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Resource Quality ◽  
Plant Feeding ◽  
Shoot Mass

AbstractDiversity loss has been shown to change the soil community; however, little is known about long-term consequences and underlying mechanisms. Here, we investigated how nematode communities are affected by plant species richness and whether this is driven by resource quantity or quality in 15-year-old plant communities of a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment. We extracted nematodes from 93 experimental plots differing in plant species richness, and measured above- and belowground plant biomass production and soil organic carbon concentrations (Corg) as proxies for resource quantity, as well as C/Nleaf ratio and specific root length (SRL) as proxies for resource quality. We found that nematode community composition and diversity significantly differed among plant species richness levels. This was mostly due to positive plant diversity effects on the abundance and genus richness of bacterial-feeding, omnivorous, and predatory nematodes, which benefited from higher shoot mass and soil Corg in species-rich plant communities, suggesting control via resource quantity. In contrast, plant-feeding nematodes were negatively influenced by shoot mass, probably due to higher top–down control by predators, and were positively related to SRL and C/Nleaf, indicating control via resource quality. The decrease of the grazing pressure ratio (plant feeders per root mass) with plant species richness indicated a higher accumulation of plant-feeding nematodes in species-poor plant communities. Our results, therefore, support the hypothesis that soil-borne pathogens accumulate in low-diversity communities over time, while soil mutualists (bacterial-feeding, omnivorous, predatory nematodes) increase in abundance and richness in high-diversity plant communities, which may contribute to the widely-observed positive plant diversity–productivity relationship.

scholarly journals Plant diversity effects on herbivory are mediated by soil biodiversity and plant chemistry

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Ristok ◽  
Alexander Weinhold ◽  
Marcel Ciobanu ◽  
Yvonne Poeschl ◽  
Christiane Roscher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Nematode Community ◽  
Resource Acquisition ◽  
Soil Community ◽  
Aboveground Herbivory ◽  
Acquisition Strategy

Abstract Insect herbivory is a key process in ecosystem functioning. While theory predicts that plant diversity modulates herbivory, the mechanistic links remain unclear. We postulated that the plant metabolome mechanistically links plant diversity and herbivory. In autumn and in spring, we assessed aboveground herbivory rates and plant metabolomes of seven plant species in experimental plant communities varying in plant species and resource acquisition strategy diversity. In the same plots, we also measured plant individual biomass as well as soil microbial and nematode community composition. Herbivory rates decreased with increasing plant species richness. Path modelling revealed that plant species richness and community resource acquisition strategy affected soil community composition. In particular, changes in nematode community composition affected plant metabolomes and thereby herbivory rates. These results provide experimental evidence that soil community composition plays an important role in reducing herbivory rates with increasing plant diversity by changing plant metabolomes.

scholarly journals Identification of the Best Hyperspectral Indices in Estimating Plant Species Richness in Sandy Grasslands

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yu Peng ◽  
Min Fan ◽  
Lan Bai ◽  
Weiguo Sang ◽  
Jinchao Feng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
Spectral Variation ◽  
Spectral Indices ◽  
First Derivative ◽  
Sandy Grasslands

Numerous spectral indices have been developed to assess plant diversity. However, since they are developed in different areas and vegetation type, it is difficult to make a comprehensive comparison among these indices. The primary objective of this study was to explore the optimum spectral indices that can predict plant species richness across different communities in sandy grassland. We use 7339 spectral indices (7217 we developed and 122 that were extracted from literature) to predict plant richness using a two-year dataset of plant species and spectra information at 270 plots. For this analysis, we employed cluster analysis, correlation analysis, and stepwise linear regression. The spectral variability within the 420–480 nm and 760–900 nm ranges, the first derivative value at the sensitive bands, and the normalized difference at narrow spectral ranges correlated well with plant species richness. Within the 7339 indices that were investigated, the first-order derivative values at 606 and 583 nm, the reflectance combinations on red bands: (R802 − R465)/(R802 + R681) and (R750 − R550)/(R750 + R550) showed a stable performance in both the independent calibration and validation datasets (R2 > 0.27, p < 0.001, RMSE < 1.7). They can be regarded as the best spectral indices to estimate plant species richness in sandy grasslands. In addition to these spectral variation indices, the first derivative values or the normalized difference of the sensitive bands also reflect plant diversity. These results can help to improve the estimation of plant diversity using satellite-based airborne and hand-held hyperspectral sensors.

scholarly journals Plant diversity effects on grassland productivity are robust to both nutrient enrichment and drought

2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1694) ◽  
pp. 20150277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dylan Craven ◽  
Forest Isbell ◽  
Pete Manning ◽  
John Connolly ◽  
Helge Bruelheide ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Nutrient Enrichment ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Nutrient Addition ◽  
Ecosystem Productivity ◽  
Grassland Productivity ◽  
Complementarity Effects

Global change drivers are rapidly altering resource availability and biodiversity. While there is consensus that greater biodiversity increases the functioning of ecosystems, the extent to which biodiversity buffers ecosystem productivity in response to changes in resource availability remains unclear. We use data from 16 grassland experiments across North America and Europe that manipulated plant species richness and one of two essential resources—soil nutrients or water—to assess the direction and strength of the interaction between plant diversity and resource alteration on above-ground productivity and net biodiversity, complementarity, and selection effects. Despite strong increases in productivity with nutrient addition and decreases in productivity with drought, we found that resource alterations did not alter biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships. Our results suggest that these relationships are largely determined by increases in complementarity effects along plant species richness gradients. Although nutrient addition reduced complementarity effects at high diversity, this appears to be due to high biomass in monocultures under nutrient enrichment. Our results indicate that diversity and the complementarity of species are important regulators of grassland ecosystem productivity, regardless of changes in other drivers of ecosystem function.

scholarly journals Shading enhances plant species richness and diversity on an extensive green roof

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 935-943
Author(s):  
Henk-Jan van der Kolk ◽  
Petra van den Berg ◽  
Gerard Korthals ◽  
T. Martijn Bezemer
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Light Weight ◽  
Species Richness And Diversity ◽  
Native Soil ◽  
Substrate Depth

Abstract Green roofs can promote biodiversity in urban areas. The extent to which green roofs stimulate plant diversity can depend on roof characteristics such as roof age, substrate depth and shading. We exploratively studied the vegetation on a Dutch green roof in 50 permanent plots (1 m2) over eight years (2012–2019) following roof construction. Plots were situated either on low substrate depth (6 cm light-weight extensive substrate) or high substrate depth (6 cm light-weight extensive substrate topped with 14 cm native soil) and differed in the amount of shading received from a higher building floor. Increased substrate depth and shading additively increased plant species richness and plant diversity, with high shaded plots supporting on average 6.4 more plant species than low unshaded plots. Shading likely acts via reducing drought stress, whereas increasing substrate depth with native soil may also enhance plant diversity via addition of nutrients and native seeds. The vegetation composition on the roof was dynamic and changed over the years. Sedum acre was initially dominant but disappeared within the first years, whereas Sedum kamtschaticum increased and became dominant in the last years. Trifolium arvense was the most abundant forb species and was especially dominant three years after roof construction. We conclude that increased substrate depth and shading can promote plant species richness and diversity and recommend that both aspects are considered when green roofs are designed. Shading can be achieved by a stepped building architecture and by placing structures on the roof itself, such as solar panels on standards.

scholarly journals Contribution of Agro-Environmental Factors to Yield and Plant Diversity of Olive Grove Ecosystems (Olea europaea L.) in the Mediterranean Landscape

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
Alexandra D. Solomou ◽  
Athanassios Sfougaris
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Inorganic Fertilizer ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Olive Grove ◽  
Fertilizer N ◽  
Olive Groves

Olive cultivation (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most significant sources of income for agricultural areas in the Mediterranean basin, and the olive oil industry as well as the environmental protection are an important part of the Greek agricultural sector. Generalized Linear Models were applied in order to investigate the predictive strength of several biodiversity components and agro-environmental factors for yield and herbaceous plant diversity (species richness) in organic and conventional olive groves of Greece. Our study highlights an increase in yields of organic olive groves by increasing manure application and the earthworms’ density. In the conventional olive groves, yields increase by increasing soil organic matter and the application of inorganic fertilizer N. Also, the herbaceous plant species richness increases with increasing the Shannon diversity index of herbaceous plants, the field area, the application of organic fertilizer K and the manure in organic olive groves. As for the conventional ones, herbaceous plant species richness increases with the increase of the application of inorganic fertilizer N. Moreover, some plant species could be regarded as indicators of the differently managed olive groves. Conclusively, this study contributes to the integration of biodiversity conservation with ecologically sustainable agriculture and conservation of agroecosystem. Finally, it could be utilized as a decision and management tool to the scientific and agricultural community reinforcing the knowledge about the agro-environmental impact in olive grove management systems.

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