scholarly journals Effects of anthropogenic disturbance on plant composition, plant diversity and soil properties in oak forests, Iran

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 358-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rad Javad Eshaghi ◽  
Valadi Gelare ◽  
Salehzadeh Osman ◽  
Maroofi Hosein

Three sites including “less disturbed”, “moderately disturbed” and “severely disturbed” were selected in Zagros forests in Kurdistan province (Iran). Three forest stands with similar physiographic conditions of each site were selected and three 400 m2 plots were assessed in each stand to record the floristic information and soil sample (0–30 cm). Different diversity indices were calculated for each sample. Cluster analysis and to collect soil samples detrended correspondence analysis were applied to categorize and investigate the vegetation trend. Indicator species analysis was used to determine the characteristic species. Tukey test was used to compare the variables amongst sites. The results showed that 47, 25, 15 species were exclusively observed in less disturbed, moderately disturbed and severely disturbed sites, respectively. Furthermore, cluster analysis illustrated the distinction amongst sites and detrended correspondence analysis result showed that the vegetation of the regions was ordinated by disturbance gradient. 21, 5, 7 characteristic species were respectively indicated in less disturbed, moderately disturbed and severely disturbed sites. In general, plant composition, plant diversity and soil quality were decreased dramatically along the disturbance gradient.

Author(s):  
Otakar Holuša

Structure of psocid taxocenoses (Psocoptera) were intensively studied in forest ecosystems of the Western Carpathian Mts. and Polonic biogeographical subprovincy during 1997–2001 in the Czech Republic. Vegetation tiers (= altitudinal vegetation zones) were used as a study frame. Only a part of material, i.e. individuals that was found in the forest ecosystems of Querci-fageta s. lat. communities (= the 3rd oak-beech vegetation tier) was evaluated for purpose of this work. This vegetation tier is widespread in large part of the Opavská pahorkatina hills, in large parts of Podbeskydská pahorktina hills, in the Bílé Karpaty hills and in the foothills of the Vsetínské vrchy hills. 1201 adults comprising 29 species were found in total in the 3rd vegetation tier. As eudominant species, the following ones were found: Peripsocus subfasciatus, Caecilius flavius and Stenopsocus lachlani, as dominant species, the following ones were found: Philotarsus parviceps and Caecilius piceus. In natural geobiocenoses with the level of naturalness of 1 or 2, the following species were found: as eudominant species: Caecilius flavidus, Peripsocus phaeopterus, as dominant species, the following ones were found: Caecilius piceus, Peripsocus subfasciatus, Philotarsus parviceps and Elipsocus moebiusi. Taxocenoses of psocids were evaluated by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Divisive Cluster Analysis (DvClA). This material was compared to another material gained from various vegetation tiers in the Western Carpathians Mts. The characteristic species composition of psocids in the 3rd vegetation tier was as follows – Elipsocus moebiusi – E. hyalinus – Philotarsus parviceps – Ectopsocus meridionalis – Caecilius flavidus.


2009 ◽  
Vol 55 (No. 4) ◽  
pp. 184-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Holuša

Psocid (Psocoptera) taxocoenoses were studied in forest ecosystems of the Western Carpathian Mts. in 1997–2001. As a study frame, vegetation tiers (VT = altitudinal vegetation zones) of geobiocoenological or forest-typological system were used. Lower units of forest typological system (forest type complexes) were used for the classification of ecological conditions and the material found in forest ecosystems of <I>Abieti-fageta</I> s. lat. communities (5<sup>th</sup> fir-beech VT) was evaluated in detail. This VT is the most widespread in the regions under study (the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts., the Vsetínské vrchy Hills and Javorníky). 2,023 adults comprising 28 species were found in the 5<sup>th</sup> VT. <I>Caecilius burmeisteri</I> was found as eudominant species; <I>Philotarsus picicornis, Caecilius flavidus</I> and <I>Peripsocus subfasciatus</I> were found as dominant species. In natural geobiocoenoses with the level of naturalness 1 or 2, the following species were found: <I>Mesopsocus unipunctatus, Caecilius flavidus</I>, and <I>Caecilius burmeisteri</I> as eudominant and <I>Caecilius despaxi</I> as dominant. Taxocoenoses of psocids were evaluated by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Divisive Cluster Analysis (DvClA). The axes were interpreted in DCA-analysis as follows: the <I>x</I>-axis denotes the influence of VTs and the <I>q</I>-axis refers to the influence of hydricity. This material was compared with other material obtained from various vegetation tiers in the Western Carpathians Mts. The characteristic species composition of psocids in the 5<sup>th</sup> VT was as follows: <I>Caecilius flavidus – C. burmeisteri – C. despaxi – Metylophorus nebulosus – Philotarsus picicornis</I>.


Author(s):  
Otakar Holuša

Psocid taxocenoses (Psocoptera) were studied in forest ecosystems of the Western Carpathian Mts. during 1997–2001. As a study frame, vegetation tiers (= altitudinal vegetation zones) were used. Lower units of forest typological system (forest type complexes) were used for a classification of ecological conditions as well. Only a part of material, i.e. individuals that was found in the forest ecosystems of Piceeti-fageta s. lat. communities (= the 6th spruce-beech vegetation tier) was evaluated for purpose of this work. This vegetation tier is widespread in higher parts of mountains (the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts. and partly in the Oravské Beskydy Mts.). 554 adults comprising 17 species were found in total in the 6th vegetation tier. As eudominant species, the following ones were found: Caecilius despaxi, Caecilius burmeisteri, Mesopsocus unipunctatus, and Stenopsocus lachlani; as dominant species, the following ones were found: Caecilius flavidus and Reuterella helvimacula. In natural geobiocenoses with the level of naturalness of 1 or 2, the following species were found: as eudominant species: Mesopsocus unipunctatus, Stenopsocus lachlani, Caecilius despaxi, Amphigerontia bifasciata and Reuterella helvimacula. Dominant species was Caecilius burmeisteri and Caecilius flavidus. Taxocenoses of psocids were evaluated by Detrended Correspondence analysis (DCA) and Divisive Cluster analysis (DvClA). This material was compared to another material gained from various vegetation tiers in the Western Carpathians Mts. The characteristic species composition of psocids in the 6th vegetation tier was as follows – Cecilius despaxi – Stenopsocus lachlani – Mesopsocus unipunctatus – Reuterella helvimacula.


Koedoe ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Hanekom ◽  
A. Southwood ◽  
M. Ferguson

Sampling plots (5 m x 10 m in fynbos, 10 m x 10 m in forest) were analysed in the littoral, coastal escarpment, and north and south facing inland escarp- ment zones of 17 transect sites along the length of the Tsitsikamma Coastal National Park. Cover- abundance values were estimated for each species in the sampling plots. A detrended correspondence analysis (using CANOCO) and a two way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) were carried out on these data to determine the communities sampled. The vegetation of the park was classified into an Afromontane Forest, a Littoral Herbland and two Mesic Mountain Fynbos Communities. The distribution and extent of these communities were determined and their conservation discussed.


Hacquetia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-77
Author(s):  
Eva Kabaš ◽  
Snežana Vukojičić ◽  
Antun Alegro ◽  
Boštjan Surina ◽  
Nevena Kuzmanović ◽  
...  

Abstract Phytosociological and numerical analyses of grasslands dominated by Sesleria juncifolia s.l. in Serbia were performed in order to resolve their syntaxonomy and nomenclature. Twelve releves were sampled on Mt. Mučanj (western Serbia), which were then compared with similar releves from other parts of the Balkan Peninsula by means of numerical analyses. The releves were classified using cluster analysis, while the ordination was conducted using Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). The results suggest the occurrence of two floristically well defined Dinaric associations in Serbia: Seslerio juncifoliae-Edraianthetum graminifolii ass. nova from Mt. Mokra Gora (Oxytropidion urumovii, Elyno-Seslerietea) and Diantho petraeae-Seslerietum juncifoliae ass. nova (Chrysopogono-Saturejion, Festuco-Brometea) from Mt. Mučanj.


Biologia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 67 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mária Petrášová ◽  
Ivan Jarolímek

AbstractHardwood floodplain forests in Slovakia have been traditionally classified within the class Querco-Fagetea, order Fagetalia, alliance Alnion incanae, suballiance Ulmenion. Five main syntaxonomical studies on this topic come from the years 1958–1972 and were published by several authors from different regions. Each author described several new geographically delimited subassociations which were considered to be confined to single lowland region. This resulted in unclear classification scheme of hardwood floodplain forests in Slovakia with numerous floristically poorly differentiated units, especially at the subassociation level. We used 404 relevés ordered to the suballiance Ulmenion in the Slovak national database (http://ibot.sav.sk/cdf/) and analysed the dataset by cluster analysis and detrended correspondence analysis. We distinguished four groups of relevés which represents four subassociations within one association Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum: Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum caricetosum acutiformis Soó in Aszód 1936 corr. Soó 1964, Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum populetosum Jurko 1958 (Džatko 1972), Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum carpinetosum (Simon 1957) Džatko 1972 and Fraxino pannonicae-Ulmetum convallarietosum Jurko 1958. Associations Querco pedunculiflorae-Populetum tremuli Šomšák et Háberová 1979, Arunco-Salicetum capreae Hadač et al. 1969 and Filipendulo-Salicetum capreae Hadač et al. 1969 we propose to exclude from the suballiance Ulmenion.


Author(s):  
Otakar Holuša

Structure of psocid taxocenoses (Psocoptera) were studied in forest ecosystems of the Western Carpathian Mts. during 1997–2001. Vegetation tiers were used as a study frame. Lower units of forest site classification system (forest type complexes) were used for a classification of ecological conditions as well. Only a part of material, i.e. individuals that was found in the forest ecosystems of Fageta abietis s. lat. communities (= the 4th beech vegetation tier) was evaluated for purpose of this work. This vegetation tier is widespread in large part of Vsetínské vrchy hills, in the highest parts of Podbeskydská pahorkatina hills, and in the foothills of the Moravskoslezské Beskydy Mts. 1774 adults comprising 32 species were found in total in the 4th vegetation tier. As eudominant species, the following ones were found: Caecilius flavidus and C. burmeisteri, as dominant species, the following ones were found: Philotarsus picicornis, Elipsocus moebiusi and Peripsocus subfasciatus. In natural geobiocenoses with the level of naturalness of 1 or 2, the following species were found: as eudominant species: Caecilius flavidus and Elipsocus moebiusi, as dominant species, the following one was found: Mesopsocus unipunctatum. Taxocenoses of psocids were evaluated by Detrended Correspondence analysis (DCA) and Divisive Cluster analysis (DvClA). This material was compared to another material gained from various vegetation tiers in the Western Carpathians Mts. The characteristic species composition of psocids in the 4th vegetation tier was as follows: Caecilius flavidus – Elipsocus moebiusi – Peripsocus parvulus.


2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guo-Hong Wang ◽  
Hai-Wei Zhao ◽  
Meng An ◽  
He Li ◽  
Wei-Kang Zhang

Abstract Aims We aimed to elucidate the driving forces underlying the geographical distribution of spruce forests, as well as the morphological and phylogenetic divergence among spruce species in China. Methods One hundred and seventy two sites across the entire range of spruce forests in China (23°–53° N, 75°–134° E, 250–4300 m a.s.l.) were sampled for species composition, geographical coordinates, and topographic and climatic variables. Sixteen spruce taxa, which are naturally distributed in China, were respectively grouped into morphologically defined sections and phylogenetically distinct clades. Multivariate approaches, including two-way indicator species analysis, principal components analysis, detrended correspondence analysis, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), and partial CCA, were used for data analysis. Important Findings The 172 samples grouped into 13 spruce forests, the geographical distributions of which were closely related to climate and geographical location. The variation in species composition explained by the geographical coordinates (32.01%) was significantly higher than that explained by the climatic (27.76%) and topographic variables (23.32%). Of the three morphologically defined sections, sect. Omorica occurred mainly in wetter habitats with a mean annual precipitation of ca. 229 mm and 426 mm higher than the habitats of sect. Casicta and sect. Picea (P &lt; 0.01), respectively. Of the two phylogenetically distinct clades, Clade-II (an older clade) occurred in habitats with warm winters and cool summers whose mean temperature in the coldest month was ca. 8–10°C higher, yet accumulated temperature during the growing season (≥ 5°C) was ca. 297–438°C lower, than the habitats of Clade-III (a younger clade) (P &lt; 0.01). Our data support the hypothesis that geographical location may be a greater determinant of variation in species composition. In addition, moisture conditions tend to be the key determinants that account for the divergence among the morphologically defined sections, while the phylogenetic divergence among spruce species is mainly affected by temperature conditions. While the clades or sections of the spruce species in question carry strong climatic signals, their divergences are subject to different selective pressures.


Author(s):  
Italo Testa ◽  
Raffaele De Luca Picione ◽  
Umberto Scotti di Uccio

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to analyse Italian high school and university students’ attitudes towards physics using the Semiotic Cultural Psychological Theory (SCPT). In the SCPT framework, attitudes represent how individuals interpret their experience through the mediation of generalized meaning with which they are identified. A view-of-physics questionnaire was used as an instrument to collect data with 1603 high school and university students. Data were analysed through multiple correspondence analysis and cluster analysis. We identified four generalized meanings of physics: (a) interesting and important for society; (b) a quite interesting, but badly taught subject at school and not completely useful for society; (c) difficult to study and irrelevant for society; and (d) a fascinating and protective niche from society. The identified generalized meanings are significantly correlated to the choice to study physics at undergraduate level and to the choice of attending physics-related activities in high school. Implications for research are discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 71 (1 suppl 1) ◽  
pp. 265-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Pott ◽  
AKM Oliveira ◽  
GA Damasceno-Junior ◽  
JSV Silva

This is a review of current studies in diversity of the flora and main vegetation types in the Brazilian Pantanal. The flora of this wetland, nearly 2,000 species, constitutes a pool of elements of wide distribution and from more or less adjacent phytogeographic provinces, such as Cerrado, dry seasonal forests, Chaco, Amazonia and Atlantic Forest. The most numerous group includes wide-distribution species, mainly herbs, while the second contingent comes from the Cerrado. Endemic plants are rare, numbering only seven. The vegetation of the sedimentary floodplain is a mosaic of aquatics, floodable grasslands, riparian forests, savannas (cerrados), cerrado woodlands, dry forests, and a large area of mono-dominant savannas, and pioneer woodlands. The main vegetation types are briefly described with their characteristic species, and their estimated areas are given according to the latest mapping.


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