scholarly journals The relative contributions of rare and common species to the patterns of species richness in plant communities

2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 658-664
Author(s):  
Shixiong Wang ◽  
◽  
Liang Zhao ◽  
Na Li ◽  
Hua Guo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Common Species

scholarly journals Disentangling the Ecological Determinants of Species and Functional Trait Diversity in Herb-Layer Plant Communities in European Temperate Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Janez Kermavnar ◽  
Lado Kutnar ◽  
Aleksander Marinšek
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Functional Trait ◽  
Forest Stand ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Bud Bank ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Stand Characteristics

Forest herb-layer vegetation responds sensitively to environmental conditions. This paper compares drivers of both taxonomic, i.e., species richness, cover and evenness, and functional herb-layer diversity, i.e., the diversity of clonal, bud bank and leaf-height-seed plant traits. We investigated the dependence of herb-layer diversity on ecological determinants related to soil properties, climatic parameters, forest stand characteristics, and topographic and abiotic and biotic factors associated with forest floor structure. The study was conducted in different forest types in Slovenia, using vegetation and environmental data from 50 monitoring plots (400 m2 each) belonging to the ICP Forests Level I and II network. The main objective was to first identify significant ecological predictors and then quantify their relative importance. Species richness was strongly determined by forest stand characteristics, such as richness of the shrub layer, tree layer shade-casting ability as a proxy for light availability and tree species composition. It showed a clear positive relation to soil pH. Variation in herb-layer cover was also best explained by forest stand characteristics and, to a lesser extent, by structural factors such as moss cover. Species evenness was associated with tree species composition, shrub layer cover and soil pH. Various ecological determinants were decisive for the diversity of below-ground traits, i.e., clonal and bud bank traits. For these two trait groups we observed a substantial climatic signal that was completely absent for taxonomy-based measures of diversity. In contrast, above-ground leaf-height-seed (LHS) traits were driven exclusively by soil reaction and nitrogen availability. In synthesis, local stand characteristics and soil properties acted as the main controlling factors for both species and trait diversity in herb-layer communities across Slovenia, confirming many previous studies. Our findings suggest that the taxonomic and functional facets of herb-layer vegetation are mainly influenced by a similar set of ecological determinants. However, their relative importance varies among individual taxonomy- and functional trait-based diversity measures. Integrating multi-faceted approaches can provide complementary information on patterns of herb-layer diversity in European forest plant communities.

Diversity and distribution of large branchiopods in Kiskunság (Hungary) in relation to local habitat and spatial factors: implications for their conservation

2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (10) ◽  
pp. 940 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liesbet Boven ◽  
Bram Vanschoenwinkel ◽  
Els R. De Roeck ◽  
Ann Hulsmans ◽  
Luc Brendonck
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Hot Spot ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Ecological Knowledge ◽  
Species Dispersal ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Spatial Factors ◽  
Large Branchiopods

Large branchiopods are threatened worldwide by the loss and degradation of their temporary aquatic habitats owing to drainage and intensive agriculture. Sound ecological knowledge of their diversity and distribution is a prerequisite to formulate effective conservation measures. In the present study, large branchiopods were collected from 82 temporary freshwater pools belonging to five habitat types in Kiskunság (Hungary). Dormant propagule bank analysis complemented the field survey. Eleven species were found, with large branchiopods occurring in more than half of the study systems. The high regional species richness and occurrence frequency of large branchiopods make Kiskunság a true ‘hot spot’ of large branchiopod diversity. The local environment was more important than spatial factors (isolation) in explaining the presence of the most common species. Dispersal was most likely not limiting for the large branchiopods in the study area and colonisation success of different species was differentially affected by local conditions, possibly invertebrate predation risk and hydroperiod. Meadow pools and wheel tracks contributed most to regional species richness through the presence of rare and exclusive species. To conserve branchiopod diversity, we stress the importance of high habitat diversity in the landscape and the need to conserve neglected habitats such as wheel tracks.

scholarly journals Structure of three subtropical bat assemblages (Chiroptera) in the Andean rainforests of Argentina

Mammalia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariano S. Sánchez
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Seasonal Changes ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Guild Structure ◽  
Trophic Guild ◽  
Long Tail ◽  
Mist Net ◽  
Yungas Forests

AbstractI evaluated bat assemblages in terms of species richness, relative abundance, trophic guild structure, and seasonal changes at three sites along of the Southern Yungas forests. A total of 854 individuals were captured, representing 25 species of three families, with an effort of 27,138 m of mist net opened per hour. Subtropical assemblages showed a similar structure to those from tropical landmark, with a dominance of frugivorous Phyllostomid; in addition, a few species were abundant, followed by a long tail of less common species. However, subtropical sites differed due to the dominance of the genus

Distribution of moss-inhabiting diatoms along an altitudinal gradient at sub-Antarctic Îles Kerguelen

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niek J.M. Gremmen ◽  
Bart van de Vijver ◽  
Yves Frenot ◽  
Marc Lebouvier
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Altitudinal Gradient ◽  
Cross Validation ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Diatom Species ◽  
Expected Species Richness

Altitudinal gradients provide excellent opportunities to study relationships between species distribution and climatic variables. We studied the species composition of 39 samples of moss-inhabiting diatoms, collected at 50 m intervals from 100–650 m above sea level. The samples contained a total of 130 diatom species, of which 51 occurred in 10 or more samples. Altitude appeared to be the most important variable explaining variation in species composition. Of the 51 common species, 33 showed a significant relationship with altitude. Although the majority of the latter declined with increasing altitude, for nine species the probability of occurrence first increased with increasing elevation, but decreased again at higher altitudes, and four species increased systematically with elevation. As a result, expected species richness per sample decreased from an estimated 43 at 100 m to 25 species per sample at 650 m. Diatom distribution patterns proved to be suitable predictors of the altitudinal position of sample sites. Cross-validation yielded a strong relationship between predicted and observed altitudes.

Species Richness Interacts with Drought to Affect Litter Decomposition via its Effect on Litter Nitrogen Concentration

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiang Wang ◽  
Yuan Ge ◽  
J. Hans C. Cornelissen ◽  
Xiaoyan Wang ◽  
Song Gao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Global Change ◽  
Climatic Change ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Plant Invasions ◽  
Exotic Plant ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Litter Nitrogen

Abstract Biodiversity loss, exotic plant invasions and climatic change are currently the three major challenges to our globe and can each affect various ecological processes, including litter composition. To gain a better understanding of global change impacts on ecological processes, these three global change components need to be considered simultaneously. Here we assembled experimental plant communities with species richness levels (1, 2, 4, 8 or 16) and subjected them to drought (no, moderate or intensive drought) and invasion (invasion by the exotic annual plant Symphyotrichum subulatum or not). We collected litter of the native plant communities and let it decompose for nine months within the communities. Drought decreased litter decomposition, while the exotic plant invasion had no impact. Increasing species richness decreased litter decomposition under the mesic condition (no drought), but had little impact under moderate and intensive drought. A structural equation model showed that drought and species richness affected litter decomposition mainly via influencing litter nitrogen concentration, but not via altering the quantity and diversity of soil meso-fauna or soil physio-chemical properties. The negative impact of species diversity on litter decomposition under the mesic condition was mainly ascribed to a sampling effect, i.e. via particularly low litter nitrogen concentrations in the two dominant species. Our results indicate that species richness can interact with drought to affect litter decomposition via effect on litter nitrogen. We conclude that nitrogen-dependent litter decomposition should be a mechanism to predict integrated effects of plant diversity loss, exotic plant invasions and climatic change on litter decomposition.

scholarly journals Effect of Urbanization on Vegetation in Riparian Area: Plant Communities in Artificial and Semi-Natural Habitats

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Cao ◽  
Yosihiro Natuhara
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Impervious Surface ◽  
Riparian Areas ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Artificial Habitats ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Impact Of Urbanization ◽  
The Impact

Riparian areas are local hot spots of biodiversity that are vulnerable and easily degraded. Comparing plant communities in habitats with different degrees of urbanization may provide valuable information for the management and restoration of these vulnerable habitats. In this study, we explored the impact of urbanization on vegetation communities between artificial and semi-natural habitats within two rivers with different levels of development. We compared species richness, types of vegetation, and composition patterns of the plants in our study. In artificial habitats, the sites with relatively high levels of urbanization had the highest species richness, while in semi-natural habitats, the highest species richness was recorded in the less urbanized sites. Furthermore, every component of urbanization that contributed to the variation of species richness was examined in the current study. In artificial habitats, the proportion of impervious surface was the strongest predictor of the variation in species richness and was associated with the richness of alien, native, and riparian species. In semi-natural habitats, most of the richness of alien and native species were associated with the distance to the city center, and the number of riparian and ruderal species was significantly related to the proportion of impervious surface. Moreover, we found that a high level of urbanization was always associated with a large abundance of alien and ruderal species in both artificial and in semi-natural habitats. We recommend the methods of pair comparison of multiple rivers to analyze the impact of urbanization on plant species in riparian areas and have suggested various management actions for maintaining biodiversity and sustainability in riparian ecosystems.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document