scholarly journals The Cooling and Humidifying Effects and the Thresholds of Plant Community Structure Parameters in Urban Aggregated Green Infrastructure

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Jiaxing Wei ◽  
Hongbo Li ◽  
Yuncai Wang ◽  
Xizi Xu
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Green Infrastructure ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Structure Parameters ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Canopy Density ◽  
Positive Correlation ◽  
Optimal Thresholds

The cooling and humidifying effects of urban aggregated green infrastructure can provide essential services for city ecosystems, regulating microclimates or mitigating the urban heat island effect. However, the optimal thresholds of plant community structure parameters for maximizing the associated cooling and humidifying effects remain unclear. In this paper, we use the method of dummy variable regression to measure plant communities in an urban aggregated green infrastructure. By examining the relationships between the cooling and humidifying effects and plant community structure parameters (i.e., canopy density, porosity, and vegetation type), we introduce optimal thresholds for the parameters. We find that canopy density has a significantly positive correlation with both cooling and humidifying effects, while porosity has a positive correlation with cooling and a negative one with humidifying. Different vegetation types have distinct influences on cooling and humidifying effects. When the canopy density is between 0.81 and 0.85 and the porosity is between 0.31 and 0.35, the cooling and humidifying effects of the plant communities reach their peak. Additionally, the greening coverage rate and spatial types of urban aggregated green infrastructure have influences on cooling and humidifying effects. The findings can help us to better understand the relationships between plant community structure parameters and their temperature regulation functioning for urban aggregated green infrastructure. This study provides guidelines and theoretical references for the plant configuration of future urban green spaces.

scholarly journals Meta-Analysis of Exotic Forages as Invasive Plants in Complex Multi-Functioning Landscapes

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 292-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Derek Scasta ◽  
David M. Engle ◽  
Samuel D. Fuhlendorf ◽  
Daren D. Redfearn ◽  
Terrance G. Bidwell
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Invasive Plants ◽  
Effect Size ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Forage Species ◽  
Negative Effect

AbstractIntroducing exotic forages in the attempt to enhance livestock and wildlife forage has been practiced widely for over a century. These forage species are selected for traits conferring persistence under stress, potentially yielding invaders that transform native plant communities. Using standardized systematic review guidelines and meta-analytical techniques we quantified effects of exotic forage invasion on change of native plant community structure, and compared the magnitude and direction of change across exotic forage species, plant functional groups, and structure of plant communities. Our study of 13 exotic forage species in North America (six C4 grasses, three C3 grasses, and four legumes) yielded 35 papers with quantitative data from 64 case studies. Nine of the 13 species met our inclusion criteria for meta-analysis. The overall effect of exotic forage invasion on native plant communities was negative (Ē̄ = −0.74; 95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.29 to −0.25). The effect size was most negative for two C4 grasses, Lehmann lovegrass and Old World bluestems. A negative effect was also expressed by C3 and C4 grass functional groups, and these effects were stronger than for legumes. Effect size differed among measures of plant community structure, with the greatest negative effect on native plant biomass and the least negative effect on species evenness. Weighted fail-safe numbers indicated publication bias was not an issue. Exotic forage species are important for agricultural production but may threaten complex multi-functioning landscapes and should be considered as a subset of potentially invasive exotic species. Characteristics making exotic forages different from other exotic plants hinge on pathways of selection and dispersion: selection is based on persistence mechanisms similar to characteristics of invasive plants; dispersion by humans is intentional across expansive geographic regions. Exotic forages present a complex socio-ecological problem exacerbated by disconnected scientific disciplines, competing interests between policy and science, and organized efforts to increase food production.

scholarly journals Within-species phylogenetic relatedness of a common mycorrhizal fungus affects evenness in plant communities through effects on dominant species

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Romain Savary ◽  
Lucas Villard ◽  
Ian R. Sanders
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungus ◽  
Species Variation ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Differential Effects ◽  
The Impact

AbstractArbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have been shown to influence plant community structure and diversity. Studies based on single plant - single AMF isolate experiments show that within AMF species variation leads to large differential growth responses of different plant species. Because of these differential effects, genetic differences among isolates of an AMF species could potentially have strong effects on the structure of plant communities.We tested the hypothesis that within species variation in the AMF R. irregularis significantly affects plant community structure and plant co-existence. We took advantage of a recent genetic characterization of several isolates using double-digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRADseq). This allowed us to test not only for the impact of within AMF species variation on plant community structure but also for the role of the R. irregularis phylogeny on plant community metrics. Nine isolates of R. irregularis, belonging to three different genetic groups (Gp1, Gp3 and Gp4), were used as either single inoculum or as mixed diversity inoculum. Plants in a mesocosm representing common species that naturally co-exist in European grasslands were inoculated with the different AMF treatments.We found that within-species differences in R. irregularis did not strongly influence the performance of individual plants or the structure of the overall plant community. However, the evenness of the plant community was affected by the phylogeny of the fungal isolates, where more closely-related AMF isolates were more likely to affect plant community evenness in a similar way compared to more genetically distant isolates.This study underlines the effect of within AMF species variability on plant community structure. While differential effects of the AMF isolates were not strong, a single AMF species had enough functional variability to change the equilibrium of a plant community in a way that is associated with the evolutionary history of the fungus.

Plant Community Structure of Tropical Semi-Evergreen Forest of Reiek in Mamit District of Mizoram

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 58-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.T. Lalzarzovi ◽  
◽  
Lalnun Tluanga
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Structural Analysis ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Ecological Study ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspots ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Floristic Survey ◽  
Normal Spectrum

Ecological study of tropical semi-evergreen forest of Reiek in Mizoram was carried out to determine the stratification of the forest as well as to prepare life form spectrum of the plant communities. Mizoram is a part of Indo- Myanmar region which falls under one of the 35 biodiversity hotspots identified worldwide and therefore has a rich biodiversity. A detailed floristic survey was carried out. Plant species were collected, mounted in herbarium sheets and identified. Structural analysis was carried out and profile diagram was drawn. The forest was found to be composed of three layers in both the disturbed and undisturbed areas of the forest. The life form spectrum has been compared with Raunkiers normal spectrum to find out the phytoclimate of the region. The study area was found to have an abundance of phanerophytes indicating a phanerophytic climate

Study on Construction of Close-to-Nature Man-Made Plant Landscape Based on Natural Plant Communities: the Case of West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou

2012 ◽  
Vol 468-471 ◽  
pp. 2764-2770
Author(s):  
Shan Lu ◽  
Bo Chen ◽  
Shao Qing Hu ◽  
Jing Jing Zhang ◽  
Jun Hao Jiang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Vegetation Composition ◽  
Natural Community ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Natural Plant ◽  
West Lake ◽  
Construction Methods ◽  
Landscape Plant

Urban close-to-nature plant community is a sustainable design and construction philosophy of landscape greenbelt planning. However, there is no explicit guide for constructing close-to-nature plant community Based on the analysis of community structure and characteristics of 10 typical natural plant communities in the West Lake Scenic Area in Hangzhou and summary of the features of natural community, as well as the analysis of plant landscape of Hangzhou Huagangguanyu Park to prove that the close-to-nature man-made plant community and natural plant community are interrelated in respect of vegetation composition and community structure, this paper puts forward to the essential construction methods of the close-to-nature landscape community, providing theoretical basis for research and construction of urban close-to-nature landscape plant community in China.

scholarly journals Altitudinally coordinated pattern of plant community structure in the Shivapuri National Park, Nepal

1970 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shalik Ram Sigdel
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
National Park ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Flower Colour ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Plant Community Structure ◽  
Closed Canopy

Study on plant community structure was undertaken in different altitudinal ranges of Shivapuri National Park. The general objective of this study is to analyse different plant community structure in Shivapuri National Park with regards to altitudinal variation. The forest was divided into three distinct altitudinal ranges on the basis of dominancy. In each altitudinal range standard quadrats method was applied for vegetation analysis. The highest number of species was found in site II. All the ecological parameters of the plant species were higher in site II except Basal Area of tree that was highest in site III. The pattern of distribution of plant species was not uniform according to altitude. At higher elevation, the forest was mature with almost closed canopy and trees were large; so the tree density was low. Species richness was highest in site II. Species diversity among tree and shrub species was higher in site I. But for herb species diversity was higher in site II for both seasons. Such type of variations may be due to nature of soil i.e. acidity, nutrient availability and other micro-climatic factors. The most noteworthy thing was that variation in flower colour of Rhododendron arboreum i.e. deep scarlet at low altitude, but it gradually changed into pinkish white as altitude increased. Key words: Altitude, Density, Plant community, Species diversity doi: 10.3126/banko.v18i1.2161 Banko Janakari, Vol. 18, No. 1, 11-17

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