Species-area curves revisited: the effects of model choice on parameter sensitivity to environmental, community, and individual plant characteristics

Species-area curves are often employed to identify factors affecting biodiversity patterns. The aim of this study was to determine how model choice affects biological interpretation of SAC parameters at a small scale in wet, temperate meadows (?elezné hory Mts, Czech Republic). We estimated 88 species-area curves in nested plots on areas ranging from 0.01 to 4?m² at 22 localities using four different models (Arrhenius, Gleason, and their log transformations). Relationships were tested between the parameters of the fitted curves (slope and intercept) and a number of environmental and vegetation characteristics (environmental??water table, pH, nutrient availability, organic matter content; community??productivity, evenness; and individual plant??shoot cyclicity, persistence of connection among ramets, multiplication rate, dispersal ability). Species diversity was calculated for 0.01, 1, and 4?m². The corrected Akaike information criterion was used to identify the best model. The models differed in their sensitivity to environmental, community, and individual plant characteristics. The spatial scale that was the most suitable for revealing the factors underlying species diversity was the smallest considered (0.01?m²). The most important factors were spatial pattern in community structure (evenness, lateral spread), plant mobility (lateral spread and persistence), and soil properties. Although Gleason model showed better fit to data (both non-log and log transformation) and its intercept was more sensitive to tested biological characteristics, the Arrhenius model was more sensitive when correlating biological characteristics and slope. Choice of model according to best fit criteria restricts possibilities of biological interpretation and deserves further study.     

广西木论国家级自然保护区植物物种多样性初步研究

广西木论国家级自然保护区位于我国滇黔桂植物区和华南植物区的交错地带，是古北极与古热带两大植物区系交接过渡的中心地带，在我国生物多样性保护区域中占据不可替代的地位。为摸清广西木论国家级自然保护区植物物种多样性，该文基于历史文献整理、野外调查、标本采集和鉴定以及数据统计分析，对该保护区维管束植物物种多样性组成及其特点进行了研究。结果表明：(1)该区共有维管束植物1 735种，包括石松类和蕨类植物218种、种子植物1 517种，具有较丰富的维管束植物多样性组成以及较复杂的植物区系成分。(2)该区共有中国特有植物486种、广西特有植物56种、岩溶特有植物262种，具有显著的植物特有性。(3)该区共有国家重点保护野生植物68种、广西重点保护野生植物153种、我国极小种群野生植物4种、受威胁植物108种、列入《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》(CITES)附录植物144种，具有较高程度的植物珍稀濒危性。综上表明，该区是我国重要的岩溶植物基因库，具有极其重要的保护价值。该研究结果为自然保护区的建设和管理、植物保护和利用以及其他科研工作的开展提供了重要依据。     

小兴安岭阔叶红松林木本植物种-面积关系

种-面积关系研究是了解植物群落结构的重要途径,是群落生态学的基本问题。不同的研究方法对种-面积关系影响很大。利用黑龙江省小兴安岭两个10.4 hm2样地和5个1.0 hm2样地的调查数据,采用移动窗口法确定各样地的最小取样面积,避免了巢式取样法及随机样方法的不足。并采用4种种-面积关系模型进行拟合,评价各关系模型的适合度。在此基础上,基于最小面积进行模拟随机取样,探讨取样大小对物种数估计精度的影响。研究结果表明:由于拟合曲线模型的适用性及曲线外推可靠性问题的存在,采用拟合曲线的方法所估计的最小面积与实际值偏差较大。实际调查得到的各样地最小面积40 m×40 m—45 m×45 m,说明小兴安岭地区阔叶红松林群落所需的最小面积基本一致,但各样地群落结构的差异却在对取样数量的要求上体现出来。其中丰林与大亮子河样地物种数分布相对均匀,所需最小样方数量较少;而方正与胜山样地物种数分布异质性较大,差异的机理还有待于进一步研究。     

大相岭自然保护区珙桐群落植物区系、结构及动态

在多次调查的基础上,对四川大相岭自然保护区珙桐(Davidia involucrata)群落的植物区系组成、群落结构、更新现状以及群落演替进行了探究。结果表明:(1)大相岭自然保护区的植被为亚热带向温带过渡的区系类型,大量古老孑遗属的存在反映出珙桐群落植物区系的孑遗性和古老性。(2)群落整体径级结构呈偏正态分布型,高度级结构呈倒J型,群落结构发展趋势较为稳定。(3)大相岭自然保护区珙桐种群整体年龄结构近似呈金字塔型,为增长型种群。总体来说,珙桐纯林(C类型群落)搭配优势度最优,处于后期稳定型演替阶段,是大相岭自然保护区珙桐群落中的顶极群落。研究认为,设立专门的珙桐保护区开展就地保护是针对此类珙桐原生群落有效的保护方法。     

Methods for fitting dominance/diversity curves

Abstract. Dominance/diversity curves, displaying the relative abundances of the species within a community, have often been constructed from field data. Several ecological and statistical models of dominance/diversity have been proposed, to explain the curves. Yet, rarely have curves of different models been fitted to field data. In this paper the appropriate parameters and methods of curve fitting for plant communities are described for the General Lognormal, Canonical Lognormal, Geometric, Broken Stick, Zipf and Zipf-Mandelbrot models. Distinction is made between fixed and optimised parameters, to clarify para-meterisation of the models. It is concluded that all should be fitted by minimising the deviance in a ranked-abundance plot. Statistical tests of goodness of fit are discussed. It is concluded that consistency of fit between replicate quadrats of a community provide the best test. Curves of all the models discussed are fitted to data from a species-rich Spanish hay meadow, and to data from a New Zealand intertidal algal community. The Spanish meadow data are best fitted by General Lognormal. The New Zealand algal data are best fitted by Geometric or General Lognormal. Goodness of fit for a sample is usually relatively good or poor for all models, since much of the deviance comes from steps in the curve which none of the models can fit closely.     

海南霸王岭热带雨林植被取样技术研究

借助地理信息系统软件的表格操作及邻体分析功能,以海南霸王岭自然保护区的沟谷雨林为例,探讨热带雨林的取样技术。结果表明,用种．面积曲线所获得的热带雨林的最小面积往往过大,而采用重要值．面积曲线所确定的最小面积则为4000m^2;无样地取样采用最近个体法,由种．点数曲线可以确定最少点数为119,而采用重要值．点数曲线,可以确定该雨林取样的最小点数为280。种．个体曲线表明,如果要获取多一倍的物种数,则所需调查的个体数应是原来的4倍。     

Community reassembly: a test using limestone grassland in New Zealand

To examine community reassembly, we sampled grasslands on calcareous soil (4%–24% CaCO₃) in New Zealand that were largely composed of species introduced from Britain. We tested whether the British species had reassembled on New Zealand limestone into the same communities as they form on limestone in Britain. The vegetation of six New Zealand sites was sampled, each with ten 2 × 2 m quadrats that followed the standard methodology of the British National Vegetation Classification (NVC). Analysing species presence and cover using program TableFit with the full database of British species, the New Zealand species assemblages gave poor to moderate fits (40%–72%) to the communities of the NVC, and even then not to calcareous grassland, though one site did fit to a calcareous spring community. The poor fits can be partly attributed to the absence from New Zealand of many British calcareous-specialist species. On omitting from the NVC database all species not present in New Zealand, the fits increased somewhat to 48%–77%. Using this modified database, two sites fitted British calcareous grassland communities. These two sites are on thinner soil (<10 cm depth), under lower rainfall. Where fits were obtained to calcareous communities, the environment of the community in Britain matched very well that of the New Zealand site. It is concluded that environmental and perhaps biotic filtering has been strong enough in some sites to assort alien species into the same species assemblages as they form in their native range, indicating the Deterministic model of community structure. However, the absence of some species has prevented full reassembly.     

A model of the species rank-abundance relation for a community in an open habitat

A mathematical model is proposed to describe the relationship between the abundance and the rank of species in order from the most abundant to the least in a community in an open habitat. This model is derived as a corollary of a species-area equation (Kobayashi , 1975) which could be expected in the case where the individuals of each species are uniformly distributed over a habitat area. Numerical simulation reveals that a rank-abundance curve for a universe results in different species-area or species-individual curves according to the spatial distribution of individuals, and that the relative abundance of each species in a sample varies with sample size unless the spatial distribution of individuals is uniform. A species-individual curve obtained bySanders 's (1968) rarefaction method agrees with that observed actually only for the spatially uniform distribution. Change in the pattern of rank-abundance curve with species diversity and with sample size is discussed in relation to the present model.     

神农架北坡堵河源自然保护区植物多样性研究

为建立自然保护区,保护神农架北坡堵河源地区丰富的生物多样性资源,并为神农架地区植物起源、植被演替以及生物多样性和濒危物种状况深入、准确评价提供基础数据,2002年,采用路线调查与标准地调查相结合的方法,结合历史资料,对堵河源地区的野生植物资源进行了实地野外调查研究,分析了植物区系和植物多样性及其受威胁状况。结果表明:(1)该保护区具有丰富的植物物种多样性,有维管束植物174科730属1733种(含亚种、变种),其中,国家重点保护野生植物有23种;(2)该区植物区系成分具有复杂性、多样性,拥有中国种子植物分布区类型属级水平的全部类型,但明显偏重于温带性质。且植物区系起源古老,有中国特有分布属37个,其中,古特有属27个;(3)该区具有丰富的植被类型,包括4个植被型组,8个植被型,26个群系,具有较高的保护和科研价值。同时针对保护区植物多样性受威胁状况,提出了植被恢复、加强防火设备设施建设、生态移民、保护珍稀濒危植物及社区共管是保护植物多样性的有效措施。     

鄱阳湖湿地典型草洲植物群落种-面积关系

为了解鄱阳湖湿地草洲植物群落的结构,对其3种典型草洲植物群落种-面积关系进行了研究。采用巢式样方法调查植物物种数量,并用3种非饱和曲线拟合种-面积方程。结果表明,基于实测数据,3个草洲物种数随着取样面积的增加先快速增加后趋于平稳;群落最小取样面积均为30 m~2。幂函数模型对3个草洲群落的种-面积关系拟合效果均为最佳,3个草洲群落的RSE分别为0.35、0.35和0.56,AAD分别为0.23、0.17和0.35,AARD分别为0.06、0.02和0.07,而指数模型、Fisher模型的拟合效果一般。指数模型计算得到的不同比例因子下3个草洲最小取样面积与实际情况最为吻合。这为鄱阳湖区进行植物群落数据采集的样方设置提供了理论参考。     

广西猫儿山自然保护区藓类植物区系研究

首次系统调查了猫儿山自然保护区的藓类植物区系。通过野外考察和室内鉴定,报道广西猫儿山藓类植物39科109属265种(含种下单位),其中广西新记录属6个,新记录种47个。其区系成分以东亚成分为主,占总种数的36.06%,其次为热带亚洲成分和北温带成分,具亚热带性质。将猫儿山自然保护区的藓类植物与四川峨眉山和云南大围山进行比较,结果显示其Gleason物种丰富度指数在三者间最低,Kroeber系数则指示出猫儿山与大围山藓类植物的属、种相似度略高于其与峨眉山的比较值。此外,区系谱的比较反映了猫儿山自然保护区藓类植物区系的东亚成分和其中的中国—日本成分在三者间最高。     

思茅菜阳河自然保护区植物区系研究——兼论热带亚洲植物区系向东亚植物区系的过渡

云南省思茅地区菜阳河自然保护区地处联系滇南热带与滇中亚热带的中间位置,在植被地理和生物地理上十分重要,其植物区系计有野生种子植物1 920种, 隶属于836属及178科。该植物区系以兰科( 69属/223种)、茜草科(37/100)、菊科(47/86)、蝶形花科(33/82)、唇形科（28/62）、大戟科(25/59)、荨麻科(13/52)、禾本科(34/47)、樟科(12/44)、桑科(6/44)、爵床科(26/36)等为优势科。属的分布区类型组成以热带亚洲分布型最多, 约占总属数的31%;其次是泛热带分布,占23.4%;热带分布合计占总属数的83.3%。种的分布区类型组成仍以热带亚洲分布最多, 占总种数的60.6%;其次是中国特有分布, 占21.6%;热带分布种合计占70.0%以上。这些特征均表明该植物区系热带性质显著,并具有印度—马来西亚植物区系特点,在植物区系分区上属于印度—马来西亚植物区系的一部分。由于菜阳河自然保护区在地理上位于热带亚洲植物区与东亚植物区的交汇地带,该植物区系中的许多热带植物均是在其分布的北界,植物区系又有明显的热带北缘性质。通过与滇南西双版纳和滇中无量山植物区系的比较,菜阳河自然保护区植物区系与西双版纳植物区系在区系组成及属的地理成分构成上很接近, 它们同为热带亚洲植物区系的北缘类型。在云南南部,从热带亚洲植物区系到东亚植物区系的过渡与转变,显然发生在思茅菜阳河地区以北。从热带亚洲植物区系过渡到东亚植物区系,在诸属的分布区类型中,热带亚洲分布型显著减少,北温带分布型和东亚分布型显著增加。     

Diversity patterns of seasonal wetland plant communities mainly driven by rare terrestrial species

In cleared landscapes, wetlands can represent important reservoirs of native plant diversity, which include terrestrial species. Depending on study aims, non-wetland plants might be removed before analysis, affecting conclusions around biodiversity and community structure. We compared the native plant communities of seasonal wetlands in a predominately agricultural landscape as defined geographically (including all species) with that of the obligate wetland assemblage. We were primarily concerned with determining how this design decision affects ecological and conservation conclusions. We analysed a survey database containing >12,900 flora records from South Australia, developing a new area-based method to remove sampling bias to include only wetlands with a near-complete census. We modelled occupancy, species-area relationships, β-diversity and nestedness under our contrasting community definitions. Terrestrial species were 57.4 % of total richness. Removing these species reduced wetland α-diversity by 45 %, but did not affect the scaling of richness with area (power-law species-area relationship z = 0.21 ± 0.01). Occupancies for wetland plants were relatively uniform, but were heavily dominated by rare (satellite) species when terrestrial plants were included, and this also increased β-diversity. Nestedness for terrestrial species occupancies was marginally lower than predicted under null models, suggesting that rare species often do not co-occur with common species. An implication of these occupancy patterns is that twice as many wetlands (and 50 % more wetland area) would be needed to include every native species within at least one wetland compared with wetland-only species.     

格氏栲自然保护区常绿阔叶林植物组成特征分析

本文在11000m²样地调查材料的基础上,分析了福建三明格氏栲自然保护区常绿阔叶林群落的植物种类组成、分布区类型和物种多样性特点。结果显示,群落共计有维管植物223种,隶属于80个科159属,其中单种属占总属数的80.5%;地理成分复杂,具有中国15个种子植物属分布区类型中的12个,且以热带亚热带成分为主,其中泛热带分布属的比例最高,其次为热带亚洲分布属,温带成分占有一定比例;群落不同层次多样性指数由大到小的变化规律为:灌木层 >乔木层 >草本层;植物分布区类型与物种多样性指数的分析表明,该群落是介于南亚热带季风常绿阔叶林和中亚热带常绿阔叶林之间的过渡类型。     

四川白坡山自然保护区冬季鸟类群落调查

2003年12月对四川白坡山自然保护区的鸟类群落的种类和数量进行了调查,实际发现鸟类151种,结合历史文献23种,保护区鸟类共有174种,隶属于12目41科。保护区有国家级重点保护鸟类14种,四川省保护鸟类2种,我国特有鸟类5种。保护区鸟类区系以东洋界成分为主。利用多样性指数分析了不同群落的鸟类多样性,结果表明:地处1300~2600 m的中山云南松及其混交林群落鸟类多样性最高,原因是该群落中生境类型丰富多样。     

Nuclear DNA variation, chromosome numbers and polyploidy in the endemic and indigenous grass flora of New Zealand

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Little information is available on DNA C-values for the New Zealand flora. Nearly 85 % of the named species of the native vascular flora are endemic, including 157 species of Poaceae, the second most species-rich plant family in New Zealand. Few C-values have been published for New Zealand native grasses, and chromosome numbers have previously been reported for fewer than half of the species. The aim of this research was to determine C-values and chromosome numbers for most of the endemic and indigenous Poaceae from New Zealand. SCOPE: To analyse DNA C-values from 155 species and chromosome numbers from 55 species of the endemic and indigenous grass flora of New Zealand. KEY RESULTS: The new C-values increase significantly the number of such measurements for Poaceae worldwide. New chromosome numbers were determined from 55 species. Variation in C-value and percentage polyploidy were analysed in relation to plant distribution. No clear relationship could be demonstrated between these variables. CONCLUSIONS: A wide range of C-values was found in the New Zealand endemic and indigenous grasses. This variation can be related to the phylogenetic position of the genera, plants in the BOP (Bambusoideae, Oryzoideae, Pooideae) clade in general having higher C-values than those in the PACC (Panicoideae, Arundinoideae, Chloridoideae + Centothecoideae) clade. Within genera, polyploids typically have smaller genome sizes (C-value divided by ploidy level) than diploids and there is commonly a progressive decrease with increasing ploidy level. The high frequency of polyploidy in the New Zealand grasses was confirmed by our additional counts, with only approximately 10 % being diploid. No clear relationship between C-value, polyploidy and rarity was evident.     

二道白河河岸带植物群落最小面积与物种丰富度

河岸带是森林小流域单元的重要组成部分之一。由于河水的影响和边缘效应等因素的综合作用,河岸带植物群落与远离河岸带的森林群落在组成,结构和分布格局等方面存在较大差异,其如落最小面积也不同。本文对长白山原始阔叶红松林河岸带植物群落最小面积和物种丰富度进行了探讨。结果表明,河岸带植物群落的最小面积均小于远离河岸带的森林群落的最小面积,在河岸带,阔叶红松林群落的60,80和90％植物在时的平均最小面积分别约为80,180和320m^2;而远离河岸带的森林内部,相应的平均最小面积分别为260,380和480m^2左右。河岸带植物群落的物种丰富度普遍高于森林群落。     

Breakdown of the species-area relationship in exotic but not in native forest patches

We studied the pattern of bird species richness in native and exotic forest patches in Hungary. We hypothesized that species-area relationship will depend on forest naturalness, and on the habitat specialization of bird species. Therefore, we expected strong species-area relationship in native forest patches and forest bird species, and weaker relationship in exotic forest patches containing generalist species. We censused breeding passerine bird communities three times in 13 forest patches with only native tree species, and 14 with only exotic trees in Eastern Hungary in 2003. Although most bird species (92%) of the total of 41 species occurred in both exotic and native forests, the species-area relationship was significant for forest specialist, but not for generalist species in the native forests. No relationship between bird species and area was found for either species group in the forest with exotic tree species. The comparison of native versus exotic forest patches of similar sizes revealed that only large (>100 ha) native forests harbor higher bird species richness than exotic forests for the forest specialist bird species. There is no difference between small and medium forest patches and in richness of generalist species. Thus, the species-area relationship may diminish in archipelago of exotic habitat patches and/or for habitat generalist species; this result supports the warning that the extension of exotic habitats have been significantly contributing to the decline of natural community patterns.     

武夷山大安源甜槠常绿阔叶林群落物种组成及多样性分析

采用相邻格子样方法对武夷山大安源甜槠〔Castanopsis eyrei(Champ.ex Benth.)Tutch.〕常绿阔叶林群落的物种组成及物种多样性进行了研究,并分析了群落的种-面积曲线以及样方面积与物种多样性的关系。结果表明:在面积4 800 m2的样方中共记录维管植物31科57属97种,其中乔木78种、灌木8种、草本植物5种、藤本植物6种;乔木主要为常绿树种,落叶树种仅10种;优势科为壳斗科(Fagaceae)、杜鹃花科(Ericaceae)、杜英科(Elaeocarpaceae)和山茶科(Theaceae)等,优势属为栲属〔Castanopsis(D.Don)Spach〕、杜鹃属(Rhododendron Linn.)和杜英属(Elaeocarpus Linn.);优势树种为甜槠、马银花〔Rhododendron ovatum(Lindl.)Planch.〕、鹿角杜鹃(R.latoucheae Franch.)和薯豆(Elaeocarpus japonicus Sieb.et Zucc.)等,其中甜槠的相对胸高断面积达64.93%,重要值也最高(25.70%),在群落中具有明显的优势地位。群落中胸径小于5 cm的乔木个体数量占76.88%,径级越高个体数量越少。南坡样方的Simpson指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均高于北坡,显示该群落南坡的物种多样性高于北坡。该群落的种-面积曲线拟合方程为y=21.836ln(x)-87.287(R2=0.990 2),且随样方面积的增加,物种数量、Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数呈增加且趋于稳定的趋势,总体上调查样方面积应设置在2 000 m2以上。综合分析结果说明:武夷山大安源甜槠常绿阔叶林的物种组成较丰富、物种多样性水平较高;光照条件是导致该群落南坡多样性大于北坡的主要环境因素。     

Spatial patterns of phylogenetic diversity

Ecologists and conservation biologists have historically used species-area and distance-decay relationships as tools to predict the spatial distribution of biodiversity and the impact of habitat loss on biodiversity. These tools treat each species as evolutionarily equivalent, yet the importance of species' evolutionary history in their ecology and conservation is becoming increasingly evident. Here, we provide theoretical predictions for phylogenetic analogues of the species-area and distance-decay relationships. We use a random model of community assembly and a spatially explicit flora dataset collected in four Mediterranean-type regions to provide theoretical predictions for the increase in phylogenetic diversity - the total phylogenetic branch-length separating a set of species - with increasing area and the decay in phylogenetic similarity with geographic separation. These developments may ultimately provide insights into the evolution and assembly of biological communities, and guide the selection of protected areas.