库姆塔格沙漠南缘植物物种丰富度格局及主要影响因素

通过对库姆塔格沙漠南缘植被进行实地调查,对该地区植物物种丰富度及其群落组成进行研究,并选取11个影响物种丰富度的气候因子和地形因子,利用PCA分析、方差分解等方法探讨气候、地形因子对物种丰富度的影响。结果显示:该区共有植物15科32属38种,植物群落种类匮乏,物种组成单一,植物生活型主要以灌木、多年生草本为主,占所有物种的80%以上;植物物种丰富度与植物群落组成明显受到水热条件的制约。回归分析结果表明,该区物种丰富度与能量因子呈显著负相关(P 0.05),而与水分因子呈显著正相关(P 0.05)。方差分解结果表明,水分、能量共同制约了该地区的物种丰富度,二者的共同解释率为44.3%。此外,地形因子对研究区物种丰富度也存在一定影响,能进一步提高环境因子对物种丰富度的解释率。总之,库姆塔格南缘物种组成单一、物种丰富度格局受到水热条件的共同制约,同时地形的变化也有重要影响。     

中国黑戈壁地区植物物种丰富度格局的水热解释

我国黑戈壁地区自然环境恶劣,植物多样性格局受到极端干旱气候的影响而形成了特殊的分布格局。为了揭示黑戈壁地区极端气候对物种丰富度格局的影响,通过对5000 km样线内174个样方中的植物进行调查,结合气候数据,研究影响中国黑戈壁地区植物物种丰富度格局的气候因素以及不同生活型植物物种丰富度格局与气候关系的差异。结果表明,水热动态假说对物种丰富度格局的解释率为62.3%,未解释部分为37.7%,说明其能够很好的解释黑戈壁地区的植物群落物种丰富度格局;能量对物种丰富格局的单独解释率仅为3.5%,水分的单独解释率为16.4%,两者共同解释率为42.4%,水分和能量共同决定的水资源可利用性主导着物种丰富度格局;不同生活型植物对气候因子的响应存在显著差异,水热综合作用对草本植物丰富度格局的解释率为65.4%,但对灌木仅有37.9%,表明水热动态假说不适用于解释灌木植物的物种丰富度格局,植物对气候的适应特性及种间相互作用对物种丰富度格局有着重要的影响。     

气候假说对内蒙古草原群落物种多样性格局的解释

物种丰富度的地理格局是宏观生态学和生物地理学的中心议题之一。本文基于内蒙古草原192个野外样地的调查数据, 结合各样地年平均气温、年降水量等9个气候因子, 探讨内蒙古草原物种丰富度格局及其主导因素, 以确定气候假说在该区的适用性。结果表明: (1)内蒙古草原物种丰富度经度格局显著, 呈现沿经度升高而增加的趋势, 同时由于经纬度的共线性, 也呈现出沿纬度升高而增加的趋势。(2)方差分解显示, 能量单独解释率为2.7%, 水分单独解释率为11.4%, 水分和能量共同解释率为46.3%, 未解释部分为39.6%, 可见能量与水分的共同作用在物种丰富度格局形成中占主导地位, 支持水热动态假说。这说明水热动态假说适用于解释内蒙古草原物种丰富度 格局。     

中国典型森林生态系统乔木层群落物种多样性的空间分布格局及其影响因素

物种多样性地理分布格局及其成因是生物地理学和宏观生态学研究的核心问题之一,基于中国13个典型森林生态系统乔木层群落植物的调查数据,分析物种多样性随经纬度的变化规律,探讨物种多样性空间分布格局的影响因素。结果表明:(1) 13个典型森林生态系统的4个物种多样性指数均随经纬度上升而下降,其中物种丰富度变化更为显著,而Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数和Pielou指数随经度上升变化不显著;(2)相关性分析结果显示,物种多样性指数与植物特性、能量和水分因子的单因素相关关系并不一致。其中,物种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener指数和Simpson指数与年均温、最冷月均温、温度年较差和潜在蒸散量的相关性最显著(P0.01),Pielou指数与年均温、最冷月均温、实际蒸散量、潜在蒸散量和郁闭度有显著相关关系(P0.05);(3)方差分解结果表明,能量和水分的共同作用对物种多样性指数空间分布格局的解释率最高,达到15%—42%;植物特性、能量和水分因子三者共同作用对物种多样性指数空间分布格局解释率次之,为14%—27%;植物特性与能量因子或水分因子两者之间的共同作用以及植物特性和水分因子独立作用对物种多样性指数空间分布格局的解释率较小,其中能量因子对物种多样性指数空间分布格局的单独解释率高于植物特性或水分因子。研究表明能量和水分共同作用是影响大尺度森林乔木层物种多样性空间分布格局形成的主要因素,但植物特性的差异对物种多样性空间分布格局影响也不可忽视。     

中国西北荒漠区植物物种丰富度分布格局及其环境解释

土地荒漠化是中国西北地区的主要生态问题之一,荒漠生态系统极易受到气候与土地利用类型变化的影响。然而受恶劣的自然环境与交通条件影响,目前我国西北荒漠区植物多样性格局及其维持机理的系统研究还很缺乏。本文通过对中国西北荒漠区195个植物群落样方进行调查,并结合气候与空间变量数据,探讨了西北荒漠区植物物种丰富度的分布格局及其主导因素。研究结果表明:(1)本次调查共记录植物363种,分属38科153属,植物物种丰富度存在显著的经纬度分布格局,随着经度或纬度的升高呈现出先下降后增加的变化趋势;(2)水分、能量及空间变量均对植物物种丰富度有着显著的独立作用;(3)水分、能量与空间变量解释了植物物种丰富度65.36%的变异,三者的共同解释率高达48.08%,且水分与能量一起解释的变异更多。以上结果表明,西北荒漠区的植物物种丰富度格局由生态位分化与中性过程以及其他未知因素共同控制,其中生态位分化的贡献可能更大。而研究中未考虑的土壤、地形、人为干扰等因素也很可能对西北荒漠区植物物种丰富度存在非常重要的影响。     

贺兰山甲虫物种丰富度分布格局及其环境解释

理解山地物种丰富度分布格局及其成因对于山地生物多样性保护具有重要意义。本文基于贺兰山地区甲虫31科252属469种的分布信息, 结合相关气候与生境异质性数据, 系统地探讨了贺兰山地区甲虫及6个优势科物种丰富度地理格局及其影响因素。结果表明, 甲虫物种丰富度及科属区系分化强度以贺兰山中段最高, 南段比北段高, 西坡比东坡高。基于183个栅格内物种分布的二元数据聚类分析, 贺兰山甲虫分布可分为北段强旱生景观甲虫地理群、中西段半湿生景观甲虫地理群、中东段及南段半旱生景观甲虫地理群3个地理群。冗余分析(RDA)表明年均温和年均降水量是影响最显著的因子。方差分解结果显示, 水分与能量因子共同解释了全部甲虫物种丰富度57.1%的空间变异, 单独解释率分别为5.9%和7.1%。生境异质性解释了全部甲虫物种丰富度35.2%的变异, 单独解释率仅为1.8%。气候因素与生境异质性对不同优势科物种丰富度的相对影响并不一致。在贺兰山的南段和北段, 生境异质性和水分因子对甲虫物种丰富度影响作用明显。水分和能量因子是贺兰山地区甲虫物种丰富度空间分布格局的主导因子, 生境异质性有助于提高甲虫物种丰富度。从未解释的比例来分析, 地形和土壤因素可能对贺兰山甲虫物种丰富度存在重要影响。     

呼伦贝尔草原植物群落空间格局及其环境解释

草地不同植物群落的空间分布结构及群落内部的物种组成结构的研究,一直是草原植物群落生态学最核心的问题之一。在2006年野外实地采样的基础上,运用DCCA除趋势典范对应分析(detrended canonical correspondence analysis)对影响呼伦贝尔草原植物群落结构的地形和土壤环境因素进行了定量的分解。结果表明:纯土壤环境因子可以解释的物种多度变化为12.48%,纯地形因子可以解释的物种多度变化为8.34%,两者耦合的部分为4.76%,不可解释的部分为74.42%。地形因子通过影响水热组合的再分配,对群落结构起起较大作用。在诸多因子中,土壤总氮、有效钾、有效氮、有效磷、有机质以及坡形决定了群落小生境的变化,导致群落类型分布的梯度变化。     

长江三峡库区物种多样性的垂直分布格局:气候、几何限制、面积及地形异质性的影响

为了验证生物多样性地理格局的几个重要假说,即种-面积关系、水分-能量动态假说、几何限制(中域效应)假说和生境异质性假说,作者以长江三峡库区维管植物物种丰富度沿海拔梯度的分布格局为例,采用多元回归和方差分解方法,研究了面积、气候、几何限制、地形异质性对多样性垂直格局的独立影响和协同作用,及其对各植物类群(不同分布宽度、不同分布区类型和不同生长型)影响的差异.结果表明,三峡库区各种植物类群的物种丰富度随着海拔上升均呈先升后降的单峰格局.水分-能量动态假说对多样性格局有很强的解释能力,其总的解释力(＞93％)明显高于其他所有解释机制.但对于很多植物类群而言,水分和能量的解释力中有很大一部分属于几何限制、面积及地形异质性等因素的协同作用.几何限制对分布宽度大的物种的多样性格局解释力很强,但对分布宽度小的物种作用很小;面积自身对物种丰富度解释力较强,但在考虑了其他环境因素的影响时,仅对少数植物类群有解释力;地形异质性自身对多样性的解释能力很弱,但在多元回归模型中起着必要的作用.综合来看,水分-能量动态是解释三峡库区植物多样性垂直格局的最重要的机制.几何限制的作用随着物种分布宽度减小而递减;地形异质性虽然对多样性垂直格局的影响较弱,但也是一种必要的补充解释机制;由于面积与气候、几何限制等因素存在强烈的共线性,面积对植物多样性垂直格局的相对作用大小还需要进一步的系统比较研究.     

地形对七姊妹山自然保护区植物丰富度及分布格局的影响

该研究以七姊妹山自然保护区40个(20×20m2)植物群落调查样方为基础,并采用回归分析和典型对应分析(CCA)的方法研究该区地形对植物物种丰富度及植物分布格局的影响,以明确海拔、坡度、坡向、坡位等地形因子的相对重要性,为该区植物多样性的保护和管理提供理论依据。结果表明:(1)七姊妹山自然保护区40个调查样地共有植物633种,隶属133科,316属,其中乔木118种,灌木150种,草本365种。(2)曲线回归方程拟合结果显示,七姊妹山自然保护区植物物种丰富度分别与海拔、坡度具有显著相关性,物种丰富度沿海拔梯度升高而增大,沿坡度梯度先减少后增大之后又减小。(3)从植物的生活型来看,在所有海拔段,乔木物种丰富度始终低于灌木和草本植物;在低、中低海拔地带,灌木物种丰富度均高于乔木和草本植物;而在中、高海拔地带草本植物物种丰富度较大且高于乔木和灌木。(4)CCA排序结果表明,地形因子对植物物种的分布具有显著影响按其影响强度排序为海拔坡度坡位坡向,说明海拔是影响该区植物物种分布最重要的地形因子。     

面积、温度及分布区限制对物种丰富度海拔格局的影响: 以秦岭太白山为例

 物种丰富度的分布格局及其形成机制是生态学研究的热点。以往的研究主要描述丰富度的格局, 而对其形成机制研究较少, 且主要集中于探讨单个因子或过程的影响。物种丰富度同时受到多个因子和过程的综合作用, 面积、温度及物种分布区限制被认为是控制山地物种丰富度海拔格局的主要因素, 三者同时沿海拔梯度而变化, 同时作用于丰富度的海拔格局。幂函数种-面积关系(SAR)、生态学代谢理论(MTE)及中域效应假说(MDE)分别基于以上3个因素, 从机制上解释了物种丰富度 的海拔格局。探讨这些假说的相对影响对研究物种丰富度的大尺度格局及其形成机制具有重要意义。方差分离方法有利于分解不同因素的影响, 为此, 该文以秦岭太白山的植物物种丰富度为例, 采用方差分离和逐步回归方法, 分析了SAR、MTE及MDE对物种丰富度海拔格局的影响。结果表明, 太白山的植物物种丰富度沿海拔梯度呈单峰分布格局, 但丰富度峰值存在类群差异; 对太白山所有植物物种丰富度的垂直格局而言, SAR、MTE及MDE分别解释了其物种丰富度随海拔变化的66.4%、19.8%和37.9%, 共同解释了84.6%, 在消除其他因素的影响后, SAR和MTE的独立影响较高(分别为25.5%和17.7%), 而MDE的独立影响不显著; 分类群研究则发现, 苔藓植物丰富度的海拔格局主要受MDE的影响, 蕨类植物丰富度的海拔格局同时受到SAR、MTE以及MDE的影响, 而种子植物物种丰富度的海拔格局主要受SAR和MTE影响。     

库姆塔格沙漠不同区域种子植物物种组成与区系特征研究

库姆塔格沙漠是我国西北荒漠地区较典型的沙漠之一,本文基于实地调查并结合遥感资料,对该地区植被的物种组成及种子植物区系特征进行了研究。结果表明:(1)库姆塔格沙漠地区共有种子植物29科91属143种;该地区植物物种贫乏、生活型简单,主要以灌木、一年生及多年生草本植物为主。(2)库姆塔格沙漠地区的植物组成受水分、高温以及土壤盐分等因子影响,形成了3个主要的种子植物分布区(阿奇克谷地、阿尔金山山前洪积扇戈壁、西湖湿地),且各区的物种组成差异显著。(3)从3个主要植物分布区的物种组成与生活型组成来看,阿尔金山山前洪积扇戈壁区域植物生活型比阿奇克谷地和西湖湿地丰富;因阿尔金山山前洪积扇戈壁环境复杂,在3个区域中其物种相对丰富,科、属、种的种类较多;阿奇克谷地和西湖湿地植物的属、种相似度较高;3个区域的植物属、种总体上相似度较低。(4)库姆塔格沙漠地区种子植物区系表征科主要为藜科(Chenopodiaceae)、菊科(Compositae)、麻黄科(Ephedraceae)等;3个主要植物分布区科的分布型均以世界分布为主,属的分布型以北温带分布和地中海区、西亚至中亚分布为主,具体表现为:阿奇克谷地和西湖湿地植物属的分布型以地中海区、西亚至中亚分布为主,阿尔金山山前洪积扇戈壁植物属的分布型以北温带分布为主。(5)库姆塔格沙漠地区种子植物以旱生种所占比例较高,物种类型具有明显的残遗性;由于环境条件特殊,形成了库姆塔格沙漠地区特有的植物类群和区系特征。本研究结果为库姆塔格沙漠地区植物组成及区系研究提供了基础资料。     

库姆塔格沙漠植被特征分析

沿7条考察路线布设了91个样地,对库姆塔格沙漠植物组成、群落结构及植被分布等特征进行调查分析。结果表明:(1)库姆塔格沙漠植物相对稀少,有23科73属109种植物,物种组成趋向于集中在少数大科中和单种属中,优势科属组成较少,植物区系的温带性质明显,并与古地中海成分关系密切。(2)库姆塔格荒漠植被类型较为丰富,拥有4种植被型17个植被群系。受干旱气候及古水系变化的影响,植被群落物种组成稀少,结构单调,在一定程度上反映了荒漠生态环境的严酷性。(3)库姆塔格荒漠植被分布格局受气候、水分条件的影响较大。沙漠南缘降水条件相对较好,植被分布由东到西随降水的递减而呈现减弱趋势,北缘植被则表现为随古水系的萎缩而减小;植被随海拔高度的分布则表现为随海拔由南到北逐级降低,气候愈为干燥,地表径流减少,植被分布更为稀少。     

Effects of natural and anthropogenic gradients on native and exotic winter annuals in a southern California Desert

Native annual plant species constitute a large proportion of the plant diversity found in arid vegetation types within the southwestern United States; yet, little is known about controls on diversity patterns along natural and anthropogenic gradients. In this study we evaluated native species richness and exotic species cover across overlapping gradients of precipitation, wind, and N deposition in the Colorado Desert of southern California. Factors allowing native diversity to persist under high N deposition and high wind were also evaluated in a second, focused study at one end of the gradient. We found that gradients in precipitation, nitrogen deposition, and wind were the most important factors to native richness and exotic species cover across the landscape, while local heterogeneity in bare ground influenced richness and cover at the high deposition/windy, or high-disturbance, end of the gradient. Patterns of native diversity were evaluated across the gradients using non-metric multidimensional scaling, which showed diversity was split into two axes: one strongly correlated to precipitation and the other strongly correlated with disturbance factors. The disturbance factors were also positively associated with exotic grass and forb cover. In total, these results indicate that large-scale patterns in disturbance and exotic species cover negatively affect native annual plant species diversity but native species can also persist due to local heterogeneity.     

Habitat Associations and Community Structure of Dipterocarps in Response to Environment and Soil Conditions in Brunei Darussalam,Northwest Borneo

Plant habitat associations are well documented in Bornean lowland tropical forests, but few studies contrast the prevalence of associations across sites. We examined habitat associations and community composition of Dipterocarpaceae trees in two contrasting Bornean lowland mixed dipterocarp forests separated by approximately 100 km: Andulau (uniform topography, lower altitudinal range, sandy soils) and Belalong (highly dissected topography, higher altitudinal range, clay‐rich soils). Dipterocarpaceae trees ≥ 1 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) were censused in 20‐m wide belt transects established along topographic gradients at each site. Dipterocarp density, evenness, species richness, and diversity were significantly higher at Andulau than Belalong. Significant site associations (with either Andulau or Belalong) were detected for 19 (52%) of the 37 dipterocarp species tested. Dipterocarpaceae community composition at Belalong correlated with soil nutrient concentrations as well as measures of vegetation and topographic structure, but community composition at Andulau correlated with fewer habitat variables. Within each site, dipterocarp density, species richness, and diversity were consistently higher on ridges than in slopes and valleys. Significant within‐site associations to topographic habitats were less common at Andulau (10% of species tested) than at Belalong (15%). We conclude that edaphic and other environmental factors influence dipterocarp community composition at a local scale, and are more important drivers of community structure in the more variable environment at Belalong. Species richness and diversity of dipterocarps on small plots, however, were higher at Andulau, suggesting that factors other than environmental heterogeneity contribute to contrasts in dipterocarp tree species richness at small scales.     

Relationship between plant species diversity and soil microbial functional diversity along a longitudinal gradient in temperate grasslands of Hulunbeir,Inner Mongolia,China

Numerous experiments have been established to examine the effect of plant diversity on the soil microbial community. However, the relationship between plant diversity and microbial functional diversity along broad spatial gradients at a large scale is still unexplored. In this paper, we examined the relationship of plant species diversity with soil microbial biomass C, microbial catabolic activity, catabolic diversity and catabolic richness along a longitudinal gradient in temperate grasslands of Hulunbeir, Inner Mongolia, China. Preliminary detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) indicated that plant composition showed a significant separation along the axis 1, and axis 1 explained the main portion of variability in the data set. Moreover, DCA-axis 1 was significantly correlated with soil microbial biomass C (r = 0.735, P = 0.001), microbial catabolic activity (average well color development; r = 0.775, P < 0.001) and microbial functional diversity (catabolic diversity: r = 0.791, P < 0.001 and catabolic richness: r = 0.812, P < 0.001), which suggested thatsome relationship existed between plant composition and the soil microbial community along the spatial gradient at a large scale. Soil microbial biomass C, microbial catabolic activity, catabolic diversity and catabolic richness showed a significant, linear increase with greater plant species richness. However, many responses that we observed could be explained by greater aboveground plant biomass associated with higher levels of plant diversity, which suggested that plant diversity impacted the soil microbial community mainly through increases in plant production.     

Vascular plant species richness along environmental gradients in a cool temperate to sub-alpine mountainous zone in central Japan

In order to clarify how vegetation types change along the environmental gradients in a cool temperate to sub-alpine mountainous zone and the determinant factors that define plant species richness, we established 360 plots (each 4 × 10 m) within which the vegetation type, species richness, elevation, topographic position index (TPI), slope inclination, and ground light index (GLI) of the natural vegetation were surveyed. Mean elevation, TPI, slope inclination, and GLI differed across vegetation types. Tree species richness was negatively correlated with elevation, whereas fern and herb species richness were positively correlated. Tree species richness was greater in the upper slope area than the lower slope area, whereas fern and herb species richness were greater in the lower slope area. Ferns and trees species richness were smaller in the open canopy, whereas herb species richness was greater in the open canopy. Vegetation types were determined firstly by elevation and secondary by topographic configurations, such as topographic position, and slope inclination. Elevation and topography were the most important factors affecting plant richness, but the most influential variables differed among plant life-form groups. Moreover, the species richness responses to these environmental gradients greatly differed among ferns, herbs, and trees.     

库姆塔格沙漠南缘荒漠植物群落多样性分析

 根据20个样地的调查资料,应用重要值计算多样性指数、均匀度指数、丰富度指数 、优势度指数,对库姆塔格沙漠南缘荒漠植物群落物种多样性进行分析。结果表明: 1）荒漠植物群落分布随其生境地貌不同而不同,山前戈壁上分布有合头草(Sympegma regelii)群落,冲积河道低地分布有荒漠林胡杨(Populus euphratica)、多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)、胀果甘草（Glycyrrhiza inflata）群落,戈壁沙漠过渡带为梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)群落,低海拔的沙山上分布有沙拐枣(Calligonum mongolicum)群落、膜果麻黄(Ephedra rzewalskii)群落和梭梭群落。2）荒漠植物群落物种多样性水平较低,群落结构简单,物种组成单一。群落Shannon_Wiener物种多样性水平表现为合头草群落最高（1.706）,具有草原化荒漠植被类型的成分;梭梭群落、膜果麻黄群落居中（0.875～0.890）,荒漠植被类型特征明显;沙拐枣群落、胡杨群落、多枝 柽柳群落、胀果甘草群落较低（0.079～0.495）,荒漠林、盐地沙生灌丛及盐化草甸植被均有零星分布。3）荒漠植物群落结构层次中,灌木层占居主导地位,群落灌木层物种多样性水平（0.769～1.451）远远大于草本层（0.193～0.254）,且草本层物种多样性受灌木层影响较大。4）荒漠植物群落物种多样性分布格局表现为经向、纬向和海拔梯度的变化,经向、纬向变化为物种多样性水平较高的草原化植物合头草群落（1.706）向物种多样性水平较低的荒漠植物梭梭群落（1.379）和盐化植物多枝柽柳群落（0.376）的过渡,海拔梯度则 呈现低水平的沙拐枣群落（0.819）到高水平的膜果麻黄群落（0.890）向低水平的梭梭群落 （0.645）变化。荒漠植物群落过渡地带一般具有较高的物种多样性和较低的生态优势度。     

The effects of long-term nitrogen loading on grassland insect communities

Just as long-term nitrogen loading of grasslands decreases plant species richness and increases plant biomass, we have found that nitrogen loading decreases insect species richness and increases insect abundances. We sampled 54 plots that had been maintained at various rates of nitrogen addition for 14 years. Total insect species richness and effective insect diversity, as well as herbivore and predator species richness, were significantly, negatively related to the rate of nitrogen addition. However, there was variation in trophic responses to nitrogen. Detritivore species richness increased as nitrogen addition increased, and parasitoids showed no response. Insect abundances, measured as the number of insects and insect biovolume (an estimate of biomass), were significantly, positively related to the rate of nitrogen addition, as were the abundances of herbivores and detritivores. Parasitoid abundance was negatively related to the rate of nitrogen addition. Changes in the insect community were correlated with changes in the plant community. As rates of nitrogen addition increased, plant species richness decreased, plant productivity and plant tissue nitrogen increased, and plant composition shifted from C₄ to C₃ grass species. Along this gradient, total insect species richness and effective insect diversity were most strongly, positively correlated with plant species richness. Insect biovolume was negatively correlated with plant species richness. Responses of individual herbivores varied along the nitrogen gradient, but numbers of 13 of the 18 most abundant herbivores were positively correlated with their host plant biomass. Although insect communities did not respond as strongly as plant communities, insect species richness, abundance, and composition were impacted by nitrogen addition. This study demonstrates that long-term nitrogen loading affects the entire food chain, simplifying both plant and insect communities. Received: 18 May 1999 / Accepted: 5 January 2000     

Microtopographic control of vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen communities on cliff faces

Cliff faces worldwide have recently been recognized as sites that harbour ancient forests, endangered biota and high levels of biodiversity, but knowledge is limited of the physical factors organizing cliff-face vegetation communities. Two large scale (geographic), five local, and eight fine scale (microtopographic) physical factors were examined using regression and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to determine what scale of physical factors best explains variation in cliff-face vegetation on the 785 km long Niagara Escarpment in southern Ontario, Canada. The richness, frequency and community composition of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens were determined for 72 cliff-face quadrats to discern whether these vegetation groups followed different patterns in their responses to the measured physical factors. A total of 124 different taxa (consisting of 50 vascular plant species, 21 bryophyte species, and 53 lichen taxa) were found on the cliff faces sampled in this study, though only 28 of these taxa were present in more than 10% of the sampled quadrats. Vascular plant and bryophyte species richness and frequency, and lichen frequency were only significantly correlated with microtopographic factors, while lichen species richness was correlated with a variety of fine and local scale physical factors. The fine scale factor ‘volume of soil’, in particular, was highly correlated with variation in richness or frequency for all vegetation groups, with increasing volume of soil correlated with increasing vascular plant richness and frequency and decreasing bryophyte richness and lichen frequency. A suite of local and fine scale physical factors also explained large proportions of variation in cliff-face vegetation community composition. A large scale gradient in the vegetation community was detected, though it resulted from fine scale physical differences between sites rather than from a latitudinal gradient. These results suggest that distinct subcommunities of vegetation exist on cliff faces and correlate with fine scale differences in microtopography.     

Effects of forest management on epiphytic lichen diversity in Mediterranean forests

Question: What are the responses of epiphytic lichens to the intensity of management along a large environmental gradient in Mediterranean Quercus forests? Location: Central Spain. Methods: This study was carried out on 4590 trees located in 306 forest stands dominated by Quercus faginea or Quercus ilex ssp. ballota. The effect of forest management and other predictor variables on several species diversity indicators were studied. Variables modelled were total species richness, cyanolichen richness and community composition. A large number of predictor variables were included: forest fragmentation (patch size, stand variability), climate and topographic (altitude, slope, sun radiation, annual rainfall and mean annual temperature) and intensity of management. General linear models and constrained ordination techniques were used to model community traits and species composition, respectively. Results: Total richness and especially cyanolichens richness were significantly and negatively affected by the intensity of management. Lichen composition was influenced by management intensity, climatic and topographic variables and stand variability. Conclusions: In Mediterranean forests, human activities related to forestry, agricultural and livestock use cause impoverishment of lichen communities, including the local disappearance of the most demanding species. The conservation of unmanaged forests with a dense canopy is crucial for lichen diversity.