高原鼠兔胃与结肠内容物食性分析方法的比较

小哺乳动物的食性是种群生态学的重要组成部分。本研究于2018年6—7月,在中国科学院海北高寒草甸生态系统定位站地区,通过显微组织分析法对12只高原鼠兔（Ochotona curzoniae）胃及结肠内容物进行了食性比较分析。结果表明：高原鼠兔胃内容物镜检到7科16种（属）植物碎片,主要组分包括垂穗披碱草（Elymus nutans）15.07%、棘豆（Oxytropis spp.）9.07%、嵩草（Kobresia spp.）7.38%、鹅绒委陵菜（Potentilla anserine）7.11%;而结肠内容物只镜检到3科6种（属）植物碎片,主要组分包括嵩草21.99%、垂穗披碱草13.68%、早熟禾（Poa spp.）5.04%、鹅绒委陵菜2.00%。根据高原鼠兔的胃和结肠内容物镜检结果,分别计算其取食植物的Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数、均匀度指数、食物生态位宽度指数,分析高原鼠兔食物组成多样性,结果显示,除了均匀度指数,其它3种指数胃内容物均高于结肠内容物,且胃内容物和结肠内容物的识别率差异极显著（χ²=8.619,df=1,P<0.01）。上述研究结果表明,食性分析中胃与结肠内容物镜检结果显著不同,所得出的食物选择结果也大相径庭,胃内容物显微分析较结肠能更准确地反映高原鼠兔采食的植物种类以及对食物的选择性。     

甘南草原主要草食动物的食性及其生态位特征

家畜放牧系统中草食动物食性及其生态位特征的认识对草地管理有重要的现实指导意义。本文采用粪便和胃内容物显微组织分析法,分析了甘南草原4种主要草食动物牦牛(Bos mutus)、藏羊(Ovis aries)、喜马拉雅旱獭(Marmota himalayana)和高原鼢鼠(Eospalax baileyi)秋季的食性及食物生态位重叠程度。结果表明,4种动物的食物资源谱存有较大差异,禾草科的发草(Deschampsia caespitosa)和莎草科的扁穗草(Brylkinia compressus)是藏羊和牦牛食物结构的主体,而喜马拉雅旱獭的食谱中绝大部分是鹅绒委陵菜(Potentilla anserina)和克氏针茅(Stipa captillata),高原鼢鼠采食具有发达根茎的美丽风毛菊(Sausserua superba)、鹅绒委陵菜、蒲公英(Taraxacum mongolicum)及垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)。牦牛和藏羊的食物生态位宽度显著高于喜马拉雅旱獭和高原鼢鼠。食物生态位重叠度以藏羊和牦牛最高,其次为喜马拉雅旱獭和高原鼢鼠,重叠度最低的是藏羊和高原鼢鼠。甘南草原4种主要草食动物的食性及其生态位特征的分析可为优化当地草地管理策略提供重要依据。     

植物生长季节不同栖息地高原鼠兔的食物选择

本文采用胃内容物镜检分析法,对栖息于青藏高原矮嵩草草甸、垂穗披碱草草甸和杂类草草甸中的高原鼠兔的主要食物组成进行了比较分析,旨在探讨栖息地变化对高原鼠兔食物组成的影响,揭示高原鼠兔对栖息地变化的生存对策和适应性.研究结果表明:在矮嵩草草甸,高原鼠兔主要取食垂穗披碱草、早熟禾、蓝花棘豆和甘肃棘豆;在垂穗披碱草草甸,主要选择垂穗披碱草、甘肃棘豆、蓝花棘豆、矮嵩草和二柱头蔗草;在杂类草草甸,喜食植物种类为垂穗披碱草、蓝花棘豆、甘肃棘豆、早熟禾、弱小火绒草、长茎藁本、兰石草和红花岩生忍冬.在整个植物生长季节,高原鼠兔在3种栖息地共取食27种植物,其中垂穗披碱草、甘肃棘豆和蓝花棘豆在不同栖息地中选择指数较高,为高原鼠兔优先选择的食物;在不同栖息地,高原鼠兔取食植物有差别,垂穗披碱草草甸为16种、矮嵩草草甸为22种,杂类草草甸为24种;喜食食物比例也存在着明显差别,在垂穗披碱草草甸,垂穗披碱草比例高达40.5%,在矮嵩草草甸,甘肃棘豆比例也达到23.7%,而在杂类草草甸,选食比例最高的兰石草仅为14.6%,说明在该草甸高原鼠兔食物选择呈现泛化趋势.相似性指数分析结果也表明,杂类草草甸中高原鼠兔主要食物组成与其它两种栖息地有较大的区别.从而说明当栖息地植物群落种类组成发生变化后,高原鼠兔可以通过改变其食物组成而适应新的栖息地.     

基于线粒体基因、形态学和栖息地指标的两种鼢鼠分类研究

以祁连山东段高寒草甸区栖息的鼢鼠(Eospalax spp.)为研究对象,通过分子系统学、形态学和栖息地特征调查相结合的方法对区域内鼢鼠的分类地位进行了研究。利用分子生物学技术,测定了线粒体D-loop 序列,构建了系统发育树并计算了鼢鼠间遗传距离。测量了鼢鼠头骨指标以及体貌形态特征,并调查了不同鼢鼠栖息地草地类型、优势种植物及土壤紧实度等。结果发现4 个采样地的鼢鼠属两个不同种,即甘肃鼢鼠(Eospalax cansus)和高原鼢鼠(Eospalax baileyi)。两种鼢鼠的遗传距离为0.147;眶间宽、听泡宽在两性间均差异显著(n_雄=14,n_雌=16,P < 0.05),颧宽在雄性间差异显著(n_雄= 14,P < 0.05);甘肃鼢鼠尾部和后足有稀疏短毛,而高原鼢鼠则有密毛。甘肃鼢鼠主要栖息在海拔较低的高寒草甸区,其优势植物主要有矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis)、蕨麻(Potentilla anserina )、早熟禾(Poa annua);高原鼢鼠主要栖息在海拔较高的高寒灌丛草甸区,其优势植物主要有早熟禾(Poa annua)、金露梅(Potentilla fruticosa)、披碱草(Elymus dahuricus),但两者栖息地的土壤紧实度无差异(P >0.05)。本研究结果为同区域分布甘肃鼢鼠和高原鼢鼠的野外鉴别提供技术依据。     

高原鼠兔冬季的食物选择

本文采用胃内容物镜检分析法,对高原鼠兔在矮嵩草草甸、垂穗披碱草草甸和杂类草草甸三种类型栖息
地中的主要食物组成进行了比较分析,旨在探讨三类栖息地不同食物资源状况对高原鼠兔食物组成的影响,以
及高原鼠兔在食物匮乏的冬季的觅食对策。研究结果表明:高原鼠兔在冬季主要选食弱小火绒草和铺散亚菊,
甘肃棘豆、垂穗披碱草和长茎藁本也是冬季食物主要组成部分。在冬季食物资源较为匮乏的情况下,高原鼠兔
选食的主要植物种类相对较多,且不同植物比例变化明显,说明高原鼠兔对食物具有一定的选择性。在矮嵩草
草甸中,其食物组成依次为铺散亚菊(16. 2% ) > 弱小火绒草(11. 5% ) > 甘肃棘豆(11. 3% ) > 大籽蒿
(9. 7% ) > 早熟禾(7. 6% ) > 长茎藁本(7. 5% ) > 垂穗披碱草(5. 5% )等7 种,占其食物的69. 3% ;在垂
穗披碱草草甸,其主要食物组成依次为垂穗披碱草(15. 8% ) > 甘肃棘豆(14. 7% ) > 弱小火绒草(14. 5% )
> 铺散亚菊(14. 2% ) > 早熟禾(7. 8% ) > 长茎藁本(6. 9% ) > 锥果葶苈(6. 2% )等7 种,占其食物的
80. 1% ;在杂类草草甸中,其主要食物组成依次为铺散亚菊(20. 8% ) > 长茎藁本(20. 6% ) > 大籽蒿
(9. 9% ) > 弱小火绒草(9. 8% ) > 锥果葶苈(6. 5% ) > 圆齿狗娃花(5. 5% )等6 种,占选食食物的73. 1% 。
不同栖息地之间食物组成比较分析结果表明,在冬季食物资源匮乏的情况下,栖息地类型不同对高原鼠兔食物
组成的影响较小,杂类草构成了它们的主要食物,这可能是由食物质量决定的,而不同栖息地中喜食植物可利
用量是决定鼠兔食物组成的主要因子,进一步验证了食物可利用量和质量决定植食性小哺乳动物食物选择模式
的假设。     

祁连山东段高原鼢鼠对高寒草甸危害评价

为了客观评价高原鼢鼠(Myospalax baileyi)对高寒草甸的危害程度,在祁连山东段研究了高原鼢鼠不同种群密度与草地质量之间的关系,共设置了3个高原鼢鼠种群密度梯度,调查了3个危害等级变量(鼠丘数、鼠丘面积和鼠丘产草量)和6个生境变量(草地产草量、总盖度、可食牧草产量、植被组成、土壤水分和土壤紧实度),通过One-Way ANOVA检验法研究这些因子与高原鼢鼠危害程度的关系。结果表明:在设置的3个种群密度梯度下,草地产草量、总盖度、可食牧草产量和鼠丘产草量无显著性差异;草地植物群落结构、新鼠丘面积占调查区面积的比例无显著性差异,除高原鼢鼠采食深度(0—20 cm)外,3个种群密度区土壤紧实度无显著性差异,而0—30 cm处土壤水分存在显著性差异,说明本研究中不同高原鼢鼠种群密度区的草地质量没有显著性差异。此外,研究结果表明调查样地大小与危害评价有着密切关系,在高寒草甸区,单个样方调查面积以0.5 hm~2以上为宜。     

高原鼢鼠越冬食物选择与营养成分的关系

为了解高原鼢鼠在越冬期的食物选择与营养成分之间的关系,采集了67 个高原鼢鼠的冬季粮仓及环境样方,分析高原鼢鼠对每一种植物的选择指数,将其分成3 种食物类型:喜食、可变和不喜食。通过测定每一种植物的粗蛋白、粗纤维、水溶性糖和粗灰分的含量,比较分析了营养成分含量在3 种食物类型间的差异,及其与各种植物选择指数的相关关系。结果显示,高原鼢鼠储存的食物种类多达67 种,本文选取含量较高且样本量大于5 的39 种植物(占粮仓和样方总生物量的99% 以上其中喜食12 种、可变16 种、不喜食11 种)进行分析。在3 种食物类型之间,粗蛋白、粗纤维和水溶性糖含量均有极显著差异(P < 0. 001),粗灰分含量则无明显差异(P = 0.800)。喜食和可变类型的粗蛋白和水溶性糖含量显著高于不喜食类型(P < 0.01);喜食和可变类型的粗纤维含量则显著低于不喜食类型(P < 0. 01);喜食和可变类型之间这3 个指标差异都不显著(P >0. 05)。Spearman 相关分析显示,粗蛋白(R = 0.547,P < 0.001)和水溶性糖(R = 0.617,P < 0. 001)含量与选择指数显著正相关,粗纤维与选择指数显著负相关(R = - 0. 707,P <0. 001),粗灰分与选择指数则无显著相关关系(R = 0.032,P =0. 846)。结果表明,高原鼢鼠总体上偏好粗蛋白和水溶性糖含量高、粗纤维含量低的植物,对无机盐的含量则不敏感。     

高原鼠兔贮草选择及其生物学意义

本文采用观察法和样方法对不同栖息地类型高原鼠兔的贮草选择进行了分析,旨在探讨高原鼠兔在不同栖息地类型中干草堆的放置方式、数量、植物种类组成以及与栖息地类型和冬季食物组成的关系,在此基础上,阐明高原鼠兔建立干草堆的生物学意义。结果表明,高原鼠兔堆集干草堆的方式与其它鼠兔不同,它们将干草堆放置于独一味、甘肃棘豆等植物上,以减少干草堆植物的腐烂;不同栖息地类型干草堆数量有所不同,杂类草草甸中干草堆较多,平均为29.00 ± 17.09 个/ hm² ,其次为垂穗披碱草草甸,干草堆数量平均为16.33 ± 9.50个/hm² ,矮嵩草草甸中干草堆最少,平均为12.67 ± 6.66 个/ hm² 。在矮嵩草草甸中,5 个较大的干草堆由37 种植物组成,其中10 种植物选择水平在3 级以上,而甘肃棘豆和铺散亚菊占有较大的比例,分别为23.6% 和19.% 。不同干草堆间相似性分析结果表明,除第2 个干草堆外,其余干草堆间相似性指数较高,最高为第3 个和第4 个干草堆之间,为0.9070。相关分析结果显示,干草堆主要植物组成与高原鼠兔冬季食物主要组成之间呈显著的正相关(r = 0.7323,df = 6,P <0.05)。扣笼试验结果表明,高原鼠兔冬季未取食扣笼内的干草堆。在综合分析高原鼠兔的贮草行为的基础上,我们认为,高原鼠兔建立干草堆的目的是为了应付冬季食物条件的不可预测性。     

高原鼢鼠干扰对三江源区高寒草甸群落特征的影响

高原鼢鼠是三江源高寒草甸区域的主要啮齿动物之一.它啃食植物根系,挖掘大量通道,并将挖掘出的土壤堆积于地表,形成覆盖于植物地上部分的裸露土丘,对草地群落特征会产生不同程度的影响.本研究以高原鼢鼠土丘密度表示高原鼢鼠对草地的干扰程度,选取7个不同高原鼢鼠土丘密度的样地,同时选取没有遭受高原鼢鼠干扰的样地作为对照,获得各样地的物种信息及地上、地下生物量,探讨不同高原鼢鼠干扰强度对草地群落的物种组成、物种多样性及群落生产力的影响.结果表明: 随着高原鼢鼠土丘的增加,草地植物优势种群发生由以莎草科和禾本科植物为主向珠牙蓼、鹅绒委陵菜、西伯利亚蓼等杂类草植物为主的转变,群落盖度和高度显著降低;轻度或中度的高原鼢鼠干扰能够提高群落的物种多样性,而群落均匀度指数变化不显著;群落生产力不存在类似中度干扰假说的结果.随高原鼢鼠干扰活动的增强,群落地上、地下及总生物量显著降低,群落生产力大幅度降低.     

高寒草甸3种啮齿类动物消化道器官形态的比较研究

不同动物面对相同或相似的环境压力,采取不同的适应对策,消化器官形态差异能体现各自适应的方式。为进一步了解草食哺乳动物对各自生存环境的适应对策,本文比较了青藏高原高寒草甸3种小型草食哺乳动物的消化道长度及消化道器官指数。结果显示:根田鼠的胃指数高于高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔,小肠、大肠及盲肠指数均是高原鼠兔高原鼢鼠根田鼠,消化道各部位相对长度均是根田鼠高原鼠兔高原鼢鼠。根田鼠大肠及盲肠长度占消化道总长的比例高于高原鼠兔和高原鼢鼠;小肠占消化道总长的比例最低。结果表明,动物消化道形态的差异可能与食物组成、能量和代谢需求等因素有关。面对不同的环境压力,消化道这种适应性差异是不同物种为适应多变的环境条件进化的结果。     

The influence of vegetation on bird distribution in dry forests and oak woodlands of western Mexico

The bird species distribution along a dry forest-oak woodland vegetation gradient was studied in autumn and spring in two consecutive years. Intra-seasonal comparisons showed that bird species had similar distributions in each of the two years. Inter-seasonal changes were mainly due to compositional differences even though resident species generally used similar habitats in both seasons. Ordination analyses, based on the first year bird species abundances, showed a clearly segregated distribution between forest and woodland birds. Within these two vegetation types, the distribution tended to be more individualistic. Nevertheless further habitats could be identified according to groups of birds having similar distributions. These habitats did not correspond to the plant associations which resulted from a previous classification of the vegetation. Observations of the plant use by the birds during the study period showed that, in most cases, the plant variables associated with ordination analyses are unlikely to be very important for the bird species life cycles.     

Inverted invasions: Native plants can frequently colonise urban and highly disturbed habitats

There is an enormous body of literature on plant invasions, including many investigations of the types of introduced species that are most likely to invade natural ecosystems. In this study we turn invasion biology upside down, and ask what sort of native species colonise novel anthropogenic habitats such as roadside lawns, infrequently tended road shoulders, railway embankments and fire trails. We quantified species richness and cover in roadside lawns and infrequently tended road shoulders in five regions of New South Wales, Australia. The native vegetation in these regions included sclerophyll forest, fertile and infertile Eucalypt‐dominated woodlands, rainforest, and semi‐arid woodland. We performed a complementary survey of sites spanning five disturbance levels within the region containing sclerophyll forest vegetation. Although many non‐native species were present in disturbed, novel habitats, a total of 136 native species were also found. Most of these native species were in sites with low levels of disturbance (fire trails and railway embankments), but 35 native species were found to colonise roadside lawns, our most highly‐disturbed vegetation type. There was a significant negative relationship between the disturbance level in novel habitats and the number and cover of native species. Native species that colonised novel habitats were disproportionately likely be generalist species whose natural habitat includes both high and low light and high and low disturbance conditions. The native species colonising novel habitats also tended to have traits associated with a fast life‐history, including short stature and small seeds. A surprisingly high number of native plant species are colonising novel, anthropogenic habitats. Our findings highlight the potential importance of urban ecosystems for conservation and restoration biology.     

Browsing in a heterogeneons savanna

Large herbivores generally depend on and interact with a food resource that is heterogeneous at different spatial scales. Plants allocate resources to rapid growth or to defence mechanisms depending on the availability of resources relative to loss of resources from herbivory. Herbivores select food and feeding habitats in order to maximize intake rate of nutrients and digestible energy, while avoiding chemical and structural deterrents. To optimize foraging, herbivores select habitats and food items in a hierarchical way, and different attracting and deterring factors may govern selection at different scales. We studied the impact of twig biting by a guild of indigenous browsers in three vegetation types in a semi-arid savanna in Botswana. The heaviest browsing pressure was in the vegetation type richest in preferred plant species, although that type was also richest in defended species. There were large differences in relative utilization between plant species, and ranking of species was roughly similar in the different vegetation types. Browsing pressure varied between species from almost 0-30%. Overall, spinescent trees were less browsed than non-spinescent ones, and evergreen species were less browsed than deciduous ones. In two of the three vegetation types there was a negative correlation between browsing pressure on a species and its frequency. There was a high incidence of rebrowsing, and once a tree had been browsed, the probability that it would be browsed again increased. The results largely agree with predictions based on the resource availability hypothesis, the scarcity accessibility hypothesis and recent theories on the significance of plant defences and on plant's response to browsing and the subsequent response by herbivores on the plant's responses.     

Relationship of Salt Marsh Vegetation Zonation to Spatial Patterns in Soil Moisture, Salinity, and Topography

An intertidal San Francisco Bay salt marsh was used to study the spatial relationships between vegetation patterns and hydrologic and edaphic variables. Multiple abiotic variables were represented by six metrics: elevation, distance to major tidal channels and to the nearest channel of any size, edaphic conditions during dry and wet circumstances, and the magnitude of tidally induced changes in soil saturation and salinity. A new approach, quantitative differential electromagnetic induction (Q-DEMI), was developed to obtain the last metric. The approach converts the difference in soil electrical conductivity (ECa) between dry and wet conditions to quantitative maps of tidally induced changes in root zone soil water content and salinity. The result is a spatially exhaustive map of edaphic changes throughout the mapped area of the ecosystem. Spatially distributed data on the six metrics were used to explore two hypotheses: (1) multiple abiotic variables relevant to vegetation zonation each exhibit different, uncorrelated, spatial patterns throughout an intertidal salt marsh; (2) vegetation zones and habitats of individual plant species are uniquely characterized by different combinations of key metrics. The first hypothesis was supported by observed, uncorrelated spatial variability in the metrics. The second hypothesis was supported by binary logistic regression models that identified key vegetation zone and species habitat characteristics from among the six metrics. Based on results from 108 models, the Q-DEMI map of saturation and salinity change was the most useful metric of those tested for distinguishing different vegetation zones and plant species habitats in the salt marsh.     

西藏羌塘自然保护区藏羚和藏原羚的生境选择

2000年和2001年初夏,在高海拔、低人口密度的阿鲁盆地内对同域分布的藏羚与藏原羚的生境选择进行了研究.以海拔高度、坡度、离山岗距离、坡向以及植被类型作为资源参数,利用Resource Selection Function对藏羚与藏原羚的潜在生态位分化进行检验.研究表明:藏羚和藏原羚对低海拔、相对平地、针茅-非禾本科群落以及北坡的资源选择具有相似性,但对低海拔苔草平地具有强烈的避开;藏原羚对山岗或斜坡生境的利用比藏羚大.以针茅-非禾本科群落为例研究,结果显示斑块植物群落可能是决定生境选择的主要原因.     

Plant coexistence in coastal heaths: Floristic patterns and species attributes

Abstract An investigation was made of plant coexistence in coastal heaths. A 4 km stretch of Pleistocene beach sand was selected, and patterns of variation in heath vegetation on ridges and slopes in the beach system were studied. The sampling design covered variation with geographic distance among transects, plots within transects and quadrats within plots which were orthogonal to the alignment of ridges and slopes. Cover of vascular plant species was scored within each quadrat and both multivariate and univariate analyses tested the hypothesis that variation in the data was associated with environmental difference and geographic distance. There was a strong flohstic variation between the ridge and slope habitats. However, within these habitats there was no significant variation with distance at scales of kilometres, nor at hundreds of metres within transects nor at tens of metres within plots in floristic composition, in numbers of species, and in cover. Though differing floristically, the vegetation of the slopes and ridges had similar curves of importance values and fairly similar spectra of life forms and forms of post-fire regeneration in their constituent species, although the ridges had slightly more obligate-seeding species and fewer species of sedges and herbs than the slopes. The two habitats shared several genera, however, within such genera, species with similar attributes mostly occurred in different habitats. Hypotheses were suggested to explain segregation of species between the two habitats and the coexistence of species within habitats. Since patterns of variation among habitats were consistent over both smaller and larger scales of distance examined, experiments to test hypotheses may be designed so that their findings might be applied generally to the whole system studied.     

毛乌素沙地景观的植被与土壤特征空间格局及其相关分析

以毛乌素沙地景观不同尺度和生境中的植被盖度、植物物种数、土壤有机碳和全氮含量的空间格局和相互关系进行了研究。结果表明：不同尺度和生境中的植被盖度与植物物种数之间,以及土壤有机碳含量与全氮含量之间都具有显著的相关。在50－5000m的尺度上,植被盖度与植物物种数之间,以及土壤有机碳含量与全氮含量之间具有相似的空间格局,但植被特征（植被盖度与植物物种数）与土壤特征（土壤有机碳含量与全氮含量）具有不同的空间变化格局,两者之间没有显著的相关关系;在小于50m的尺度上,固定沙丘中的植物物种数与土壤有机碳和全氮含量之间具有显著的正相关,半固定水丘中的植物物种数与土壤有机碳含量具有显著的负相关。这说明,在小于50m的尺度上土壤有机碳和全氮含量格局制约了植被格局,但在50－5000m的尺度上却没有。这一研究表明植被与土壤之间的相互关系依赖于不同的空间尺度。     

喀喇昆仑、昆仑山地区植物中一些元素的自然含量特征

 本文论述了喀喇昆仑、昆仑山地区87种植物12个元素含量的特征。在含量水平上>10000ppm的元素有K,Ca,800—5000ppm的元素为Na、Mg,Fe、Al,10—100ppm的元素有Ba、Sr、Ti,Mn,V与Be的含量<10ppm。大多数植物Fe、V,Sr的含量高于一般的自然含量。植物中K含量的频数分布呈正态分布,其余元素的频数分布呈对数正态分布。不同植物种元素含量差异较大,Na的变异系数最大,Ca、Mg含量的变异系数最小。同种植物在不同地点元素含量有较大差异,不同植物种差异也不同。如紫花针茅(Stipa purpurea)>垫状驼绒藜(Ceratoides compacta)>鼠麴凤毛菊(Saussurea gnaphaloides)。植物中元素含量之间的相关分析表明,Fe、Al,V,Ti之间分别达极显著相关水平。用植物中12个元素的资料,对22种植物进行分类和排序,区分出Na,K型植物和Fe,Al,V,Ba型植物。     

Grassland invertebrate assemblages in managed landscapes: Effect of host plant and microhabitat architecture

Abstract Grasslands are often considered as two‐dimensional habitats rather than complex, multilayered habitats. However, native grasslands are complex habitats, with multiple layers of annual and perennial grasses, sedges, shrubs and mosses. Vegetation complexity, including plant type, quality and three‐dimensional structure is important for providing a variety of food and habitat resources for insects. Grazing by domestic livestock can affect these processes through the loss or fragmentation of habitats, as well as altering the vertical and horizontal vegetation structure. This study aimed to investigate the role of host plants and microhabitat architecture for determining foliage invertebrate assemblages. Different plant species supported distinct invertebrate assemblages and less complex host plants supported fewer invertebrate individuals and species. Manipulations of plant architecture changed the species composition of invertebrates, with most species found in more complex vegetation. This study illustrates the importance of host diversity and pasture complexity for invertebrate communities. Management practices that encourage a heterogeneous environment with diverse and structurally complex pastures should also sustain a more diverse and functional invertebrate assemblage.     

Impacts of Land Abandonment on Vegetation: Successional Pathways in European Habitats

Changes in traditional agricultural systems in Europe in recent decades have led to widespread abandonment and colonization of various habitats by shrubs and trees. We combined several vegetation databases to test whether patterns of changes in plant diversity after land abandonment in different habitats followed similar pathways. The impacts of land abandonment and subsequent woody colonization on vegetation composition and plant traits were studied in five semi-natural open habitats and two arable habitats in six regions of Europe. For each habitat, vegetation surveys were carried out in different stages of succession using either permanent or non-permanent plots. Consecutive stages of succession were defined on a physiognomic basis from initial open stages to late woody stages. Changes in vegetation composition, species richness, numbers of species on Red Lists, plant strategy types, Ellenberg indicator values of the vegetation, Grime CSR strategy types and seven ecological traits were assessed for each stage of the successional pathway. Abandonment of agro-pastoral land-use and subsequent woody colonization were associated with changes in floristic composition. Plant richness varied according to the different habitats and stages of succession, but semi-natural habitats differed from arable fields in several ecological traits and vegetation responses. Nevertheless, succession occurred along broadly predictable pathways. Vegetation in abandoned arable fields was characterized by a decreasing importance of R-strategists, annuals, seed plants with overwintering green leaves, insect-pollinated plants with hemi-rosette morphology and plants thriving in nutrient-rich conditions, but an increase in species considered as endangered according to the Red Lists. Conversely, changes in plant traits with succession within the initially-open semi-natural habitats showed an increase in plants thriving in nutrient-rich conditions, stress-tolerant plants and plants with sexual and vegetative reproduction, but a sharp decrease in protected species. In conclusion, our study showed a set of similarities in responses of the vegetation in plant traits after land abandonment, but we also highlighted differences between arable fields and semi-natural habitats, emphasizing the importance of land-use legacy.