丹霞地貌山顶生态效应

首次探讨了丹霞地貌山顶生态效应现象,揭示特殊的地貌、形态所产生的特殊生态现象.测定广东省丹霞山宝珠峰和海螺峰的山顶的生态因子特征、群落结构特征和物种生态型特征,并与山脚的群落与种群以及相近非丹霞地貌区作比较.结果表明,山顶的平均温度高于山脚沟谷,平均湿度小于山脚沟谷,群落物种数和物种多样性均小于山脚沟谷.相比山顶而言,山脚沟谷的植物有很强的热带性.这些特征都有别于一般非丹霞地貌山地.另外,在山顶和山脚调查的几个种群在叶面积、比叶面积、树皮、枝下高和冠幅等方面,均出现了生态型的差异.讨论了丹霞地貌山顶对生态型研究、岛屿理论研究和适应性进化研究的科学意义.     

丹霞地貌沟谷生态效应

以广东省丹霞山为研究实例,探讨丹霞地貌特殊的沟谷生态效应.结果表明,丹霞地貌的特殊沟谷生态效应体现在以下两个方面:第一是丹霞地貌演变过程中形成了众多石峰隆起和沟谷凹陷,特殊的地貌环境使得沟谷中的生态因子与其它非丹霞地貌开阔区域产生差异,小气候相对封闭,水湿条件极好,为喜高温高湿的热带物种提供了较好的生存环境;沟谷所处位置的地理环境,如四周崖壁的光滑程度会影响到太阳光反射到沟谷的光强,这些都会对沟谷中的温湿度产生影响.第二是丹霞地貌特殊的生态条件,为沟谷地带孕育出一批热带性较强的分类群提供了可能,与相近纬度的诸多植被相比,丹霞地貌植物区系热带性明显增强,热带分布区类型所占比重比同纬度区域要大10%以上,大多数沟谷中热带性物种分布现象比较明显,藤本分布较多,蕨类植物也较丰富,耐水湿的植物区系发育良好;这实际上造成了植物水平分布上的移位,使中亚热带区域中分布有南亚热带甚至热带区域的物种,出现了由于其特殊的沟谷地貌效应而形成的与其地貌条件保持协调和平衡的演替顶级群落类型,称为地貌顶级群落.     

Special ecological effects of ravines in Danxia Landform, China

Danxia Mountain in Guangdong Province was investigated on the special ecological effects of ravines in Danxia Landform. The results showed that its geomorphologic ecological effects could be manifested in the following two aspects. Firstly, multitudinous ridgy stone peaks and hollow ravines were shaped in the forming process of Danxia Landform. Ecological factors were different between the ravines and other open regions. Relatively close microclimate and high moisture condition in ravines could provide suitable living environment for tropical species which preferred hot and humid environment. Geomorphologic environment in ravines, like smooth degree of surrounding cliffs, would affect intensity of light reflected into ravines. All the aspects had influence on the temperature and humidity in ravines. Secondly, the special ecological effects of ravines in Danxia Landform provided a possibility to gestate a group of taxa with greater tropical characteristics. There, tropical plant flora was markedly increased in comparison with other vegetations at similar latitude. Tropical plant distributions were obvious in most ravines of Danxia Landform. Its proportion was 10% more than that of other regions at the similar latitude. The ravines in Danxia Landform were rich in liana, ferns and other plants with high water-logging resistance. Collectively, the phenomena that some typical species in south subtropical regions appeared in mid-subtropical regions revealed latitudinal shift of plant distribution. This kind of climax communities, which were coordinated and balanced with their geomorphologic environments due to the special ecological effects of ravines in Danxia Landform, could be called geo-climax communities.     

论丹霞地貌区生态演替特征及其科学价值

论述了丹霞地貌区生态演替的特征及其科学价值.认为植被演替由于时间漫长、过程复杂而对其研究具极大的难度,时空互代成为演替研究的重要手段,而这需要有完整的空间序列.丹霞地貌区存在着完整的原生演替与次生演替系列.典型丹霞地貌的山顶为原生演替的矮灌木林和乔木林,周围斜坡仍然受季节性降水侵蚀、风化、重力崩塌等作用,原生演替不断从裸露的岩石开始,故形成原生演替早期的苔藓、草本群落,随着岩石的进一步风化和苔藓、地衣等植物的作用,土壤层增厚,将原生演替继续往前推进.特殊的地质地貌过程使之不断有新的崩塌,从裸露的岩石开始的新的原生演替,如此形成不同时间系列的原生演替阶段.丹霞地貌区也存在着完整的次生演替系列,同时存在演替先锋林、演替过渡林和演替基本稳定林.这两个演替系列提供了一个非常难得的理想场所,使得生态学工作者在一个地点就可以观察到一个完整的植被演替系列.其研究可为该区域植被的经营管理和保护措施提供必要的依据.作为生态恢复参照系,对区域的植被生态恢复具有重要的指导意义.＃     

Characteristics and scientific values of ecological succession in Danxia Landform of China

The characteristics and scientific values of ecological succession in Danxia Landform of China were discussed. It was known that research on vegetation succession was quite difficult for its long-term and intricate process. Space-time substitution is an important method to study the succession, while it needs intact spatial succession series. In Danxia Landform, there are such primary and secondary succession series. On the hilltops, there are typical low shrubberies and arboreal forests of primary succession. The surrounding slopes are subjected to seasonal rainfall erosion, weathering action, gravitational collapse and so on. The primary succession constantly starts from bare rocks, and then moss and herbal communities of early primary succession are formed. With further weathering of rocks and effects of moss and lichen, soil layers are getting thicker and thicker, which pushes primary succession ahead. New collapses are ceaselessly induced by the special geological geomorphological process, and then a new primary succession starts from bare rocks. Thus, different stages of primary succession are formed in Danxia Landform. In addition, the secondary succession series exist in Danxia Landform, including the pioneer forests, transitional forests and steady forests. Danxia Landform provides ideal sites for vegetation succession study. The relative studies would be helpful for the vegetation management and protection in this area. As ecological restoration reference, it is also meaningful for the vegetation restoration.     

桂林岩溶石山青冈群落植物功能性状的尺度变化与关联

研究植物功能性状在不同尺度的变异和关联,对于揭示植物对环境的适应策略和群落构建规律具有重要意义。以岩溶石山青冈群落为研究对象,测量了研究区内20个样方74种木本植物的叶面积、比叶面积和木材密度3个功能性状值,利用性状梯度分析法分析了3个性状在群落内部(α组分)及群落间(β组分)的变异格局及相关性。结果表明:(1)群落内3个植物功能性状的α值范围均大于β值范围,即物种相对于共生物种性状值的变化大于沿着群落平均性状梯度的变化。(2)植物功能性状比叶面积的种内差异引起的变化小于群落水平。(3)叶面积与比叶面积、比叶面积与木材密度、叶面积与木材密度的β组分相关性均最强,而α组分间无相关性或相关性较弱,即叶面积与比叶面积、比叶面积与木材密度、叶面积与木材密度两两性状间的相关性在群落间的依赖程度比群落内共生物种的依赖性要强,暗示物种在群落内和群落间采取不同的生态策略来适应环境。     

Morphological plasticity in response to shading in three Convolvulus species of different ecological breadth

We evaluated in common-garden experiments the morphological plasticity to shading of three Convolvulus species that occur in Chile and differ in ecological breadth. Convolvulus arvensis L. is a world weed distributed along the country, and is found in open as well as in shaded habitats. Convolvulus chilensis Pers. is a Chilean endemic species typical of coastal habitats, and is found in open to partially open sites. C. demissus choisy occurs only on slopes of the Andes of Chile and Argentina, habitats with high incidence of solar radiation. We hypothesized that the magnitude of phenotypic plasticity to shading of these species would correlate with their ecological breadth. Shading had a significant effect on internode length, petiole length, stem diameter, stem length, number of branches, leaf area, leaf shape, leaf biomass, and specific leaf area. Species differed in all the morphological traits except leaf biomass. A significant Shading × Species interaction in the two-way ANOVA, i.e. differential plasticity to shading of Convolvulus species, was found for petiole length, stem length, number of branches, leaf shape, and specific leaf area. Contrary to our hypothesis, tests of parallelism showed that, in general, the plasticity to shading of C. chilensis (the species of intermediate ecological breadth) was the greatest, and that of C. arvensis (the weed) and C. demissus (the species of narrow distribution) was similar. Issues of ecotype differentiation, in the case of C. arvensis, and the role of life history traits are raised to explain the observed lack of association between ecological breadth and magnitude of phenotypic plasticity.     

黄土高原子午岭不同森林群落叶功能性状

对黄土高原子午岭地区5种主要森林群落中重要值>0.1的物种叶功能性状进行了比较,结果表明:1)叶干物质含量(LDMC)与比叶面积(SLA)呈负相关;SLA与叶厚度(LT)呈负相关,但与叶氮含量(LNC)和叶磷含量(LPC)呈正相关;LT与LNC、LPC和叶钾含量(LKC)呈负相关;LNC、LPC和LKC三者之间均呈正相关。2)坡位是影响叶大小(LS)、LT、LNC和LKC的主要地形因子,海拔对LPC和SLA的影响最大,而坡向则是影响LDMC的主要因子。因此,叶功能性状之间所呈现的特征及其对立地条件的适应都表现出了植物的生态策略。3)各群落间的乔木层叶功能性状均有显著差异,灌木层的叶功能性状无显著差异,而草本层除了LDMC无显著差异(P>0.05)外,其他叶功能性状均有显著差异,说明群落的叶功能性状的大小取决于群落内物种的叶功能性状及其重要值。     

Functional traits of individual trees reveal ecological constraints on community assembly in tropical rain forests

Niche differentiation and ecological filtering are primary ecological processes that shape community assembly, but their relative importance remains poorly understood. Analyses of the distributions of functional traits can provide insight into the community structure generated by these processes. We predicted the trait distributions expected under the ecological processes of niche differentiation and environmental filtering, then tested these predictions with a dataset of 4672 trees located in nine 1‐ha plots of tropical rain forest in French Guiana. Five traits related to leaf function (foliar N concentration, chlorophyll content, toughness, tissue density and specific leaf area), and three traits related to stem function (trunk sapwood density, branch sapwood density, and trunk bark thickness), as well as laminar surface area, were measured on every individual tree. There was far more evidence for environmental filtering than for niche differentiation in these forests. Furthermore, we contrasted results from species‐mean and individual‐level trait values. Analyses that took within‐species trait variation into account were far more sensitive indicators of niche differentiation and ecological filtering. Species‐mean analyses, by contrast, may underestimate the effects of ecological processes on community assembly. Environmental filtering appeared somewhat more intense on leaf traits than on stem traits, whereas niche differentiation affected neither strongly. By accounting for within‐species trait variation, we were able to more properly consider the ecological interactions among individual trees and between individual trees and their environment. In so doing, our results suggest that the ecological processes of niche differentiation and environmental filtering may be more pervasive than previously believed.     

Local texture convergence: a new approach to seeking assembly rules

Much of community-ecology theory describes (or even assumes) constraints on the coexistence of species. These constraints are often described using functional characters as an index to the niche of the species. The hypothesis/assumption is that those species which are too similar in functional characters, and hence in niche, cannot coexist. However, this body of theory is rarely tested. We attempted a test by making a prediction of texture convergence that follows logically from the theory, yet is simple enough to test – one based on similarity of ecological assembly between the patches of a community. We used replicate quadrats within twelve herbaceous communities. Eleven characters were measured, that were intended to reflect the functional above-ground niche of the species. We examined each character in turn, to test for ecological convergence to a similar mean within each community, with species either weighted equally (i.e. using species presence) or weighted by their biomass. Convergence with species weighted by their biomass was seen in chlorophyll content, indicating a significant tendency for each patch in a community to comprise a rather constant mixture of species types in terms of their different chlorophyll contents. In terms of species presence, texture divergence occurred in leafiness (LAR), specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf inclination, i.e. there was more variation between quadrats within a site than expected at random. However, significant results were sparse: the bulk of evidence is for no significant departure from a null model, i.e. no support for a widespread body of ecological theory.     

崀山丹霞地貌区野生藤本植物区系与生长特性分析

采用线路与样方相结合的调查方法,对崀山丹霞地貌区野生藤本植物区系的种类组成及重要类群进行了调查,并根据调查结果对该藤本植物区系的分布区类型、生活型、叶质和叶级及生长特性和群落形成因素进行了分析.结果显示,崀山丹霞地貌区有野生藤本植物41科75属131种,其中蕨类植物和裸子植物各有1科1属1种,被子植物有39科73属129种;在被子植物中,双子叶植物有34科68属121种,具有明显优势.比较重要的科有蝶形花科(Papilionaceae)、葡萄科(Vitaceae)、茜草科(Rubiaceae)、防己科(Menispermaceae)和卫矛科(Celastraceae), 重要属有铁线莲属(Clematis L. )、蔷薇属(Rosa L. )、猕猴桃属(Actinidia Lindl. )、南蛇藤属(Celastrus L. )、葡萄属(Vitis L. )、蛇葡萄属(Ampelopsis Michaux)和地锦属(Parthenocissus Planch. ).该藤本植物区系含有12个分布区类型,具有明显的热带属性, 热带分布属占总属数的66.19%, 东亚分布和东亚-北美间断分布类型在该藤本植物区系中也有重要作用.在该藤本植物区系中,高位芽、地上芽、地面芽、地下芽和1年生草本植物的比例分别为78.63%、 8.40%、 5.34%、 6.87%和0.76%, 并且以缠绕类的数量占优势, 缠绕类、卷曲类、吸固类和搭靠类藤本植物的比例分别为51.91%、 21.37%、 15.27%和11.45%;叶质以纸质叶为主,占83.21%;叶级谱为中型叶35.88%、小型叶55.72%、微型叶7.63%、鳞型叶0.76%.调查结果表明,崀山丹霞地貌区野生藤本植物类型十分复杂,具有完整的生活型谱,区系组成具有地带性植被--亚热带常绿阔叶林的特征;在崀山丹霞赤壁上由藤本植物和苔藓、矮小草本植物组成的盖度较大的藤本植物组合已经成为一个生态功能单位,形成了一个新的藤本植物植被类型.     

湖北星斗山地形变化对不同生活型植物叶功能性状的影响

探究地形变化对不同生活型植物叶功能性状的影响有助于深入理解森林群落物种组成的维持特征。该研究以湖北星斗山常绿落叶阔叶混交林为研究对象, 测量了50个样地中224种木本植物的叶面积、叶厚度、叶干质量、叶干物质含量和比叶面积, 运用单因素方差分析揭示了乔木、灌木和木质藤本的叶功能性状变异特征, 并采用偏曼特尔检验分别从群落水平和物种水平分析了地形变化对不同生活型木本植物叶功能性状的影响。研究发现: 不同生活型植物叶性状变异系数分布范围为23.42%-110.45%; 不同生活型之间的植物叶功能性状差异明显。群落水平上, 海拔与乔木叶干质量、灌木叶面积和木质藤本叶厚度显著正相关, 坡度仅对灌木和木质藤本比叶面积具有显著影响, 坡向与灌木叶厚度、叶干质量和比叶面积显著正相关。物种水平上, 海拔比坡度和坡向对植物叶功能性状影响更为显著, 且不同物种对地形变化的敏感度不一致; 在控制空间结构影响后, 地形因子对植物叶功能性状的影响降低。该研究结果表明, 不同生活型植物的叶功能性状对地形变化的响应格局不同, 这可能是星斗山常绿落叶阔叶混交林植物多样性的主要维持机制。     

人类活动对两栖动物群落结构的影响

本文报道了哀牢山徐家坝地区,山地水域环境植被的不同开发强度对两栖动物群落结构的影响。调查结果表明,水域环境植被未经破坏的原始常绿阔叶林生态类型其两栖动物群落结构由12种蛙组成,多样性指数2.41:原生植被曾被砍伐而演替为次生林生态类型由9种蛙组成,多样性指数1.97;原生植被曾遭受严重砍伐和火烧而演替为毛蕨草地和沼泽草甸生态类型,其两栖动物种数分别为6种和5种,多样性指数分别为0.70和0.57。由此可见森林植被破坏对两栖动物群落结构及动态都有决定性影响。     

大青沟自然保护区主要森林群落优势种的叶性状

植物功能性状是近年来生态学研究的热点。其中叶功能性状与植株生物量和植物对资源的获得、利用及利用效率的关系最为密切。大青沟森林植物群落分布于科尔沁沙地,生境条件非常特殊,在沙沟里存在着一片茂密的森林,与周围浩瀚无垠的沙坨景观形成极为鲜明的对照。从沟底到沟顶,虽然海拔高度仅相差六、七十米,但由于距离沟底水源不同,土壤条件差异大,形成了不同的森林植物群落类型。大果榆群落、蒙古栎群落和水曲柳群落分别分布在大青沟自然保护区的沟顶、沟中和沟底。为了对大青沟自然保护区,不同环境梯度下的森林植物群落叶片功能性状进行研究,以大青沟自然保护区大果榆、蒙古栎、水曲柳3种主要森林群落为研究对象,分别测定不同群落优势种的叶厚度、比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶大小和叶干重等5项叶功能性状,研究叶功能性状之间的关系,并对不同生长型、不同群落叶功能性状进行比较。相关分析结果表明,叶厚度与比叶面积呈极显著负相关,与叶大小和叶干重呈极显著正相关;比叶面积与叶干物质含量、叶干重呈极显著负相关,与叶大小呈显著正相关;叶干物质含量与叶大小呈极显著负相关,与叶干重呈极显著正相关;叶大小与叶干重呈极显著正相关。不同生长型植物叶片性状的分析表明,草本植物的叶干物质含量比乔木和灌木低,而其比叶面积高于乔木和灌木;对不同群落叶功能性状进行比较发现,大果榆群落和蒙古栎群落乔木、灌木叶厚度与干物质含量显著高于水曲柳群落的叶厚度与干物质含量,二者比叶面积显著低于水曲柳群落。大果榆群落和蒙古栎群落从叶功能性状的角度,它们具有较高的叶干物质含量和较低的比叶面积,体现出适应干旱生境叶片的特征。水曲柳群落呈现出低叶干物质含量、高比叶面积的特征,体现出适应湿润、土壤水分较好生境的特征。不同群落通过调节自身的物种组成,形成不同的功能性状组合来适应环境。     

中国江西龙虎山崖顶植物根中深色有隔内生菌多样性

为探明丹霞地貌区崖顶植物深色有隔内生真菌（dark septate endophyte,DSE）多样性、群落组成以及生态分布规律。本文以江西龙虎山崖顶常见植物刺柏、马尾松、青冈栎、檵木、乌饭树、鸭跖草、苦槠、辣木树和香附子9种植物的根为研究对象,采用经典的组织分离方法分离DSE真菌,结合形态学特征和分子生物学数据研究丹霞地貌区崖顶常见植物DSE真菌多样性。结果表明：从9种植物根部990个组织块中,共分离纯化出404株菌株,经鉴定隶属于45个分类单元。其中,青霉属Penicillium、拟内孢霉属Endomycopsis、曲霉属Aspergillus、头囊霉属Ascocybe为优势属群,属种组成在不同植物中存在差异,且内生真菌属的数目与植物优势度极显著正相关（P<0.01）。9种植物深色有隔内生真菌（DSE）总分离率在0.51%-13.33%之间;各植物DSE Shannon指数在0.0743-1.0400之间,与植物优势度极显著正相关（P<0.01）,差异明显;Simpson指数较高（均值>0.7）且Pielou指数较低（均值<0.4）表明DSE真菌在不同植物分布不均匀;相似性指数普遍不高,在0.071-0.467之间。本研究初步揭示了丹霞地貌区崖顶深色有隔内生真菌的分布及多样性情况,为进一步探讨内生真菌在丹霞地貌等特殊生境的生态功能提供参考。     

火烧强度对兴安落叶松群落叶片功能性状及功能多样性的影响

林火是北方针叶林的重要生态因子,直接影响火烧迹地物种多样性及功能多样性,进而影响森林群落的演替.以牙克石地区火后自然恢复12年的兴安落叶松群落为研究对象,在群落尺度上分析火烧迹地土壤养分含量、叶片功能性状、物种多样性和功能多样性在不同火烧强度(轻、中和重度火烧)下的变化规律.结果表明: 火烧显著降低了土壤全氮含量,对土壤全磷含量无显著影响.轻、中度火烧有助于维持群落较高的物种多样性和功能多样性;中度火烧显著增加了群落的物种多样性,物种丰富度指数、Shannon指数、Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数均在中度火烧时有最大值;火烧降低了群落的功能丰富度和功能离散度指数,二者分别在中、轻度火烧时最大(除未过火外),而群落的功能均匀度和二次熵指数在林火干扰后增加,轻度火烧后最大.随火烧强度增加,叶干物质含量、叶组织密度和叶磷含量总体呈显著增大趋势,而比叶面积、叶含水量、叶氮含量和叶N∶P则表现出未过火>中度火烧>轻度火烧>重度火烧的规律,叶片厚度呈先增大后减小的变化规律.火烧强度对森林群落的叶片功能性状和功能多样性均有显著影响,且适度的火干扰对森林群落的恢复具有促进作用.     

桂林岩溶石山青冈群落主要木本植物功能性状变异与关联

研究植物功能性状变异以及不同性状之间的关系, 有助于了解植物对环境的适应策略, 对揭示群落构建和生物多样性维持机制具有重要意义。本研究以桂林岩溶石山青冈群落18种主要木本植物为研究对象, 采用单因素方差分析、混合线性模型以及Pearson相关分析和主成分分析等方法探讨了不同生长型和生活型物种的9个枝、叶功能性状(叶绿素含量、叶片厚度、叶面积、叶干质量、比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶组织密度、小枝干物质含量和小枝组织密度)的变异与关联。结果表明: (1) 9个功能性状的变异程度不同, 叶面积和叶干质量的种内和种间变异系数最大, 小枝干物质含量和小枝组织密度的种内和种间变异系数最小。(2)在生长型水平上, 乔木、灌木和木质藤本的绝大部分功能性状差异显著。(3)对于不同生活型植物, 除叶面积和比叶面积为落叶植物显著大于常绿植物外, 其余7个功能性状皆为常绿植物显著大于落叶植物。(4)不同生长型和生活型植物功能性状的种内和种间变异大小存在差异, 除部分植物功能性状在一些功能型上表现为种内变异高于种间变异, 其余功能性状的种间变异皆高于种内变异。(5)各功能性状之间关系在个体水平和物种水平大致相同, 但是个体水平上的显著相关比例高于物种水平。研究发现, 植物功能性状的种间变异基本高于种内变异, 但种内变异不容忽略。此外, 不同生长型和生活型物种采取不同的生态策略来适应喀斯特生境。今后的研究应基于个体水平采样并结合环境因子从生长型和生活型等不同功能型角度上深入探究植物功能性状在种内和种间等不同尺度上的变异与关联。     

古老铅锌矿区生态型东南景天对锌耐性及超积累特性的研究

 植物长期生长在重金属污染的生境中,逐渐进化成不同的生态型。通过调查中国东南部古老Pb/zn矿和非矿山生境中的植物种群,发现生长在古老Pb／Zn矿的东南景天(Sedum alfredii Hance)是一种新的Zn超积累植物。在自然和控制条件下,古老Pb／Zn矿生态型比非矿山生态型植株的茎粗、叶片大、植株高。在矿山土壤Zn有效含量为105.5～325.4mg·kg-1时,矿山生态型东南景天植株地上部Zn含量为4134～5000mg·kg-1;当营养液中Zn浓度为1223.6μmol时,其Zn含量高达2％。在相同Zn浓度下,矿山生态型地上部Zn含量比非矿山生态型高30倍左右。两种生态型体内Zn分布也不同,古老铅锌矿山生态型的不同器官中Zn含量以茎>叶片>根系,而非矿山生态型则以根系>茎>叶片。古老铅锌矿山生态型地上部积累的Zn占植株总积累量的90％以上,其中叶片和茎分别占41.66％±5.46％和54.75％±5.87％;非矿山生态型各器官中积累的Zn远远低于古老铅锌矿山生态型,各器官中积累的Zn以茎>根系>叶片。本研究表明,这两种生态型东南景天的发现,为今后探讨植物耐高Zn胁迫和超积累Zn的微进化过程提供了非常有价值的材料,也为Zn污染土壤的植物修复提供了一种很有潜力的候选材料。     

Responses to defoliation of species-rich and monospecific tropical plant communities

Summary Floristically rich and monospecific tropical plant communities both responded to partial defoliation with increases in rates of production of new leaf area. Even after 50% of the leaf area had been removed three times, the leaf area increments were still higher in defoliated plots than in controls. Mean leaf area increment after defoliation, on a leaf area per unit ground area basis, was 905 cm² m^-2 d^-1 in diverse successional vegetation and 536 cm² m^-2 d^-1 in a cassava monoculture. Although defoliation stimulated leaf area development, on a per unit ground area basis, in both the cassava monoculture and the successional vegetation, the effect was more pronounced in the successional vegetation. On a per unit leaf area basis, leaf area increments following defoliation in both the diverse successional vegetation and the monoculture were approximately five times those of controls. The diverse plant community continued to respond vigorously after repeated defoliation, while the amount of stimulation of leaf are development in the monoculture declined. Because of their ability to respond even after repeated defoliation, diverse communities may in the long term be more homeostatic with respect to leaf area than are monocultures. The enhanced responsiveness of the species-rich community was due to changes in plant species abundance and very rapid leaf area development by some species.     

Differences in butterfly (Nymphalidae) diversity between hillsides and hilltop forest patches in the northern Andes

Andean montane butterflies have unique diversity patterns in each mountain system, and the knowledge on how their community diversity changes at local scale has potential important implications on designing regional conservation strategies. The multiplicative partition of the diversity and the effective number of species provides a useful tool in studying the patterns of diversity in heterogeneous Andean cloud forest habitats. Here, we evaluated diversity in three nearby sites in the Andean Central Cordillera of Colombia, two hillsides – on western (Cauca canyon) and eastern (Aburrá valley) slopes – and one hilltop. We collected a total of 1039 individuals belonging to 55 species of butterflies. Alpha diversity differs between hillsides and the hilltop. Beta diversity in the three areas show differences in richness (q0) and in diversity of the order of magnitude of q1 and q2, with the major differences between hillsides and hilltop. This study shows important differences in butterfly (Nymphalidae) assemblages on a local scale, and suggests that any efforts directed towards comprehensive protection of a given area in a heterogeneous mountain landscape must be focused on the complete forested area, not being limited to a hilltop or to a single hillside.