竹叶眼子菜种群遗传多样性与群落物种多样性关系的研究

以洪湖中的沉水植物群落及其优势种竹叶眼子菜(Potamogeton wrightii Morong)为研究对象,利用AFLP分子标记结合野外调查的方法,分析保护区(干扰较小)与非保护区(干扰较大,敞水区)中沉水植物群落的物种多样性与竹叶眼子菜遗传多样性之间的相关性。结果显示:洪湖沉水植物群落物种丰富度(S)和物种多样性辛普森指数(D)在保护区和非保护区均未发现显著性差异;竹叶眼子菜的重要值(IV)在保护区(5.2%~23.2%)较非保护区(8.5%~73.3%)稳定。竹叶眼子菜的遗传多样性在两个区未发现显著差异,其遗传多样性与群落物种多样性这两个指标在保护区、非保护区及全湖水平均不相关,说明沉水植物群落的物种多样性和竹叶眼子菜的遗传多样性对不同环境干扰的响应有所差异。     

Latitudinal gradients of associations between beta and gamma diversity of trees in forest communities in the New World

Aims We analyze two continental data sets of forest communities from across the New World to examine the latitudinal gradients of beta diversity after accounting for gamma diversity and the latitudinal gradient of gamma diversity after accounting for beta diversity.Methods Correlation and regression analyses were used to relate beta and gamma diversity to latitude along two latitudinal gradients in the New World (one including 72 forest sites located south of the equator and the other including 79 forest sites located north of the equator).Important findings Beta diversity and gamma diversity were negatively correlated with latitude. Beta diversity was strongly and positively correlated with gamma diversity (Pearson's correlation coefficient: 0.783 for New World North and 0.848 for New World South). When beta diversity was regressed on latitude and gamma diversity, 69.8 and 85.7% of the variation in beta diversity were explained, respectively, for New World North and New World South. When gamma diversity was regressed on latitude and beta diversity, 81.8 and 84.3% of the variation in gamma diversity were explained, respectively, for New World North and New World South. After statistically removing the relationship between beta and gamma diversity, latitude has weak or no relationships with beta and gamma diversity. However, strong positive correlations between beta and gamma diversity may not be considered as evidence of one driving the other along a latitudinal gradient.     

南亚热带常绿阔叶林树木多样性与生物量和生产力的关联及其影响因素

生物多样性和生态系统功能的关系直接或间接地影响着生产力, 是生态学研究的关键问题。本研究旨在定量探讨亚热带自然林演替后期森林生态系统树木多样性与生物量或生产力的关系。本研究基于中国南亚热带长期永久性样地的群落调查数据以及地形和土壤养分数据, 分析了南亚热带常绿阔叶林树木多样性与生物量和生产力的关联及其影响因素。相关性分析结果表明, 物种多样性与生物量呈显著负相关, 与生产力呈显著正相关; 结构多样性与生物量呈显著正相关, 与生产力呈显著负相关。此外, 不同环境因子对多样性、生物量和生产力的影响具有显著差异, 其中土壤含水量对生产力有显著影响, 物种多样性指标与部分地形和土壤因子均有相关性, 而群落结构多样性指标与土壤因子的相关性更强。方差分解结果表明, 结构多样性对生物量和生产力的单独效应的解释率最大, 分别为35.39%和5.21%; 其次是结构多样性和物种多样性的共同效应, 对生物量和生产力的解释率分别为13.66%和3.53%; 地形和土壤因子的解释率较小。同时, 结构方程结果也表明, 结构多样性对生物量有较强的直接正影响; 生物量对生产力有强烈的直接负影响, 结构多样性通过增加生物量明显地减少了生产力; 土壤和地形因子主要是通过物种和结构多样性间接影响生物量和生产力。综上, 本研究认为在南亚热带森林演替顶极群落中, 群落结构复杂性和物种多样性的提高对促进群落生产力和生物量具有重要作用。     

Relationships between species diversity or community structure and productivity of woody-plants in a broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Jiaohe,Jilin, China

Aims Based on the dataset of a broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Jiaohe, Jilin Province, this research compared the influences of species diversity and community structure on productivity. We aim to explain the relationship between diversity and productivity for better forest management. Methods We used the data of 10 973 woody-plants in a 11.76 hm² large sample plot and analyzed the correlations between 7 different indices of species diversity or community structure and productivity. Structural equation model was used to compare the effects of species diversity and community structure on productivity. Important findings The results showed that: (1) Both species diversity and community structure had significant effects on productivity when they were considered separately in linear regression analysis, i.e. species evenness was negatively correlated with productivity, the Shannon index of community structure was positively correlated with productivity and the Gini index was negatively correlated with productivity. (2) In the structural equation model, when simultaneously considered, community structure had stronger influence on productivity than species diversity. Our research suggests that, the effects of community structure on productivity are greater than species diversity and it is important to increase community structure complexity to improve forest productivity during forest management.     

Climate change may alter genetic diversity of Duchesnea indica,a clonal plant species

Climate change may alter the genetic diversity of plants. However, the relationship between genetic diversity in clonal plant species and climate change is unclear. To address this, we examined a representative clonal plant species, Duchesnea indica. We used microsatellite markers to analyze the genetic diversity of the species and used a correlation analysis to infer the relationship between climatic suitability and genetic diversity by using Maxent modeling. Then, we used a geographical information system approach to evaluate the change in genetic diversity of D. indica under climate change scenarios. There was a significantly negative relationship between climatic suitability and the genetic diversity of the clonal plant species. Using a proxy of genetic diversity, we found that climate change may alter the genetic diversity and even lead to a reduction in regional genetic diversity in D. indica. Annual precipitation, in particular, contributes to these changes in genetic diversity. Hence, climatic factors can be used as indicators of genetic diversity for clonal plant species, and studies should examine the impact of climate change on the maintenance of genetic diversity in plant species.     

高寒草地植物物种多样性与功能多样性的关系

物种多样性与功能多样性的关系是生态学当前研究的热点问题之一,不同区域典型生态系统物种多样性和功能多样性的关系研究有利于生物多样性保护理论的全面发展。以青藏高原地区的主要草地生态系统—高寒草甸和高寒草原为研究对象,采用4个物种多样性指数(Patrick丰富度指数、Shannon-Weiner多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数和Simpson优势度指数)和9个功能多样性指数(FAD功能性状距离指数、MFAD功能性状平均距离指数、基于样地的FDp和基于群落的FDc功能树状图指数、FRic功能体积指数、FEve功能均匀度指数、Rao功能离散度常二次熵指数、FDiv功能离散指数、FDis功能分散指数),分析了高寒草地植物物种多样性、功能多样性关系及其与初级生产力的关系,以期阐明3个科学问题:不同草地类型的高寒草地生态系统植物物种多样性和功能多样性有何差异?高寒草地生态系统的植物物种多样性和功能多样性有何关系?高寒草地生态系统物种多样性、功能多样性对生态系统功能的影响有何异同?研究结果表明:(1)与高寒草原相比,高寒草甸具有更高的物种多样性、功能丰富度和功能离散度;(2)高寒草甸中,Patrick丰富度与功能丰富度指数(FAD、MFAD、FDp、FDc)和功能离散度指数(FDiv)的具有较强的相关性,最优拟合方程分别为幂函数和二次多项式函数;(3)高寒草原中,Patrick丰富度与功能丰富度指数(FAD、MFAD、FDp、FDc、FRic)、Shannon指数和Simpson指数与FEve指数的相关性较强,最优拟合方程为二次多项式函数,Pielou指数与FEve指数的相关性较强,最优拟合方程为指数函数;(4)高寒草甸的初级生产力分别与物种丰富度指数Patrick、功能离散指数FDiv具有较强的相关性;而高寒草原的初级生产力与4个物种多样性指数间均具有较强的相关性,与功能离散指数FDiv具有较强的相关性,最佳拟合方程均为二次多项式函数。研究的总体结论为:物种多样性、功能多样性、二者之间的关系以及二者与生态系统服务功能(以初级生产力为例)之间的关系在高寒草甸和高寒草原群落中表现迥异,因此在研究青藏高原高寒草地的生态功能时,不能仅仅测度传统的物种多样性,还应测度与物种多样性、生态功能密切相关的功能多样性。     

Genetic diversity of Potamogeton pectinatus L. in relation to species diversity in a pair of lakes of contrasting trophic levels

Understanding the correlation between genetic diversity and species diversity in freshwater communities is important to elucidate the influences of local selective forces on the genetic diversity of local aquatic plant populations across different communities. This study employed amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) to assess the genetic diversity of Potamogeton pectinatus L. populations between two sister-lakes with contrasting trophic levels, eutrophic and oligotrophic, in the Yunnan Plateau in southwest of China. The results showed high genetic differentiation between eutrophic lake and oligotrophic lake. The genetic distances between P. pectinatus populations were significantly correlated with the species evenness, but not with difference in species richness of aquatic plant communities. The results underpinned that genetic diversity at inter-population levels and local species diversity in plant communities are positively correlated. In addition, our results also suggested that habitat types might play an important role in the genetic diversity of the P. pectinatus populations between these two lakes.     

青海湖鸟岛地区植物群落物种多样性与土壤环境因子的关系

The study on the relationship between plant species diversity and soil factors in the bird island of Qinghai Lake indicated that this island was a low diversity district, its Shannon-Wienner index and species richness decreased with the increasing soil available K, water soluble salt concentration and pH, and there were significant linear and quadratic correlations between them. Stepwise linear regressions showed that soil available K and water soluble salt were the key factors to estimate Shannon-Wienner index and species richness in this island, respectively, and no correlation was found between species evenness and soil factors.     

Host phylogeography and beta diversity in avian haemosporidian (Plasmodiidae) assemblages of the Lesser Antilles

1. We estimated the correlation between host phylogeographical structure and beta diversity of avian haemosporidian assemblages of passerine birds to determine the degree to which parasite communities change with host evolution, expressed as genetic divergence between island populations, and we investigated whether differences among islands in the haemosporidia of a particular host species reflect beta diversity in the entire parasite assemblage, beta diversity in vectors, turnover of bird species and/or geographical distance. 2. We used Mantel tests to assess the significance of partial correlations between host nucleotide difference (based on cytochrome b) and haemosporidian (Haemoproteus spp. and Plasmodium spp.) mitochondrial lineage beta diversity within a given host species and between Plasmodium mitochondrial lineage beta diversity and mosquito and bird species beta diversity (or turnover). Three abundant and widespread host species (Tiaris bicolor, Coereba flaveola and Loxigilla noctis/barbadensis) were included in the study. Haemosporidian lineage beta diversity among nine islands was assessed using the Chao-Jaccard, Chao-S?rensen and Morisita-Horn indices of community similarity. Beta diversity indices of mosquito species and turnover of bird species were calculated from data in published records and field guides. 3. In Loxigilla spp., we found a positive correlation with geographical distance and an unexpected negative correlation between haemosporidian beta diversity and host genetic distance. Tiaris bicolor exhibited a significant positive correlation between haemosporidian beta diversity and beta diversity within the entire parasite assemblage. We did not find significant correlations between parasite beta diversity and mosquito beta diversity or bird species turnover. 4. Host phylogeographical structure does not appear to drive within-host beta diversity of haemosporidian lineages. Instead, the array of parasites on one host can reflect the haemosporidian assemblage on other hosts.     

Community genetics: resource addition has opposing effects on genetic and species diversity in a 150-year experiment

We used the Park Grass Experiment, begun in 1856, to test alternative hypotheses about the relationship between genetic diversity and plant species diversity. The niche variation hypothesis predicts that populations with few interspecific competitors and hence broader niches are expected to contain greater genetic diversity. The coexistence hypothesis predicts that genetic diversity within species favours coexistence among species and therefore species and genetic diversity should be positively correlated. Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) markers were used to measure the genetic diversity of populations of Anthoxanthum odoratum growing in 10 plots of differing species richness that lie along resource and soil pH gradients. Genetic diversity in A. odoratum was positively correlated with the number of resources added to a plot, but not correlated with species richness. However, separate analyses have shown a negative correlation between resource addition and species richness at Park Grass and elsewhere, so genetic and species diversity appear to respond in opposite directions.     

No correlation between the diversity and productivity of assemblages: evidence from the phytophage and predator assemblages in various cotton agroecosystems

Biodiversity research has shown that primary productivity increases with plant species number, especially in many experimental grassland systems. Here, we assessed the correlation between productivity and diversity of phytophages and natural enemy assemblages associated with planting date and intercropping in four cotton agroecosystems. Twenty-one pairs of data were used to determine Pearson correlations between species richness, total number of individuals, diversity indices and productivity for each assemblage every five days from 5 June to 15 September 2012. At the same trophic level, the productivity exhibited a significant positive correlation with species richness of the phytophage or predator assemblage. A significant correlation was found between productivity and total number of individuals in most cotton fields. However, no significant correlations were observed between productivity and diversity indices (including indices of energy flow diversity and numerical diversity) in most cotton fields for either the phytophage or the predator assemblages. Species richness of phytophage assemblage and total individual numbers were significantly correlated with primary productivity. Also, species richness of natural enemy assemblage and total number of individuals correlated with phytophage assemblage productivity. A negative but not significant correlation occurred between the indices of numerical diversity and energy flow diversity and lower trophic-level productivity in the cotton-phytophage and phytophage-predator assemblages for most intercropped cotton agroecosystems. Our results clearly showed that there were no correlations between diversity indices and productivity within the same or lower trophic levels within the phytophage and predator assemblages in cotton agroecosystems, and inter-cropped cotton fields had a stronger ability to support the natural enemy assemblage and potentially to reduce phytophages.     

Inferring relationships between native plant diversity and Lonicera japonica in upland forests in north Mississippi,USA

Question: Do anthropogenic disturbances interact with local environmental factors to increase the abundance and frequency of invasive species, which in turn exerts a negative effect on native biodiversity? Location: Mature Quercus‐Carya and Quercus‐Carya‐Pinus (oak‐hickory‐pine) forests in north Mississippi, USA. Methods: We used partial correlation and factor analysis to investigate relationships between native ground cover plant species richness and composition, percent cover of Lonicera japonica, and local and landscape‐level environmental variables and disturbance patterns in mature upland forests. We directly measured vegetation and environmental variables within 34 sampling subplots and quantified the amount of tree cover surrounding our plots using digital color aerial photography. Results: Simple bivariate correlations revealed that high species richness and a high proportion of herbs were associated with low Lonicera japonica cover, moist and sandy uncompacted soils, low disturbance in the surrounding landscape, and periodic prescribed burning. Partial correlations and factor analysis showed that once we accounted for the environmental factors, L japonica cover was the least important predictor of composition and among the least important predictors of species richness. Hence, much of the negative correlation between native species diversity and this invasive species was explained by soil texture and local and landscape‐level land‐use practices. Conclusions: We conclude that negative correlations between the abundance of invasive species and native plant diversity can occur in landscapes with a gradient of human disturbance, regardless of whether there is any negative effect of invasive species on native species.     

Stress-related hormones and genetic diversity in sea otters (Enhydra lutris)

Sea otters ( Enhydra lutris ) once ranged throughout the coastal regions of the north Pacific, but were extirpated throughout their range during the fur trade of the 18th and 19th centuries, leaving only small, widely scattered, remnant populations. All extant sea otter populations are believed to have experienced a population bottleneck and thus have lost genetic variation. Populations that undergo severe population reduction and associated inbreeding may suffer from a general reduction in fitness termed inbreeding depression. Inbreeding depression may result in decreased testosterone levels in males, and reduced ability to respond to stressful stimuli associated with an increase in the stress-related adrenal glucocorticoid hormones, cortisol and corticosterone. We investigated correlations of testosterone, cortisol, and corticosterone with genetic diversity in sea otters from five populations. We found a significant negative correlation between genetic diversity and both mean population-level ( r ²= 0.27, P < 0.001) and individual-level ( r ²= 0.54, P < 0.001) corticosterone values, as well as a negative correlation between genetic diversity and cortisol at the individual level ( r ²= 0.17, P = 0.04). No relationship was found between genetic diversity and testosterone ( P = 0.57). The strength of the correlations, especially with corticosterone, suggests potential negative consequences for overall population health, particularly for populations with the lowest genetic diversity.     

Phylogenetic diversity stabilizes community biomass

Aims The relationship between biodiversity and ecological stability is a long-standing issue in ecology. Current diversity–stability studies, which have largely focused on species diversity, often report an increase in the stability of aggregate community properties with increasing species diversity. Few studies have examined the linkage between phylogenetic diversity, another important dimension of biodiversity, and stability. By taking species evolutionary history into account, phylogenetic diversity may better capture the diversity of traits and niches of species in a community than species diversity and better relate to temporal stability. In this study, we investigated whether phylogenetic diversity could affect temporal stability of community biomass independent of species diversity.Methods We performed an experiment in laboratory microcosms with a pool of 12 bacterivorous ciliated protist species. To eliminate the possibility of species diversity effects confounding with phylogenetic diversity effects, we assembled communities that had the same number of species but varied in the level of phylogenetic diversity. Weekly disturbance, in the form of short-term temperature shock, was imposed on each microcosm and species abundances were monitored over time. We examined the relationship between temporal stability of community biomass and phylogenetic diversity and evaluated the role of several stabilizing mechanisms for explaining the influence of phylogenetic diversity on temporal stability.Important findings Our results showed that increasing phylogenetic diversity promoted temporal stability of community biomass. Both total community biomass and summed variances showed a U-shaped relationship with phylogenetic diversity, driven by the presence of large, competitively superior species that attained large biomass and high temporal variation in their biomass in both low and high phylogenetic diversity communities. Communities without these species showed patterns consistent with the reduced strength of competition and increasingly asynchronous species responses to environmental changes under higher phylogenetic diversity, two mechanisms that can drive positive diversity–stability relationships. These results support the utility of species phylogenetic knowledge for predicting ecosystem functions and their stability.     

Does diversity influence soil nitrate,light availability and productivity in the establishment phase of Australian temperate grassland reconstruction?

Summary The successful conservation and restoration of the temperate native grasslands of south‐eastern Australia is critical to reversing the decline in range and diversity of these threatened plant communities. Yet the goals of high native species diversity and weed management are difficult to achieve in grassland restoration projects. To increase our understanding of whether synergies exist between these goals (i.e. whether early introduction of a larger number of species might improve both outcomes in the reassembly of native grassland), we examined the relationships between plant species number, functional group number and resource use during the establishment phase of direct‐sown grassland. We did this by sowing a representative suite of species (at varying levels of species number and functional group number) into experimental plots and then measuring and analysing the extent to which the newly established assemblages captured available resources, i.e. used soil nitrate, absorbed light and produced biomass (vegetative cover). Statistically significant correlations were common between the predictor variables (species number, functional group number, percentage vegetative cover, plant number, presence of idiosyncratic (dominating) species) and responses (soil nitrate concentration, light reduction or ‘extinction’). Higher diversity was associated with lower soil nitrate, while percentage vegetative cover and the presence of idiosyncratic species best predicted light extinction. The relationship between diversity, and plant biomass (measured as vegetative cover) and plant number was positive in the first year of the study. The diversity/biomass relationship became negative in the second year due to the higher numbers and cover of ‘idiosyncratic’ species. The diversity/plant number relationship also became negative in the autumn of the second year and was reduced to a trend by the winter. We found that lower nitrate and increasing plant numbers and vegetative cover were most strongly linked to increasing species number in the early stages of this study. This suggests that introducing and maintaining high diversity early in a native grassland reassembly or enhancement project will improve the resistance (e.g. to weed) of these communities. At later stages of grassland development, this function may be provided by the more dominating idiosyncratic species. The maintenance of diversity, an important goal in its own right, will therefore necessitate managed disturbances to periodically reduce the vegetative dominance of idiosyncratic species, releasing resources for the diverse range of other species whose early introduction will have allowed them to persist in the soil seed bank or as suppressed rootstocks.     

沙地植被碳氮磷化学计量特征与物种多样性的关系

植被化学计量特征表征植物营养限制.它是否会影响物种多样性需要进一步探究.本研究以宁夏哈巴湖国家级自然保护区沙地油蒿群落和沙柳群落为对象,计算了植被碳(C)、氮(N)、磷(P)含量,分析了植被C、N、P生态化学计量特征对沙地植物群落物种多样性的影响.结果表明: 在流动沙丘和半固定沙丘生境中的沙柳群落,物种多样性Simpson指数与植被C/N值存在显著的负相关关系,而与植被N/P值的相关性不显著;在半固定沙丘和固定沙丘生境中的油蒿群落,物种多样性Shannon指数与N/P值存在显著正相关关系,而与C/N值存在显著负相关关系.结合C、N、P生态化学计量特征与冗余分析可知,油蒿群落和沙柳群落的植被P含量对物种多样性的影响不同,导致两个群落的植被N/P值对物种多样性产生不同的影响.     

基于地形因素的高寒草甸土壤温湿度和物种多样性与初级生产力关系研究

山地是高寒草甸的主要分布区,地形变化引起了土壤温湿度和物种的差异性分布,进而影响到草地生态系统生产功能。为明晰高寒草甸山地环境因子(土壤温湿度)和物种多样性(丰富度、多度、均匀度、优势度)与初级生产力的关系,本研究以青藏高原东北缘马牙雪山支脉的高寒草甸山体为研究对象,选择阶地、阴坡、山脊和阳坡与3个海拔梯度段,调查了189个样方的植物群落组成和土壤温湿度。采用线性回归法分析土壤温湿度和物种多样性与初级生产力之间的关系。结果表明:(1)以山地高寒草甸整体为研究单元,初级生产力只随物种多度的增加而显著增加(R~2=0.07 P=0.01)。(2)坡向影响初级生产力的因素不同,阴坡初级生产力与物种丰富度正线性相关;山脊初级生产力与土壤湿度正线性相关,也随物种丰富度增加而显著增加;阳坡初级生产力与物种多度正线性相关;阶地初级生产力随均匀度增加而显著增加,随优势度增加而显著降低。(3)只有低海拔区(2860-2910 m)初级生产力随物种多度和丰富度的增加而显著增加。综上所述,山地高寒草甸土壤温湿度和物种多样性与初级生产力关系受坡向比海拔的影响更大,且物种多样性对初级生产力的影响大于土壤温湿度。建议山地高寒草甸生态系统生产和生态管理过程中要重点考虑坡向对植物多样性和初级生产力的影响。     

Species and genetic diversity are not congruent in fragmented dry grasslands

Biological diversity comprises both species diversity (SD) and genetic diversity (GD), and it has been postulated that both levels of diversity depend on similar mechanisms. Species‐genetic diversity correlations (SGDC) are therefore supposed to be generally positive. However, in contrast to theory, empirical data are contradictory. Furthermore, there is a pronounced lack of multispecies studies including also the ecological factors potentially driving species and genetic diversity. We analyzed the relationship between the species diversity of dry grasslands and the genetic diversity of several dry grassland plant species, therefore, in the context of habitat fragmentation and habitat conditions. Our study revealed a lack of correlation between species and genetic diversity. We demonstrated previously that SD mainly depends on habitat conditions (vegetation height and cover of litter), whereas GD is significantly affected by habitat fragmentation (distance to the nearest dry grassland in 1830 and connectivity in 2013). This seems to be the main reason why SD and GD are not congruent in fragmented grasslands. Our results support, hence, the observation that positive SGDCs can mainly be found in natural, island‐like study systems in equilibrium and at similar levels of heterogeneity. In fragmented dry grassland ecosystems, which differ in heterogeneity, this state of equilibrium may not have been reached mitigating the positive relationship between SD and GD. From our study, it can be concluded that in fragmented dry grasslands, the protection of SD does not necessarily ensure the conservation of GD.     

Global patterns and drivers of genetic diversity among marine habitat-forming species

Aim

Intraspecific genetic diversity is one of the pillars of biodiversity, supporting the resilience and evolutionary potential of populations. Yet, our knowledge regarding the patterns of genetic diversity at macroecological scales, so-called macrogenetic patterns, remains scarce, particularly in marine species. Marine habitat-forming (MHF) species are key species in some of the most diverse but also most impacted marine ecosystems, such as coral reefs and marine forests. We characterize the patterns and drivers of genetic diversity in MHF species and provide a macrogenetic baseline, which can be used for conservation planning and for future genetic monitoring programmes.

Location

Global.

Time period

Contemporary.

Major taxa studied

Bryozoans, hexacorals, hydrozoans, octocorals, seagrasses, seaweeds, sponges.

Methods

We analysed a database including genetic diversity estimates based on microsatellites in more than 9,000 georeferenced populations from 140 species, which belong to seven animal and plant taxa. Focusing on expected heterozygosity, we used generalized additive models to test the effect of latitude, taxon, and conservation status. We tested the correlation between the species richness and the genetic diversity.

Results

We reveal a significant but complex biogeographic pattern characterized by a bimodal latitudinal trend influenced by taxonomy. We also report a positive species genetic diversity correlation at the scale of the ecoregions. The difference in genetic diversity between protected and unprotected areas was not significant.

Main conclusions

The contrasting results between MHF animals and plants suggest that the latitudinal genetic diversity patterns observed in MHF species are idiosyncratic, as reported in terrestrial species. Our results support the existence of shared drivers between genetic and species diversities, which remain to be formally identified. Concerning, these macrogenetic patterns are not aligned from the existing network of marine protected areas. Providing the first macrogenetic baseline in MHF species, this study echoes the call regarding the need to consider genetic diversity in biodiversity assessments and management.     

Insect diversity in Cape fynbos and neighbouring South African vegetation

Aim  It has often been suggested that South Africa's Cape fynbos shrublands, although extremely rich in plant species, are poor in insects, thus representing a notable exception from the broad plant–insect diversity relationship. The aims of this study were to compare the diversity patterns of plant-inhabiting insects in fynbos and the vegetation of three neighbouring biomes (grassland, subtropical thicket, and Nama-karoo), and to test for a general relationship between plant diversity and insect diversity across these biomes.
Location  South-western to south-eastern South Africa.
Methods  We conducted seasonal plant surveys and sweep insect sampling in 10 × 10 m plots in the Baviaanskloof Conservation Area (Eastern Cape), where all four biomes occur. We also conducted once-only collections in the core area of each biome.
Results  Fynbos plots had insect diversity values similar to those of grassland and subtropical thicket (a dense, evergreen and spinescent shrubland with a high abundance of succulents and climbers), and significantly higher than Nama-karoo (an open, semiarid shrubland). A remarkably strong positive relationship was found between plant and insect species richness.
Main conclusions  Previous generalizations were based on a few insect groups (e.g. butterflies, under-represented in fynbos), but ignored published results on other groups (e.g. galling insects, which are in fact over-represented in this vegetation). We show that, overall, insect diversity in fynbos is comparable to that of neighbouring biomes. Fynbos vegetation does not represent a significant exception from the broad positive relationship between plant diversity and insect diversity.