Diversity of understory plants in undisturbed and disturbed tropical lowland forests of Little Andaman Island, India

Species richness and density of understory plants were investigated in eight 1 ha plots, distributed one each in undisturbed and disturbed tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen, deciduous and littoral forests of Little Andaman island, India, which falls under one of the eight hottest hotspots of Biodiversity in the world viz. the Indo-Burma. One hundred 1 m⁻² quadrats were established in each 1 ha plot, in which all the understory plants (that include herbs, undershrubs, shrubs and herbaceous climbers) were enumerated. The total density of understory plants was 6,812 individuals (851 ha⁻¹) and species richness was 108 species, representing 104 genera and 50 families. Across the four forest types and eight study plots, the species richness ranged from 10 to 39 species ha⁻¹. All the disturbed sites harbored greater number of species than their undisturbed counterparts. Herbs dominated by species (63%) and density (4,259 individuals). The grass Eragrostis tenella (1,860 individuals; IVI 40), the invasive climber Mikania cordata (803; IVI 20) and the shrub Anaxagorea luzonensis (481; IVI 17.5) were the most abundant species. Poaceae, Asteraceae, Acanthaceae, Orchidaceae and Euphorbiaceae constituted the species-rich families represented by 6 species each. The species-area curves attained an asymptote at 0.8 ha level except in sites DD and DL, indicating 1 ha plot is not sufficient to capture all the understory species in disturbed forests. The alien weeds formed about one-fourth of the species richness (31 species; 28%) and density (1,926 individuals; 28.3%) in the study sites, indicating the extent of weed invasion and the attention required for effective conservation of the native biodiversity of the fragile island forest ecosystem.     

秦岭火地塘林区油松林下主要灌木碳吸存

林下灌木是森林生态系统的重要组成部分,在维持森林碳平衡中发挥着重要作用.为估算林下灌木的固碳功能,采用TOC-VT H-2000A型TOC/TON分析仪,测定了油松林下主要灌木不同器官的含碳率;根据野外实测资料,建立了油松群落内主要灌木测树因子与其器官生物量的回归模型;计算了2006年和2007年,灌木层CO2年吸存量.结果表明:5种灌木叶、茎、根和皮的平均含碳率为:41.80%～46.25%,39.24%～49.22%,39.56%～46.71%和36.65%～48.23%;刚毛忍冬(Lonicera Hispida pall)各器官的含碳率最高,栓翅卫矛(Euonymus alatus)的叶和茎,白檀 (Symplocos paniculata)的根和皮含碳率最低;不同灌木同一器官和同一灌木不同器官的含碳率均存在显著差异;不同灌木同一器官平均含碳率差值最高达10.58%,同一灌木不同器官平均含碳率差值最高达6.47%;模拟显示:灌木器官的生物量和测树因子间的关系可用复合式、幂、二次方程、三次方程、对数方程、指数方程和倒数方程来描述;残差和误差分析表明,均方差根不大于1.70,模型有效性指数均接近于1,残差系数均接近于0,灌木根、茎、叶和皮的生物量模型估计值与实测值间相对误差的绝对值分别为3.89%～8.58%,0.57%～6.84%,4.69%～9.09%和4.50%～7.03%.回归模型的决定系数(R2)都在0.90以上,估计精度在95%以上,建立的油松群落内主要灌木测树因子与其器官生物量的回归模型,具有较高的估计精度和较好的适用性;研究区2006～2007年,主要灌木CO2年吸存量为10.138 Mghm-2.     

阿拉善荒漠灌木根际中、微量元素含量特征

探讨了阿拉善干旱荒漠区霸王、白刺、红砂、沙冬青、沙木蓼、梭梭和驼绒藜7种旱生灌木根际与非根际土壤Ca、Mg、Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu的含量特征.结果表明:(1)除梭梭根际pH值高于非根际之外,其余6种灌木根际土壤均表现出不同程度的酸化作用.(2)7种灌木根际全钙和交换性钙的含量均低于非根际.除沙木蓼和驼绒藜外,其余5种灌木根际全镁含量均高于非根际,白刺的富集率最高,为43.04%;除沙木蓼外,其余灌木根际交换性镁的含量均有所富集,梭梭的富集率最高,为26.52%.(3)7种灌木根际全铁、全锰、全锌含量总体上小于非根际,但是根际有效铁、有效锰、有效锌含量均大于非根际,表现出明显的富集效应,沙木蓼根际有效铁、有效锰、有效锌的富集率最高,分别为:29.76%、20.92%、86.99%.(4)沙木蓼根际全铜和有效铜含量略高于非根际.梭梭根际全铜含量低于非根际,但梭梭根际有效铜含量却有富集的趋势.其余五种灌木根际全铜和有效铜含量均低于非根际.(5)根际及非根际土壤各养分性状之间,存在复杂的相关性.     

Species composition and correlation of understory woody plants in Chinese fir plantation in the lower subtropical area

There are 71 species in the shrub layer of the Cunninghamia lanceolata plantation after natural succession. The species richness and diversity have increased with slight anthropogenic disturbance. The status and function of understory woody species were judged by the analysis of the important value (IV). x ² statistics and r test were used for testing the significance of interspecific association and correlation among 25 main understory woody plants selected from the woody population. The results clearly showed their interspecific relationships and their differences in resource utilization. Species-pairs of positive association were in the majority. Most species were accommodated in the shady habitat. There was a positive correlation between the IV of the species and the interspecific association. The higher the IV of the species, the closer and more significant was the interspecific association. Based on analytical results of interspecific association and correlation, 25 woody plants in the shrub layer could be divided into four ecological species groups: I. Ficus hispida + Antidesma bunius + Mallotus barbatus + Ficus cunia + Saurauia tristyla + Mallotus philippinensis + Maesa japonica + Ficus hirta + Alchornea rugosa + Ficus fulva + Mallotus apelta; II. Cudrania tricuspidata + Schefflera octophylla; III. Cunninghamia lanceolata + Clerodendron cytophyllum + Millettia semicastrata + Randia spinosa + Litsea cubeba + Litsea pungens; IV. Ardisia japonica + Psychotria rubra + Vitex quinata + Cephalanthus occidentalis + Pithecellobium lucidum + Mycetia sinensis. If species group III or II is the advantaged species in the shrub layer, the community would change from a coniferous forest to a sparse evergreen broad-leaved forest. For group IV, the community would be relatively stable. For group I, the coniferous forest would be mixed with coniferous-broad leaved forest. The classification of ecological species groups would provide a theoretical basis on judging its ecological function, adjusting the stand structure of the plantation and directing the suitable natural vegetation type through the close-natural restoration process. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(9): 2173–2179 [译自: 生态学报, 2005, 25(9): 2173–2179]     

Understory Vegetation Dynamics of North American Boreal Forests

Understory vegetation is the most diverse and least understood component of North American boreal forests. Understory communities are important as they act as drivers of overstory succession and nutrient cycling. The objective of this review was to examine how understory vegetation abundance, composition, and diversity change with stand development after a major stand replacing disturbance. Understory vegetation abundance and diversity increase rapidly after fire, in response to abundant resources and an influx of disturbance adapted species. The highest diversity occurs within the first 40 years following fire, and declines indefinitely thereafter as a result of decreasing productivity and increased dominance of a small number of late successional feather mosses and woody plant species. Vascular plant and bryophyte/lichen communities undergo very different successional changes. Vascular plant communities are dynamic and change more dramatically with time after fire, whereas bryophyte and lichen communities are much slower to establish and change over time. Considerable variations in these processes exist depending on canopy composition, site condition, regional climate, and frequently occurring non-stand-replacing disturbances. Forest management practices represent a unique disturbance process and can result in different understory vegetation communities from those observed for natural processes, with potential implications for overstory succession and long-term productivity. Because of the importance of understory vegetation on nutrient cycling and overstory composition, post-harvest treatments emulating stand-replacing fire are required to maintain understory diversity, composition, and promote stand productivity in boreal forests.     

青藏高原高寒灌丛非生长季节CO2通量特征

利用2003年和2004年涡度相关系统通量观测资料,对青藏高原高寒灌丛非生长季节CO2通量特征及其主要影响因子进行了分析。(1)从净生态系统CO2交换(NEE)日变化特征看,除13:00~19:00时有较小的CO2净释放以外,其余时段NEE均很小;(2)高寒灌丛非生长季月份间NEE差异明显,4月和10月是CO2净释放量较大,1月和12月CO2净释放量较小;(3)相对温带草原(高杆草大草原)草地类型,低温抑制下的青藏高原高寒灌丛生态系统非生长季节日平均CO2释放率较低;(4)高寒灌丛非生长季NEE日变化模式与5 cm土壤温度变化呈显著正相关,土壤温度是影响非生长季节青藏高原高寒灌丛NEE变化的主导气候因子,同时NEE变化还受降水的影响。