Testing the effects of diversity on ecosystem multifunctionality using a multivariate model

Most ecosystems provide multiple services, thus the impact of biodiversity losses on ecosystem functions may be considerably underestimated by studies that only address single functions. We propose a multivariate modelling framework for quantifying the relationship between biodiversity and multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality). Our framework consolidates the strengths of previous approaches to analysing ecosystem multifunctionality and contributes several advances. It simultaneously assesses the drivers of multifunctionality, such as species relative abundances, richness, evenness and other manipulated treatments. It also tests the relative importance of these drivers across functions, incorporates correlations among functions and identifies conditions where all functions perform well and where trade‐offs occur among functions. We illustrate our framework using data from three ecosystem functions (sown biomass, weed suppression and nitrogen yield) in a four‐species grassland experiment. We found high variability in performance across the functions in monocultures, but as community diversity increased, performance increased and variability across functions decreased.     

Aspects of community ecology of reptiles in the swamp forests of the Upper Orashi Forest Reserve (Niger Delta,Nigeria)

The study of community composition shifts due to increased habitat modifications and deforestation is a primary issue in contemporary tropical community ecology theory. As the forest habitat conversion process has been very short in Africa relative to the evolutionary temporal scale, it is likely that animal communities are not at an equilibrium. The Upper Orashi Forest Reserve (Niger Delta region of Southern Nigeria) is a valuable case study as it is one of the few remnant deltaic swamp forest patches inside a highly developed and deforested region. In this paper, we investigated some aspects of the community ecology of reptiles of this forest area based on standardized field surveys across 26 study plots. Overall, we recorded 34 species, with the detected number of both species (34 versus 27) and individuals (562 versus 381) being higher during the wet season. Diversity/dominance diagrams showed similar trends in both seasons, but diversity measures showed that evenness was remarkably higher by wet season. Analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) confirmed that the species‐richness estimate generated by Chao's index was significantly higher for the wet season. However, the profiles of the diversity curves were comparable in the two seasons. The proportion of forest‐specialist species decreased compared to that observed at the same study area 15+ years ago, with a gradual process of biotic homogenization being apparent.     

黑龙江大沾河湿地自然保护区鸟类群落结构调查及其多样性分析

采用样线法与网捕法对黑龙江大沾河自然保护区的鸟类资源进行调查,并计算其物种多样性、均匀性及不同生境群落间的相似性.结果表明:大沾河自然保护区共有鸟类16目39科203种,其中雀形目鸟类16科92种,非雀形目鸟类111种,种类较多的科有鹟科、雀科、鸭科、鹬科等.保护区分布的鸟类中,古北种占绝对优势(65.52%),广布种次之(30.54%),东洋界物种极少(3.94%).4种群落类型中,多样性指数排序:湿地>林地>农田>居民点;均匀性指数排序:湿地>林地>农田>居民点;相似性排序:居民点-农田(S=0.25),湿地-林地(S=0.23),农田-湿地(S=0.14)和居民点-林地(S=0.07).     

Field trials to evaluate effects of Bt-transgenic silage corn expressing the Cry1Ab insecticidal toxin on non-target soil arthropods in northern New England, USA

Traditionally, control of European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis) Hübner has been achieved through the use of chemical insecticides. With increasing emphasis on reducing pesticide inputs in agricultural production, alternative management technologies are now being used including transgenic silage corn modified to express Cry1Ab protein toxins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Berliner. The Cry1Ab toxin is expressed by all plant cells and throughout the growing season. Furthermore, the toxins are exuded from corn plant roots into the rhizosphere, raising concerns over possible side-effects on non-target beneficial organisms in the same habitat. In addition, detrivores are exposed to crop residues containing the toxin when incorporated into the soil. The current 2-year study (2003, 2004) evaluated effects of two silage-corn varieties: Pioneer var. 38A25 (Bt-corn expressing the Cry1Ab toxin) and Pioneer var. 38A24 (parent isoline) on species diversity and evenness of carabid beetles and Collembola. Pitfall traps were used to collect surface-dwelling species on a bimonthly schedule from April to October. Soil cores were taken once a month from April to October to sample subterranean species, which were extracted using Berlese funnels. All individuals were recorded and identified where possible to species level for analysis in the Simpson’s D and Shannon–Wiener H’ diversity indices. Evenness was measured using Simpson’s E’, after which dominant species were analyzed in a multivariate ordination analysis. Results showed Bt-corn had no negative effects on any of the organisms analyzed. There was a significant year effect on the abundance of surface-dwelling Collembola and on species diversity of soil-dwelling Collembola. Our findings suggest that crop management practices and/or environmental conditions (e.g., heavy rainfall during the 2004 growing season) had the greatest impact on species diversity and evenness, rather than the crop itself (Bt or isoline).     

一年生和多年生豆禾混播草地超产与多样性效应的比较

为了测度一年生和多年生豆禾混播草地的超产效应与植物多样性效应的关系, 明确一年生和多年生混播草地的高产优势, 探索豆禾混播草地多样性效应和超产效应对其生态功能的响应机制, 于2013-2015年在新疆伊犁地区昭苏盆地开展了3年的牧草产量观测试验。该试验设置3种牧草混播种类和混播比例, 分别为一年生豆禾混播草地(2种牧草混播, AM2)和多年生豆禾混播草地(2种牧草混播, PM2; 4种牧草混播, PM4; 6种牧草混播, PM6), 豆禾混播比例分别为6:4、5:5和4:6。结果表明: 1) 2013、2014年和3年平均值AM2的超产幅度小于PM2和PM6, 2015年AM2的超产幅度大于PM2、PM4和PM6; 混播群落生产力与群落组分中生产力最高产物种单产以及各组分种平均单产的差值表现出相似的规律。2) 2013、2014年和3年平均值AM2的互补效应大于PM2、PM4和PM6, AM2的选择效应则远小于互补效应, PM2、PM4和PM6的互补效应则比较稳定。3)物种丰富度和物种均匀度与牧草产量(群落生产力)大部分情况下呈单峰的“饱和上升型”模式, 分别在4种牧草混播和豆禾混播比例为5:5时, 具有较高生产力。4)多年生豆禾混播草地的互补效应、选择效应和多样性净效应均随生长年限的延长而呈下降趋势, 也导致了超产幅度、超产效应及其稳定性的下降。由此可见, 在建植初期, 互补效应和选择效应共同主导了多年生豆禾混播草地的超产效应, 而随着生长年限的延长, 选择效应则成为主要影响因素; 一年生豆禾混播草地的超产效应则一直受互补效应的影响。     

Changes in plant species diversity along a chronosequence of vegetation restoration in the humid evergreen broad-leaved forest in the Rainy Zone of West China

Plant species diversity has been recognized as one of the vital attributes for assessing vegetation restoration. Changes in the diversity may be related to different stages of succession. In this study, 54 sites of humid, evergreen, broad-leaved forest were selected in the Rainy Zone of West China. A chronosequence of the sites was used to study the successive patterns of the diversity in the forest that had undergone natural regeneration for 5 to 350 years and to test the hypothesis that the diversity is maximized in mid-succession. Data were collected simultaneously at different stages of succession, and four α-diversity indices (species richness, Margalef index, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou Evenness index) and two β-diversity indices (Whittaker index, Sørensen’s index) were calculated for each stratum in each plot. A total of 394 vascular plant species were recorded. From the β-diversity indices, the forest succession may be divided into the early-successional stage (before 50 years), mid-successional stage (from 50 to 300 years), and late-successional stage (after 300 years). In this community, the species diversity and richness were found to be the greatest at the mid-successional stage, followed by the late- and early-successional stages. The results of regression analysis indicated that the richness and Margalef index peaked around the 175th and 165th year, respectively. Shannon-Wiener index values also appeared to follow an approximately humped pattern of succession and were maximal around the 100th year. However, the species evenness did not show any significant relationship with successional age. Our results demonstrate (1) forest restoration is a long-term process and the formation of climax forest requires at least 300 years and (2) the forest has a strong capacity for restoration. Our results also suggest Lindera limprichitii and Machilus pingii as ideal tree species for afforestation because of their wide niche.