Ecohydrological characterization of a groundwater-fed alluvial floodplain mire

Abstract. In a small alluvial floodplain depression (21 ha) of the river Dijle, a selection of 56 characteristic, mainly groundwater-depending plant species was mapped using a regular 20 by 20 m square cell mapping grid. In order to understand the spatial distribution of the plant species and their vegetation types, several environmental variables, including groundwater regime, groundwater chemistry, soil texture, soil chemical composition and management type were measured in detail. Using Detrended Correspondence Analysis and Canonical Detrended Correspondence Analysis, the relation between these environmental variables and the plant species and vegetation types, respectively, is described in detail. Management type and groundwater fluctuations are recognized as the two main sets of environmental variables causing the specific spatial distribution of plant species and vegetation types for the mire-ecosystem of the silty alluvial floodplain.     

Are restricted species checklists or ant communities useful for assessing plant community composition and biodiversity in grazed pastures?

Semi-natural grasslands in Sweden are species-rich, and their natural values are strongly dependent on continuous management, mainly by grazing. However, the large heterogeneity in vegetation within and between grassland sites must be taken into account when designing management and preservation schemes, calling for precise field monitoring and assessment of habitat type and land use history. We have evaluated different surrogate measures to assess community composition and biodiversity of the most common vegetation types in grazed semi-natural pastures. We compared the complete plant community, two reduced checklists intended for quick surveys of the plant community, and the ant community. The results suggest that the taxonomic resolution in a plant inventory is important for both biodiversity assessment and recognition of vegetation types. The extent of a reduced species checklist was of greater importance than its quality for describing the plant community. Reduced checklists should only be used if they comprise species with known affinity to the studied vegetation types. We also found that plants and ants experience grazed semi-natural grasslands in different ways. Ant communities did not resemble the communities deduced from plant inventories, or vegetation types recognised by field staff.     

Modelling Environmental Responses of Plant Associations: A Review of Some Critical Concepts in Vegetation Study

The definition of vegetation types at different hierarchical levels, both to study the vegetation processes and for practical cartographic representation, is still considered a critical issue in many circles of plant ecologists. The problems are mainly related to the misleading idea that classification of the vegetation system, as developed by European phytosociologists during the last century within the discipline called syntaxonomy, would imply the assumption of the organismic concept of the plant community. After a short discussion on the role of Braun-Blanquet approach in plant ecology and in landscape ecology, the methods to detect multispecies responses along environmental gradients are briefly reviewed. In the main part of this article, we intend to stress that concepts considered critical, such as plant association and its ecological niche, are just operational tools that have nothing to do with the individualistic or organismic interpretation of plant communities in vegetation studies. Important to our views on vegetation, we believe that plant associations as well as the higher syntaxa can be regarded as fuzzy sets in an operational context for describing vegetation along ecological gradients in synthetic ways and can further the understanding of vegetation variation.     

喀斯特土壤固氮微生物群落与植被、土壤的关系

固氮微生物作为土壤中重要的功能微生物群之一,其与地上植物群落、土壤环境之间的关系尚不清楚。在桂西北的环江县、都安县和大化县选取喀斯特典型植被类型(草丛、灌丛、次生林)建立样方,通过植被调查、测定土壤理化性质和构建克隆文库的方法,研究了土壤固氮微生物群落的结构与组成,分析了固氮微生物群落与植物群落、土壤理化性质之间的关系。结果表明:研究区典型植被类型土壤中的优势固氮微生物为慢生根瘤菌。Mantel相关性分析表明植物群落与固氮微生物群落显著相关(r=0.6116,P=0.011);结合PCo A分析和Venn图可看出,植物群落组成与结构越相似,土壤固氮微生物群落结构与组成也越相似。CCA分析前两轴的解释率之和仅为22.72%,其中总氮、有效态钾、有效态钙对固氮微生物群落的影响显著,这表明本研究涵盖的土壤理化性质指标并不能完全解释固氮微生物群落的变异,需要补充更多的土壤数据进行更深入的研究。由此可见,在喀斯特生态恢复过程中,不仅要关注地上植被群落的恢复与重建,同时也应重视地下功能微生物群落的恢复与重建。     

云南干热河谷植被与环境研究进展

特殊的地理位置和独特的地形地貌特征组合形成了典型的干热气候环境, 在云南省亚热带高原山地河谷下部发育了一类特有的植被类型, 即干热河谷植被。干热河谷植被具有非地带性和稀有性, 以及由土地利用变化为主的人为活动干扰导致的脆弱性。本文回顾了干热河谷植被的研究历史, 分别从干热河谷的植物群落学和植物区系学、干热河谷植被与土地的关系以及干热河谷植被保护与恢复三个方面进行了总结。植物群落与区系研究主要集中于群落分类、植被分类、群落特征、人为干扰影响、区系特征、性质和起源; 植被与土地关系研究侧重于土壤特性、土地利用/覆盖变化、土地退化及水土流失状况; 植被保护与恢复的热点在植被恢复目标、植被恢复功能区划、植被恢复引种及筛选及植被恢复效益评价研究。未来在这些区域应注重自然灾害及预防、水电工程建设对植被的影响及其响应等方面的研究, 深入开展大尺度植被时空格局的监测和动态服务功能分析。     

Vegetation Components of a Subtropical Rural Landscape in China

To assess the overall vegetation changes and their ecological significance, following landscape evolution, plant composition and physical structures of the homegardens (woodlots and vegetation patches with hedgerow fence) and field boundaries were examined in the rural landscape of subtropical China in order to determine their ecological significance. Field surveys on landscape changes and plant composition were carried out in two typical villages in the Yangtze river plain. Analysis of landscape changes and plant composition showed that the rural landscape is diverse both in terms of types of elements and plant species. The vegetation types in the area have undergone frequent alterations by human beings following major changes of landscape management due to economic and social reforms. The plant diversity of the various vegetation types in the area is related to the duration of colonization of the vegetation type, the extent of disturbance by human beings, and the physical structure diversity of the vegetation type. In the discussion, the plant diversity and heterogeneity of the physical environment in any vegetation type is of importance for the ecological sustainability of the landscape.     

Functional classifications of coastal barrier island vegetation

Abstract. Due to the complexity of coastal barrier vegetation, it is useful to apply a functional-type approach to assess the response of barrier island vegetation to climate change. In this paper, a simple clustering analysis is applied to a group of 19 plant associations, based on six plant attributes and six environmental constraints. This analysis results in the suggestion that the main division of the vegetation types at Virginia Coast Reserve is between herbaceous and woody types, which differs from the existing classification which recognizes three groups: xeric-mesic herbaceous, woody and hydric-halophytic herbaceous. Considerations about grouping plant functional types are also addressed in this paper. At a global scale, inclusion of barrier plant functional types may not be so important for the climate-change response of vegetation, but it may be necessary to consider these important systems for spatially explicit modelling of landscape responses.     

长江中游(以湖北湖南为主)的植物生物多样性及其保护对策

在对植物调查研究的基础上,对长江中游(湖北、湖南为主)的植物区系、植被、生物多样性保护及保护对策进行了系统的论述。根据两省土著种子植物名录统计,本区共有202科1476属7037种(包括种下等级),其中裸子植物7科30属64种;被子植物196科1445属6973种。以鄂湘为代表的华中区分布类型复杂、物种丰富、起源古老,而且特有的科、属、种多,特有度高。北温带木本植物属高度集中,体现了长江中游具有古第三纪．泛北极植物区系的代表性。拥有众多的东亚特有属、东亚．北美间断分布属和中国特有属,它们既是本地植物区系的特色,也代表了中国植物区系的核心。本地中山以亮叶水青冈(Fagus lucida)为主的阔叶林系第三纪．泛北中生落叶阔叶林的后裔。在植被区划上,本区属于常绿阔叶林区域,包括北亚热带常绿阔叶．落叶阔叶混交林地带及中亚热带常绿阔叶林两个植被地带。后者分为北部典型常绿阔叶林亚地带,南部含华南植物区系成分的常绿阔叶林亚地带。本区主要的自然植被类型(以原生类型为主)有171个类型(相当于群系formations)。从生物多样性保护的三个层次上(物种、群落、景观)对保护现状、特点、保护方针和策略等进行了探讨并提出了建议。     

Factors determining distributions of tree species and plant functional types

Plant functional types have been identified by the International Geosphere Biosphere Program as functionally similar basic plant types, especially trees, as needed for global ecological modeling. Based to some extent on an earlier set of pheno-physiognomically defined plant types, a Global Biome Model was produced but has not satisfied all the desired functional criteria posed by IGBP physiologists and modelers. This paper asks two questions: what are the main environmental factors which limit terrestrial plant types, especially tree types; and how many types of potential vegetation are needed to cover the world's terrestrial vegetation patterns? Based on the main environmental factors recognized, a model of world potential dominant vegetation types was produced and used to estimate the minimal number of vegetation types needed. The resulting set of 40 potential dominant vegetation types may serve as an initial basis for a structural-functionally based set of world plant functional types.     

半干旱黄土小流域不同植被类型植物与土壤生态化学计量特征

生态化学计量学是研究生态系统元素平衡与能量流动的有效方法,明确不同植被恢复类型下植物与土壤化学计量特征对揭示黄土高原植被恢复中生态系统养分循环具重要意义,可为黄土高原植被恢复类型的选择提供可行性依据。以典型半干旱黄土小流域3种植被恢复方式下（天然荒草、自然恢复、人工恢复）的5种植被类型（长芒草草地、赖草草地、苜蓿草地、柠条灌丛、山杏林）为研究对象,分析不同植被类型下叶、茎、根及土壤碳（C）、氮（N）、磷（P）含量及化学计量特征。结果表明：1）植物不同器官和植被类型对植物生态化学计量特征都具有显著影响,C、N、P含量在5种典型植被中均表现为叶>茎>根。人工恢复植被各器官C、N含量及N ∶ P均显著高于天然荒草地,与自然恢复植被无显著差异;其中,在人工恢复植被中山杏各器官C含量最高,柠条各器官N含量最高。叶、茎、根的C ∶ N则表现为自然恢复植被显著高于人工恢复植被与天然荒草地。P含量、C ∶ P则在不同植被恢复类型间无显著差异。2）不同植被恢复类型下土壤C、N、P含量及化学计量特征具一定差异。人工恢复植被土壤C、N、P含量及C ∶ P、N ∶ P均为最高,显著高于自然恢复植被土壤;人工恢复植被中柠条土壤C、N含量及C ∶ P、N ∶ P均显著高于其他植被土壤。土壤C ∶ N在各植被类型间无显著差异。3）不同植被恢复类型下C、N、P含量在植物叶片与土壤间的相关性存在差异,说明植物自身生长特性影响着养分在植物与土壤间转化与传递。以5种典型植被整体来看,植物叶、茎、根的生态化学计量特征在彼此间均呈显著正相关。在植物与土壤间,植物各器官N含量与土壤C、N、P含量呈显著正相关,植物各器官N ∶ P与土壤N ∶ P呈显著正相关,表明该黄土小流域生态系统中植物与土壤生态化学计量特征的变化是相互制约,相互影响的。     

西藏阿里植物群落的间接梯度分析、数量分类与环境解释

根据对西藏阿里地区163个植物群落样地资料进行的多元分析——排序、数量分类与环境解释,给出了该地区植被的基本类型、生态梯度及其与环境因子的定量关系。基本分析方法包括3个步骤：1)通过无倾向对应分析(DCA)的两个排序向量揭示了阿里植被的两个主要生态梯度;2)由该梯度的二维散点图及二元指示种分析(TWINSPAN)分别产生非等级制与等级制的植物群落分类系统;3)以多元回归分析将排序值与环境及地理参数相联系而给出各类型的环境指标——定量环境解释。分析表明,阿里植被类型及其分布主要取决于热量与湿度梯度,前者可通过地理参数,后者则通过土壤特征的数学表达式来定量地确定。两梯度包含的类型、种类与生境差异颇大,由低山暖性荒漠直到高山冰缘植被,从隐带性沼泽与盐生草甸到高原地带性荒漠与草原均各得其位,各有其值。表明该数量分析法对于处理高度生态多样性的植物群落生态信息是十分有效的。     

Galling insect diversity patterns: the resource synchronisation hypothesis

A new hypothesis is proposed to explain the insect gall-maker species richness pattern found by Price et al. (1998; J. Biogeogr. 25: 581–591). First, it is necessary to consider an explicit model for speciation in this group of insects, and host-shifts seem to be the most likely way by which gall-makers can speciate. Since most galls are induced on young plant tissue, and mainly on leaves, the dynamics of leaf flushing in different vegetation types (how many plant species flush synchronously) can be of capital importance determining possible host-shifts for dispersing insect females. I suggest that vegetation types with synchronous leaf flushing are more likely to harbour higher insect gall-maker species richness, and this is why the pattern found by Price et al. (1998) showed low species richness of these insects for tropical rain forests and high richness for Mediterranean-like vegetation. Additionally, Mediterranean-like vegetation suffers seasonal influence of fires, and plants resprouting in response to this can provide further synchronous leaf flushes during which more host-shifts can occur. Plant diversity is also of capital importance underlying the host-shifting process in different biomes. Finally, I suggest a few possible ways of testing the hypothesis.     

A Preliminary Study of the Subnival Vegetation in Xizang

An attempt has been made in this paper to describe briefly the characteristics, ecological environments and the origin of the subnival vegetation of Xizang based on the information collected in the field. 1. This snbnival vegetation of Xizang is distributed in the subnival zone between the continual plant cover line and the permanent snow line on the alpine zone. The climate is severe. The vegetation is primitive, being composed mainly of some lower plant com- munities, mosses communities and some mesophytic flowering plant communities in spots. It is lower and sparse and can be classified into three major types, as follows: (1) Type of humid climate in the southern slopes of the eastern ttimalaya and Kangrigarbo rang. (2) Type of subhumid climate in the eastern Xizang. (3) Type of arid and semiarid climate in the central and western Xizang. 2. The mieroclimate plays a decisive role in the existence and development of the subniwfi vegetation. To the severe conditions, plants also wisely adapt, utilizing whatever water and heat available, completing their growth and development stages in a very short period, and resisting to cold and other unfavorable factors. 3. Frmn the analysis of the cmnposition of the flora of subnival vegetation in Xizang, it is shown that the subnival vegetation has evolved from alpine vegetation of Xizang and the neighbour region to eastern Xizang and southern Xizang.     

Browsing‐mediated shrub canopy changes drive composition and species richness in forest‐tundra ecosystems

Changes in climate and in browsing pressure are expected to alter the abundance of tundra shrubs thereby influencing the composition and species richness of plant communities. We investigated the associations between browsing, tundra shrub canopies and their understory vegetation by utilizing a long‐term (10–13 seasons) experiment controlling reindeer and ptarmigan herbivory in the subarctic forest tundra ecotone in northwestern Fennoscandia. In this area, there has also been a consistent increase in the yearly thermal sum and precipitation during the study period. The cover of shrubs increased 2.8–7.8 fold in exclosures and these contrasted with browsed control areas creating a sharp gradient of canopy cover of tundra shrubs across a variety of vegetation types. Browsing exclusions caused significant shifts in more productive vegetation types, whereas little or no shift occurred in low‐productive tundra communities. The increased deciduous shrub cover was associated with significant losses of understory plant species and shifts in functional composition, the latter being clearest in the most productive plant community types. The total cover of understory vegetation decreased along with increasing shrub cover, while the cover of litter showed the opposite response. The cover of cryptogams decreased along with increasing shrub cover, while the cover of forbs was favoured by a shrub cover. Increasing shrub cover decreased species richness of understory vegetation, which was mainly due to the decrease in the cryptogam species. The effects were consistent across different types of forest tundra vegetation indicating that shrub increase may have broad impacts on arctic vegetation diversity. Deciduous shrub cover is strongly regulated by reindeer browsing pressure and altered browsing pressure may result in a profound shrub expansion over the next one or two decades. Results suggest that the impact of an increase in shrubs on tundra plant richness is strong and browsing pressure effectively counteracts the effects of climate warming‐driven shrub expansion and hence maintains species richness.     

Main vegetation types and plant species diversity along an altitudinal gradient of Al Baha region,Saudi Arabia

Plant species composition patterns and vegetation types were investigated along Elevational Gradients in Al Baha region, Saudi Arabia. Sandy plain, wadis, drainage lines, rocky outcrops, hills and fallow lands occur over a wide geographic range encompassing variation in plant species and communities among these different ecological sites. To provide a quantitatively based classification of the vegetation we used Multi Variant Statistical Package (MVSP) software, followed by the re-arrangement of a matrix of the similar plant species in rows and similar sample sites in columns. Plant density and environmental variables were measured and recorded in each quadrat. Two-way indicator species analysis and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were used to analyze the relationships between vegetation and environmental variables, while Arc Map was used to analyze the pattern of plant species density. A total of 59 sample plots (25 × 25 m), stratified, randomly-placed relevés were collected in Al Baha region, along a cross section running from south-west to north-west. About 190 plant species belonging to 59 families were recognized. This study showed that these plant species formed 15 vegetation types that primarily correspond mainly to different combinations of elevation, and topography. The study concluded that this research has provided the first quantitative and systematic survey of the vegetation in Al Baha region.     

广东黑石顶自然保护区植被分类系统与数字植被图 Ⅱ.群丛的分布

作为墨石顶自然保护区植被信息系统的一部分,探讨和墨石顶地工级植被分类单位即群丛的划分,共划分为３０个群体,以此作为前期有关该自然保护区植被型与群系划分及数字植被图研制工作的补充,并借助有关的地理信息系统（ＧＩＳ）软件绘制了比例尺为１：１００００的群丛分布数字植被图。     

Plant communities,diversity and endemism of the Kula Volcano,Manisa, Turkey

Volcanoes often harbour specialized plant communities and shelter endemic plant species. Kula Volcano is one of 14 volcanoes in Turkey. Although this volcano is clearly a landmark of the Aegean region, only few botanical studies analysed the vegetation pattern at the Kula Volcano. None performed a phytosociological classification to delimit different plant communities. We applied a stratified random sampling design according to altitude and aspect and sampled 112 vegetation plots. We classified plant community types using a modified TWINSPAN analysis followed by the determination of diagnostic species based on φ coefficient fidelity values. Floristic relationships between plant community types were interpreted by ordination and ANOSIM analyses. Further, we used partial correlations of the ordination axes and environmental parameters in order to identify relationships between vegetation zonation and environment. We identified five major plant community types based on 85 diagnostic species. These plant community types were significantly correlated with altitude and aspect. Further, 13 endemic plant species were found from which one was endangered and one was classified as vulnerable according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).     

Effects of fire regime on plant species richness and composition differ among forest,woodland and heath vegetation

Question

Do the effects of fire regimes on plant species richness and composition differ among floristically similar vegetation types?

Location

Booderee National Park, south‐eastern Australia.

Methods

We completed floristic surveys of 87 sites in Sydney Coastal dry sclerophyll vegetation, where fire history records have been maintained for over 55 years. We tested for associations between different aspects of the recent fire history and plant species richness and composition, and whether these relationships were consistent among structurally defined forest, woodland and heath vegetation types.

Results

The relationship between fire regime variables and plant species richness and composition differed among vegetation types, despite the three vegetation types having similar species pools. Fire frequency was positively related to species richness in woodland, negatively related to species richness in heath, and unrelated to species richness in forest. These different relationships were explained by differences in the associations between fire history and species traits among vegetation types. The negative relationship between fire frequency and species richness in heath vegetation was underpinned by reduced occurrence of resprouting species at high fire frequency sites (more than four fires in 55 years). However, in forest and woodland vegetation, resprouting species were not negatively associated with fire frequency.

Conclusions

We hypothesize that differing relationships among vegetation types were underpinned by differences in fire behaviour, and/or biotic and abiotic conditions, leading to differences in plant species mortality and post‐fire recovery among vegetation types. Our findings suggest that even when there is a high proportion of shared species between vegetation types, fires can have very different effects on vegetation communities, depending on the structural vegetation type. Both research and management of fire regimes may therefore benefit from considering vegetation types as separate management units.     

安徽湿地维管植物多样性及植被分类系统

通过野外实地调查并结合相关文献资料,对安徽湿地维管植物多样性进行了研究,系统地分析了安徽主要的湿地植被类型及分类系统。结果表明:(1)安徽省湿地维管植物共有95科303属682种(含种下分类单位),其中蕨类植物10科11属16种,种子植物85科292属666种;种子植物中裸子植物2科5属7种,被子植物83科287属659种(其中双子叶植物62科208属451种,单子叶植物21科79属208种);湿地维管植物主要是由草本植物组成,科、属的优势现象明显,以莎草科(Cyperaceae)、禾本科(Gramineae)、菊科(Compositae)和蓼科(Polygonaceae)为优势科;以蓼属(Polygonum)、苔草属(Carex)、眼子菜属(Potamogeton)、飘拂草属(Fimbristylis)、莎草属(Cyperus)等为优势属,属的组成相对较为分散,寡种属和单种属占总属数的93.4%;(2)从分布区类型看,在科级水平上有7个类型,在属级水平上有13个类型,表明该区系地理成分复杂,分布区类型多样;总体上温带成分略多于热带成分,说明了安徽湿地维管植物的分布与本地所处的气候带相适应,反映出从热带向温带过渡的区系特点;(3)依据中国湿地植被的分类原则和分类系统,结合安徽湿地植被的生境特征和群落学特征,可将安徽湿地植被划分为3个植被型组、7个植被型、7个植被亚型和141个群系。