Is tree diversity different in the Southern Hemisphere?

Questions: Is tree diversity higher in the southern hemisphere? Are latitudinal asymmetries in diversity sensitive to sampling effects? Location: 198 forested locales worldwide. Methods: I re‐analysed the Gentry database, which I augmented with an additional survey from New Zealand. Data were used to test whether latitudinal declines in tree diversity differ between the northern and southern hemispheres. Data were also used to test whether hemispheric asymmetries in diversity are sensitive to sampling effects, or geographic variation in tree densities. Results: Area‐based measurements of species diversity are higher in the southern hemisphere. However, southern forests house denser plant populations. After controlling for geographic variation in tree densities, diversity patterns reverse, indicating tree diversity is higher in the northern hemisphere. Conclusions: Latitudinal changes in tree diversity differ between hemispheres. However, the nature of hemispherical asymmetries in species diversity hinges on how diversity is defined, illustrating how different definitions of diversity can yield strikingly different solutions to common ecological problems.     

Species abundances influence the net biodiversity effect in mixtures of two plant species

Species abundances (evenness or identity of the dominant species in mixtures) usually are not rigorously controlled when testing relationships between plant production and species richness and may be highly dynamic in disturbed or early successional communities. Changes in species abundances may affect the yield of mixtures relative to yields expected from species monocultures [the net biodiversity effect (NBE)] by changing how species that differ in function are distributed in the plant community. To test the prediction that variation in species abundances affects the NBE via changes in the expression of functional differences among species (the complementarity effect), we grew perennial grasses and forbs in field plots in central Texas, USA, as equal-density monocultures and two-species mixtures in which relative abundances of species were varied. Function should differ more consistently between species of different growth forms than of the same growth form. We predicted, therefore, that the complementarity effect and influence of species abundances on the NBE would be more pronounced in grass/forb mixtures than in mixtures with species of the same growth form (grass/grass and forb/forb mixtures). The NBE varied with species evenness in two of the six species pairs studied and with identity of the dominant species in a third species combination. The NBE was sensitive to species proportions in both grass/grass and grass/forb assemblages. In all combinations in which the NBE differed with either evenness or identity of the dominant species, the variation resulted largely from change in the complementarity effect. Our results suggest that the NBE of mixtures is sensitive to effects of species ratios on complementarity.     

植物群落多样性与可入侵性关系研究进展

综述了植物群落的多样性和可入侵性关系的研究进展.对模型研究、观察性研究和实验性研究得出植物群落的多样性和可入侵性关系不同结论的原因进行了分析,并提出了该方面进一步研究的建议.模型研究的群落多样性形成机制单一、群落状态达到平衡、物种特征差异不明显等简化前提假设,削弱了其结论的可信性.观察性研究的尺度不同导致不同结论,在小尺度上的主要影响因素可能是群落内部的生物因素,但在较大尺度上很多外部因素共同影响多样性和可入侵性,会导致两者出现正相关.实验性研究通常是在小尺度下进行,排除了外部因素的干扰,但是在人工组建群落多样性梯度时,会出现取样效应、相同物种多样性的群落丰富度和密度不同等问题.未来研究应重点考虑的几个方面,即观察性研究与实验相结合,分析不同尺度上入侵的机理和过程;平衡实验设计,避免抽样效应等误来源;模型与实验设计相耦合.     

植物群落的生物多样性及其可入侵性关系的实验研究

 生物入侵已经成为一个普遍性的环境问题,并为许多学者所关注。尽管一些理论研究和观察表明生物多样性丰富的群落不容易受到外来种的入侵,但后来有些实验研究并没能证实两者的负相关性,多样性 可入侵性假说仍然是入侵生态学领域争论比较多的一个焦点。人为构建不同物种多样性和物种功能群多样性（C3 禾本科植物、C4植物、非禾本科草本植物和豆科植物）梯度的小尺度群落,把其它影响可入侵性的外在因子和多样性效应隔离开来,研究入侵种喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)在不同群落里的入侵过程来验证多样性 可入侵性及其相关假说。研究结果显示,物种功能群丰富的群落可入侵程度较低,功能群数目相同而物种多样性不同的群落可入侵性没有显著性差异,功能群特征不同的群落也表现出可入侵性的差异,生活史周期短的单一物种群落和有着生物固氮功能的豆科植物群落可入侵程度较高,与喜旱莲子草属于同一功能群且有着相似生态位的土著种莲子草(A. sessilis)对入侵的抵抗力最强。实验结果表明,物种多样性和群落可入侵性并没有很显著的负相关,而是与物种特性基础上的物种功能群多样性呈负相关,群落中留给入侵种生态位的机会很可能是决定群落可入侵性的一个关键因子。     

准噶尔盆地东南缘不同生境条件下梭梭群落结构特征研究

在新疆准噶尔盆地东南缘,以平缓低洼地、平缓沙地、半流动沙丘等3种不同生境类型上的天然梭梭群落为研究对象,从物种结构、物种多样性、生物量以及梭梭天然更新幼苗幼树种群分布格局等方面,研究不同生境条件下梭梭群落的结构特征.结果表明,以平缓低洼地上梭梭群落的植物种类最丰富,其次是平缓沙地,半流动沙丘上的植物种类最少.3种生境类型上群落中的植物种类分别为1种、15种和12种;梭梭天然更新幼苗幼树以半流动沙丘上的梭梭群落为最多,达 87株·hm^-2,但幼苗幼树在梭梭群落内分布不均匀,平缓低洼地上梭梭群落内的幼苗幼树比半流动沙丘上的略少,为5 799株·hm^-2,但幼苗幼树在梭梭群落内分布均匀,总体评价以平缓低洼地上梭梭群落的天然更新最好;平缓低洼地上梭梭群落的总生物量为19.39 t·hm^-2,平缓沙地上为9.32 t·hm^-2,半流动沙丘上为.9 t·hm^-2;不同生境类型上梭梭群落天然更新幼苗幼树的分布格局均为聚集分布.平缓低洼地地面固定,土壤水分和肥力较好,比较适宜梭梭林木生长和梭梭群落的发育,平缓沙地和半流动沙丘的地面容易产生风蚀,土壤水分和肥力较差,生境条件比较严酷.     

用RAPD分析多年生黑麦草品种间遗传多样性

多年生黑麦草是世界上应用最广泛的冷季型草坪草兼牧草之一,具有建植快速,分蘖能力强,适口性良好等特点。为了评价其品种间的遗传多样性,选取了多年生黑麦草的14个草坪型品种和2个意大利黑麦草品种用RAPD进行遗传多样性分析,并且对每个品种的几项坪用特性进行了观察。61个引物共扩增出408条带,多态条带比率(PPB)为89．95％。聚类分析结果表明,多年生黑麦草品种之间的遗传多样性较低,相似系数分布于44．55％～95．69％之间。一年生黑麦草的2个品种TopOne和A,vance没有单独聚成一类,而是与14个多年生黑麦草品种混合聚在一起,而且Avance与其他多年生黑麦草之间的相似系数较高。聚类结果与形态特征没有明确的对应关系。     

Effects of flooding, salinity and herbivory on coastal plant communities, Louisiana, United States

Flooding and salinity stress are predicted to increase in coastal Louisiana as relative sea level rise (RSLR) continues in the Gulf of Mexico region. Although wetland plant species are adapted to these stressors, questions persist as to how marshes may respond to changed abiotic variables caused by RSLR, and how herbivory by native and non-native mammals may affect this response. The effects of altered flooding and salinity on coastal marsh communities were examined in two field experiments that simultaneously manipulated herbivore pressure. Marsh sods subjected to increased or decreased flooding (by lowering or raising sods, respectively), and increased or decreased salinity (by reciprocally transplanting sods between a brackish and fresh marsh), were monitored inside and outside mammalian herbivore exclosures for three growing seasons. Increased flooding stress reduced species numbers and biomass; alleviating flooding stress did not significantly alter species numbers while community biomass increased. Increased salinity reduced species numbers and biomass, more so if herbivores were present. Decreasing salinity had an unexpected effect: herbivores selectively consumed plants transplanted from the higher-salinity site. In plots protected from herbivory, decreased salinity had little effect on species numbers or biomass, but community composition changed. Overall, herbivore pressure further reduced species richness and biomass under conditions of increased flooding and increased salinity, supporting other findings that coastal marsh species can tolerate increasingly stressful conditions unless another factor, e.g., herbivory, is also present. Also, species dropped out of more stressful treatments much faster than they were added when stresses were alleviated, likely due to restrictions on dispersal. The rate at which plant communities will shift as a result of changed abiotic variables will determine if marshes remain viable when subjected to RSLR. Received: 8 April 1998 / Accepted: 15 June 1998     

浙江天台山七子花群落物种多样性

以浙江省天台山七子花群落为对象,分析了七子花群落的植物区系组成和高等植物物种多样性。据９个样地统计,共有维管植物６９科、１４３属、１８６种（含变种）。从种子植物属的地理成分来看,温带分布的类型居多。在群落垂直结构中,乔木层第２亚层的物种丰富度、物种多样性指数均显著大于第１亚层,它们之间的均匀度差异不显著。乔木层与灌木层之间多样性各项指标无显著差别。乔木层、灌木层的物种丰富度、物种多样性指数均明显大     

氯化物型盐碱池塘浮游植物种类和多样性的研究

1997年 4月 5日至 1 998年 9月 1日对山东高青县赵店乡渔场盐碱池塘浮游植物的种类组成和生物量进行了研究 ,池塘盐度变动于 1 .3 6— 2 0 g/L,总碱度变动于 2 .4— 7.2 mmol/L,p H值 8— 9。采集了 3 87个浮游植物定量水样。结果表明 ,高青盐碱池塘浮游植物主要是广盐性淡水种类 ,一些是典型的盐水种。浮游植物的平均生物量为 49.90± 3 1 .92 mg/L,硅藻和裸藻占优势 ,金藻占有相当比重。无鱼对照池的浮游植物生物量较养鱼池塘低得多。     

格氏栲群落林窗边缘效应研究

应用Shannon—Wiener物种多样性指数、Simpson生态优势度指标以及边缘效应强度指数,对福建三明格氏栲保护区森林群落林窗的边缘效应现象进行了研究．格氏栲群落的38个林窗样地不同部位上述指标的测定结果表明,用物种多样性指数测定的林窗边缘效应强度值为0．7～1．3左右;而用生态优势度值测定的林窗边缘效应强度值为0．3～1．8左右,林窗边缘区由于边缘效应的作用有增大物种多样性的趋势,林窗的面积及林窗所在的森林群落类型,都对处于不同发育阶段的林窗的边缘效应强度产生影响．从而为格氏栲群落生物多样性保护与森林经营管理提供理论基础．     

Early recovery signs of an Australian grassland following the management of Parthenium hysterophorus L.

Parthenium weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) is believed to reduce the above- and below-ground plant species diversity and the above-ground productivity in several ecosystems. We quantified the impact of this invasive weed upon species diversity in an Australian grassland and assessed the resulting shifts in plant community composition following management using two traditional approaches. A baseline plant community survey, prior to management, showed that the above-ground community was dominated by P. hysterophorus, stoloniferous grasses, with a further high frequency of species from Malvaceae, Chenopodiaceae and Amaranthaceae. In heavily invaded areas, P. hysterophorus abundance and biomass was found to negatively correlate with species diversity and native species abundance. Digitaria didactyla Willd. was present in high abundance when P. hysterophorus was not, with these two species, contributing most to the dissimilarity seen between areas. The application of selective broad leaf weed herbicides significantly reduced P. hysterophorus biomass under ungrazed conditions, but this management did not yet result in an increase in species diversity. In the above-ground community, P. hysterophorus was partly replaced by the introduced grass species Cynodon dactylon L. (Pers.) 1 year after management began, increasing the above-ground forage biomass production, while D. didactyla replaced P. hysterophorus in the below-ground community. This improvement in forage availability continued to strengthen over the time of the study resulting in a total increase of 80% after 2 years in the ungrazed treatment, demonstrating the stress that grazing was imposing upon this grassland-based agro-ecosystem and showing that it is necessary to remove grazing to obtain the best results from the chemical management approach.     

Microhabitat variations and seed bank-vegetation relationships in a desert wadi ecosystem

Due to extreme variability in patterns of rainfall, plant seed banks are an important component of desert habitats. Here I report on effects of standing vegetation and three different microhabitats (channel, bank and terrace) on the soil seed bank of a desert wadi ecosystem in the Eastern Desert of Egypt. A total of 450 soil samples at 45 stands were collected to represent the different wadi microhabitats. The germinable seed bank was estimated by controlled counts of seedling emergence. The floristic composition, functional properties and diversity of the soil seed bank, as well as its similarity with the standing vegetation varied among wadi microhabitats. Such variation could be attributed to differences in disturbance intensity among microhabitats (terrace < bank < channel) and variation of soil factors along the microtopographic gradient. Channel showed the highest species richness and size of soil seed bank, followed by bank and then terrace. Moreover the Shannon index of diversity of the seed bank and its similarity with standing vegetation were significantly greater in both channel and bank microhabitats than in terrace. At the level of plant functional groups, number of seeds of annuals was higher in both channel and bank than in terrace. Shrubs were more abundant in seed banks of channel compared to terrace. The size and species richness of seed bank were increased with the total plant cover, annual/perennial ratio and species richness of the standing vegetation.     

A trait-based experimental approach to understand the mechanisms underlying biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships

Plant functional characteristics may drive plant species richness effects on ecosystem processes. Consequently, the focus of biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiments has expanded from the manipulation of plant species richness to manipulating functional trait composition. Involving ecophysiological plant traits in the experimental design might allow for a better understanding of how species loss alters ecosystem processes. Here we provide the theoretical background, design and first results of the ‘Trait-Based Biodiversity Experiment’ (TBE), established in 2010 that directly manipulates the trait composition of experimental plant communities.Analysis of six plant traits related to resource acquisition and use were analyzed using principal component analysis of 60 grassland species. The resulting two main axes describe gradients in functional similarity, and were used as the basis for designing plant communities with different functional and species diversity levels. Using such an approach allowed us to manipulate different levels of complementarity in spatial and temporal plant resource acquisition. In contrast to previous biodiversity experiments, the TBE is designed according to more realistic scenarios of non-random species loss along orthogonal axes of species trait dissimilarities. This allows us to tease apart the relative importance of selection and complementarity effects on multiple ecosystem processes, and to mechanistically study the consequences of plant community simplification.     

两湖平原六个湖泊水生植物多样性的比较研究

为了揭示人为干扰对淡水湖泊水生植物多样性的影响 ,本文采用断面法 ,应用全球定位系统 (GPS)技术与地理信息系统 (GIS)技术 ,比较研究了所受干扰强度各不相同的两湖平原的白莲湖、海口湖 (轻度干扰 )、长湖、西凉湖 (较强度干扰 )、大通湖与武山湖 (重度干扰 )水生植物多样性的现状及其 2 0年来的变化 ,并探讨了人为干扰强度与植物多样性丰富程度及丧失程度间的关系。主要结论是 (1) 2 0 0 1年白莲湖、海口湖、长湖、西凉湖、大通湖与武山湖各分布有水生植物 6 9、 6 7、 98、 77、 5 6和 38种 ,6个湖泊各有水生植物群丛类型 14、 14、 14、 13、 6和 0个 ,植被覆盖率分别为 10 0 %、 96 18%、 6 5 32 %、 6 1 18%、10 6 0 %和 0 % ,全湖平均单位面积生物量分别是 2 2 31g m2 、 2 718g m2 、 1816g m2 、 14 71g m2 、2 5 6g m2 和 0g m2 。 (2 ) 2 0年来 ,6个湖泊各有 1、 1、 6、 7、 9和 2 9种水生植物消失 ,消失的水生植物群丛类型数目分别是 1、 1、 4、 4、 5和 6个 ,水生植被覆盖率分别下降了0 %、 3 82 %、 32 85 %、 37 80 %、 5 9 4 0 %和 91 0 0 %。 (3)多样性丰富程度的现状是白莲湖、海口湖 >长湖、西凉湖 >大通湖、武山湖 ,丰富程度与所受干扰强度成负相关关系 ;多样性丧失程度与所     

高寒草甸地区小哺乳动物群落多样性的初步研究

高寒苹甸地区的人工草场、半人工草场、次生杂类草草场和撩荒地中共有4个小哺乳类群落;根田鼠+高原鼢鼠群落;根田鼠+甘肃鼠兔群落;高原鼠兔+高原鼢鼠群落;长尾仓鼠+高原鼠兔群落。小哺乳类群落种的多样性与植物群落种的多样性无显著相关关系,而与植被的高度、盖度呈显著负相关关系。高原鼢鼠是各生境中的广布种。根田鼠与甘肃鼠兔在植被郁闭度高的环境中为群落的主要组成者;植被郁闭度低的环境中,高原鼠兔和长尾仓鼠是群落的主要成员。它们的空间格局主要反映空间环境条件的差异。     

南京江心洲鸟类群落特征

2004～2006年,分冬夏两季对南京江心洲4种典型生境(居民区、农田区、林区及湿地区)的鸟类资源进行了调查。共记录鸟类67种,隶属10目25科。对冬夏两季不同生境中鸟类群落的密度、现存生物量、多样性指数、均匀度、优势度的对比研究表明,冬季鸟类密度、物种多样性和均匀度均高于夏季,而优势度、现存生物量则夏季高于冬季。在不同生境中,林区鸟类密度、多样性指数最高;居民区优势度最高;均匀度指数冬季林区最高,夏季居民区最高。     

A functional trait-based approach to understand community assembly and diversity–productivity relationships over 7 years in experimental grasslands

Several multi-year biodiversity experiments have shown positive species richness–productivity relationships which strengthen over time, but the mechanisms which control productivity are not well understood. We used experimental grasslands (Jena Experiment) with mixtures containing different numbers of species (4, 8, 16 and 60) and plant functional groups (1–4; grasses, legumes, small herbs, tall herbs) to explore patterns of variation in functional trait composition as well as climatic variables as predictors for community biomass production across several years (from 2003 to 2009). Over this time span, high community mean trait values shifted from the dominance of trait values associated with fast growth to trait values suggesting a conservation of growth-related resources and successful reproduction. Increasing between-community convergence in means of several productivity-related traits indicated that environmental filtering and exclusion of competitively weaker species played a role during community assembly. A general trend for increasing functional trait diversity within and convergence among communities suggested niche differentiation through limiting similarity in the longer term and that similar mechanisms operated in communities sown with different diversity. Community biomass production was primarily explained by a few key mean traits (tall growth, large seed mass and leaf nitrogen concentration) and to a smaller extent by functional diversity in nitrogen acquisition strategies, functional richness in multiple traits and functional evenness in light-acquisition traits. Increasing species richness, presence of an exceptionally productive legume species (Onobrychis viciifolia) and climatic variables explained an additional proportion of variation in community biomass. In general, community biomass production decreased through time, but communities with higher functional richness in multiple traits had high productivities over several years. Our results suggest that assembly processes within communities with an artificially maintained species composition maximize functional diversity through niche differentiation and exclusion of weaker competitors, thereby maintaining their potential for high productivity.