Folk Botanical Life-Forms: Their Universality and Growth

Folk botanical life-form terms are added to languages in a highly regular manner. The first life-form to be lexically encoded is always "tree"and the second, a small herbaceous plant class (GRERB). The addition of "bush," "vine," and "grass" follows with "vine" always preceding "grass." An explanation of this encoding sequence is proposed which refers to certain general principles of naming-behavior recently outlined by Witkowski and Brown (1977). In addition, size of folk botanical life-form vocabularies is positively correlated with both societal complexity and botanical species diversity. An explanation of these associations is presented . [cognitive anthropology, ethnobotany, folk classification, language universale, language change]     

Study on Life-Form Spectrum of Plant Community in Dongling Mountain

According to the classification system of life-form provided by Raunkiaer, Danmark ecologist, the life-form of plant communities in Dongling Mountain was analysed, and the life-form spectrum was organized. Ordination and classification of the life-form of plant community were done by principle component analysis (PCA) and systemic cluster analysis. The relationship between environmental factors (climate and soil) and plant life-form gradient was analysed by double sieving progressive regression method, and mathematical models were set up. The results showed that the characters of life-form of plant community were conformed to the general regular pattern of warm temperate plant life-form of the world, i. e the hemicryptophyte occupies highest percentage in the community. The result of ordination and classification of life-form of plant community is similar to the result of those of plant species of the community. The reaction to temperature gradient is most sensitive in geophyte and mid-phaenerophyte, less in little-phaenerophyte. The reaction to moisture gradientis most sensitive in chamaephyte and short-phaenerophyte. The percenage of hemicryptophyte is relatively stable in this area, indicating a strong binding force of the zones. The statistical models of elevant and life-form spectrum of plant community are better correlated with the mid-phaenerophyte, short-phaenerophyte and geophyte.     

Parametric scaling from species to growth-form diversity: an interesting analogy with multifractal functions

We propose a measure of divergence from species to life-form diversity aimed at summarizing the ecological similarity among different plant communities without losing information on traditional taxonomic diversity. First, species and life-form relative abundances within a given plant community are determined. Next, using Rényi's generalized entropy, the diversity profiles of the analyzed community are computed both from species and life-form relative abundances. Finally, the speed of decrease from species to life-form diversity is obtained by combining the outcome of both profiles. Interestingly, the proposed measure shows some formal analogies with multifractal functions developed in statistical physics for the analysis of spatial patterns. As an application for demonstration, a small data set from a plant community sampled in the archaeological site of Paestum (southern Italy) is used.     

An Explanation of Color Nomenclature Universale

Specific physiological perception mechanisms account for some of the regularities associated with the lexical encoding of basic color terms described by Berlin and Kay (1969). This paper, however, focuses upon those regularities explained through reference to certain general principles of naming-behavior which are also pertinent to domains other than color . [cognitive anthropology, folk classification, language change, language universale, naming-behavior]     

Coming to terms with heritability

The complex mechanisms of heredity are little appreciated by non-specialists, in some measure, because of misunderstandings that are perpetuated when words used for technical terms have other, more widely understood, folk meanings. When a word has both technical and folk meanings, it is the responsibility of the specialist to avoid promoting confusion by either using extremely cautious and precise language when using the term or, in cases when confusion is inevitable, abandoning the term in favor of one without a widely understood folk meaning. The study of heredity is beset by such confusion, and the term heritability appears to be at the heart of some of the confusion. In this article, I discuss both the technical and folk meanings of heritability and examine the bridge between them. By continuing to use the term heritability, we risk promulgating serious misunderstanding about the workings of heredity, therefore I suggest selectability as an alternative term to avoid such pitfalls. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

New proposals for naming lower-ranked taxa within the frame of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature

The recent multiplication of cladistic hypotheses for many zoological groups poses a challenge to zoological nomenclature following the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature: in order to account for these hypotheses, we will need many more ranks than currently allowed in this system, especially in lower taxonomy (around the ranks genus and species). The current Code allows the use of as many ranks as necessary in the family-series of nomina (except above superfamily), but forbids the use of more than a few ranks in the genus and species-series. It is here argued that this limitation has no theoretical background, does not respect the freedom of taxonomic thoughts or actions, and is harmful to zoological taxonomy in two respects at least: (1) it does not allow to express in detail hypothesized cladistic relationships among taxa at lower taxonomic levels (genus and species); (2) it does not allow to point taxonomically to low-level differentiation between populations of the same species, although this would be useful in some cases for conservation biology purposes. It is here proposed to modify the rules of the Code in order to allow use by taxonomists of an indeterminate number of ranks in all nominal-series. Such an 'expanded nomenclatural system' would be highly flexible and likely to be easily adapted to any new finding or hypothesis regarding cladistic relationships between taxa, at genus and species level and below. This system could be useful for phylogeographic analysis and in conservation biology. In zoological nomenclature, whereas robustness of nomina is necessary, the same does not hold for nomenclatural ranks, as the latter are arbitrary and carry no special biological, evolutionary or other information, except concerning the mutual relationships between taxa in the taxonomic hierarchy. Compared to the Phylocode project, the new system is equally unambiguous within the frame of a given taxonomic frame, but it provides more explicit and informative nomina for non-specialist users, and is more economic in terms of number of nomina needed to account for a given hierarchy. These ideas are exemplified by a comparative study of three possible nomenclatures for the taxonomy recently proposed by Hillis and Wilcox (2005) for American frogs traditionally referred to the genus Rana.     

浙江仙居俞坑森林群落特征研究

浙江省仙居县俞坑境内由于地形复杂 ,水热条件优越 ,加上以前交通不便 ,限制了人类的频繁活动 ,使原有的植物种类得以保存和发展。这是括苍山系仅存的一片次生湿润常绿阔叶林 ,属中亚热带低海拔地区典型的地带性植被。此地于 1991年建立了县级自然保护区 ,目前对该群落仅在演替方面作过研究[1] 。本文主要对该群落的特征进行研究 ,为这一类型的植被研究和资源保护提供资料。1　自然概况俞坑位于浙江省仙居县境内 ,距括苍山主峰米筛浪约 4 0ｋｍ ,为括苍山尾部。地理位置为 2 8°0′5″Ｎ、12 0°0′5″Ｅ ,面积约 3ｋｍ2 [2 ] ,海拔高度在 4…     

Community Assembly in Marine Phytoplankton: Application of Recent Models to Harmful Dinoflagellate Blooms

The habitat preferences of dinoflagellate bloom species alongan onshore–offshore, mixing-nutrient gradient, their associatedlife-form (morphotype) characteristics and adaptive strategieswere evaluated from the perspective of Margalef's Mandala andReynolds Intaglio. Nine different mixingnutrient habitats andassociated dinoflagellate life-form types having distinctivemorphotype features and habitat preferences are distinguishable.Reynolds Intaglio provided greater fidelity to actual in situdinoflagellate community assembly than the Mandala. We suggestthat the correlation between degree of mixing and nutrient levelspresumed in the Mandala is not the essential interaction inthe selection of life forms and their succession. A more significantaspect of the turbulence axis is the degree of vertical, micro-habitatstructural differentiation that it permits. Three primary adaptivestrategies consistent with C-S-R strategies recognized amongfreshwater phytoplankton species characterize the componentdinoflagellate species: invasive, small- to intermediate-sizedcolonist species (C) which often predominate in chemically-disturbedwater bodies; acquisitive, larger-celled, nutrient stresstolerantspecies (S); and disturbance-tolerant ruderal species (R) tolerantof shear/stress forces in physically-disturbed water masses(fronts, upwelling relaxations, current entrainment). It issuggested that harmful algal bloom community assembly and dynamicsreflect two basic selection features—life-form and species-specificselection, that commonly held life-form properties overridephylogenetic properties in bloom-species selection, and thatthe latter is often stochastic, rather than singular. The highdegree of unpredictability of individual species blooms is consistentwith stochastic selection, e.g. bloom species are often selectedas a result of being in the right place at the right time atsuitable inoculum levels. A focus on the life-form properties,habitat preference and stochastic selection of bloom specieswould appear to be more viable and realistic than current ecologicalinvestigative approaches.     

Understory vegetation indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in longleaf pine forests at Fort Benning,Georgia, USA

Environmental indicators for longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystems need to include some measure of understory vegetation because of its responsiveness to disturbance and management practices. To examine the characteristics of understory species that distinguish between disturbances induced by military traffic, we randomly established transects in four training intensity categories (reference, light, moderate, and heavy) and in an area that had been remediated following intense disturbance at Fort Benning, GA. A total of 134 plant species occurred in these transects with the highest diversity (95 species) in light training areas and the lowest (16 species) in heavily disturbed plots. Forty-seven species were observed in only one of the five disturbance categories. The variability in understory vegetation cover among disturbance types was trimodal ranging from less than 5% cover for heavily disturbed areas to 67% cover for reference, light, and remediated areas. High variability in species diversity and lack of difference in understory cover led us to consider life-form and plant families as indicators of military disturbance. Life-form successfully distinguished between plots based on military disturbances. Species that are Phanerophytes (trees and shrubs) were the most frequent life-form encountered in sites that experienced light infantry training. Therophytes (annuals) were the least common life-form in reference and light training areas. Chamaephytes (plants with their buds slightly above ground) were the least frequent life-form in moderate and remediation sites. Heavy training sites supported no Chamaephytes or Hemicryptophytes (plants with dormant buds at ground level). The heavy, moderate, remediated, and reference sites were all dominated by Cryptophytes (plants with underground buds) possibly because of their ability to withstand both military disturbance and ground fires (the natural disturbance of longleaf pine forests). Analysis of soils collected from each transect revealed that depth of the A layer of soil was significantly higher in reference and light training areas which may explain the life-form distributions. In addition, the diversity of plant families and, in particular, the presence of grasses and composites were indicative of training and remediation history. These results are supported by prior analysis of life-form distribution subsequent to other disturbances and demonstrate the ability of life-form and plant families to distinguish between military disturbances in longleaf pine forests.     

浙江古田山自然保护区野含笑群落特征研究

野含笑为我国省级珍稀濒危植物。通过对野含笑群落的特征进行分析和研究,结果表明。野含笑群落植物种类丰富,科属组成分散,区系成分复杂。从属的地理成分来看,热带分布的属明显多于温带分布的属。群落的生活型以高位芽植物为主,地面芽植物次之。该群落叶的性质以小型叶、单叶、革质、非全缘为主。群落垂直结构复杂,地上成层明显,可分为乔木层、灌木层和草本层,并有一定数量的层间植物。灌木层一乔木层一草本层物种多样性依次递减。野含笑种群的年龄结构属稳定型。     

How long do dolphins live? Survival rates and life expectancies for bottlenose dolphins in zoological facilities vs. wild populations

Survival rates and life expectancies are commonly agreed upon indicators of well‐being for animals in zoological facilities, but even the most recent survival statistics for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in marine mammal parks and aquariums use data that are now more than 25 yr old. The current study provides a comprehensive assessment of life expectancy and survival rates for bottlenose dolphins in U.S. zoological facilities from 1974 to 2012, utilizing three different analyses (annual survival rate, age‐at‐death, and Kaplan‐Meier), examining historical trends, and comparing to comparable data from wild populations. Both survival rate and life expectancy for dolphins in zoological facilities increased significantly over the past few decades, with a modern ASR of 0.972, and mean and median life expectancies calculated via Kaplan‐Meier of 28.2 and 29.2 yr, respectively. Survival rates and life expectancies for dolphins in U.S. zoological facilities today are at least as high as those for the wild dolphin populations for which there are comparable data.     

On phylogenetic inertia: a case of Lixinae weevils

Summary. Among host plants of Lixinae weevils, plant life-form ratio (sensu Raunkiaer) is similar to the plant spectrum of Mediterranean deserts. A possible explanation is that this group of insects formed in desert zones and settled in the steppe rather later. For the first time Raunkiaer’s life-form ratio is compared with a spectrum of food plants of herbivores. This approach may be useful for reconstruction of the genesis of taxa and communities.     

Ndumba Folk Biology and General Principles of Ethnobotanical Classification and Nomenclature

Brent Berlin's proposed "general principles of classification and nomenclature" are examined as they apply to folk biology in Ndumba, a Papua New Guinea highlands society. Focusing on Ndumba folk zoology, supplemented with a previous analysis of their folk botany, Berlin's analytical schema for ethnobiological classification is supported, but principles of nomenclature in ethnobiology appear to be in need of reconsideration. [ethnosemantics, folk biology, language universals, Papua New Guinea]     

Unsafe management of a zoological garden as a cause of introduction of an alien species into the wild: First documented case of feral naturalized population of Lama glama in Europe

Zoological gardens host large numbers of wild species and domestic forms, mostly not indigenous to the place where the zoological garden is located. Escapes (or releases) from zoological gardens are recognized as a pathway of introduction of alien species, leading in some cases to a naturalized population. Although previously reported worldwide, scientific accounts of escapes from zoos are rare and often anecdotal. In this note, we document, for the first time in Europe and, to our knowledge, in an area outside its native range, a case of introduction and establishment of a feral population of Llama (Lama glama), originating from a group of animals living in captivity at the Zoological Park of Cavriglia (Tuscany, central Italy). We reconstruct in detail the story of the population since 1974, also reporting preliminary data on abundance, distribution and diet. Finally, we critically evaluate the causes of this introduction, highlighting how unsafe the management of a zoological garden can be, and we discuss the implications for conservation and management perspectives.     

Historische Rollbilder: Biologie im Blick. Zufallsfund an der Universität Jena

Historical wall charts Different kinds of wall charts (botanical, zoological, human biological), together with the microscope, are important teaching materials for biological education in classrooms and universities. Fallen into oblivion during structural alteration works at the zoological institute, 370 wall charts were sheltered in a special university building (the so‐called “Bunker”). By accident, the collection was rediscovered by members of the research group of Didactics of Biology at the University of Jena at the beginning of 2011. They found 26 zoological wall charts illustrated by the Viennese botanist Paul Pfurtscheller and 28 by the zoologist Rudolf Leuckart from the University of Leipzig.     

Species convergence into life-forms in a hyperseasonal cerrado in central Brazil

Whether the functional structure of ecological communities is deterministic or historically contingent is still quite controversial. However, recent experimental tests did not find effects of species composition variation on trait convergence and therefore the environmental constraints should play the major role on community convergence into functional groups. Seasonal cerrados are characterized by a sharp seasonality, in which the water shortage defines the community functioning. Hyperseasonal cerrados experience additionally waterlogging in the rainy season. Here, we asked whether waterlogging modifies species convergences into life-forms in a hyperseasonal cerrado. We studied a hyperseasonal cerrado, comparing it with a nearby seasonal cerrado, never waterlogged, in Emas National Park, central Brazil. In each area, we sampled all vascular plants by placing 40 plots of 1 m(2) plots in four surveys. We analyzed the species convergences into life-forms in both cerrados using the Raunkiaer's life-form spectrum and the index of divergence from species to life-form diversity (IDD). The overall life-form spectra and IDDs were not different, indicating that waterlogging did not affect the composition of functional groups in the hyperseasonal cerrado. However, there was a seasonal variation in IDD values only in the hyperseasonal cerrado. As long as we did not find a seasonal variation in life-form diversity, the seasonal variation of convergence into life-forms in the hyperseasonal cerrado was a consequence of the seasonal variation of species diversity. Because of high functional redundancy of cerrado plants, waterlogging promoted a floristic replacement without major changes in functional groups. Thus, waterlogging in the hyperseasonal cerrado promoted seasonal changes in species convergence into life-forms by reducing species diversity.     

卧龙巴郎山川滇高山栎群落植物生活型海拔梯度特征

川滇高山栎林隶属于亚高山硬叶栎林类型,是一种广泛分布在横断山地区的特殊植被类型,研究同一群落生活型谱的海拔梯度特征,可以阐明控制群落的重要气候特征以及群落对其气候生境的反映,揭示川滇高山栎种群对空间的利用、群落内部种群间可能产生的竞争及其发展趋势。用环境梯度法,研究卧龙自然保护区巴朗山川滇高山栎群落植物生活型特性随海拔梯度(15个海拔梯度,海拔2200—3600 m)的变化。卧龙巴朗山川滇高山栎群落植物生活型以高位芽植物为主,占36.01%;地面芽和地下芽植物相当,分别为25.92%和29.36%,地上芽植物最少,占0.92%。高位芽生活型物种在各个海拔梯度都占重要地位,占巴朗山全部生活型物种的21.74%—50.00%,随海拔的升高逐渐下降;地面芽植物(H)具有随海拔升高先升高后降低的趋势;地下芽植物(G)生活型随海拔的升高而升高;一年生植物(Th)在整个海拔梯度内占10.00%以下,随海拔的升高波动不大,即在5.67%—8.94%之间。高位芽生活型植物主要以常绿高位芽植物为主,随海拔升高而下降,常绿高位芽植物丰富度呈现随海拔升高逐渐降低的趋势,而且其物种丰富度小于落叶高位芽植物丰富度;在卧龙巴郎山阳坡海拔3300 m以上范围内,大、中高位芽植物仅占3.09%—4.26%,说明森林植被特征在逐渐弱化。比较分析了不同类型植物群落植物生活型特征,阐明了川滇高山栎林是区别于其他常绿阔叶林的特殊类型。     

An index of divergence from species to life-form diversity based on the notion of intrinsic diversity ordering

In this paper, we propose a measure of divergence from species tolife-form diversity based on the notion of intrinsic diversity ordering. First,species and life-form relative abundances within the analyzed community aredetermined. Next, community intrinsic diversity profile is computed both fromspecies and life-form relative abundances. Finally, the speed of decrease fromspecies to life-form diversity is obtained by comparing the area under thespecies diversity profile with the area under the corresponding life-formdiversity profile. Since life-forms classify plants into ecologically relevantgroups irrespective of their systematics, the proposed measure might be usefulto quantify the ecological similarity of different communities without loosinginformation on traditional taxonomic diversity figures. As an application fordemonstration, a small data set from a garigue community on ultramafic soils ofTuscany (central Italy) is used.