Vegetation of Barton Peninsula in the neighbourhood of King Sejong Station (King George Island,maritime Antarctic)

Plant communities were studied on Barton Peninsula around King Sejong Station on King George Island, maritime Antarctic. The objective of this study was to document the occurrence and distribution of plant assemblages to provide the bases for monitoring the effects of environmental changes and human impact on the vegetation of this area. Approximately 47% of the investigated area was covered by vegetation. Crustose lichens showed the highest mean cover (21%) among vegetation components. The total mean cover of the four dominant taxa, together with the other three major subdominant components, i.e., Usnea spp., Andreaea spp. and Sanionia georgico-uncinata, was 78.2% of the total cover of all the species. Lichen cover and species diversity increased with altitude and the time of exposure from snow. Lichens contributed substantially more to the increased species density and diversity than did bryophytes. Ten plant communities were recognized within the study area. All of them belong to the Antarctic cryptogam tundra formation; they were grouped into four subformations: fruticose lichen and moss cushion subformation, crustose lichen subformation, moss carpet subformation and moss hummock subformation. The moss turf subformation was not found on this region. The Antarctic herb tundra formation was also not found; however, the populations of both Antarctic vascular plants have rapidly expanded around Barton Peninsula in recent years, which may allow development of the Antarctic herb tundra formation in the future.     

Light as an environmental filter in fen vegetation

Questions: 1. To what extent does light availability differ among fen plant communities? 2. To what extent does light coincide with productivity and moisture gradients? 3. Does light act as an important environmental filter in natural and transformed riparian landscapes? Location: Current data from the Biebrza Valley, NE Poland; literature data from the T?eboň area, Czech Republic and four sites in the western and southern Netherlands. Methods: Relative light intensity (RLI) was measured in vertical profiles, next to vegetation relevés accompanied by measurements of above‐ground biomass, summer groundwater level, N and P content in vegetation, pH and soil redox potential. Data derived from literature included profiles of RLI, biomass and vegetation records. Relationships between RLI and biomass and between species distribution, RLI and other variables were examined by regression analysis and CCA. Four traits were analysed: ability to spread clonally, seed weight, maximum height of adults and time of commencement of flowering. Results: RLI at ground level varied from < 1% in reed beds and tall herb meadows to > 60% in sedge‐moss communities and litter meadows. RLI was largely determined by the standing crop and explained a large part of variation in species occurrence. The combinations of analysed functional traits were constrained by the communities’ light profiles. Conclusion: Light availability is related more closely to site fertility than to hydrological regime. This confirms that hydrological regime and productivity should be analysed separately with regard to their effect on species distribution in wetlands. Limited light availability seems the major environmental control of the distribution of low growing and late flowering species.     

人为干扰对中亚热带森林生物量及其空间分布格局的影响

为揭示不同程度的人为干扰对中亚热带森林生物量及其空间分布格局的影响机制,在湘中丘陵区4种处于不同程度的人为干扰、地域相邻的植物群落:檵木-南烛-满山红灌草丛(LVR)、檵木-杉木-白栎灌木林(LCQ)、马尾松-石栎-檵木针阔混交林(PLL)、石栎-红淡比-青冈常绿阔叶林(LAG)设置固定样地,结合植物群落调查,采用收获法和建立主要树种各器官生物量相对生长方程,测定和估算群落生物量。结果表明:(1)随着人为干扰程度减弱,群落总生物量呈显著的指数函数增长(P0.05),地上部分、地下部分生物量表现为异速生长,LAG与PLL乔木层生物量差异不显著(P0.05),4个群落灌木层生物量及其各器官、地上部分、地下部分生物量均呈先增加后下降的变化特征,草本层生物量及其地上部分、地下部分生物量先下降再增高,凋落物层现存量总体上呈增加趋势;(2)不同程度的人为干扰,群落生物量的空间分布格局不同,LVR群落灌木层、草本层生物量相当,LCQ群落灌木层生物量占明显优势,草本层生物量下降,PLL和LAG群落乔木层生物量占绝对优势,灌木层、草本层和凋落物层生物量占群落总生物量低于10%;(3)群落总生物量与树种多样性指数呈显著的正相关(P0.05),与土壤有机碳、全氮、水解氮、有效磷含量呈显著的正相关(P0.05),表明不同程度的人为干扰造成群落树种多样性、土壤养分含量的变化,是导致群落生物量变化的主要因素。     

Balancing positive and negative plant interactions: how mosses structure vascular plant communities

Our understanding of positive and negative plant interactions is primarily based on vascular plants, as is the prediction that facilitative effects dominate in harsh environments. It remains unclear whether this understanding is also applicable to moss–vascular plant interactions, which are likely to be influential in low-temperature environments with extensive moss ground cover such as boreal forest and arctic tundra. In a field experiment in high-arctic tundra, we investigated positive and negative impacts of the moss layer on vascular plants. Ramets of the shrub Salix polaris, herb Bistorta vivipara, grass Alopecurus borealis and rush Luzula confusa were transplanted into plots manipulated to contain bare soil, shallow moss (3 cm) and deep moss (6 cm) and harvested after three growing seasons. The moss layer had both positive and negative impacts upon vascular plant growth, the relative extent of which varied among vascular plant species. Deep moss cover reduced soil temperature and nitrogen availability, and this was reflected in reduced graminoid productivity. Shrub and herb biomass were greatest in shallow moss, where soil moisture also appeared to be highest. The relative importance of the mechanisms by which moss may influence vascular plants, through effects on soil temperature, moisture and nitrogen availability, was investigated in a phytotron growth experiment. Soil temperature, and not nutrient availability, determined Alopecurus growth, whereas Salix only responded to increased temperature if soil nitrogen was also increased. We propose a conceptual model showing the relative importance of positive and negative influences of the moss mat on vascular plants along a gradient of moss depth and illustrate species-specific outcomes. Our findings suggest that, through their strong influence on the soil environment, mat-forming mosses structure the composition of vascular plant communities. Thus, for plant interaction theory to be widely applicable to extreme environments such as the Arctic, growth forms other than vascular plants should be considered.     

青海省高寒灌丛物种多样性、生物量及其关系

物种多样性对生态系统功能的作用是生物多样性研究的核心领域之一,生物量水平是生态系统功能的重要表现形式,而植物群落的生物量则是生态系统生物量的基础,因此研究植物群落物种多样性与生物量的关系,对于阐明植物多样性对生态系统功能的作用具有重要意义。通过对青海省高寒灌丛生物量、灌丛物种多样性特征以及与生物量的关系调查,得到以下结果:(1)被调查灌木植被群落的40个样地中共出现了207种植物(其中灌木植物18种,草本植物189种),隶属于130属,43科,灌木以蔷薇科、杜鹃花科为主,而草本以菊科、龙胆科、毛茛科和莎草科占优势。(2)群落多样性指数偏低,植物群落结构简单,物种组成稀少。小叶金露梅群落的多样性指数最大,金露梅群落、细枝绣线菊群落和鲜卑花群落次之,百里香杜鹃+头花杜鹃群落最低。(3)不同高寒灌丛类型生物量介于1893.03—7585.41 g/m~2之间,平均值为3775.9 g/m2,其中灌木生物量占灌丛总生物量的73.55%,草本为26.45%。(4)总生物量随草本物种多样性和群落物种多样性的增加而减小;草本生物量随其物种多样性的增加而减小,而灌木物种多样性与其生物量并无显著相关性。     

不同林龄桉树人工林林下物种多样性和生物量的动态变化

采用空间代替时间法和典型抽样法,以四川省威远县桉树(Eucalyptus robusta)人工林为研究对象,综合分析其林下植被物种组成及重要值、灌木层和草本层地上、地下和全株生物量以及物种多样性指数(Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H、Simpson优势度指数H′、丰富度指数D和Pielou均匀度指数JSW),探究林下植被的物种多样性和生物量在5个不同林龄(4,5,6,7,8年生)下的动态变化及二者之间的相关性。结果表明:调查到植物共有210种,隶属79科151属,草本层物种数多于灌木层。草本层的五节芒(Miscanthus floridulus)、芒萁(Dicranop?teris pedata)和灌木层的野牡丹(Melastoma malabathricum)、戟叶悬钩子(Rubus hastifolius)在不同林龄下都占据主要优势地位。随着林龄的增大,郁闭度加大,灌木层的D、H和H′值均表现为先增后减的规律;草本层D、H和H′值均呈先增后减再增再减的双峰趋势。草本层各生物量呈先增后减再增的变化趋势;灌木层各生物量呈先增后减的变化趋势。物种多样性与生物量呈显著正相关,草本层的D、H指数是影响生物量的直接因子。桉树人工林林下植被物种分布、组成、物种多样性和生物量对林龄变化的响应不同,表现为不同的动态特征规律,相关结果为我国西南地区桉树林管理提供了数据支撑。     

林分密度对杉木人工林林下植被和土壤性质的影响

以杉木人工林为研究对象,探究4种林分密度（A：650株/hm²;B：1100株/hm²;C：1250株/hm²;CK：1650株/hm²）林下物种多样性、生物量以及土壤理化性质及其之间的相关性。结果表明：（1）灌木层Shannon-Wiener指数、Patrick丰富度指数及草本层中Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数、Patrick丰富度指数随林分密度的增加均呈现出双峰型变化趋势,在密度A和C处均出现峰值;灌木层Simpson指数、Pielou均匀度指数随林分密度升高而降低,且灌、草层4种多样性指数最小值均出现在密度CK处。（2）草本层生物量比灌木层高。草本层总生物量（地上+地下）随密度的增大而减少,凋落物的量则随密度的增大而增大。（3）土壤养分含量和林下植物多样性指数随林分密度增大的变化趋势大致相同,且有机质含量在密度A取得最大值。（4）灌木层Shannon-Wiener指数、Patrick丰富度指数与全氮、水解氮、有效磷、有机质呈显著正相关;草本层植被物种多样性与土壤理化性质无显著相关性。（5）各指数与灌木层生物量的相关性较强。综上所述,密度A （650株/hm²）能够促进杉木林林下植被发育,增加林下植被物种多样性、生物量和有机质,可提升维持地力的能力,有利于杉木林稳定持续发展。     

Variation in species composition and species richness within Phragmites australis dominated riparian zones

In riparian wetlands total standing crop often fails to account for a significant part of the observed variation in species richness and species composition within communities. In this study, we used abundance of the dominant species instead of total standing crop as the biotic predictor variable and investigated its relationships with species composition and species richness in communities dominated by Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steudel. This was done by measuring soil organic matter content, litter cover and elevation, Phragmites abundance (standing crop and stem density) and species composition in 78 relevés. In addition, we tried to identify the environmental boundaries of Phragmites communities by sampling relevés in neighbouring communities.Two gradients were related to a decline in Phragmites abundance: one gradient, perpendicular to the shoreline, was mainly related to increased elevation and the second gradient ran parallel to the shoreline and was related to increased amounts of soil organic matter. Within the relevés dominated by Phragmites, stem density of Phragmites and litter cover were the only factors significantly related to species composition in the RDA solution. Litter cover and standing crop of the dominant accounted for 64% of the variation in species richness within the Phragmites-dominated community. These results show that dead and living biomass of the dominant species may account for a substantial part of the variation in species composition and species richness within a single community.     

Linear relationships between aboveground biomass and plant cover in low open herbaceous vegetation

Abstract. Four herbaceous plant species of a sand dune area and several herb species of an open early‐successional patch were investigated for the occurrence of a simple relationship between aboveground biomass and plant cover. Without exception linear regressions of aboveground biomass on plant cover were found with slope factors depending on the growth form of the species. These results suggest that (early) growth of herbaceous plants in low and (temporarily) open vegetation is not affected by possible constraints caused by a decreasing ratio of plant cover to aboveground biomass. The obtained linear relationships could be used for rapid non‐destructive determination of aboveground biomass by image‐analysis of cover data.     

The species richness–productivity relationship in the herb layer of European deciduous forests

Aim In contrast to non‐forest vegetation, the species richness–productivity (SR‐P) relationship in forests still remains insufficiently explored. Several studies have focused on the diversity of the tree layer, but the species richness of temperate deciduous forests is mainly determined by their species‐rich herb layer. The factors controlling herb‐layer productivity may differ from those affecting tree layers or open herbaceous vegetation, and thus the SR‐P relationship and its underlying processes may differ. However, the few relevant studies have reported controversial results. Here we explore the SR‐P relationship in the forest herb layer across different areas from oceanic to continental Europe, and put the effect of habitat productivity on species richness into context with other key factors, namely soil pH and light availability. Location North‐western Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and southern Urals (Russia). Methods We measured herb‐layer species richness and biomass, soil pH and tree‐layer cover in 156 vegetation plots of 100 m² in deciduous forests. We analysed the SR‐P relationship and the relative importance of environmental variables using regression models for particular areas and separate forest types. Results We found a consistent monotonic increase in the herb‐layer species richness with productivity across all study areas and all forest types. Soil pH and light availability also affected species richness, but their relative importance differed among areas. Main conclusions We suggest that the monotonically increasing SR‐P relationship in the forest herb layer results from the fact that herb‐layer productivity is limited by canopy shading; competition within the herb layer is therefore not strong enough to exclude many species. This differs fundamentally from open herbaceous vegetation, which is not subject to such productivity limits and consequently exhibits a unimodal SR‐P relationship. We present a conceptual model that might explain the differences in the SR‐P relationship between the forest herb layer and open herbaceous vegetation.     

Species Structure, Dry Matter Dynamics and Carbon Flux of a Dry Tropical Forest in India

Species composition, plant biomass and net primary productivitywere studied on three sites of a dry tropical forest The forestwas characterized by small structure with 38–10.4 m2 ha^–1tree and 3 1–7 8 m² ha^–1 shrub basal cover Speciesdiversity was highest for the mid-slope site while the concentrationof dominance was greatest for the hill-top stand The beta diversitywas 3 1 Total standing crop of vegetation averaged 66 98 t ha^–1with 46 70 t ha^–1 in the tree layer, 13.97 t ha^–1in the shrub layer, 0.35 t ha^–1 in the herb layer, 2 83t ha^–1 in the litter layer and 3 13 t ha^–1 in fineroots Of the total annual litterfall (4 88–6.71 t ha^–1),69% was accounted for by leaves and 31% by non-leaf matter Netprimary production (NPP) ranged between 11 3 and 19 2 t ha^–1year^–1, to which the contributions of trees, shrubs andherbs averaged 72, 22 and 6%, respectively Contribution of rootsto NPP was substantial and ranged from 2 9 to 5 3 t ha^–1year^–1 A total of 83% of vegetation carbon was storedin the above-ground plant parts while the above-ground NPP wasresponsible for 72% of the total carbon input into the systemThe contribution of foliage, herbaceous vegetation and fineroots to carbon turnover was disproportionately larger comparedto their share in the total standing crop Carbon budgeting indicatedthat the forest was an accumulating system, over at least theshort term Dry tropical forest, biomass, litterfall, net primary production, carbon budget, carbon flux     

Instar distribution and biomass of Chironomidae larvae in Lago El Junco, Isla San Cristobal, the Galápagos

The distribution, abundance and standing crop biomass of chironomid larvae were determined at one-meter depth intervals along three radial transects. Samples were collected by coring soft sediments while diving. Three genera were found in the lake: Chironomus sp. (collector-filtering larvae), Ablabesmyia sp. (predatory larvae) and Goeldichironomus sp. (collector-filtering larvae). Standing crop densities of chironomids, averaged over the entire lake, varied from 30,594 larvae/m² to 11,428 larvae/m² at different depths. No statistically significant zonation in density was found for the two most common taxa, Chironomus sp. (87.8% of specimens) and Ablabesmyia sp. (9.0%), however the deepest zones (>4 m) had the lowest estimated densities. Significant differences in standing crop biomass were detected, with the 6 m depth having greatest biomass. The increase in standing crop biomass was a function of (1) lower frequency of first instars of Chironomus sp. and Ablabesmyia sp. at 6 m (2) higher average larval biomass of both species at 6 m and (3) very significant increase in average biomass of fourth instars of Chironomus sp. at 6 m compared to fourth instars at shallower depths. These results indicate that the lentic chironomids of this isolated oceanic habitat consist of a small number of species that are ecological generalists and tolerant of low oxygen concentrations.     

The benthic macro-algae of Georgian Bay,the North Channel and their drainage basin

Thirty-nine subgeneric taxa of macroalgae have been collected from 83 sites in Georgian Bay, the North Channel and their drainage basin. There were 15 species in the Bay and Channel and 32 species in streams, rivers and impoundments in the basin. Only 8 of the Bay and Channel species were also found in the watershed. Cladophora glomerata was the most important species in Georgian Bay and the North Channel, having an estimated 640 × 10³ m² cover and 19 × 10⁴ kg fresh weight standing crop. However, this species was largely concentrated on the southwestern shorelines of these water bodies. Its distribution along the northeastern shoreline appears to be limited by total ion and phosphorus levels. Chara globularis/vulgaris was the subdominant taxon in Georgian Bay and the North Channel with an estimated 70 × 10³ m² cover and 15 × 10³ kg fresh weight biomass. This species was more widely distributed than C. glomerata. No other taxon contributed significantly to the standing crop including the frequently occurring Ulothrix zonata, Zygnema spp. and Spirogyra spp. The maximum benthic macroalgal biomass was estimated to be approximately 10% of the phytoplankton biomass.     

Inter-relationships between standing crop, biodiversity and trait attributes of hydrophytic vegetation in artificial waterways

1. The extensive British canal system potentially provides a favourable habitat for aquatic plants and, because of its uniformity, it is ideal for studying relationships between disturbance intensity (largely from boat traffic) and communities of aquatic macrophytes. 2. The standing crop and species composition of aquatic plants were measured in summer at 396 sites distributed randomly over the canal network. We also quantified the number of rare species and ‘attribute groups’ (groups of species sharing similar suites of biological traits). These data were analysed in relation to standing crop, assumed to indicate a disturbance gradient. 3. Consistent with unimodal models and the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis, maximum hydrophyte species richness occurred at an intermediate biomass (50–200 g DWm^?2). This corresponded to a low frequency of low magnitude disturbance (light boat traffic) on navigable sections, or occasional high magnitude disturbance (the post‐interventionist phase) on sections currently unnavigable and subject to active vegetation management. The frequency of rare species was also the greatest under these conditions, reflecting the availability of regeneration niches. 4. Sorting of species into attribute groups revealed that the overall relationship between species richness and standing crop comprised of closely overlapping unimodal responses of nine attribute groups, superimposed on a core vegetation of Potamogeton pectinatus, together with greater representation of filamentous algae, lemnids and elodeids with increasing standing crop (i.e. assumed low disturbance). High species richness was associated with the overlap of functionally different groups of species, rather than with disturbance‐mediated coexistence of functionally similar plants. 5. The analysis of a matrix of sites and the representation of plant traits weighted by the biomass of species that displayed them, in relation to different aspects of disturbance, highlighted a shift from traits associated with resilience (turions, unanchored floating or submerged leaves, low body flexibility, budding, small body size), or competitiveness (entire leaves, low reproductive output, high biomass density, large body size) at high standing crop, through to attributes more associated with resistance to disturbance (rhizomes, tubers, streamlining of foliage, low biomass density) at low standing crop. 6. Comparison with a stochastic null model of change in species number along a constrained gradient, after correction for variation in sampling effort, indicated that sites towards the tails of the gradient (excluding those with extremely low biomass) supported more species than might be expected from chance alone, while the most species‐rich sites in mid‐gradient generally supported many fewer species than expected. 7. We suggest that a disturbance regime that maintains intermediate standing crops would be appropriate for the conservation of species‐rich aquatic vegetation. Precise definition of this regime, under a range of circumstances, requires the study of temporal change at representative sites.     

Meta-analysis of standing crop reduction byRhinanthus spp. and its effect on vegetation structure

We performed a quantitative literature review on the effect of the root hemiparasiteRhinanthus on vegetation standing crop. (1) Across all available experimental studies in mixed vegetation and in pots, above-ground biomass of co-occurring species is generally reduced, with on average 40% and 60% of the value in the controls respectively. Total above-ground biomass, as the sum of parasite biomass and biomass of co-occurring species, decreases in most cases. For field experiments this reduction amounts, on average, to 26% of the control value. This implies that there is no compensation by the parasites’ biomass for the loss of biomass of co-occurring species due to parasite infection. This can be attributed to the low resource-use efficiency of hemiparasites. Meta-analysis confirmed these trends. (2) In pot experiments, the negative effect of the parasite on the above-ground biomass of the host increases with the number ofRhinanthus plants. In field experiments, we found no relationship between biomass reduction andRhinanthus density. (3) Total above-ground biomass reduction in field experiments increases with standing crop of the vegetation. However, reduction in above-ground biomass of co-occurring species seems to decrease with standing crop. Functional and species diversity buffer the community against negative effects ofRhinanthus. (4) In field experiments, functional groups are affected differently byRhinanthus spp. Grasses and legumes are mostly strongly reduced by the hemiparasites. Non-leguminous dicots mostly benefit from the presence ofRhinanthus. (5) In one out of four weeding experiments,Rhinanthus spp. has a significant (positive) effect on species number. However, the response of plant diversity to invasion of parasitic plants requires further research.     

Optimal habitat conditions for the globally threatened Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola in eastern Poland and their implications for fen management

To identify optimal habitat for the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola, a flagship species of fen mires, we related numbers of singing males to habitat variables in all core breeding sites in eastern Poland. The density of male Aquatic Warblers increased with increasing ground cover by water and mosses and litter layer height, and was highest where vegetation was 60–90 cm tall. Male densities also increased with the biomass of arthropods > 10 mm length, estimated by sweep netting, and with the abundance of spiders, estimated by pan trapping. We suggest that habitat management should take into account species‐specific morphological adaptations, nest safety and arthropod productivity. Prevention of vegetation succession is a conservation priority for open fen mires. However, modern management practices to achieve this, especially mowing using tracked vehicles, should be evaluated and optimized to ensure that such practices do not adversely affect the long‐term development of moss cover and litter structure.     

Spatial patterns of ground vegetation, soil microbial biomass and activity in a mixed spruce-birch stand

Trees directly and indirectly influence the above- and below-ground environment, and can be expected to modify the spatial patterns of organisms associated with the forest floor. This study aimed to examine the effects of a coniferous (Picea abies) and a broad-leaved (Betula pubescens) tree species on the spatial pattern of ground vegetation and soil microbial properties in a mixed stand in central Sweden. I have characterised the species composition of ground vegetation, soil microbial biomass and activity, photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), soil water content and soil pH in the stand, and tested whether the spatial patterns of these variables were related to the positioning of trees. Geostatistics were used to describe the spatial variation in ground vegetation, soil mirobiological properties and the soil surface environment. PAR, soil water content and the cover of the moss Brachytecium reflexum and associated herb species decreased with the influence of spruce trees. Microbial biomass, measured as the amount of phospholipid fatty acids, decreased with spruce influence but increased with the influence of birch trees. Microbial respiration was not affected by spruce but increased with the influence of birch. Ground vegetation and microbial respiration, which were influenced by one tree species only, aggregate on a scale of 4-5 m, corresponding fairly well with patches of a single tree species. Soil microbial biomass, which was affected by both tree species, aggregated on a scale of 7-8 m. roughly corresponding to the distance between patches of spruce and birch trees respectively. I suggest that spruce trees influenced vegetation mainly through shading, and that a difference in the availability of organic matter under birch and spruce trees caused spatial variation in microbial biomass and activity. Thus, spatial patterns in ground vegetation and soil microbial properties may develop in a mixed forest of coniferous-broad leaved trees, as a result of the difference in influence of tree species and nested variation associated with the arrangement of the trees.     

Successional trends and biomass of mosses on windthrow mounds in the temperate rainforests of Southeast Alaska

We investigated successional trends on windthrow mounds in two old-growth Tsuga heterophylla-Picea sitchensis forests in northern southeast Alaska to determine the influence of windthrow disturbance on the maintenance of plant diversity. We were particularly interested in assessing the value of mosses in detecting long-term effects of disturbance in temperate rainforests. Mosses established a dense carpet on windthrow mounds within the first few decades after the disturbance. No consistent changes were noted in total moss and vascular plant cover, moss biomass, or species diversity between young mounds (±50 yrs), intermediate mounds (±150 yrs) or old mounds (> 200 yrs), or between mounds and the undisturbed forest floor, despite consistent differences in soils development.Classification and ordination of the vegetation data did not show a consistent relationship between soil surface age or soil depth and overall species composition on the two sites. Young mounds were the most compositionally distinctive, primarily due to moss species. Pogonatum alpinum var. sylvaticum, P. contortum and Polytrichum formosum were generally confined to young mounds with unstable substrata, while Dicranum majus and Sphagnum girgensohnii were associated with old soil surfaces and deep organic soils. Vascular plant species with affinities for riparian or deep shade habitats (Tiarella trifoliata, Coptis asplenifolia and Dryopteris expansa) showed a general preference for the forest floor. Gymnocarpium dryopteris was the only vascular plant with a significant association with young mounds.Mosses comprised approximately 25% of understory plant biomass and as much as 50% of understory productivity. In cool temperate forests, the inclusion of mosses in vegetation analysis may provide valuable insights into the nature of vegetation patterns over subtle environmental gradients. The distinctiveness of the temperate rainforest type and the unique ecological effects of windthrow disturbance in this type are also suggested by this study.Abbreviations HR = Heintzleman Ridge (study site) - OP = Outer Point (study site)     

Ground‐ and satellite‐based evidence of the biophysical mechanisms behind the greening Sahel

After a dry period with prolonged droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, recent scientific outcome suggests that the decades of abnormally dry conditions in the Sahel have been reversed by positive anomalies in rainfall. Various remote sensing studies observed a positive trend in vegetation greenness over the last decades which is known as the re‐greening of the Sahel. However, little investment has been made in including long‐term ground‐based data collections to evaluate and better understand the biophysical mechanisms behind these findings. Thus, deductions on a possible increment in biomass remain speculative. Our aim is to bridge these gaps and give specifics on the biophysical background factors of the re‐greening Sahel. Therefore, a trend analysis was applied on long time series (1987–2013) of satellite‐based vegetation and rainfall data, as well as on ground‐observations of leaf biomass of woody species, herb biomass, and woody species abundance in different ecosystems located in the Sahel zone of Senegal. We found that the positive trend observed in satellite vegetation time series (+36%) is caused by an increment of in situ measured biomass (+34%), which is highly controlled by precipitation (+40%). Whereas herb biomass shows large inter‐annual fluctuations rather than a clear trend, leaf biomass of woody species has doubled within 27 years (+103%). This increase in woody biomass did not reflect on biodiversity with 11 of 16 woody species declining in abundance over the period. We conclude that the observed greening in the Senegalese Sahel is primarily related to an increasing tree cover that caused satellite‐driven vegetation indices to increase with rainfall reversal.     

林分密度对新津文峰山马尾松人工林林下物种多样性和生物量的影响

以四川省新津文峰山马尾松(Pinus massoniana)人工林为研究对象,用典型抽样法探究5种林分密度(A:1000株/hm~2;B:1125株/hm~2;C:1250株/hm~2;D:1375株/hm~2;E:1500株/hm~2)对林下植被物种多样性和生物量的影响及林下植被物种多样性和生物量的相关性。结果显示:(1)共调查到植物124种,隶属于74科115属,灌木层物种少于草本层。(2)灌木或草本层在不同林分密度下的优势种都较一致。(3)灌木层物种丰富度指数D值、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数H值及草本层4个多样性指数均在密度B、E分别有最大和最小值;灌木层D值随密度增大而先增后减,其他3个指数变化规律不明显。灌、草层J_(sw)值较稳定。(4)灌木层生物量比草本层多。总体上灌、草层地上生物量大于地下生物量,都在密度B达最大;灌木地下生物量保持较稳定,而草本层变化幅度较大。(5)除灌木层J_(sw)值与该层各生物量呈负相关外,其余各指标均显示正相关。不同林分密度对马尾松林下植物多样性和生物量产生不同的影响,经综合研究分析认为,林分密度1125株/hm~2相对更利于该地马尾松人工林的可持续健康发展。