Use of direct gradient analysis to study the climate-vegetation relationships in Galicia,Spain

This paper reports a bioclimatic analysis of plant species in Galicia, NW Spain. A set of floristic data obtained from 150 plots located at euclimatopes (sites with monitored climate) was analysed using direct gradient analysis and clustering with respect to the 8 climatic variables thought to play a major role in regulating the distribution of the species considered in the study area. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering were based on a matrix of species by climatic variables. Indicator taxa for the variables were identified on the basis of their Indicator values (Brisse & Grandjouan 1978) and grouped by cluster analysis. The groups produced were compatible with the results of principal component analysis and the frequential analysis of the species, which identified their phytoclimatic nature. The groups were then characterized by determining their climatic positions and indicator values with respect to the chief climatic variables. The first three PCA axes, which were associated with Oceanity, Mean minimum temperatures and the temperature range in the coldest month, together accounted for 97.2% of the variance of the data.     

Dragonfly associations (Insecta: Odonata) in relation to habitat variables: a multivariate approach

In a dragonfly survey, carried out in a lowland wetland area in eastern Austria, a total of 19 resident species was recorded. Multivariate statistical procedures were used to analyse the relationship between dragonfly assemblage patterns and environmental variables. Besides widespread and euryoecious species with unspecific habitat requirements two dragonfly associations were identified: on the one hand species mainly occurring at temporary natural and near-natural ponds characterised by rush and reed vegetation, on the other hand species preferring permanent waters such as the artificial waterbodies in the investigation area characterised by floating macrophytes. Water persistence and the existence of floating macrophytes determined the formation of species assemblages.     

长白山地表藓类分布格局与环境因子的关系

对长白山自然保护区41个样地中的42种主要地表藓类分布与6种重要环境因子间的关系进行了定量研究。应用双向指标种分析法（TWINSPAN）发现调查的41个样地可分成4个样地组,42种地面藓 类可分成4种藓类群,应用除趋势典范对应分析（DCCA）的研究结果表明,海拨高度、土壤含砂量、土壤酸度、林冠层郁闭度、土壤含水量是5个影响42种地表藓类分布格局的主要环境因子,在DCCA排序图上,显示出藓类群与样地类型良好的对应性,藓类群1－4分别在落叶松（Larix olgensis）沼泽地、高山苔原、暗针叶林、亚高山岳松（Betula ernanni）林和岳松－落叶松林中占优势。     

废弃汞矿山苔藓植物群落生态研究

对贵州省铜仁市云场坪镇废弃汞矿山的苔藓植物群落进行了研究,通过野外全面调查和实验室仔细鉴定,发现废弃汞矿山苔藓植物群落的种类组成有13科52属62种(苔类植物2科2属2种,藓类植物11科50属60种)。应用双向指示种分析法(TWlNSPAN)和除趋势对应分析(DCA)分析其分布格局表明,该区12个样点分为2个类型组,组1为废石、废渣样地,组2为废洞样地,说明废洞与废石、废渣生境差异性较大,废石、废渣生境较相似;北地扭口藓群落（Barbula fallax Com.）、阔叶小石藓群落（Weisia planifolia Com.）、尖叶扭口藓群落（Barbula constricta Com.）、拟丛净口藓群落（Gymnostomum anoectangioides Com.）、硬叶净口藓群落（Gymnostomum subrigidulum Com.）为该矿区废石、废渣上的优势群落,其生物量为55.20~448.20 g·m^-2,饱和吸水量为260.80~3 599.40 g·m^-2,说明在矿区这种干旱且保水能力弱的环境区域,苔藓植物群落以其特有的生态功能在矿区生态环境治理中具有十分重要的作用。     

Distribution,species diversity and life-form spectra of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient in the northern slopes of Qilianshan Mountains,Gansu, China

We studied the distribution pattern, species diversity and life-formspectra of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient in the mid-sectionofthe northern slopes of Qilianshan Mountains by means of multivariate analyses.Two data sets (167 species × 75 plots, 10 environmental variables ×75 plots), originated from the fieldworks in 1998–1999, were subjected toTWINSPAN and DCCA, resulting in 8 major plant communities: 1)Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus–Halogetonarachnoideus desert grassland on azonal substrates from 1450 to 1600m and 2) zonal Reaumuria soogorica desertgrassland on gravels from 1470 to 1900 m; 3) Stipaprzewalskii–Stipa purpurea montane grassland from 2200 to 2900m; 4) Polygonum viviparum alpine grasslandfrom 2900 to 3700 m; 5) Caraganastenophylla–Ajaniafruticulosa dry-warm shrubland from 2350 to 2800 m; 6)Sabina przewalskii mid-wet warm forest from 2700 to 3300m; 7) Picea crassifolia cold coniferousforestfrom 2450 to 3200 m; 8) Caragana jubatawet-cold alpine shrubland from 3100 to 3700 m. Species diversityand species richness of both grasslands and forests peaked at the intermediateportion of the elevational gradient. Evenness might be strongly influenced byeither biotic or abiotic factors at a local scale, while seems quiteindependentof an elevational gradient at landscape scales. Beta-diversity decreased from1500 to 3700 m, indicating that species turnover declined withincreased elevation. Both richness of life-form and total species richness in agiven altitudinal belt (gamma-diversity) peaked at intermediate elevations,while relative species richness of different life-form varied differently alongthe altitudinal gradient.     

Eco-Floristic studies of native plants of the Beer Hills along the Indus River in the districts Haripur and Abbottabad,Pakistan

The present study was conducted to elaborate vegetation composition structure to analyze role of edaphic and topographic factors on plant species distribution and community formation during 2013–14. A mixture of quadrat and transect methods were used. The size of quadrat for trees shrubs and herbs were 10 × 5, 5 × 2, 1 × 1 meter square respectively. Different phytosociological attribute were measured at each station. Primary results reported 123 plant species belong to 46 families. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were dominant families with 8 species each. PCORD version 5 were used for Cluster and Two Way Cluster Analyses that initiated 4 plant communities within elevation range of 529–700 m from sea level. Indicator species analyses (ISA) were used to identify indicator species of each community. CANOCO Software (version 4.5) was used to measure the influence of edaphic and topographic variables on species composition, diversity and community formation. Whereas Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to measure the effect of environmental variables which showed elevation and aspect were the stronger environmental variable among topographic and CaCO₃ contents, electric conductivity, soil pH were the stronger edaphic factors in determination of vegetation and communities of the Bheer Hills. Grazing pressure was one of the main anthropogenic factors in this regard.     

Aquatic macrophyte composition in relation to environmental factors of irrigation ponds around Lake Shinji,Shimane, Japan

A comparative study of aquatic vegetation of 149 irrigation ponds in the surrounding area of Lake Shinji, Shimane Prefecture, Japan, was done to document the present status of aquatic flora and water chemistry. In addition, influence of 17 environmental factors on the between-pond variation in aquatic macrophyte composition was assessed by using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). A total of 38 taxa were recorded, and the most frequent taxon was Trapa spp. (>50%). Number of taxa per pond ranged from 1 to 14 and mean number was 4.1. Floristic composition was primarily related to variation of the factors such as conductivity, Mg, Ca, Na, alkalinity, altitude, pH and depth. In contrast, no significant correlations were found with total P, PO₄-P, transparency, COD, ignition loss of bottom soil, Mn and Fe. Of the 33 significant species associations between 19 species with more than 5% frequency occurrence, 28 were positive and the remaining 5 were negative. All of these negative associations involved Trapa spp., and not only water chemistry but some other factors like competition and bottom soil preference were assumed to influence species associations.Abbreviations (DCA) Detrended Correspondence Analysis     

Vegetation in Danish beech forests: the importance of soil,microclimate and management factors,evaluated by variation partitioning

The importance of management regime on floristic variation (mosses and vascular plants) in four Danish beech forests was investigated. Sixty-four blocks were sampled, representing beech stands of different age and management types. Nineteen potential explanatory variables were recorded and tested with Monte-Carlo tests and Canonical Correspondence Analysis. In addition results were evaluated by use of Detrended Correspondence Analysis. Explanatory variables were divided into three groups; soil, microclimatic and management parameters. The amount of variation explained by each group of variables was calculated by use of variation partitioning. The group consisting of management variables explained most variation, on local as well as regional scale. Management related variables explained more variation in vegetation than any other variables together. This indicates the importance of management as determining species composition in Danish beech forests. Management related variables explained most variation on local scale. On a regional scale, soil parameters explained the major part of the variation. The results suggest that thirty years without management are sufficient to change species composition significantly, as compared to managed forests.     

Environmental controls of diatom species in northeast Pacific sediments

Non-linear, unimodal techniques are suitable for estimation of environmental properties in the northeast (NE) Pacific based on fossil diatom taxa (species and/or species groups) found in modern (core-top) sediments. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), a constrained ordination technique, discerned best-fit relationships among two multivariate datasets (the floral and the environmental) and thus yielded insight into the environmental variables that best explain the species variance within diatom populations. Based on these insights, we developed predictive functions for annual Primary Productivity (PP) and seasonal range of sea Sea-Surface Temperature using unimodal models and cross validation techniques. Estimates of annual PP (r²_jack = 0.92; RMSEP = 91.94 gC/m²/y) explained the highest percentage of variance in the core-top diatom record (22.1%).     

Diversity of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) in Galicia, Northwest Spain: Estimating the Completeness of the Regional Inventory

The diversity of Chrysomelidae (Coleoptera) in Galicia, Northwest Spain was examined. A long-term sampling was conducted during 1996–2001 and 267 species were collected, but including bibliographic citations a total of 276 species were recorded. As a result of this study the regional inventory has grown from 83 taxa cited before 1998 to the current 276 species. Species accumulation models were used to measure the inventory completeness and estimate the actual species richness of Chrysomelidae occurring in Galicia. Estimates were generated by analyzing both the rarefaction curve from the long-term sampling and the cumulative number of species recorded from Galicia since 1866. Values of total richness predicted by these different methods range between 290 and 323 species. Therefore, it seems that between 85 and 95% of the leaf beetle fauna was recorded and thus the inventory has reached an acceptable level of completeness.     

Multiscale delineation of landscape planning units based on spatial variation of land-use patterns in Galicia, NW Spain

The success of landscape planning and environmental management strategies depends largely on the congruence between the operational scales of landscapes and the spatial scope of the planning instruments. In order to achieve good results, landscape planning units should be designed to fit the structural and functional characteristics of the landscape. This paper describes a simple, straightforward methodology for the delineation of landscape units based on the differentiation among areas according to the trend in heterogeneity of their spatial structure. A moving-window analysis was performed with varying window sizes. This analysis enabled modeling of the spatial response of heterogeneity to multiple scales and detection of two different domains of scale. The information obtained was used to delineate a multiscale structure for landscape units. A subsequent study of the composition and configuration of landscape structure in these units verified that they all have distinct characteristics and therefore different planning needs. The areas thus differentiated can be considered as targets of specific and differentiated planning strategies, and can be seen as a preliminary zonation in which the relevant planning methodologies can be developed according to each case.     

Nested spatial patterns in seed bank and vegetation of Mediterranean old-fields

A nested sampling design was used to describe the spatial patterns for the species richness and composition in the seed bank and vegetation of three Mediterranean old-fields (1, 7, and 15 yr after the last ploughing). Three scales were examined hierarchically: sampling units within plots of 0.25 m² for the vegetation and of 0.05 m² for the seed bank, 100 m² plots within fields, and fields of 1000 m². In spite of the strong spatial variation among sampling units, species richness and composition of both seed bank and vegetation showed hierarchically structured patterns of heterogeneity, while each old-field was a homogeneous entity. These spatial patterns tended to be partially masked when the data were aggregated at the scale of the plot. Such results stress the use of a nested sampling design for studying variation in species richness and taxonomic composition in both vegetation and seed bank. This design, in combination with CCA, also showed that the vegetation showed a coarser grain than the seed bank, probably in relation to seed clumping.     

上海地区早春非耕地杂草分布与环境因子关系的统计生态学研究

野外调查发现上海地区早春非耕地杂草共106种,隶属于29科88属．计测了261个样地1305个样方中杂草的生态重要值和6种主要环境因子,应用典范对应分析作出了反映106种杂草与6种环境因子关系的二维排序图,应用双向指示种分析对106种杂草进行了有生态学意义的定量分类．根据6种环境因子与前两个排序轴相关系数的大小,发现土壤水分、土壤翻耕程度、人迹出没程度、交通影响程度是影响上海地区早春非耕地杂草分布的主要环境因素;根据双向指示种分析,结合典范对应分析的结果,可以从106种早春中分出五个生态类群,即类群Ⅰ：湿生淤泥海边滩涂杂草类群,类群Ⅱ：相对干燥海边滩涂杂草类群,类群Ⅲ：干扰相对较小的人工林地杂草类群;类群Ⅳ：干旱、开阔、干扰较重环境中的杂草类群;类群Ⅴ：湿润、开阔、干扰较重的弃耕农田环境中的杂草类群．     

Plant species and communities assessment in interaction with edaphic and topographic factors; an ecological study of the mount Eelum District Swat,Pakistan

The current analyses of vegetation were aimed to study the different effects of environmental variables and plant species and communities interaction to these variables, identified threats to local vegetation and suggestion for remedial measures in the Mount Eelum, Swat, Pakistan. For assessment of environmental variability quantitative ecological techniques were used through quadrats having sizes of 2 × 2, 5 × 5 and 10 × 10 m² for herbs, shrubs and trees respectively. Result of the present study revealed 124 plant species in the study area. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was used to analyze the ecological gradient of vegetation. The environmental data and species abundance were used in CANOCO software version 4.5. The presence absence data of plant species were elaborated with Cluster and Two Way Cluster Analysis techniques using PC-ORD version 5 to show different species composition that resulted in five plant communities. Findings indicate that elevation, aspect and soil texture are the strongest variables that have significant effect on species composition and distribution of various communities shown with P value 0.0500. It is recommended to protect and use sensibly whole of the Flora normally and rare species particularly in the region.     

Classification of lakes in Southern Sweden on the basis of their macrophyte composition by means of multivariate methods

Summary Methods developed by Jensén (1977, 1978) have been used to typify 50 lakes in Scania, S Sweden, according to their macrophyte composition. The macrophytic vegetation has been treated numerically both by classification programs (DIVINF, TABORD) and ordination programs (Reciprocal averaging, PCA). Characteristic cover (%), relevé frequency (%) and transect frequency (%) for each species in each lake have been used in the numerical treatment. The values of the attributes have been transformed to a logarithmic scale: 100 (1+log Cover %). In the classification the species have been divided into two life forms (helophytes = H, nymphaeids = N) and a life-form group (elodeids, lemnids and Isoetids = ELI). Classifications have resulted in ten helophyte lake types, eleven ELI lake types and 6 nymphaeid lake types (fusion limit of similarity ratio = 0.80) and 3 helophyte, 5 ELI and 4 nymphaeid groups of lake types (fusion limit 0.30).The three helophyte groups were characterized by Carex-Equisetum, Seirpus lacustris and Phragmites communis respectively. The ELI groups were characterized by (i) the almost complete lack of ELI, (ii) sparse elodeids, (iii) isoetids, (iv) lemnids + elodeids. The nymphaeid groups were characterized by (i) Potamogeton natans (scattered) (ii) dense co-dominance of Nuphar luteum, Nymphaea alba and Potamogeton natans, (iii) Nuphar luteum (+ Polygonum amphibium) and (iv) lack of nymphaeids.In every lake there is one of the 10 H types, one of the 6 N types and one of the 11 ELI types present the combinations generally varying from lake to lake. A given H type is often found together with a given ELI type while a given N type occurs less often with a given ELI type or a given H type (fusion limit 0.80). At fusion limit 0.30 the combinations of a certain H, ELI and N type occur more regularly. The results show that lakes must be classified on the basis of the two life-forms (H and N) and the life-form group (ELI) to indicate the true macrophyte composition of a given lake as compared with other lakes.Nomenclature follows Lid (1974); Juncus bulbosus f. fluitans is shortened to Juncus fluitans.I am grateful to Professor Nils Malmer, head of the Department of Plant Ecology, Lund, Sweden, Dr. Eddy van der Maarel, University of Nijmegen, Holland, Professor Hans Mathiesen, University of Aarhus, Denmark, and my colleague Fil. Kand. Stefan Persson for valuable advice and discussions. I also thank my wife Fil. Kand. Eva Waldemarson Jensén, Institute of Ecological Botany, Uppsala, for valuable discussions, Dr. R.S. Clymo for advice with ordination, Mr Åke Rühling for valuable technical advice, Mr. Henry Letocha for correction of the language, Mrs. Mimmi Varga for drawing the figures and Mrs. Brita Billstein for typewriting the text and the tables.This work has been suported by grants from the University of Lund, for which I am duly grateful.