The antioxidation-related functional structure of plant communities: Understanding antioxidation at the plant community level

In the case of ecological stresses, reactive oxygen species (ROS) can be overproduced in plant cells, leading to lipid peroxidation that causes damage or death to cells. To prevent damage, plant tissues contain several antioxidants that scavenge ROS. However, antioxidation at the plant community level still remains unknown and may provide an insight into ecosystem functioning regarding stress resistance. To understand the property, we established the antioxidation-related functional structure based on the concept of the functional structure and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), reduced glutathione (GSH), carotenoid (Car) and proline (Pro) and the relative abundance of component species in natural plant communities on the Chinese hilly-gullied Loess Plateau. An information-theoretic (I-T) approach was used to infer the effects of antioxidation-related functional components and stresses that we investigated on lipid peroxidation at the plant community level quantified by the community-weighted mean of malondialdehyde (MDA). We found that the induction of lipid peroxidation was more closely associated with a soil available nitrogen deficiency than it was with an available phosphorus deficiency. However, the inducing effect of soil available nitrogen was finite. The prevention of lipid peroxidation was more closely associated with the community-weighted means of GSH and Pro (CWM GSH and CWM Pro) than it was with other antioxidation-related functional components. However, the efficiency of CWM Pro was quite low; CWM GSH exhibited inefficiency. In addition, antioxidation-related functional components were affected by neither soil available nitrogen nor available phosphorus. Furthermore, by estimating the relative weights of the antioxidants and considering the feasibility of community assemblages, we proposed that Stipa grandis, Leymus secalinus, Stipa bungeana, Phragmites australis, Potentilla tanacetifolia, Artemisia gmelinii, Artemisia scoparia, Heteropappus altaicus and Syringa oblata could be utilized in community assemblages to achieve an antioxidation-functional target. Additionally, appropriate phosphorus application for A. gmelinii and H. altaicus might contribute to maintaining their antioxidation.     

Re-structuring of marine communities exposed to environmental change: a global study on the interactive effects of species and functional richness

Species richness is the most commonly used but controversial biodiversity metric in studies on aspects of community stability such as structural composition or productivity. The apparent ambiguity of theoretical and experimental findings may in part be due to experimental shortcomings and/or heterogeneity of scales and methods in earlier studies. This has led to an urgent call for improved and more realistic experiments. In a series of experiments replicated at a global scale we translocated several hundred marine hard bottom communities to new environments simulating a rapid but moderate environmental change. Subsequently, we measured their rate of compositional change (re-structuring) which in the great majority of cases represented a compositional convergence towards local communities. Re-structuring is driven by mortality of community components (original species) and establishment of new species in the changed environmental context. The rate of this re-structuring was then related to various system properties. We show that availability of free substratum relates negatively while taxon richness relates positively to structural persistence (i.e., no or slow re-structuring). Thus, when faced with environmental change, taxon-rich communities retain their original composition longer than taxon-poor communities. The effect of taxon richness, however, interacts with another aspect of diversity, functional richness. Indeed, taxon richness relates positively to persistence in functionally depauperate communities, but not in functionally diverse communities. The interaction between taxonomic and functional diversity with regard to the behaviour of communities exposed to environmental stress may help understand some of the seemingly contrasting findings of past research.     

北京市自然保护区植物群落对干扰胁迫的抵抗力分析

在城市规模不断扩张的过程中,北京市自然保护区植物群落正面临着前所未有的干扰胁迫.研究植物群落对干扰的抵抗力具有理论和实践意义.在北京市松山和喇叭沟门两个自然保护区植物群落中调查了22个样地,记录到213种植物,测度了33个植物功能性状.在集成前人成果的基础上,量化了每个性状在基建工程、放牧或旅游践踏、火烧以及外来种入侵干扰下的功能属性;计算了物种、功能群和群落尺度上的功能指数;利用回归分析方法描绘了物种丰富度与功能指数间的关系.结果表明:(1)植被恢复力指数(plant restoration index)在4.36-10.15之间,草本植物大于木本植物;物种对不同干扰的抵抗力功能指数(resistance index to disturbance)变化范围分别为:放牧10.27-23.15,乔木和灌木大于其他生长型植物;火烧9.01-22.15,乔木大于灌木,后者又大于草本;外来种入侵4.41-10.54,乔木大于其他生长型.(2)以山杨(Populus davidiana)为优势种的群丛,其植被恢复力以及对干扰的抵抗力较其他群丛强.(3)在乔木层和草本层,物种丰富度与功能指数不相关;在灌木层,物种丰富度与放牧、火烧和外来种入侵的功能指数正相关,与植被恢复指数不相关.作者建立了研究区域物种、功能群和群落尺度上的植被功能指数数据库,为自然保护区植被结构调整和恢复提供了技术支撑.群落尺度的功能值取决于优势种的功能值,物种多样性是生态系统功能维持的重要基础.物种的功能冗余可能与植物群落结构层次以及干扰类型有关.本文结果为生态系统物种功能冗余假说提供了一个例证.     

Epilithic plant communities on inselbergs in French Guiana

Abstract. Tropical inselbergs are isolated elevations with a special type of vegetation and surrounded by rain forest. The paper describes, using the field methods of Braun-Blanquet, combined with numerical analysis (clustering, Correspondence Analysis), plant communities on French Guianan inselbergs. Six new associations are described: Portulacetum sedifolii, Furcraeetum foetidae, Ananasetum annassoidis, Stylosanthetum guianensis, Axonopetum ramosi and (endemic to the Guianan inselbergs) Pepinietum geyskesii – with three subassociations. The six vegetation units reflect different combinations of environmental factors such as local relief, insolation, water availability and soil depth. All syntaxa show a low species diversity. Species of Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Lentibulariaceae and Bromeliaceae are predominant, whereas families typical of other South American inselbergs (Velloziaceae and Cactaceae), are missing or scarce. Similarities between vegetation units of South American and African inselbergs are emphasized.     

The effects of trophic structure and soil fertility on the assembly of plant communities: a microcosm experiment

Using closed, ventilated outdoor microcosms, plant communities were allowed to assemble from a pool of 48 herbaceous species comprising a wide range of plant functional types. The experiment involved factorial manipulation of soil fertility, invertebrate herbivores (slugs, grass aphids) and their predators (ground beetles, ladybirds). In the absence of herbivores the vegetation on soils of high, moderate and low fertility was dominated by plant species which under natural field conditions are restricted to fertile soils. At high fertility, the rate of competitive exclusion was rapid compared with communities persisting at lower fertility which remained species‐rich with high densities of individuals.
The effects of herbivory were profound and attributable mainly to the slug Deroceras reticulatum. At moderate and low soil fertility the main effect of herbivores was to change the ranking of plant species; palatable grasses (e.g. Poa annua, Poa trivialis and Lolium perenne) were suppressed and plant species of slower growth rate (e.g. Festuca rubra, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Festuca ovina) were promoted. More subtle impacts of herbivory altered the size structure of plant populations suggesting the preference, by slugs, for seedlings and small (suppressed) plants. Although ladybirds and their larvae persisted in low numbers in some microcosms, carnivory was more strongly in evidence (lower densities of D. reticulatum and reduced consumption of lettuce discs) in relation to the activities of the ground beetle Pterostichus melanarius. Only in the low fertility treatment, however, was this potential translated into effects on vegetation; for several plant species the frequency of large individuals increased in the presence of P. melanarius.
We conclude that outdoor microcosms provide a valuable ecological tool and, in particular, allow investigation of (a) the role of herbivores in promoting slow‐growing plant species in the vegetation of infertile habitats and (b) the protection of palatable plants against herbivores by carnivores.     

Seasonal variability in the structure and functional diversity of psammic rotifer communities: role of environmental parameters

Sustainable development of hydropower demands a holistic view of potential impacts of water level regulation (WLR) on reservoir ecosystems. Most environmental studies of hydropower have focused on rivers, whereas environmental effects of hydropower operations on reservoirs are less well understood. Here, we synthesize knowledge on how WLR from hydropower affects alpine lake ecosystems and highlight the fundamental factors that shape the environmental impacts of WLR. Our analysis of these impacts ranges from abiotic conditions to lower trophic levels and ultimately to fish. We conclude that the environmental effects are complex and case-specific and thus considering the operational regime of WLR (i.e. amplitude, timing, frequency, and rate of change) as well as the reservoir’s morphometry, geology and biotic community are prerequisites for any reliable predictions. Finally, we indicate promising avenues for future research and argue that recording and sharing of data, views and demands among different stakeholders, including operators, researchers and the public, is necessary for the sustainable development of hydropower in alpine lakes.     

不同纬度植物群落系统发育与功能性状结构研究

研究植物群落系统发育和功能性状结构有助于了解植物多样性维持机制及物种间的亲缘关系。甘肃省地理环境复杂,显著而多变的气候梯度形成了区域植被和环境差异,丰富了栖息地类型,具有显著的纵向连通性和纬度隔离性,以甘肃省典型纬度梯度植物群落为研究对象,通过对其进行群落学调查和功能性状测定,计算净亲缘关系指数(Net relatedness index, NRI)和平均成对性状距离(Mean pairwise trait distance, PW)来分析植物群落系统发育结构和功能性状格局对不同纬度的响应。结果表明：(1) Shannon-Weiner多样性指数,物种丰富度,谱系α多样性指数表现出随纬度增加而显著降低的变化趋势(P<0.05),Pielou均匀度指数随纬度的升高没有显著的变化趋势;(2)系统发育结构在高、低纬度上趋于发散状态(NRI<0),在中纬度上又表现出聚集(NRI>0)的谱系结构,表明种间竞争作用减弱,环境过滤作用逐渐增强,随纬度继续升高相似性限制作用在物种聚集过程中占优势;而群落的功能性状结构随着纬度增加表现出与谱系结构相反的状态,因此植物群落的系统发育和功能...     

Influence of edaphic factors on the spatial structure of inland halophytic communities: a case study in China

Abstract. In order to understand the influence of edaphic factors on the spatial structure of inland halophytic plant communities, a 2.6 km² study site, located on the lower fringe of the alluvial fan of the Hutubi River, in an arid region of China, was sampled and mapped. 105 patches were found to be homogeneous in species composition. Plant species and their coverage were recorded in each patch. 45 patches were randomly selected for the measurement of edaphic variables. A map with quadrat locations and boundaries of patches was digitized into a GIS and related to the vegetation and edaphic data matrices. CCA was used to evaluate the relative importance of edaphic factors in explaining the variation of the species assemblages and to identify the ecological preferences of species. The spatial structure of the communities and the main edaphic factors were analyzed using correlograms, Mantel correlograms and clustering under constraint of spatial contiguity. Gradient analysis showed that there are two distinct vegetation gradients in the study area, one of which is determined mainly by soil moisture (determined by depth to the water table), and the other by soil salinity (determined by electrical conductivity and hydrolytic alkalinity of the first soil layer). However, spatial analyses showed that at the sampling scale the halophytic communities in the study area are structured along one main spatial gradient determined by the water table level. Similar spatial autocorrelation structures between the factors related to the first soil layer and the communities, given our sampling scale, could not be detected. Our results suggest that the relative importance of the effects of different edaphic factors on the spatial structure of halophytic communities is scale-dependent. The partitioning of species variation indicates that in addition to edaphic factors, other factors, such as biotic interactions, may play an important role in structuring these communities.     

Medium-term fertilization of grassland plant communities masks plant species-linked effects on soil microbial community structure

According to the singular hypothesis of plant diversity, different plant species are expected to make unique contributions to ecosystem functioning. Hence, individual species would support distinct microbial communities. It was hypothesized that microbial community dynamics in the respective rhizospheres of, two floristically divergent species, Agrostis capillaris and Prunella vulgaris that were dominant in a temperate, upland grassland in northern Greece, would support distinct microbial communities, in agreement to the singular hypothesis. Phospholipid lipid fatty acid (PLFA) profiles of the rhizosphere soil microbial community were obtained from the grassland which had been subjected to factorial nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization over five plant growth seasons. The soil cores analyzed were centered on stands of the two co-occurring target plant species, sampled from five blocks in all four factorial N and P fertilization combinations. Distinct PLFA clustering patterns following principle component analysis of PLFA concentrations revealed that, in the absence of P fertilization, soils under the two plant species supported divergent microbial communities. In the P fertilized plots, however, no such distinction could be observed. Results reveal that nutrient fertilization may mask the ability of plant species to shape their own rhizosphere microbial community.     

A palaeoecological perspective for the conservation and restoration of wetland plant communities in the central French Alps,with particular emphasis on alder carr vegetation

Wetland conservation and management are generally only based on present-day studies, without integrating historical considerations. However, wetlands contain palaeoecological archives that can provide accurate records of their own history. Our study aims at reconciling this paradox in the central French Alps, by reconstructing the past wetland diversity/richness and the controls of Holocene hydroseral dynamics, and by discussing on this historical basis their conservation, management and restoration. Previously published data, complemented by the palaeoecological study of a sedge mire, reveal three main stages in the regional hydroseral succession: initial aquatic plant communities (Nymphaea alba, Nuphar cf. lutea, Menyanthes trifoliata), carrs (Alnus glutinosa/incana, Salix spp., Thelypteris palustris), then sedge meadows (Cyperaceae, Poaceae, Lythrum salicaria…). This dynamic comprises (1) a classical evolution from open water bodies to treed wet communities, controlled by the relationships between sedimentation processes and climate, and (2) an unexpected return to herbaceous wet habitats mainly triggered by Subatlantic human-induced managements. Such recent changes induced in the studied region the decline of Alnus cf. glutinosa, the disappearance of Thelypteris palustris, and the extinction of the carr communities they constituted. The historically-based assessment of community naturalness and resilience appears critical for defining conservation priorities, refining management actions, and identifying baseline conditions for restoration initiatives. The main implications of our results are to reinforce conservation measures on the less impacted habitats and to increase the diversity/richness of isolated lowland mires, notably by restoring alder communities in some of them.     

喀斯特多山城市空间形态结构与植物群落物种多样性的耦合关系——以安顺市为例

快速城市化导致土地资源开发利用强度增大,由此带来许多生态环境和社会经济等问题,相关部门在国土空间规划中提出"多规合一"举措,对有效统筹空间规划和城市生物多样性保护规划极为重要。为探析喀斯特山地城市空间形态结构与城市生物多样性内在关系,以典型黔中多山城市——安顺市为研究对象,运用空间句法和生物多样性相关理论与方法,分析了安顺市空间形态结构特征与植物物种多样性特征及二者之间耦合关系。结果表明：①安顺市城市空间形态结构呈东南-西北向条块状分布,城市整体水平上空间形态结构特征表现为：中心性不明显,核心分散,可达性较差,空间联系程度不高,网络结构规律性不明显,可理解性不高。②城市道路密度较低且分布不均匀,其密集区域在中心城区和西南片区,交通潜力大,空间聚集程度高、渗透性较好。③安顺市植物群落物种多样性指数偏低,不同空间区域差异较大;不同绿地类型中植物群落物种多样性指数由高到低的顺序为区域绿地、公园绿地、附属绿地、防护绿地、广场绿地。④安顺市整体空间形态结构与植物群落物种多样性呈显著负相关关系,在城市空间形态结构指数较高区域,植物群落物种多样性较低,但在局部尺度上这种相关性则较弱。本研究揭示了城市空间形态结构与生物多样性的互作关系,为城市空间规划、生物多样性保护规划与维持提供理论依据,同时对城市国土空间规划上的"多规合一"途径具有重要参考意义。     

Elevational gradient and human effects on butterfly species richness in the French Alps

We examined how butterfly species richness is affected by human impact and elevation, and how species ranges are distributed along the elevational gradient (200–2700 m) in the Isère Department (French Alps). A total of 35,724 butterfly observations gathered in summer (May–September) between 1995 and 2015 were analyzed. The number of estimated species per 100‐m elevational band was fitted to the elevational gradient using a generalized additive model. Estimations were also performed on a 500 m × 500 m grid at low altitude (200–500 m) to test for the human impact on species richness using generalized least squares regression models. Each species elevational range was plotted against the elevational gradient. Butterfly richness along the elevational gradient first increased (200–500 m) to reach a maximum of 150 species at 700 m and then remained nearly constant till a sharp decrease after 1900 m, suggesting that after some temperature threshold, only few specialized species can survive. At low elevation, urbanization and arable lands had a strongly negative impact on butterfly diversity, which was buffered by a positive effect of permanent crops. Butterfly diversity is exceptionally high (185 species) in this alpine department that represents less than 5% of the French territory and yet holds more than 70% of all the Rhopalocera species recorded in France. Both climate and habitat shape the distribution of species, with a negative effect of anthropization at low altitude and strong climatic constraints at high altitude.     

Pathogens and the structure of plant communities

There is increasing interest in the direct and indirect effects of pathogens and parasites on the structure of plant communities. The direct influence of pathogens is seen in cases where pathogens reduce the populations of adult and seedling plants or prevent the recruitment of seeds. Indirect effects occur when epidemic outbreaks or endemic parasites of herbivores lead to reductions in grazing pressure, which temporarily allow plants to escape from the detrimental effects of their herbivores. In both cases, the presence of pathogens can lead to changes in the relative abundance of the species in a plant community, which are discernible for many years after the initial disease outbreak has passed.     

Different trends in phylogenetic and functional structure of plant communities along an elevation gradient

The study of diversity gradients due to elevation dates back to the foundation of biogeography and ecology. Although elevation-driven patterns of plant diversity have been reported for centuries, uncertainty still exists about the assembly rules that drive these patterns. In this study, we revealed the causal factor of community assemblies for the diversity of tree and herb species along an elevation. To this end, we applied an integrated method using both functional traits and phylogeny, called the mean pairwise functional-phylogenetic distance, to understand the assembly rules for woody and herbaceous species communities along an elevation gradient. At higher elevation sites, woody and herbaceous communities were comprised of species having similar traits. The phylogenetic trends for woody species were consistent with the functional trends; closely related species co-occurred more frequently than expected at higher elevations. Phylogenetic trends for herb species were opposite to the functional trends; species with similar traits but having a random phylogenetic distribution co-occurred at higher elevations. We suggest that the community assembly rules for woody and herb species vary with elevation; and functional constraints due to environmental filtering at higher elevation act as assembly rules along gradients in both woody and herbaceous communities, even though their phylogenetic backgrounds differ.     

藏北高寒草甸植物群落对土壤线虫群落功能结构的影响

2011年5-11月,对西藏北部高寒草甸3种典型植物群落下0-30cm范围内不同深度土层的土壤线虫群落进行调查,采用浅盆法分离线虫,土壤性质指标,如pH、含水量、电导率分别采用电位法、烘干法、电导率仪法进行测定,应用营养类群组成、c-p类群结构及营养结构特征指数,以及营养类群、c-p类群与土壤性质之间的关系等特征值分析高寒环境下土壤线虫群落的功能结构特征,以了解高寒环境下植被对土壤线虫群落功能结构的影响.调查共分离得到33038条土壤线虫,隶属于2纲6目51科93属;线虫个体密度平均为847条/100g干土;表聚性明显.研究结果表明,高寒草甸不同植物群落的土壤线虫群落营养类群组成及分布特征均存在一定差异,植食性线虫和食细菌性线虫是调查区域的主要营养类群,不同植物群落间植食性线虫和杂食/捕食性线虫的相对多度差异明显.c-p类群组成结构特征结果表明:3种植物群落的土壤线虫cp2类群均为优势类群,生活策略以r-对策为主;高山嵩草植物群落土壤中的线虫食物资源在3种植物群落中最丰富;藏北嵩草群落土壤线虫数量低的可能原因是线虫食物资源的减少限制了cp1、cp2类群的增殖.PPI值表明:委陵菜群落受扰动的影响程度大于其余两种植被类型,而MI、PPI/MI值及cp5类群数量的结果则表明:委陵菜群落的稳定性较高,受到的干扰在3种植物群落中最少.F/B及NCR值均说明了3种植物群落的土壤有机质分解均主要依靠细菌分解途径.相关性分析结果表明:杂食/捕食性线虫在枯草期明显受到土壤含水量的影响;食真菌性线虫与土壤pH之间的关系密切,在盛长期则明显受到土壤电导率的影响;食细菌性线虫仅在返青期与pH有相关性.不同植物群落下土壤线虫群落功能结构特征的分异显示出线虫指示环境因子影响土壤生态系统的潜力.