Ant species diversity in the 'Grands Causses' (Aveyron, France): In search of sampling methods adapted to temperate climates

This study aimed at showing the applicability of using a combination of four sampling methods (i.e., Winkler extractors, pitfall traps, baiting and manual collection), something most often conducted in the tropics, to create an inventory of ant species diversity in temperate environments. We recorded a total of 33 ant species in the Grands Causses by comparing three vegetal formations: a steppic lawn ('causse' sensu stricto), which was the most species-rich (29 species), followed by an oak grove (22 species) and a pine forest (17 species). No sampling method alone is efficient enough to provide an adequate sampling, but their combination permits one to make a suitable inventory of the myrmecofauna and to obtain information on the ecology of these ant species.     

Evaluation of three methods for sampling ground-dwelling Ants in the Brazilian Cerrado

Few studies have evaluated the efficiency of methods for sampling ants, especially in regions with highly variable vegetation physiognomies such as the Cerrado region of central Brazil. Here we compared three methods to collect ground-dwelling ants: pitfall traps, sardine baits, and the Winkler litter extractor. Our aim was to determine which method would be most appropriate to characterize the ant assemblages inhabiting different vegetation types. More species were collected with pitfall traps and with the Winkler extractor than with sardine baits. Pitfall traps collected more species in the cerrado (savanna) physiognomies, particularly in those with a poor litter cover, whereas the Winlker extractor was more efficient in the forest physiognomies, except the one subject to periodic inundations. There was a low similarity in species composition between forest and cerrado physiognomies, and this pattern was detected regardless of the method used to sampling ants. Therefore, even the use of a single, relatively selective method of collection can be enough for studies comparing highly distinct habitats and/or conditions. However, if the purpose of the sampling is to produce a more thoroughly inventory of the ant fauna, we suggest the use of a combination of methods, particularly pitfall traps and the Winkler extractor. Therefore, the Ants of the Leaf-Litter (ALL) Sampling Protocol appear to be an adequate protocol for sampling ants in the highly-threatened Brazilian cerrado biome.     

Rapid evaluation of ant diversity in land use systems in southern Bahia, Brazil

We aimed to compare the soil ant diversity in different land use systems from Atlantic Forest area, in Southern Bahia state, Brazil. The ants were sampled in 16 sites: two primary forest sites (un-logged forest); three young secondary forests (<8 years old); three intermediate secondary forests (8-20 years old); three old secondary forests (>20 years old); three Eucalyptus grandis plantations (3-7 years old), and two introduced pastures. Each site was sampled in three sampling points 15 m apart, and distant over 50 m from the site edge. In each sampling point we gathered the litter from a 1 m2 and extracted the ants with Winkler extractors during 48h. We found 103 ant species from 29 genera and eight subfamilies. The five richest genera were Pheidole (19 species), Solenopsis (8), Apterostigma (10), Hypoponera (7) e Paratrechina (5). The highest ant richness density was found in the primary forest (7.4 species/sample; S = 37; n = 5); followed by the old secondary forest (5.33 species/sample; S = 48; n = 9); young secondary forest (5.25 species/sample; S = 42, n = 8); eucalyptus plantation (4.22 species/sample; S = 38, n = 9), intermediate secondary forest (3.5 species/sample; S = 35, n = 10, and introduced pasture (2.67 species/sample; S = 16, n = 6). The ecosystems with higher structural complexity showed the highest ant richness density by sample. Therefore, in the Atlantic Forest region, the eucalyptus plantation is a better alternative of land use to conserve the ant biodiversity than pastures, and quite similar to native secondary forests in ant community characteristics.     

安徽沱湖夏季浮游植物群落结构特征与环境因子关系

为了揭示沱湖浮游植物群落结构特征及其与水环境因子的关系,于2016年7月(夏季),对沱湖流域上游至下游11个采样点浮游植物种类组成、细胞丰度、生物量等进行调查研究。结果显示,沱湖共有浮游植物96种(含变种),隶属8门48属,其中绿藻门(Chlorophyta)和硅藻门(Bacillariophyta)种类最多,绿藻门有23属39种,占总种数的40.63%,硅藻门有7属20种,占总种数的20.83%;其次为裸藻门(Euglenophyta),有5属17种,占总种数的17.71%,蓝藻门(Cyanophyta) 8属14种,占14.58%;甲藻门(Pyrrophyta) 2属2种,隐藻门(Cryptophyta) 1属2种,各占总种数的2.08%,黄藻门(Xanthophyta)与金藻门(Chrysophyta)均有1属1种,均占总种数的1.04%。绿藻和硅藻类物种在沱湖浮游植物群落结构中处于优势地位,沱湖夏季浮游植物种类组成表现为绿藻-硅藻型。沱湖夏季浮游植物细胞丰度与生物量从上游到下游呈逐渐增加趋势,细胞丰度与生物量平均值分别为4.022×106cells/L与3.046 mg/L,蓝藻门和绿藻门类群为沱湖浮游植物细胞丰度主体,硅藻门和裸藻门类群为沱湖浮游植物生物量的主体;上游浮游植物多样性指数与均匀度指数均略高于下游采样点,沱湖水质呈β中污型-无污染型,上游水质优于下游水质。浮游植物群落结构与水环境因子的典型对应分析(CCA)结果表明,电导率、透明度、水深及pH值等环境因子与沱湖夏季浮游植物群落结构有较强的相关性。     

Beta diversity and taxonomic sufficiency: Do higher‐level taxa reflect heterogeneity in species composition?

Aim Virtually all studies exploring the use of taxonomic surrogates in assessing patterns of diversity have focused on clear shifts in the location of samples in multivariate space. The potential use of coarser levels of taxonomic resolution to detect patterns of variability in multivariate space, corresponding to β‐diversity in the case of presence/absence data, remains unexplored. Here we considered five ecological data sets of highly diverse marine molluscan assemblages to test the hypothesis that patterns in compositional heterogeneity would be maintained at coarser levels of taxonomic resolution. Location Italy, Norway, New Zealand and the Arctic. Methods We used multivariate dispersion based on the Jaccard resemblance measure of presence/absence data as a measure of β‐diversity to test the null hypothesis that patterns of heterogeneity in species composition for molluscs would be maintained at coarser levels of taxonomic resolution. Tests to compare β‐diversities among groups (based on distances to centroids and using 9999 permutations) were carried out separately for each of five data sets at the species level and then for each of genus, family, order and class levels. Results Differences in multivariate dispersion at the species level (heterogeneity in the identities of species) were maintained for genera and for families, but not at coarser levels of taxonomic resolution (order or class). These results were consistent across all data sets, despite differences in their spatial scale and extent, geographical location, environmental and habitat features (benthic soft sediments, rocky reefs or kelp holdfasts). Main conclusions These results suggest that either genera or families may be used as effective taxonomic surrogates to detect spatial differences in β‐diversity for molluscs. The use of surrogates can provide considerable sampling efficiencies for biodiversity assessments. We consider, however, that a degree of caution and more work is needed, as heterogeneity at the species level may not be reflected by taxonomic surrogates at smaller spatial scales.     

Sampling local ant diversities and the importance of trait analyses

Ants are an incredibly diverse and ubiquitous group of invertebrates in most terrestrial ecosystems. Although extensively sampled, the majority of ant inventories do not evaluate the effect of different sampling techniques in capturing nontraditional metrics of diversity. We aimed to quantify TD (taxonomic) and FD (functional) diversities for a local ant assemblage by integrating metrics and evaluating complementarity of pitfall traps and Winkler extractors for the leaf litter versus epigeic ant faunas and to determine the effect of sampling techniques on functional composition (community-weighted means of 11 morphological traits) and functional diversity (multi-trait morphospace measured with three different metrics). We sampled the local community in an Atlantic Forest fragment using week-long pitfall traps and 1m² leaf litter samples submitted to Winkler extractors and quantified the contribution on the technique to uniquely capture the ant morphospace by applying a new index (PWindex). Although ant TD overlapped, FD was significantly affected by the sampling technique. By controlling for TD effects, the community collected by each technique was differentially structured. Higher TD did not translate into wider morphospace for Winklers. Pitfalls recovered more functionally overdispersed assemblages. Pitfalls and Winklers overlapped in the sampling of the overall community, but each sampling method contributed with a unique spectrum to the ant morphospace. Our results suggest the importance of incorporating FD metrics in local ant inventories and the importance of sampling techniques when measuring the magnitude of FD and community structure. Our PWindex further illuminates sampling effects for ant assemblages. Abstract in Portuguese & Spanish is available with online material.     

Phylogenetic autocorrelation and evolutionary interpretation of the higher-taxon approach for biodiversity analyses.

Although in most recent broad-scale analyses, diversity is measured by counting the number of species in a given area or spatial unity (species richness), a 'top-down' approach has been used sometimes, counting higher-taxon (genera, family) instead of species with some advantages. However, this higher-taxon approach is quite empirical and the cut-off level is usually arbitrarily defined. In this work, we show that the higher-taxon approach could be theoretically linked with models of phenotypic diversification by means of phylogenetic autocorrelation analysis in such a way that the taxonomic (or phylogenetic) rank to be used could not be necessarily arbitrary. This rank expresses past time in which taxa became independent for a given phenotypic trait or for the evolution of average phenotypes across different traits. We illustrated the approach by evaluating phylogenetic patches for 23 morphological, ecological and behavioural characters in New World terrestrial Carnivora. The higher-taxon counts at 18.8 mya (S(L)) defined by phylogenetic correlograms are highly correlated with species richness (r = 0.899; P < 0.001 with ca. 13 degrees of freedom by taking spatial autocorrelation into account). However, S(L) in North America is usually larger than in South America. Thus, although there are more species in South and Central America, the fast recent diversification that occurred in this region generated species that are "redundant" in relation to lineages that were present at 18.8 my. BP. Therefore, the number of lineages can be comparatively used as a measure of evolutionary diversity under a given model of phenotypic divergence among lower taxonomic units.     

Inventory and Bioindicator Sampling: Testing Pitfall and Winkler Methods with Ants in a South African Savanna

The sampling efficiency and consistency of pitfall traps and Winkler samples for inventory, bioindicator and ecological studies in savanna habitats was compared using ants. Pitfall traps are often used for ant collecting while Winkler litter sampling has until now had rather limited use. We test Winkler sampling for the first time in a South African savanna. Pitfall traps were more efficient and productive than Winkler sampling for epigaeic ants, with a greater total species richness and higher abundance of ants recorded. Winkler samples contributed few additional species. The relative abundance of different sized ants was different with the two collection methods. Winkler sampling was found to catch greater numbers of smaller ants than pitfall trapping, whereas pitfall trapping caught more larger ants. The standard collecting Winkler quadrat size of 1m² did not perform as well as 2× m² quadrats combined for one sample.     

Phylogenetic and geographic variation in host breadth and composition by herbivorous amphipods in the family Ampithoidae

Predicting the host range for herbivores has been a major aim of research into plant-herbivore interactions and an important model system for understanding the evolution of feeding specialization. Among many terrestrial insects, host range is strongly affected by herbivore phylogeny and long historical associations between particular herbivore and plant taxa. For small herbivores in marine environments, it is known that the evolution of host use is sculpted by several ecological factors (e.g., food quality, value as a refuge from predators, and abiotic forces), but the potential for phylogenetic constraints on host use remains largely unexplored. Here, we analyze reports of host use of herbivorous amphipods from the family Ampithoidae (102 amphipod species from 12 genera) to test the hypotheses that host breadth and composition vary among herbivore lineages, and to quantify the extent to which nonpolar secondary metabolites mediate these patterns. The family as a whole, and most individual species, are found on a wide variety of macroalgae and seagrasses. Despite this polyphagous host use, amphipod genera consistently differed in host range and composition. As an example, the genus Peramphithoe rarely use available macrophytes in the order Dictyotales (e.g., Dictyota) and as a consequence, display a more restricted host range than do other genera (e.g., Ampithoe, Cymadusa, or Exampithoe). The strong phylogenetic effect on host use was independent of the uneven distribution of host taxa among geographic regions. Algae that produced nonpolar secondary metabolites were colonized by higher numbers of amphipod species relative to chemically poor genera, consistent with the notion that secondary metabolites do not provide algae an escape from amphipod herbivory. In contrast to patterns described for some groups of phytophagous insects, marine amphipods that use chemically rich algae tended to have broader, not narrower, host ranges. This result suggests that an evolutionary advantage to metabolite tolerance in marine amphipods may be that it increases the availability of appropriate algal hosts (i.e., enlarges the resource base).     

Macroecology of Aquatic Insects: A Quantitative Analysis of Taxonomic Richness and Composition in the Andes Mountains of Northern Ecuador

To determine the spatial dynamics of Neotropical lotic insect species, specimens were collected from 41 streams on the eastern and western flanks of the Andes Mountains in Ecuador. We examined the manner in which taxonomic richness and composition differed with elevation, latitude, and versant. Statistical analyses were limited to 5 families (Ephemeroptera: Baetidae, Leptohyphidae, Oligoneuriidae; Heteroptera: Naucoridae; Coleoptera: Elmidae), comprising 32 genera and 85 species, for which identifications or morphospecies assignments were reliable. Assessment of taxonomic diversity was based on the richness of genera and species at each site. In addition, each site was characterized by species richness within each of 4 families with more than 10 species. The effects of versant and transect on composition and structure were family‐specific. Mean site differences between versants in elmid richness at generic and specific levels depended on transect. Only baetid richness was affected by versant and transect in a consistent manner. Variation among sites in composition based on all genera and species was captured using multidimensional scaling (MDS). Subsequent MANOVAs based on scores from MDS axes revealed that differences between versants were much stronger in the southern transect, although transects differed from each other at specific and generic levels. A Jaccard's similarity matrix was computed for each family to reflect the spatial organization of taxonomic composition. Mesogeographic patterns of species composition for each of the four families were correlated (Mantel analysis) at both the regional level and at the level of the entire study area. At the regional level, the only pair of families to exhibit correlated patterns of species composition was elmids and naucorids in the southwestern region. The pattern of species composition for each family was correlated with the patterns for one or more other families at the level of the entire study area. Thus, spatial dynamics of species composition was similar for the families examined, suggesting that the Andes exert a consistent influence on species distributions within families, regardless of ordinal affiliation. At a local scale, however, the way in which taxonomic composition changed with latitude and versant was family‐specific. Mayflies, the most vagile of the taxa studied, had the highest percentage of species overlap between versants. Of three genera of Naucoridae collected, species of Ambrysus, of probable Mexican origin, were found only on the eastern versant, corroborating other evidence that the genus is recent in South America. Moreover, dispersion by Ambrysus across the Andes Mountains may not have occurred, as it has for Cryphocricos and Limnocoris, which are of probable South American origin.     

Evaluating higher taxa as surrogates of harvestmen biodiversity (Arachnida: Opiliones) along a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic Forest

Habitat loss and fragmentation have highlighted the importance of monitoring remaining habitats. For megadiverse groups such as arthropods, of which many species are still being discovered, the use of higher taxonomic levels as substitutes for diversity may be a useful tool. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of substitute taxonomic resolutions to assess the richness and composition of Laniatores harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones). The five resolutions selected were as follows: genus, family, subfamily, indicator taxa and intermediate resolution (combination of genus and species identification levels). In addition, we evaluated whether the diversity substitutes provide good estimates of latitudinal gradients. Nineteen Atlantic Forest sites located along a latitudinal gradient in northeastern Brazil were sampled. We recorded a total of 88 harvestmen species/morpho-species, distributed in 7 families, 15 subfamilies and 36 genera. Genus and intermediate resolution were excellent substitutes for harvestmen species richness. The efficiency differed according to the substitute resolution used. Four resolutions were adequate to replace the harvestmen composition: genus, intermediate resolution, indicator taxa, and subfamily. The number of harvestmen species recorded was significantly different between Seasonal Semideciduous Forest and Costal Atlantic Rainforest. The same relationship was also observed the same relationship was observed when we consider genus and intermediate resolution. Our results suggest the use of genus as a substitute for richness and composition of harvestmen for reducing monitoring costs and providing evaluation in a shorter time and a more practical way.     

Are phylogenies resolved at the genus level appropriate for studies on phylogenetic structure of species assemblages?

Phylogenies are essential to studies investigating the effect of evolutionary history on assembly of species in ecological communities and geographical and ecological patterns of phylogenetic structure of species assemblages. Because phylogenies well resolved at the species level are lacking for many major groups of organisms such as vascular plants, researchers often generate a species-level phylogenies using a phylogeny well resolved at the genus level as a backbone and attaching species to their respective genera in the phylogeny as polytomies or by using a megaphylogeny well resolved at the genus level as a backbone and adding additional species to the megaphylogeny as polytomies of their respective genera. However, whether the result of a study using species-level phylogenies generated in these ways is robust, compared to that based on phylogenies fully resolved at the species level, has not been assessed. Here, we use 1093 angiosperm tree assemblages (each in a 110 × 110 km quadrat) in North America as a model system to address this question, by examining six commonly used metrics of phylogenetic structure (phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetic relatedness) and six climate variables commonly used in ecology. Our results showed that (1) the scores of phylogenetic metrics derived from species-level phylogenies resolved at the genus level with species being attached to their respective genera as polytomies are very strongly or perfectly correlated to those derived from a phylogeny fully resolved at the species level (the mean of correlation coefficients is 0.973), and (2) the relationships between the scores of phylogenetic metrics and climate variables are consistent between the two sets of analyses based on the two types of phylogeny. Our study suggests that using species-level phylogenies resolved at the genus level with species being attached to their genera as polytomies is appropriate in studies exploring patterns of phylogenetic structure of species in ecological communities across geographical and ecological gradients.     

喜马拉雅地区藤本植物多样性及其地理格局

喜马拉雅山地是生物地理学研究的热点地区之一。本文对喜马拉雅地区的藤本植物多样性及其与毗邻地区的联系进行了统计分析, 并对该地区与印度河-恒河平原地区藤本植物多样性的地理格局及其成因进行了研究。结果显示: (1)喜马拉雅地区总计有1,083种藤本植物, 分属72科309属; 其中木质藤本725种, 草质藤本358种; 攀援方式主要为缠绕攀援(51.3%)。(2)该区域的藤本植物组成受相邻区域植物区系的显著影响, 其1,083种藤本植物中有74.1% (802种)在东南亚地区有分布, 50.6% (548种)在南亚有分布, 48.9% (530种)在中国西南地区有分布。本区藤本植物缺乏特有性, 仅125种(11.5%)为本区所特有, 没有特有含藤属。(3)藤本植物多样性及其在植物区系中的比例均自东向西逐渐降低; 木质藤本比例和缠绕攀援藤本比例均自东向西略呈上升趋势; 大多数含藤属的藤本多样性由东往西递减, 仅极少数含藤属由东往西逐渐增加, 如野豌豆属(Vicia)和菟丝子属(Cuscuta)。(4)藤本植物多样性在喜马拉雅和印度河-恒河平原地区呈现出自东向西递减的相似格局, 由东往西方向上含藤属递减率分别为8.4属/100 km和6.3属/100 km, 但喜马拉雅地区藤本植物多样性更高。喜马拉雅和印度河-恒河平原地区均有分布的272个含藤属中有196属在中亚及伊朗高原不再有分布, 其中31.1% (61属)在喜马拉雅地区的分布显著更偏西, 仅4.1% (8属)在印度河-恒河平原的分布显著更偏西。综合分析表明, 喜马拉雅地区藤本植物的多样性及其地理格局的特点与其特殊的地理位置、气候条件和生境的梯度变化以及毗邻地区植物区系的多元化有关; 水分条件的东西向梯度变化可能是藤本植物在喜马拉雅和印度河-恒河平原地区形成相似格局的主要原因。     

Are biodiversity patterns of saproxylic beetles shaped by habitat limitation or dispersal limitation? A case study in unfragmented montane forests

Understanding the processes that shape biodiversity patterns is essential for ecosystem management and conservation. Local environmental conditions are often good predictors of species distribution and variations in habitat quality usually positively correlate to species richness. However, beside habitat limitation, species presence-absence may be constrained by dispersal limitation. We tested the relative importance of both limitations on saproxylic beetle diversity, using forest continuity as a surrogate for dispersal limitation and stand maturity as a surrogate for habitat limitation. Forest continuity relies on the maintenance of a forest cover over time, while stand maturity results in the presence of old-growth habitat features. Forty montane beech-fir forests in the French pre-Alps were sampled, under a balanced sampling design in which forest continuity and stand maturity were crossed. A total of 307 saproxylic beetle species were captured using flight-interception traps and Winkler–Berlese extractors. We explored the response of low- versus high-dispersal species groups to forest continuity and stand maturity. Saproxylic beetle diversity increased significantly with stand maturity and was mostly influenced by variables related to deadwood diversity at the stand scale and suitable habitat availability at the landscape scale. Surprisingly, no evidence of dispersal limitation was found, as diversity patterns were not influenced by forest continuity and associated variables, even for low-dispersal species. Our study demonstrates that in an unfragmented forest landscape, saproxylic beetles are able to colonize recent forests, as long as local deadwood resources are sufficiently diversified (e.g. tree species, position, diameter and/or decay stage).     

Rarity within taxonomie lineages and the use of taxa above the level of species

Studies which attempt to explain rarity lineages are becoming increasingly popular. An ability to explain causative factors for rarity based on shared characteristics in an intuitively attractive concept, since it may greatly reduce the number of studies needed to understand rarity in all species. Most studies have used the taxonomic unit of family as the level at which patterns in the distribution of rarity re examined, though no justification for the use of family has been provided. To date, No evidence has been produced to show that family-based patterns represent patterns at lower taxonomic levels.
To test whether family-based levels of rarity reliably reflected generic levels. J compared the incidence of rarity within 114 genera from 47 families, 113 genera (<99%) within 46 families showed no difference from family means in the proportion of rare species they contained, indicating that the incidence of rarity is consistent between the taxonomic levels of family and genus. This result suggests family level patterns reflect pattern at lower taxonomic levels and supports the use of family as an appropriate level to investigate patterns in the distribution of rarity within a flora     

The Effect of Logging on the Ground-Foraging Ant Community in Eastern Amazonia

In order to determine the suitability of ants as indicator organisms for habitat disruption in tropical forests, we studied the effects of both high and low impact logging on ant communities in northeastern Pará State, in the Brazilian Amazon. We collected ants from logged forests and unlogged forest sites with Winkler bags throughout the 1998 rainy season (January and April) and the following dry season (July and September). Both methods of timber harvesting showed impacts on ant community composition when compared with unlogged forest, although these impacts did not include modifications in total species richness or the relative contribution of each ant subfamily to the total number of species. Instead, logging induced alterations took place at the level of species and genera. A 2-fold reduction in the dominance of ants of the highly diverse genus Pheidole was associated with forest alterations in high-impact logging sites. Thus, logging in Amazonia can be seen to promote species shifts in ant communities, without, however, altering species richness. Ants of the genus Pheidole are potentially useful indicators for forest disturbances resulting from timber extraction.     

Does versatility as measured by geographic range,bathymetric range and morphological variability contribute to taxon longevity?

Aim This paper aims to examine the relationship between versatility as measured by geographic range, bathymetric range and morphological variability (species and subspecies richness and the occurrence of morphologically highly variable populations), and the geologic longevities of trachyleberidid ostracode species and genera, while accounting for sampling biases and other confounding factors. Location Global. Methods A large database of occurrence records of species of the family Trachyleberididae s.l. was analysed. The relationships between genus and species longevity and the above mentioned variables were examined singly and in concert. Re‐analyses of subsets of data and rarefaction techniques were employed to account for sampling biases, while randomization was used to account for autocorrelation of variables. Results The mean number of occurrence records, and latitudinal and longitudinal ranges, were strongly and positively correlated with genus and species longevities. The number of bathymetric zones occupied by genera had no consistent bearing on their longevities, but species data subsets tended to indicate significant positive relationships between bathymetric range and longevities. Species richness was significantly and positively correlated with genus longevities. Species and genera with subspecies and species with high morphological variability all had significantly greater longevities. Genus‐level characteristics can be explained largely by species‐level characteristics, including longevity, latitudinal ranges and bathymetric ranges to a lesser degree. However, genus longevity was best explained by species richness and genus age, even for extinct genera, while species longevity was best explained by species latitudinal range. Main conclusions In spite of the incompleteness of the fossil record, we can control for biasing factors and still confidently draw the conclusion that both ecological and evolutionary versatility contribute to lineage longevity, beyond the shorter temporal observation windows available to most ecological studies.     

浙江北雁荡山蕨类植物区系特征分析

通过标本和文献查阅以及野外调查,对浙江北雁荡山蕨类植物的区系组成和分布区类型进行了分析.结果显示:北雁荡山共有蕨类植物37科71属156种(含种下分类群);以单种和寡种分布的科和属所占比例最大,分别占总科数和总属数的75.7％和91.5％.该区域蕨类植物科的分布区类型以世界分布型和泛热带分布型为主,分别有14和20科,占总科数的37.8％和54.1％;热带成分总计22科,占总科数的59.5％,而温带成分仅1科.属的分布区类型可划分为9类型2亚型,包含世界分布型17属、热带分布型47属、温带分布型7属;其中,泛热带分布型属数量最多区28属),占总属数的39.4％.种的分布区类型以东亚分布型最多(93种),其中,中国-日本分布亚型有65种,占总种数的41.7％.中国特有种有21种(占总种数的13.5％),其中2种为仅分布于本区域的特有种,分布类型以华东-华南分布最多.由分析结果可见:北雁荡山蕨类植物具有组成丰富、区系起源古老、地理成分多样、热带区系特征明显及特有种数量匮乏等特点,但与周边区域蕨类植物分布有紧密联系.     

Diel changeover in sandbank fish assemblages in a neotropical floodplain river

Fishes were collected over 7 months (February to June and November to December 1999) from seven sandbanks located on the main channel of the Cinaruco River, Venezuela. Significant shifts in assemblage structure and species richness were documented between diurnal and nocturnal samples. Seine samples standardized for effort yielded 41 604 individual fishes representing seven orders, 25 families, 80 genera and 134 species. Nocturnal samples yielded 68% of the total individuals, and 54% of species were collected exclusively at night. Nocturnal samples were significantly more species rich than their paired diurnal samples, even after rarefaction. Correspondence analysis revealed consistent differences in assemblage structure between diurnal and nocturnal samples probably due to species-specific habitat use and activity patterns. In spite of the magnitude of seasonal variation in hydrology and habitat availability in the Cinaruco River, species richness and abundance on sandbanks varied relatively little. The study of biological diversity and understanding of patterns of habitat use in a neotropical river were enhanced by nocturnal sampling.