International Biodiversity Observation Year in Western-Pacific and Asian regions (DIWPA-IBOY): a case report on species rarity and spatio-temporal variability of species composition in Lepidoptera and Coleoptera communities from a temperate forest of northern Japan

An international project, DIWPA-IBOY, took place for simultaneously observing biodiversity throughout the Western-Pacific and Asian regions in 2001–2003, as one of the core projects for International Biodiversity Observation Year, a crosscutting network activity of DIVERSITAS (an international programme of biodiversity science). DIWPA-IBOY provides extensive data on species diversity obtained by the standardized method. Under this project, 51,742 individuals of Lepidoptera and 11,633 of Coleoptera were collected by light traps from the Tomakomai Experimental Forest of Hokkaido University, one of the core DIWPA-IBOY sites, in the cool-temperate region of northern Japan. Based on these data, this study examined the relative abundance distribution (RAD) to evaluate the amount of rare species in the Lepidoptera and Coleoptera communities. The beta diversities between sampling seasons, forest strata, and trap sites were also assessed to evaluate the spatio-temporal variability of species composition in these communities. In the analysis of the RAD, the best-fit model was selected from the log-Normal, Zipf–Mandelbrot, and Zipf models differing in the tail length of the RAD, i.e., the proportion of rare species. To explore the beta diversity between samples, the abundance-based Jaccard index with an unseen species estimator was calculated, and then a hierarchical clustering analysis was conducted. As a result of RAD analysis, the Coleoptera community was regarded as containing a larger proportion of rare species than the Lepidoptera community. The seasonal compartmentalization of the community, deduced from the beta-diversity analysis, was finer in Lepidoptera (seven assemblages recognized) than in Coleoptera (three assemblages). The spatial (vertical and horizontal) compartmentalization was negligible in both communities. The coincidence of the larger proportion of rare species and the lower beta diversity between seasons in the Coleoptera community was explained by the longer life spans of beetles compared to moths, based on the assumption that the length of life span acts as a temporal agent for mass effect on the analogy of the migration rate as a spatial agent for mass effect.     

Rarity facets of biodiversity: Integrating Zeta diversity and Dark diversity to understand the nature of commonness and rarity

Measuring commonness and rarity is pivotal to ecology and conservation. Zeta diversity, the average number of species shared by multiple sets of assemblages, and Dark diversity, the number of species that could occur in an assemblage but are missing, have been recently proposed to capture two aspects of the commonness‐rarity spectrum. Despite a shared focus on commonness and rarity, thus far, Zeta and Dark diversities have been assessed separately. Here, we review these two frameworks and suggest their integration into a unified paradigm of the “rarity facets of biodiversity.” This can be achieved by partitioning Alpha and Beta diversities into five components (the Zeta, Eta, Theta, Iota, and Kappa rarity facets) defined based on the commonness and rarity of species. Each facet is assessed in traditional and multiassemblage fashions to bridge conceptual differences between Dark diversity and Zeta diversity. We discuss applications of the rarity facets including comparing the taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity of rare and common species, or measuring species'' prevalence in different facets as a metric of species rarity. The rarity facets integrate two emergent paradigms in biodiversity science to better understand the ecology of commonness and rarity, an important endeavor in a time of widespread changes in biodiversity across the Earth.     

Contribution of rarity and commonness to patterns of species richness

There is little understanding in ecology as to how biodiversity patterns emerge from the distribution patterns of individual species. Here we consider the question of the contributions of rare (restricted range) and common (widespread) species to richness patterns. Considering a species richness pattern, is most of the spatial structure, in terms of where the peaks and troughs of diversity lie, caused by the common species or the rare species (or neither)? Using southern African and British bird richness patterns, we show here that commoner species are most responsible for richness patterns. While rare and common species show markedly different species richness patterns, most spatial patterning in richness is caused by relatively few, more common, species. The level of redundancy we found suggests that a broad understanding of what determines the majority of spatial variation in biodiversity may be had by considering only a minority of species.     

新疆博格达山地面生苔藓植物物种多样性研究

采用相似性系数和物种多样性指数对新疆博格达山地面生苔藓植物的物种多样性进行了研究．结果表明,博格达山地区苔藓植物区系具有丰富性和复杂性的特点,共有地面生苔藓植物32科73属186种(含变种、变型);山地荒漠带和山地草原带苔藓植物物种相似性最高,为0．6809,山地森林带和高山垫状植被带相似性最低,仅为0．1342;山地森林带苔藓植物在整个博格达山地面生苔藓植物群落中占据优势地位;山地森林带苔藓植物物种多样性最为丰富,为该山地苔藓植物多样性的分布中心,是苔藓植物多样性保护的关键地区．     

苔藓植物分布及其物种多样性的研究评述

苔藓植物由于其重要的生态功能及其在植物界中的系统位置而日益受到人们的重视,但是随着全球气候的变化,其多样性受到严重的威胁。文中综述了苔藓植物分布和物种多样性的研究进展,并对其影响因素作了分析,认为环境条件,包括植被、气候、干扰度等均对分布和多样性产生重要影响。对苔藓植物研究方法进行了探讨,认为应对研究方法进行广泛深入的研究,引入新的研究方法和思路,为开展大尺度的苔藓植物综合研究和为生物多样性保护奠定基础。     

Tropical rain forest conservation and the twin challenges of diversity and rarity

Data from a global network of large, permanent plots in lowland tropical forests demonstrate (1) that the phenomenon of tropical tree rarity is real and (2) that almost all the species diversity in such forests is due to rare species. Theoretical and empirically based reasoning suggests that many of these rare species are not as geographically widespread as previously thought. These findings suggest that successful strategies for conserving global tree diversity in lowland tropical forests must pay much more attention to the biogeography of rarity, as well as to the impact of climate change on the distribution and abundance of rare species. Because the biogeography of many tropical tree species is poorly known, a high priority should be given to documenting the distribution and abundance of rare tropical tree species, particularly in Amazonia, the largest remaining tropical forested region in the world.     

Separating forest continuity from tree age effects on plant diversity in the ground and epiphyte vegetation of a Central European mountain spruce forest

Forest continuity has been identified as an important factor influencing the structure and diversity of forest vegetation. Primary forests with centuries of continuity are usually more diverse than young secondary forests as forest are colonized only slowly and because the former are richer in old tree individuals. In the present study, performed in unmanaged high-elevation spruce forests of the Harz Mountains, Germany, we had the unique opportunity to separate the effects of forest continuity and tree age on plant diversity. We compared an old-growth spruce forest with century-long habitat continuity with an adjacent secondary spruce forest, which had naturally established on a former bog after 1796 when peat exploitation halted. Comparative analysis of the ground and epiphyte vegetation showed that the plant diversity of the old-growth forest was not higher than that of the secondary forest with a similar tree age of >200 years. Our results suggest that a period of >200 years was sufficient for the secondary forest to be colonized by the whole regional species pool of herbaceous and cryptogam forest plants and epiphytes. Therefore, it is likely that habitat structure, including the presence of old and decaying trees, was more important for determining plant diversity than the independent effect of forest continuity. Our results are probably not transferrable to spruce forests younger than 200 years and highly fragmented woodlands with long distances between new stands and old-growth forests that serve as diaspore sources. In addition, our results might be not transferable to remote areas without notable air pollution, as the epiphyte vegetation of the study area was influenced by SO₂ pollution in the second half of the 20th century.     

New national and regional bryophyte records, 23

Abstract

We recorded evidence for herbivory in the mosses Hypopterygium tamarisci and Lopidium concinnum in a tropical rainforest (São Paulo State, Brazil). We described this herbivory quantitatively, measured the protein and phenol abundance, and identified potential herbivores in the laboratory. We sampled plants from 10 colonies of each species in the years 2007 and 2008. To quantify herbivory, we used an index of damage (ID), with six categories of injury from 0 (0%) to 5 (50–100%). Air-dried moss samples were weighed (100 mg) and used for protein and phenol detection by the Bradford and Folin-Ciocalteau methods, respectively. The plants were cultivated under controlled laboratory conditions and the identification of herbivores was performed from photographs. Injury was higher in H. tamarisci than in L. concinnum (68% and 38% in 2007 and 35% and 23% in 2008, respectively). H. tamarisci had higher mean ID (1·70 in 2007 and 1·09 in 2008); however, the ID values were low compared with ID values detected in angiosperms from tropical forests. Proteins were more abundant than phenol compounds for both species. H. tamarisci had the highest levels of protein and phenols. The phenol/protein ratios (ph/pt ratio) from H. tamarisci (0·42) and L. concinnum (0·40) were similar to those of other terrestrial plants. No correlation between ID and ph/pt ratio, proteins or phenols was detected. Lepidoptera larvae (Geometridae) and micro-snails (Charopidae) were found feeding mainly on the leaves of these mosses. Thus, H. tamarisci and L. concinnum are food sources for herbivores in the field, mainly as alternative food sources for some small and less mobile herbivores.     

木林子国家级自然保护区苔藓植物物种与区系研究

基于野外调查、采集标本和查阅文献,对木林子国家级自然保护区苔藓植物物种及区系特点进行研究。结果显示:该保护区苔藓植物共有64科121属292种,其中,苔类28科38属88种,藓类36科83属204种。该保护区共有湖北新记录科2科、新记录属9属、新记录种73种。该保护区苔藓植物区系成分多样,有11个区系类型,以温带成分为主(占30.89%)、东亚成分次之(占18.92%)。相比清凉峰、大巴山、十万大山和佛坪4个国家级自然保护区,木林子呈现出科多种少的特点,物种分化程度更高。木林子保护区与清凉峰的苔藓植物组成相似度最高,与佛坪相似度最低。该研究结果从苔藓植物多样性的角度佐证了清江流域物种分化程度较高的观点,为丰富木林子国家级自然保护区苔藓植物和湖北省苔藓植物提供了基础资料。     

Predicting diversity versus community composition of aquatic plants at the river scale

We tested the relative importance of physical versus chemical factors in explaining aquatic plant species diversity and community composition within a temperate lowland river. A total of 38 macrophyte species were identified at 33 sites along the 104 km length of the Rideau River, a National Heritage River of Canada. Species richness ranged from 0 to 15 species per site, and Shannon diversity from 0 to 2.98. Macrophyte species richness and Shannon diversity were significantly related to the physical characteristics of sites. For Shannon diversity, 77% of the increase was explained by an increase in sediment organic content and a decrease in water velocity. For species richness, 70% of the increase was explained by the latter factors in addition to an increase in the littoral zone (0–2 m depth contour) width and planktonic chlorophyll concentrations. River water chemistry did not explain any observed variation in either Shannon diversity or species richness in this moderately enriched system. In contrast to species richness, the physical and chemical variables measured failed to explain variation in community composition. Cluster analysis did not reveal any grouping of species into distinct communities. Canonical correlation analysis showed that environmental variables had minimal effect on the distribution of most species, with only floating-leaved species responding to water velocity. We conclude that physical factors can predict species diversity at the within river scale but not the species composition at a given site, underlying the need to preserve the geomorphological diversity of rivers to maintain plant diversity.     

The rarity concept and the commonness of rarity in freshwater zooplankton

1. Regional distribution, frequency of occurrence and relative abundance were scored in 2467 Norwegian lakes for all the recorded 130 species of crustacean zooplankton. The majority of species were rare in the sense that 65% of species were recorded in fewer than 10% of localities. Only six species were recorded in more than 50% of localities, and the median number of species in a given locality was 14 (i.e. 10% of the total species pool). 2. Abundances of all species were scored according to the fraction of lakes in which they were recorded, their geographical range of distribution, and their numerical abundance. Typically the most rare species were rare by all three criteria, and vice versa for the common species, pointing to rarity as an inherent property of some species. For some species this rarity reflects being on the edge of their distributional range, while for others rarity seems to be a consequence of their life cycle strategies. 3. Some of the truly rare species have high dispersal rates and high colonization abilities, but are rapidly replaced by other species. Others are confined to specific habitats, often highly eutrophic, pointing to highly specialized niche adaptations. 4. A major cause for the few truly common species seems to be the limited number of species that are able to coexist within a given locality, reflecting ‘the ghost of competition past’ and predation pressure. 5. While species composition and species richness may reflect colonization abilities and stochastic events, the presence or absence of species is not only a random lottery but also a consequence of species‐specific attributes.     

Species richness, rarity and endemicity of European mammals: a biogeographical approach

This paper investigates the distribution of species richness, rarity and endemicity of European land mammals (bats and introduced species excluded). The highest level of species richness was in Central Europe, while Southern areas had the highest rarity and endemicity scores. The distribution of richness was affected by the location of sampling points in islands and peninsulas. After excluding these sampling points, richness continued to decrease Westward suggesting the existence of a large-scale peninsular effect on mammal distribution. These patterns of continental distribution of richness, rarity and endemicity could be the result of the distribution of refuge areas in the southern Mediterranean peninsulas, and the Pleistocene advances and retreats of mammals throughout the Western Palearctic. Thus, European mammal distribution can be interpreted on the basis of two different patterns of abundance distribution in which Palearctic species reduce their abundance from central-Europe outwards, while endemic, rare species show a similar depletion in the North. It should be useful to evaluate the role of the different regions in Europe in conserving the demographic interactions between central and peripheral populations of mammal species. Given the restricted distribution and potential small size of population, these endemic species are most likely to be susceptible to anthropogenic environmental degradation.     

中国苔藓植物多样性研究进展

苔藓植物是生物多样性的重要组成部分, 包括角苔植物、苔类植物和藓类植物三大类群, 其物种数量仅次于被子植物, 是高等植物的第二大类群。我国是世界苔藓植物多样性最丰富的国家。自2017年以来, 我国苔藓学者在世界范围发现了10个新属, 40个新种, 建立了新的地钱纲分类系统; 更新了我国苔藓植物物种名录, 完成了数本分类学专著, 并在苔藓系统发育基因组、苔藓植物多样性与环境关系、苔藓植物多样性保护等领域取得了可喜的进展。对未来的研究, 我们提出5点建议: (1)加强对重要生态系统、国家公园和关键类群的物种多样性调查; (2)加快基于基因组的苔藓植物多样性研究; (3)加强苔藓植物保护研究; (4)加强西北地区苔藓植物多样性研究人才的培养; (5)进一步加强国际合作, 努力构建“一带一路”国家苔藓植物多样性平台。     

Functional rarity of plants in German hay meadows — Patterns on the species level and mismatches with community species richness

Functional rarity (FR) — a feature combining a species'' rarity with the distinctiveness of its traits — is a promising tool to better understand the ecological importance of rare species and consequently to protect functional diversity more efficiently. However, we lack a systematic understanding of FR on both the species level (which species are functionally rare and why) and the community level (how is FR associated with biodiversity and environmental conditions). Here, we quantify FR for 218 plant species from German hay meadows on a local, regional, and national scale by combining data from 6500 vegetation relevés and 15 ecologically relevant traits. We investigate the association between rarity and trait distinctiveness on different spatial scales via correlation measures and show which traits lead to low or high trait distinctiveness via distance‐based redundancy analysis. We test how species richness and FR are correlated, and use boosted regression trees to determine environmental conditions that are driving species richness and FR. On the local scale, only rare species showed high trait distinctiveness while on larger spatial scales rare and common species showed high trait distinctiveness. As infrequent trait attributes (e.g., legumes, low clonality) led to higher trait distinctiveness, we argue that functionally rare species are either specialists or transients. While specialists occupy a particular niche in hay meadows leading to lower rarity on larger spatial scales, transients display distinct but maladaptive traits resulting in high rarity across all spatial scales. More functionally rare species than expected by chance occurred in species‐poor communities indicating that they prefer environmental conditions differing from characteristic conditions of species‐rich hay meadows. Finally, we argue that functionally rare species are not necessarily relevant for nature conservation because many were transients from surrounding habitats. However, FR can facilitate our understanding of why species are rare in a habitat and under which conditions these species occur.     

Basing conservation policies for the deep-sea floor on current-diversity concepts: a consideration of rarity

Exploitation of deep-sea resources is now underway and there is economic pressure to renew and expand currently restricted waste disposal in that environment. Since the deep sea is noted for very high species diversity, it is appropriate that diversity conservation be initiated. Review of current concepts of diversity maintenance finds that the ideas have evolved more through increasing information about sources of heterogeneity than through rigorous testing. This history weakens the immediate value of these concepts for the development of conservation strategies and demonstrates the need for additional investigation. Such inquiry might focus upon the rare component of overall species richness. A comparison of box core samples at 2100m in the western Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico continental shelf reveals that deep soft bottoms are not unique in having many rare species. The rare component at depth is largely comprised of species more common at other locations near and far. The rare component on the shelf is comprised mostly of species which are consistently rare and restricted in distribution. These observations suggest a shallow–deep difference that is more one of degree than fundamental in nature; the deep having larger regions and regional species pools.     

Landscape-level tree diversity assessment in tropical forests of southern Eastern Ghats,India

This large-scale, landscape-level study aims to assess tree species diversity, stem density and stand structure of six major tropical hill forests of southern Eastern Ghats, India, namely, Bodamalai (BM), Chitteri (CH), Kalrayan (KA), Kolli hills (KO), Pachaimalai (PM) and Shervarayan hills (SH). The Eastern Ghats of India is relatively under-studied compared with the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot. The entire stretch of southern Eastern Ghats was divided into smaller grids of 6.25 km × 6.25 km, totaling to 120 grids. Within each grid, a belt transect of 0.5 ha (5 m × 1000 m) area was laid and all trees ≥30 cm girth at breast height (gbh) were enumerated. A total of 272 tree species (≥30 cm gbh) that belonged to 181 genera and 62 families were recorded in the total 60 ha area inventoried. Diversity indices such as Shannon, Simpson and Fisher's alpha indices were 2.44, 0.03 and 42.1, respectively, for the whole 60 ha area. One way ANOVA revealed that the species richness varied significantly across the six sites (F_(5,823) = 4.854, p < 0.0002). Also, the contribution of tree species to total species richness classified by three plant types viz. evergreen, brevi-deciduous and deciduous species varied significantly across the sites (One way ANOVA: F_(2,15) = 10.05, p < 0.002). Similarity indices such as Jaccard and Sørensen showed that sites CH and KA are more similar in terms of species composition. The total stand density and basal area for the total 60 ha area were 27,412 stems (457 stems ha⁻¹) and 1012.12 m² (16.9 m² ha⁻¹), respectively. The stand density and basal area for the six sites ranged from 290 (in site BM) to 527 stems ha⁻¹ (in site KA) and from 5.6 (in site BM) to 24.4 m² ha⁻¹ (in site KO), respectively. Stand density and basal area of tree species varied significantly across the six hill complexes (F_(5,823) = 4.85, p < 0.0002 and F_(5,823) = 2.71, p < 0.02, respectively). A positive correlation was obtained between stand density and species richness in sites PM (r_s = 0.65, p < 0.05) and SH (r_s = 0.67, p < 0.05), but not in other sites. The predominant tree species in the tropical forests of southern Eastern Ghats include Albizia amara, Euphorbia antiquorum, Canthium dicoccum var. dicoccum, Memecylon edule, Chloroxylon swietenia and Nothopegia heyneana. Taxonomically, Euphorbiaceae constituted the most diverse family with 25 species. Whereas, by tree abundance the Mimosaceae with 4126 stems enumerated from the 60 ha area formed the dominant family. Bray–Curtis cluster analysis, based on tree species composition and abundance revealed that the low-diverse site BM formed a separate entity from other hill complexes. This large-scale tree diversity inventory provides a baseline data for a variety of investigations and is expected to be useful for effective forest management and biodiversity conservation of southern Eastern Ghats region.