Beta‐diversity in temperate and tropical forests reflects dissimilar mechanisms of community assembly

Site‐to‐site variation in species composition (β‐diversity) generally increases from low‐ to high‐diversity regions. Although biogeographical differences in community assembly mechanisms may explain this pattern, random sampling effects can create this pattern through differences in regional species pools. Here, we compared assembly mechanisms between spatially extensive networks of temperate and tropical forest plots with highly divergent species pools (46 vs. 607 species). After controlling for sampling effects, β‐diversity of woody plants was similar and higher than expected by chance in both forests, reflecting strong intraspecific aggregation. However, different mechanisms appeared to explain aggregation in the two forests. In the temperate forest, aggregation reflected stronger environmental correlations, suggesting an important role for species‐sorting (e.g. environmental filtering) processes, whereas in the tropics, aggregation reflected stronger spatial correlations, more likely reflecting dispersal limitation. We suggest that biogeographical differences in the relative importance of different community assembly mechanisms contribute to these striking gradients in global biodiversity.     

Vegetation structure and diversity of an ancient temperate deciduous forest in SW Denmark

Bolderslev Skov (113 ha) is the largest contiguous ancient forest remnant in Denmark. The forest has been preserved since 1998 as a strict non-intervention forest reserve. We studied vegetation structure, floristic gradients, and diversity of the forest in 50 plots of 100 m² placed according to a restricted random sampling design. Dominant tree species were Fagus sylvatica, Fraxinus excelsior, Tilia cordata and Quercus robur, which in most parts of the forest form a mixed canopy. Most stands appeared to be of moderate age, 55-80 years old, and large old trees were rare. pH in association with light and thickness of the litter layer were the most important factors in explaining floristic gradients in the forest. Soil moisture (dry to mesic) was not strongly correlated with DCA axes for neither tree nor field layer, but had a significant effect on the distribution of a number of herb species. Forest structure was not important in explaining species distributions. Field layer species richness showed a positive relationship with the pH-gradient. At the scale of 1m² plots we also found a highly significant negative relationship between field layer species richness and the plot-wise Ellenberg indicator value for nitrogen availability. Structure of the tree layer had little effect on field layer species richness. The mixed composition, long continuity, and presence of a high proportion of the regional species pool assigns a high conservation value to Bolderslev Skov and makes it an important site for future studies of the dynamic properties, niche preferences, and inter-specific competition of temperate deciduous forest species. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

秦岭皇冠暖温带落叶阔叶林灌木层结构与物种多样性

灌木是森林生态系统中的重要组成部分,探究灌木层的物种组成、结构和空间分布可以为进一步阐明森林物种共存、生物多样性维持和群落演替机制奠定基础。本研究分析了秦岭皇冠25 hm²森林样地灌木层的物种组成、空间分布以及物种多样性。结果表明: 样地内灌木独立个体共20716株(分枝10463个),隶属于28科45属54种。灌木层优势种的优势度不明显,重要值均＜10。灌木层植被的径级结构为倒“J”型;灌木在样地内呈聚集分布且空间分布存在明显的海拔差异。样地内个体数最多的9种灌木的径级结构和空间分布与灌木层整体情况一致。随着海拔升高,Shannon多样性指数(H)和Simpson优势度指数(D)变化不显著,而Pielou均匀度指数(E)降低。多样性指数H、D、E随乔木层优势种个数增加而降低,E随亚乔木层优势种个数增加而升高。多样性指数H、D、E与土壤全磷呈显著负相关;H与土壤pH呈显著正相关,E与土壤全钾呈显著正相关。本研究区灌木层物种丰富,结构稳定,更新良好;灌木层的物种多样性主要受到乔木层优势种个数和土壤pH、全磷的影响。     

热带森林植物多样性及其维持机制

热带森林具有地球上最丰富的植物多样性。关于热带森林植物多样性的维持机制,虽有众多假说,但均未形成完善的理论体系。不同的学者从不同的角度出发得出了许多结论,但也引起了不少争议。本文主要简述了4种经常被用来解释热带森林高植物多样性的机制：生态位分化、取食压力、生活史负相关和随机竞争,每一种机制都有大量的证据支持。热带森林植物沿微环境梯度的非随机空间分布表明其生态位分化很明显,并对其多样性起重要作用。动物的取食降低母树周围同种幼苗的生长率和存活率,为其他物种存活提供了机会,这就是取食压力假说,这是一个极有前景但仍需大量实验验证的假说。生活史负相关使得热带森林的许多植物能够共存。冠层植物的抑制使得随机性在林下植物的建立过程中起决定作用。     

密云水库上游油松人工水源涵养林林下植物多样性与土壤理化特性

以密云水库上游丰宁县4种油松人工水源涵养林(油松×落叶松混交林、油松×蒙古栎混交林、油松×山杏混交林、油松纯林)为对象,研究林下植物多样性与土壤理化性质特征,分析林下植物多样性与土壤因子的相关关系。结果表明: 4种人工水源涵养林林下植物群落组成结构差异显著,油松×山杏混交林林下植物群落物种组成最为丰富,绣线菊、虎榛子和披针薹草为主要优势种。从物种丰富度指数、Simpson优势度指数、Shannon多样性指数、Pielou均匀度指数来看,油松×山杏混交林林下整体植物多样性水平最高,灌木层和草本层植物多样性分别以油松×蒙古栎混交林和油松×山杏混交林最高。4种人工水源涵养林之间除全磷外其他各理化指标均差异显著,油松×山杏混交林土壤理化性质总体最优,油松×蒙古栎混交林最差。土壤毛管孔隙度、pH、有机质为灌木层植物多样性的主要影响因子,土壤pH、毛管持水量为草本层植物多样性的主要影响因子。营造油松×山杏混交林更有利于提高林下植物多样性并促进土壤改良,土壤pH、有机质、毛管孔隙度、毛管持水量为影响研究区林下植物多样性的主导土壤因子。     

广西天坑森林物种多样性与土壤酶活性和养分的关系

为研究天坑负地形生境土壤酶活性、养分和木本植物多样性的分布特征和内在联系，该文以广西大石围天坑群天坑森林为研究区，基于天坑坑内—坑口—坑外群落多样性调查和土壤生境调查，采用相关性分析和冗余分析方法，探究木本植物物种多样性与土壤因子间的耦合关系。结果表明：(1)坑内木本植物有21种31属20科，坑口木本植物有91种58属58科，坑外木本植物有47种30属30科，天坑坑内Margalef指数和Patrick指数显著低于天坑坑口和坑外生境，沿天坑坑内—坑口—坑外生境变化，物种分布总体较为均匀，但物种数量增多。(2)天坑坑外土壤全氮含量显著高于坑内和坑口生境，坑内的土壤全镁、土壤全磷和土壤速效磷含量显著高于坑口和坑外生境，坑外的土壤碱性磷酸酶和土壤脲酶活性显著高于坑口和坑内生境，表明天坑坑内土壤磷含量较高，但土壤酶活性总体偏低。(3)物种多样性与土壤养分、土壤酶活性相关性强。综上表明，天坑生境对物种多样性、土壤酶活性及土壤养分含量的分布特征影响较大，土壤速效磷、土壤碱性磷酸酶、土壤含水量、土壤脲酶、土壤全镁和土壤全磷是影响天坑森林木本植物物种多样性的关键因子。该研究为喀斯特地区植物资源的保护与...     

天目山保护区森林群落植物多样性对毛竹入侵的响应及动态变化

为探讨毛竹(Phyllostachys edulis)入侵对周围森林群落的影响,作者于2005-2011年在天目山自然保护区进行了7年长期定位观测实验,研究了毛竹入侵地森林群落的植物物种多样性变化.结果表明:毛竹入侵对周围森林群落植物物种多样性产生了不利影响:毛竹林乔木层和灌木层植物的Simpson指数小于针阔混交林和毛竹-针阔混交林,而草本层的Simpson指数则大于针阔混交林和毛竹-针阔混交林.植物物种丰富度、Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数随时间发生了较大变化:毛竹入侵的森林群落其乔木层和灌木层的物种丰富度、Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数显著降低(P＜0.05),草本层的物种丰富度显著提高(P＜0.05),Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数未表现出明显的变化.毛竹-针阔混交林去除毛竹后,乔木层和灌木层物种丰富度和Simpson指数增加,草本层物种丰富度、Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数明显下降.可见,毛竹入侵使森林群落植物多样性发生实质性的变化,对自然保护区植物群落造成了重大影响.由此可见,要使保护区物种多样性得到保护,除进行科学的管理外,还需要控制毛竹蔓延.     

Evaluation of climate‐related carbon turnover processes in global vegetation models for boreal and temperate forests

Turnover concepts in state‐of‐the‐art global vegetation models (GVMs) account for various processes, but are often highly simplified and may not include an adequate representation of the dominant processes that shape vegetation carbon turnover rates in real forest ecosystems at a large spatial scale. Here, we evaluate vegetation carbon turnover processes in GVMs participating in the Inter‐Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISI‐MIP, including HYBRID4, JeDi, JULES, LPJml, ORCHIDEE, SDGVM, and VISIT) using estimates of vegetation carbon turnover rate (k) derived from a combination of remote sensing based products of biomass and net primary production (NPP). We find that current model limitations lead to considerable biases in the simulated biomass and in k (severe underestimations by all models except JeDi and VISIT compared to observation‐based average k), likely contributing to underestimation of positive feedbacks of the northern forest carbon balance to climate change caused by changes in forest mortality. A need for improved turnover concepts related to frost damage, drought, and insect outbreaks to better reproduce observation‐based spatial patterns in k is identified. As direct frost damage effects on mortality are usually not accounted for in these GVMs, simulated relationships between k and winter length in boreal forests are not consistent between different regions and strongly biased compared to the observation‐based relationships. Some models show a response of k to drought in temperate forests as a result of impacts of water availability on NPP, growth efficiency or carbon balance dependent mortality as well as soil or litter moisture effects on leaf turnover or fire. However, further direct drought effects such as carbon starvation (only in HYBRID4) or hydraulic failure are usually not taken into account by the investigated GVMs. While they are considered dominant large‐scale mortality agents, mortality mechanisms related to insects and pathogens are not explicitly treated in these models.     

Effects of inbreeding and pollen donor provenance and diversity on offspring performance under environmental stress in the rare plant Cochlearia bavarica

Habitat degradation and loss can reduce size and genetic variability of natural populations, increasing individual homozygosity and average relatedness between individuals. While the resulting inbreeding depression may be reduced by natural selection under prevailing environmental conditions, it may increase again under environmental stress. To investigate the effect of environmental stress on offspring performance and the expression of inbreeding depression, we hand-pollinated maternal plants in small (< 100, n=5) and large populations (> 400 flowering plants, n=5) of the rare plant Cochlearia bavarica (Brassicaceae) and raised the offspring under experimentally manipulated water and light regimes (normal or reduced supply). In addition to considering natural variation in inbreeding levels due to population size, we manipulated pollen donor provenance and diversity. Maternal plants were pollinated with nine donors from a different population or with one or nine donors from the same population. One further inflorescence of each maternal plant was exposed to free pollination. Offspring growth and survival were monitored over 300 days. Offspring performance varied significantly among populations and maternal plants. Environmental stress interacted significantly with these factors. However, there was no general indication that offspring from small populations were more negatively affected. In seven out of 10 populations, offspring derived from between-population pollination performed better than offspring derived from within-population pollination. Also, in five out of 10 populations, average offspring size was higher after within-population pollination with nine than after pollination with one pollen donor. These results suggest low genetic diversity within C. bavarica populations, both smaller and larger ones. Interactions between environmental stress and pollination treatment indicated that using pollen donors from outside a population or increasing the number of pollen donors can reduce inbreeding depression, but that this beneficial effect is impaired under stressful conditions.     

Plant species richness and productivity determine the diversity of soil fungal guilds in temperate coniferous forest and bog habitats

Fungi have important roles as decomposers, mycorrhizal root symbionts and pathogens in forest ecosystems, but there is limited information about their diversity and composition at the landscape scale. This work aimed to disentangle the factors underlying fungal richness and composition along the landscape‐scale moisture, organic matter and productivity gradients. Using high‐throughput sequencing, we identified soil fungi from 54 low‐productivity Pinus sylvestris‐dominated plots across three study areas in Estonia and determined the main predictors of fungal richness based on edaphic, floristic and spatial variables. Fungal richness displayed unimodal relationship with organic matter and deduced soil moisture. Plant richness and productivity constituted the key predictors for taxonomic richness of functional guilds. Composition of fungi and the main ectomycorrhizal fungal lineages and hyphal exploration types was segregated by moisture availability and soil nitrogen. We conclude that plant productivity and diversity determine the richness and proportion of most functional groups of soil fungi in low‐productive pine forests on a landscape scale. Adjacent stands of pine forest may differ greatly in the dominance of functional guilds that have marked effects on soil carbon and nitrogen cycling in these forest ecosystems.     

Variations in foliar stable carbon isotopes among functional groups and along environmental gradients in China – a meta‐analysis

Variations in foliar stable carbon isotope signatures (δ¹³C) of different plant functional groups (PFGs) and their relationships with environmental factors in China were investigated in this meta‐analysis. There were some significant, but small differences in δ¹³C among PFGs categorised by life form (<1‰). Trees (?26.78‰) and shrubs (?26.89‰) had similar mean δ¹³C that were significantly higher than those of herbs (?27.49‰). Evergreen shrubs (?25.82‰) had significantly higher mean δ¹³C than deciduous shrubs (?26.92‰). Perennial herbs (?26.83‰) had significantly higher mean δ¹³C than annual herbs (?27.10‰). Grasses (?26.46‰) had significantly higher mean δ¹³C than forbs (?26.96‰). For pooled data, δ¹³C was significantly and negatively correlated with mean annual precipitation (MAP) and mean annual temperature (MAT), while it was significantly and positively correlated with latitude and altitude. There was a threshold value of MAP along the gradients, and δ¹³C did not change significantly with higher rainfall. The δ¹³C of PFGs changed with altitude, suggesting that increases in δ¹³C with altitude cannot be generalised. Differences in δ¹³C between PFGs were generally much <1‰ and therefore insignificant. In contrast, MAP and MAT had relatively large effects on δ¹³C (more than 4‰ between extremes). The δ¹³C of some PFGs responded to environmental gradients in the same manner, while their ‘rates’ of change were significantly different in some cases. This information could help predict potential changes in the distribution of PFGs in response to future climate change.     

海南三亚滨海雨林、半落叶季雨林到落叶季雨林的植物群落多样性及种间联结研究

为探索三亚沿海地区(自东向西)从滨海雨林过渡到半落叶季雨林、落叶季雨林的物种多样性及种间关系的变化趋势.该文采用植物群落学调查方法对三种植被类型进行群落调查,进一步使用物种丰富度指数(dGL)、Shannon-Wiener指数(H)、Simpson指数(P)和Pielou均匀度指数(E)来表征各植被类型的物种多样性水平...