Ecological and biogeographical effects of forest disturbance on tropical butterflies of Sumba, Indonesia

ABSTRACT. Butterfly assemblages within lowland monsoon forest were compared at four sites on Sumba, Indonesia that differed in terms of protection and exhibited associated differences in levels of human disturbance. A numerical method employing principal components analysis was devised for describing forest structure at each site. The first principal component (PRIN1) grouped attributes tending towards dense forest with closely-spaced trees, a closed canopy and a poorly developed field layer, with trees that tended to be large with the point of inversion in the upper half of the trunk. The highest values for PRIN1 were recorded within protected forest, and PRIN1 values were considered to be a useful index of forest disturbance at each site. Species diversity of butterflies was highest in unprotected secondary forest, but was not affected by lower levels of disturbance. Those species occurring at highest density in secondary forest generally had wide geographical distributions, whereas those species occurring at highest density in undisturbed primary forest had restricted ranges of distribution, in most cases with a separate subspecies on Sumba. Overall, an index of biogeographical distinctiveness decreased with increasing disturbance, and this supports the hypothesis that the most characteristic species of undisturbed climax forest have the smallest geographical ranges of distribution. Species abundance data for butterflies fitted a log-normal distribution at all but the most disturbed site. These results indicate that the pattern of proportional abundance of tropical butterfly species may be used as an ‘instantaneous’ indicator of forest disturbance, and that changes in the structure of tropical forests in S.E. Asia resulting from human disturbance, even within partially-protected forest, may result in the presence of butterfly assemblages of higher species diversity but of lower biogeographical distinctiveness, and therefore of lower value in terms of the conservation of global biodiversity.     

The small mammal fauna of Réserve Spéciale d'Analamazaotra,Madagascar: the effects of human disturbance on endemic species diversity

This study represents the first long-term small mammal survey of the mid-altitude rain forest reserve of Analamazaotra, Madagascar. Twenty-three visits were made to the reserve between April 1988 and May 1990. Live-trapping with Sherman and pitfall traps at four sites subjected to varying levels of human disturbance revealed the presence of seven endemic tenrec species, three endemic rodent species and an introduced rat. Greater species richness was demonstrated at the most undisturbed site, though individual species abundance was reduced. Human disturbance associated with tourism was correlated with a decrease in endemic species richness and an increase in abundance of introduced rats. Forest subjected to infrequent logging by local people exhibited an intermediate level of species richness. It is recommended that core areas of the reserve be left undisturbed in order to preserve small mammal species diversity.     

Elevational diversity gradients, biogeography and the structure of montane mammal communities in the intermountain region of North America

1  Distribution data were assembled for non-volant small mammals along elevational gradients on mountain ranges in the western U.S.A. Elevational distributions in the species-rich Uinta Mountains were compared to those on smaller mountain ranges with varying degrees of historical isolation from the Uintas.
2  For mountain ranges supporting the richest faunas, species richness is highest over a broad low- to mid-elevation zone and declines at both lower and higher elevations. Patterns on other mountain ranges are similar but reflect lower overall species richness.
3  A basic relationship between elevational and geographical distribution is apparent in the occurrence patterns of mammals on regional mountains. Faunas on mountains that have had low levels of historical isolation appear to be influenced by immigration rather than extinction. Species restricted to high elevations in the Uintas are poorly represented on historically isolated mountains and form a portion of local faunas shaped by extinction. Species occurring at lower elevations in the Uintas have better representation on isolated mountains and apparently maintain populations through immigration.
4  Several widespread species show substantial variation in maximum elevation records on different mountain ranges. This involves (1) an upward shift in habitat zones on small, isolated mountain ranges, allowing greater access by low-elevation species, and (2) expansion of certain low- and mid-elevation species into habitats normally occupied by absent high-elevation taxa.
5  Results indicate that montane mammal faunas of the intermountain region have been shaped by broad-scale historical processes, unique regional geography and local ecological dynamics. Parallel examples among mammals of the Philippine Islands suggest that such patterns may characterize many insular faunas.     

云南哀牢山山地湿性常绿阔叶林附生植物的多样性和分布

附生植物对山地森林生态系统的物种多样性形成及其维持机制、生态系统的水分和养分循环等有重要作用。作者调查分析了云南哀牢山原生山地湿性常绿阔叶林 80株不同种类、不同径级乔木上附生植物种类、数量及空间分布特征,结果表明该区森林附生植物种类较为丰富。共收集到附生植物 69种,分属 33科 49属,其中维管束植物32种,苔藓植物 37种。附生维管束植物的Shannon Wiener指数和Simpson指数分别为 2. 93和 0. 91,附生苔藓植物分别为 3. 31和 0. 95。附生维管束植物中蕨类较为丰富,以棕鳞瓦韦 (Lepisorusscolopendrium)、拟书带蕨 (Vittariaflexuosoides)、柔毛水龙骨(Polypodiodesamoenavar. pilosa)等为主;附生种子植物以黄杨叶芒毛苣苔 (Aeschynanthusbuxifolius)、长叶粗筒苣苔(Briggsialongifolia)、白花树萝卜 (Agapetesmannii)等为主。该地区全年气候潮湿、温凉,使得附生苔藓植物非常丰富,主要优势种类包括东亚鞭苔 (Bazzaniapraerupta)、小叶鞭苔 (B. ovistipula)、齿边广萼苔(Chandonanthushirtellus)、树平藓 (Homaliodendronflabellatum)、刺果藓 (Symphyodonperrottetii)、青毛藓 (Dicran odontiumdenudatum)、小蔓藓(Meteoriellasoluta)、尖喙藓(Kindbergiapraelonga)等。从空间分布特点上看,     

遂渝铁路边坡草本植物多样性季节动态和空间分布特征

以遂渝铁路边坡植物群落为研究对象,自然边坡为对照,分别于2008年9月、12月、2009年3月和6月对其进行植物调查。采用Margalef指数、Simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielou指数等指标评价不同季节、坡位和植被类型条件下草本植物多样性的变化。结果表明：在时间尺度上,铁路边坡坡中物种丰富度呈现明显的季节性差异(P<0.05),以秋季最大为2376;铁路边坡各坡位草本植物多样性和均匀度指数也呈现显著季节性变化(P<0.05),且变化规律一致：春季>夏季>冬季>秋季;与铁路边坡不同,自然边坡草本植物丰富度、多样性和均匀度指数变化趋势不明显(P>0.05)。在空间分布上,坡位对铁路边坡物种丰富度影响显著(P<0.05),其中,夏季坡上植物丰富度最大为2.164,春季、秋季和冬季丰富度最大值均在坡中最大,分别为2.261、2.376和1.983;坡位仅对自然边坡秋季物种丰富度和均匀度影响显著(P<0.05),其中,物种丰富度表现为坡上>坡下>坡中,而均匀度为坡中>坡上>坡下。不同植被类型的物种丰富度、多样性和均匀度也有较大差异,自然边坡物种多样性明显大于铁路边坡,总体上自然边坡植被恢复优于铁路边坡。因此,加强对植被恢复的管理是铁路边坡生态恢复的重要环节。     

西双版纳地区热带季节雨林与橡胶林林冠水文效应比较研究

季节雨林和橡胶林是西双版纳热带森林系统中可以代表原始林和大面积种植的人工林两种林型,采用水量平衡法,利用对以上两种林分林冠水文各分量1996～2001年的观测结果,初步分析其林冠水文效应,结果表明：一年内,季节雨林林冠截留量660．6mm,树干径流量80．7mm,穿透降雨量,853．2mm,分别占同期降雨总量的41．43％、5．24％、53．74％;橡胶林林冠截留量393．5mm,树干径流量104．1mm,穿透降雨量1096．8mm,分别占同期降雨总量的24．68％、6．68％、67．85％;两种林分森林水文各分量干、雨季差异显著,在研究中还发现,季节雨林中树干径流量随径级的增大而减小,干季出现密林(季节雨林)的穿透降雨量大于疏林(橡胶林)的反常现象;与我国其他地区相比,季节雨林和橡胶林有较大的林冠截留率及干流率。     

Ixodid ticks feeding on humans in South Africa: with notes on preferred hosts,geographic distribution,seasonal occurrence and transmission of pathogens

This paper records the identities of 558 ixodid ticks feeding on 194 humans in South Africa. These ticks belonged to 20 species in six genera and those most frequently encountered were Amblyomma hebraeum, Haemaphysalis leachi, Hyalomma marginatum rufipes, Hyalomma truncatum, Rhipicephalus appendiculatus, Rhipicephalus gertrudae and Rhipicephalus simus. With the exception of the larvae of R. appendiculatus, the incidents of these ticks feeding on humans correlated well with their seasonal occurrences on preferred hosts. Ticks were also collected at monthly intervals, for 14 consecutive months, from the clothing of a game-guard providing protection for field-workers engaged in the collection, by means of flannel strips, of free-living ticks from the vegetation of four localities in the southern region of the Kruger National Park. In addition, with the exception of 3 months when the particular worker was absent, ticks that fed on one of the field-workers were collected over the same 14-month period. A total of 54,429 free-living ticks belonging to 14 species and six genera were collected from the vegetation at the four localities during this time and 3751 ticks belonging to 11 species and six genera from the clothing of the game-guard. The larvae of A. hebraeum and Boophilus decoloratus were the most numerous of the immature ticks, and H. leachi and R. simus of the adults on both the vegetation and the guard’s clothing. Ticks fed on the field-worker on six occasions and 14 were collected, all of which were A. hebraeum larvae. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Structure,dynamics and dendroecology of an old‐growth Fagus forest in the Apennines

Abstract. Question: Which are the structural attributes and the history of old‐growth Fagus forest in Mediterranean montane environments? What are the processes underlying their structural organization? Are these forests stable in time and how does spatial scale affect our assessment of stability? How do these forests compare to other temperate deciduous old‐growth forests? Location: 1600–1850 m a.s.l., Fagus forest near the tree line, central Apennines, Italy. Methods: An old‐growth Fagus forest was studied following historical, structural and dendroecological approaches. History of forest cover changes was analysed using aerial photographs taken in 1945, 1954, 1985 and 1994. The structural analysis was carried out in the primary old‐growth portion of the forest using 18 circular and two rectangular plots. Dendroecological analyses were conducted on 32 dominant or co‐dominant trees. Results: These primary old‐growth Fagus remnants consist of four patches that escaped logging after World War II. Both living and dead tree components are within the range of structural attributes recognized for old‐growth in temperate biomes. Dendroecological analyses revealed the roles of disturbance, competition and climate in structuring the forest. We also identified a persistent Fagus community in which gap‐phase regeneration has led to a mono‐specific multi‐aged stand at spatial scales of a few hectares, characterized by a rotated‐sigmoid diameter distribution. Conclusion: Even at the relatively small spatial scale of this study, high‐elevation Apennine Fagus forests can maintain structural characteristics consistent with those of old‐growth temperate forests. These results are important for managing old‐growth forests in the Mediterranean montane biome.     

The role of climate,habitat, and species co‐occurrence as drivers of change in small mammal distributions over the past century

Species distribution models are commonly used to predict species responses to climate change. However, their usefulness in conservation planning and policy is controversial because they are difficult to validate across time and space. Here we capitalize on small mammal surveys repeated over a century in Yosemite National Park, USA, to assess accuracy of model predictions. Historical (1900–1940) climate, vegetation, and species occurrence data were used to develop single‐ and multi‐species multivariate adaptive regression spline distribution models for three species of chipmunk. Models were projected onto the current (1980–2007) environmental surface and then tested against modern field resurveys of each species. We evaluated models both within and between time periods and found that even with the inclusion of biotic predictors, climate alone is the dominant predictor explaining the distribution of the study species within a time period. However, climate was not consistently an adequate predictor of the distributional change observed in all three species across time. For two of the three species, climate alone or climate and vegetation models showed good predictive performance across time. The stability of the distribution from the past to present observed in the third species, however, was not predicted by our modeling approach. Our results demonstrate that correlative distribution models are useful in understanding species' potential responses to environmental change, but also show how changes in species‐environment correlations through time can limit the predictive performance of models.     

Diversity,dynamics and reproduction in a community of small mammals in Upper Guinea,with emphasis on pygmy mice ecology

As part of a large survey on reservoirs of Lassa fever in Guinea, three villages were investigated in high endemic zone, close to Sierra Leone border. Biodiversity of the small mammal community is presented in this study through a standardized trapping in houses, cultivations and forest. Identification of the small mammals was based on morphology and by molecular technique for sibling species. Of the 1123 specimens collected in 2003–2005, we identified seventeen species (thirteen Muridae, four Soricidae), leading to high diversity (Shannon index = 1.6–1.8) and high equitability (evenness index = 0.7–0.8) in cultivations and forest. In houses conversely, the rodent community was dominated by Mastomys natalensis (95–98%), leading to low diversity and equitability. Dynamics and reproduction were investigated in two species of pygmy mice, Mus mattheyi and Mus minutoides, two species of Praomys, P. daltoni and P. rostratus, and in Mastomys erythroleucus. The pygmy mice were abundant in cultivations in early rainy season, and reproduced from rainy to dry season. Praomys daltoni was also found more abundant in cultivations and seemed to reproduce between rainy and dry season, whereas P. rostratus preferred forest and cultivations in late rainy season, and reproduced throughout the year. Finally, M. erythroleucus was more abundant in forest in dry season, and seemed to reproduce from late rainy to dry season. This species had a low occurrence (6.5%) in the Faranah’s zone, and probably lived at its southern limit in Guinea. The presence of other Murinae, such as M. natalensis, Praomys spp as possible competitors in the same habitats, is discussed. For the first time, this study relates population biology of pygmy mice with molecular identification.     

地形因子对粤北山地森林不同生长型地表植物分布格局的影响

利用典范对应分析(CCA)方法研究了小地形变化对广东省车八岭国家级自然保护区山地常绿阔叶林不同生长型地表植物分布格局的影响.结果表明:坡向、坡度和坡位3个地形因子的综合作用对4种生长型地表植物(蕨类、木质藤本、草本和灌木)的分布格局均有显著影响.其中,坡向对4种生长型地表植物分布格局的影响均显著,坡度对灌木分布格局的影响显著,坡位对4种生长型地表植物分布格局的影响均不显著.从阴坡到半阴坡再到半阳坡,4种生长型地表植物的总个体数均逐渐减小,表明阴性植物在亚热带山地常绿阔叶林地表植物中占优势.大部分灌木属于阴性植物,其丰富度和多样性随坡向的变化趋势与总个体数一致.灌木对坡度的变化较敏感,在缓坡上数量较多.丘陵低山的坡位变化范围不大,对地表植物分布的影响不显著.在林分尺度上,地形因子在水平方向(坡向)上对地表植物分布格局的影响比垂直方向(坡度和坡位)大,反映出坡向是亚热带山地森林中影响水热条件的主要因子.     

Inter- and intra-specific diversity of Cuban Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae) based on morphometric analyses and its relation with geographical distribution

Background: Phenotypic variations have been observed in populations of west Cuban Pinguicula species. Such populations occur in patches under different ecological conditions associated with specialised habitats and separated by geographical and ecological barriers, which can lead to morphological differentiation.

Aims: To analyse morphological diversity among species and populations of Cuban Pinguicula; and to test if morphological variability is associated with geographical distribution and distance between populations.

Methods: We sampled a total of eight populations of P. albida, P. cubensis and P. filifolia and tested for morphometric differences among them by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) based on 31 quantitative traits. We also assessed the geographical isolation with respect to morphological distance.

Results: The studied species showed high morphological variability at both species and population level. Reproductive characteristics appeared to be more promissory than vegetative ones in distinguishing geographical groups since they clearly defined populations; nevertheless a strong component of individual variation was observed. According to the distance analysis, such morphological variations were correlated with fragmented populations and isolation and allowed the differentiation of two morphotypes of P. albida and two of P. filifolia.

Conclusions: We conclude that high phenotypic variation of the analysed species is related to geographical and ecological isolation which have led to the differentiation of morphotypes within species.     

Effects of different tree harvesting intensities on saproxylic beetle diversity in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in the Changbai Mountain,Northeast, China

1. Saproxylic beetles have gained increasing attention due to their role in the decomposition of rotting wood in forests. Studying the response of saproxylic beetles to tree harvesting is important for developing harvesting strategies that consider conservation of saproxylic beetle diversity.
2. We report results from a case study in which we designed four treatment stands to test the effects of forest harvesting intensity on saproxylic beetle diversity, harvest intensities of 0% untreated control (CK), 17.2% light harvest (LT), 34.7% moderate harvest (MT) and 51.9% high harvest (HT). Flight intercept traps were used to collect specimens of saproxylic beetles in each stand at 2, 3 and 4 years post-harvest.
3. The richness and abundance of saproxylic beetles were higher in MT and HT than in CK. Twelve of the 15 indicator species were significantly associated with MT or HT, whereas only three species were significantly associated with CK.
4. We found that moderate and high intensity harvesting affected the composition and increased beetle abundance and richness of saproxylic beetles, and light intensity harvesting had no effect on the beetle community in years 2, 3 and 4 post-harvest. There was no difference in the beetle community composition between moderate and high harvest stands.

     

Beta diversity of frogs in the forests of New Guinea, Amazonia and Europe: contrasting tropical and temperate communities

Aim To test the hypothesis that animal communities within environmentally relatively uniform lowland forests are characterized by low beta diversity, both in tropical and in temperate areas. Location Lowland forests in the basins of the Sepik and Ramu rivers in New Guinea, the Amazon river in Bolivia, and the Elbe and Dyje rivers in the Czech Republic. Methods A network of 5–6 study sites spanning distances from 20–80 to 300–500 km in each study area was systematically surveyed for all frogs, using visual detection and call tracking. The community data were analysed for alpha and beta diversity. Results Local (alpha) diversity of frog communities was similar in the two tropical areas, New Guinea (mean ± SE of 22 ± 1.4 species per site) and Amazonia (24 ± 1.7 species), but was significantly lower in Europe (8 ± 0.8 species). In Amazonia, 36 of the total of 70 species were recorded from single sites. In contrast, widespread species dominated in Europe, whereas New Guinea exhibited an intermediate pattern with both local and widespread species well represented. The rate of species accumulation across different sites was lowest in Europe, intermediate in New Guinea and highest in Amazonia. The regional species diversity, expressed as the combined number of species from five study sites, was 1.5 times higher than the local species diversity at a single site in Europe, 2.0 times higher in New Guinea and 2.7 times higher in Amazonia. The proportion of species shared between communities decreased with geographic distance in New Guinea and Europe, but not in Amazonia. Main conclusions Frog communities in the lowland tropical rain forests of New Guinea and Amazonia had similar numbers of species, but differed in their beta diversity. More species in Amazonia had restricted distributions than in New Guinea. Both tropical areas had markedly higher alpha and beta diversity than the temperate area in Europe.     

火干扰对云南苍山地表蜘蛛群落生活型组成及季节动态的影响

为揭示不同蜘蛛类群对火干扰的敏感程度及蜘蛛群落外貌对环境变化产生的响应, 本文选取苍山针阔混交林2007年火烧迹地作为调查样地, 以无火烧记录的样地为对照, 运用陷阱法调查地表蜘蛛群落生活型及季节动态。研究结果显示: (1)火烧迹地中朱氏狂蛛(Zelotes zhui)(相对优势度 DV' =33.03)、晨豹蛛(Pardosa chionophila) (DV'=22.53)和西菱头蛛一种(Sibianor sp.1)(DV'=8.75)占明显优势; 而对照样地中龙隙蛛一种(Draconarius sp.2) (DV'=63.50)占绝对优势; (2)火烧迹地的定居型蜘蛛相对多度为25.82%, 显著少于游猎蜘蛛(P<0.001); 而对照样地的定居型蜘蛛相对多度为92.07%, 显著高于游猎蜘蛛(P<0.001); (3)火烧迹地地表蜘蛛优势类群随季节更替明显, 在夏季和冬季多度为低谷期; 对照样地优势类群稳定, 为漏斗蛛科蜘蛛。研究表明, 火干扰改变了苍山针阔混交林地表蜘蛛群落生活型组成, 降低了定居型蜘蛛的相对多度和地表蜘蛛群落的季节稳定性。     

Hydrobiological analysis of a peat bog with emphasis on its planktonic diversity and population dynamics in Bumdeling Wildlife Sanctuary, eastern Bhutan

A pioneering limnological investigation was carried out in Bhutan in a small peat bog in the Trashiyangtse district (1950 m above sea level) from February 2000 to January 2002. The sampled pond water had low transparency (55.0–95.0 cm), was typically acidic (pH 5.69–6.58) with soft water (alkalinity, 11.0–36.0 mg/l; total hardness, 10.0–34.0 mg/l), and had low to moderate specific conductivity (17.0–62.0 μS/cm). Further, moderate Na (2.0–6.8 mg/l), K (1.8–13.5 mg/l), sulphate (0.85–2.99 mg/l), and silicate (2.5–15.0 mg/l) concentrations as well as low nutrient levels such as phosphate (0.006–0.170 mg/l) and nitrate (0.003–0.180 mg/l) characterize the water in the peat bog. The recorded net plankton comprised 27 species of phytoplankton and 49 species of zooplankton, with the latter indicating greater homogeneity and breaking down into Rotifera (23 species) > Cladocera (13 species) > Rhizopoda (8 species) > Copepoda (3 species) > Ostracoda = Nematoda (1 species each). On the other hand, the net plankton density ranged between 93 and 692 number/l (n/l) with numerical dominance by phytoplankton (68.5% ± 12%), of which Chlorophyceae were predominant (90 ± 63 n/l). Zooplankton showed moderately high diversity (2.745 ± 0.293) and evenness (0.925 ± 0.049) and exhibited almost equal abundance of four recorded groups, namely Cladocera (20 ± 15 n/l) > Rotifera (15 ± 6 n/l) > Copepoda (14 ± 7 n/l) > Rhizopoda (14 ± 4 n/l). While no significant impact of abiotic factors was recorded on zooplankton density, rainfall alone was the most important factor that influenced net plankton and various groups of phytoplankton. Comments on some comparative limnological attributes are also made with similar as well as different habitats in the nearby Himalayan countries.     

Geographic variation in seed traits within and among forty‐two species of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) on the Tibetan plateau: relationships with altitude,habitat, plant height,and phylogeny

Seed mass and morphology are plant life history traits that influence seed dispersal ability, seeding establishment success, and population distribution pattern. Southeastern Tibet is a diversity center for Rhododendron species, which are distributed from a few hundred meters to 5500 m above sea level. We examined intra‐ and interspecific variation in seed mass and morphology in relation to altitude, habitat, plant height, and phylogeny. Seed mass decreased significantly with the increasing altitude and increased significantly with increasing plant height among populations of the same species. Seed mass differed significantly among species and subsections, but not among sections and subgenera. Seed length, width, surface area, and wing length were significantly negative correlated with altitude and significantly positive correlated with plant height. Further, these traits differed significantly among habitats and varied among species and subsection, but not among sections and subgenera. Species at low elevation had larger seeds with larger wings, and seeds became smaller and the wings of seeds tended to be smaller with the increasing altitude. Morphology of the seed varied from flat round to long cylindrical with increasing altitude. We suggest that seed mass and morphology have evolved as a result of both long‐term adaptation and constraints of the taxonomic group over their long evolutionary history.     

苏浙皖毗邻地区珍稀观赏竹种的调查研究

据多年的调查研究 ,苏浙皖毗邻地区有 1 2种具有较高观赏价值的珍稀竹种。主要报道了这些竹种的分布概况、资源蕴藏量以及引种栽培现状 ,通过对产地气候等生态因子的分析 ,结合国内一些大地域的自然条件 ,确定了各竹种的适生范围。同时讨论了它们在造园中的应用 ,提出了若干保护与繁殖措施。