Tree species diversity of tropical forest vegetation in Xishuangbanna, SW China

Tree species diversity of four tropical forest vegetation types was investigated in Xishuangbanna, southwestern China. These are: tropical seasonal rain forest, tropical montane rain forest, evergreen broad-leaved forest and monsoon forest over limestone. A total of 17 samples were taken and four species diversity indices were calculated: Shannon-Wiener's H, the complement of Simpson's index, d, Fisher's and evenness index E. The results reveal the long-tailed rank/abundance diagrams of these forests. However, this feature is greatly reduced in the samples of monsoon forest over limestone. Tropical seasonal rain forest shows the highest tree species diversity of all four vegetation types. Owing to the variation of microenvironment, diversity values within the same vegetation type vary between the samples from different patches. The tree species diversity of single-dominant rain forest is not significantly lower than that of mixed rain forest, because the dominant species of some single-dominant rain forests are principally in the emergent layer. This is composed of sparse and huge trees of one species and, consequently, creates a unique canopy architecture and more heterogeneous microenvironments for the more diversified species composition under the emergent layer. The occurrence of tree species with small population sizes, particularly of species represented by only one individual, is highly correlated with the tree species diversity of the local forest vegetation. They are crucial elements in the richness of local biodiversity.     

Spatial dispersion patterns of trees in a tropical rainforest in Xishuangbanna,southwest China

Ecological Research - Spatial dispersion patterns of trees at different life stages are an important aspect to investigate in understanding the mechanisms that facilitate species co-existence. In...     

Diversity and composition of understory vegetation in the tropical seasonal rain forest of Xishuangbanna, SW China

Tropical forests vegetation and community research have tended to focus on the tree component, and limited attention has been paid to understory vegetation. Species diversity and composition of the understory of tropical seasonal rain forest were inventoried in a 625 m2 area (for sapling layer) and a 100 m2 area (for herb/seedling layer) in three 1 ha plots. We found 3068 individuals belonging to 309 species, 192 genera and 89 families. The most important family as determined by the Family Importance Value (FIV) was Rubiaceae in both sapling and herb/seedling layers. In terms of Importance Value Index (IVI), the shrub Mycetia gracilis (Rubiaceae) was the most important species in the sapling layer and the pteridophyte Selaginella delicatula (Selaginellaceae) was the most ecological significant species in the herb/seedling layer. Much more vascular plant species were registered in the understory than in the tree layer totaled among the three plots. The species diversity did not differ significantly among the tree layer, sapling layer and herb/seedling layer. Given that we still know little about the understory plant community for growth forms other than trees, the results from the present study indicate that more attention should be paid to the understory vegetation during the decision-making process for biodiversity conservation in the tropical forests.     

Clearance and fragmentation of tropical rain forest in Xishuangbanna, SW, China

Xishuangbanna, situated in the northern margin of the tropical zone in Southeast Asia, maintains large areas of tropical rain forest and contains rich biodiversity. However, tropical rain forests are being rapidly destroyed in this region. This paper analyzed spatial and temporal changes of forest cover and the patterns of forests fragmentation in Xishuangbanna by comparing classified satellite images from 1976, 1988 and 2003 using GIS analyses. The patterns of fragmentation and the effects of edge width were examined using selected landscape indices. The results show that forest cover declined from 69% in 1976 to less than 50% in 2003, the number of forests fragments increased from 6,096 to 8,324, and the mean patch size declined from 217 to 115 ha. It was found that fragment size distribution was strongly skewed towards small values, and fragment size and internal habitat differ strongly among forest types: less fragmented in subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest, but severe in forests that are suitable for agriculture (such as tropical seasonal rain forest and mountain rain forest). Due to fragmentation, the edge width was smaller in 2003 than that in 1976 when the total area of edge habitat exceeded core habitat in different forest types. The core area of tropical seasonal rain forest was smallest among main forest types at any edge width. Fragmentation was severe within 12.5-km buffers around roads. The current forest cover within reserves in Xishuangbanna was comparatively large and less fragmented. However, the tropical rain forest has been degraded inside reserves. For conservation purposes, the approaches to establish forest fragments networks by corridors and stepping stone fragments are proposed. The conservation efforts should be directed first toward the conservation of remaining tropical rain forests.     

High abundance of dioecious plants in a tropical coastal vegetation

We examined the frequency of hermaphroditic, monoecious, and dioecious species of angiosperms in restinga (sandy coastal plain) vegetation in SE Brazil. The study site was a vegetation mosaic comprising nine plant formations, ranging from open types to forest. Dioecy (14% of 566 species) was similar to other tropical vegetations and strongly associated with woodiness and entomophily. However, more interestingly, there was an exceptionally high percentage (35%) of dioecious species among the dominant woody plants. This pattern has not been previously reported, and we discuss the extent to which it is ecologically driven. We argue that the high abundance of dioecious plants in this resource-poor environment can be attributed to ecological traits related to long-distance dispersal, ecological vigor, and possibly, vegetative reproduction.     

The occurrence of C4 plants and their morphological functional types in the vegetation of Xinjiang, China

Floristic composition, morphological functional types and habitat distributions for C₄ species were studied in Xinjiang, North-western China. 89 species, in 9 families and 41 genera, were identified with C₄ photosynthesis. 48 % of these C₄ species were found in Monocotyledoneae, e.g. Cyperaceae (5 species), Gramineae (38 species), the other 52 % was in Dicotyledoneae, e.g. Chenopodiaceae (29 species), Amaranthaceae (7 species), and Polygonaceae (5 species). Compared with those in semi-arid grasslands in North China and tropical forests in South China, more plant families were found with the occurrence of C₄ plants in this arid region. Relatively higher annual species (63 %), shrubs (18 %), and Chenopodiaceae C₄ species (33 %) compositions were the primary characteristics for the C₄ species occurring in Xinjiang, and this was remarkably related with its arid environment. More Chenopodiaceae C₄ species occurring in the region suggested that this type of C₄ species may have higher capacity to fit the air and soil droughts. There was a strong relationship between C₄ occurrence and habitat distributions, more than half of the total 89 C₄ species were found in disturbed and cultivated lands and early stages of vegetation successions, indicating C₄ occurrence was not only related with climate changes, but also with land uses and vegetation dynamics.     

基于区域植被类型评估的气候变化对中国森林生态系统的影响

基于中国知网(CNKI)和学术Google主题词为“气候变化”与“森林”的科技文献,根据全国范围的不同区域植被类型,运用整合分析方法就气候变化对森林生态系统的影响进行了系统评估,结果表明:在观测到的影响中,各个区域植被类型的树木物候、森林生产力与森林火灾方面的影响趋势大体相同,但森林地理分布影响趋势存在一定的差异;在预计的可能影响中,各个区域植被类型的树木物候、森林生产力、森林碳储量、森林火灾方面的影响趋势大体相同,但森林地理分布、森林结构方面的影响存在一定的差异.最后对现有研究的不足及未来研究方向等进行了讨论和展望.     

西双版纳热带季节雨林地温特征

地温是森林气候重要的环境因素之一,与植物生长密切相关,且是影响土壤呼吸的关键因素,适宜的地温能够促进土壤微生物活动,加速凋落物分解,提高土壤肥力,对地温的深入研究有利于正确把握森林碳通量的变化规律.本文利用西双版纳热带季节雨林2003-2006年的地温数据,分析不同深度地温的日变化、季节变化及年际变化规律.结果表明:近地层地温呈现正弦变化趋势;深层地温相对稳定,随深度增加地温日变幅减小;地温峰值出现时刻随深度增加而呈现滞后现象,相位变化明显;地温季节差异明显,平均地温在雨季(5-10月)较高,雾凉季(11月-翌年2月)较低,干热季(3-4月)居中,地温垂直变化季节差异显著;地温年变化呈现单峰分布,最低值在1月,最高值出现在7月;总体来看,热带季节雨林的地温变化强度为地温年较差>地温年间变幅>不同深度间地温变幅>地温日较差.     

Litterfall production, decomposition and nutrient use efficiency varies with tropical forest types in Xishuangbanna, SW China: a 10-year study

Litterfall production, decomposition and nutrient use efficiency in three different tropical forest ecosystems in SW China were studied for 10 years. Annual mean litterfall production in tropical seasonal forest (TSF) (9.47?±?1.65 Mg ha^?1) was similar to that in man-made tropical forest (MTF) (9.23?±?1.29 Mg ha^?1) (P?>?0.05) but both were significantly lower than that in secondary tropical forest (STF) (12.96?±?1.71 Mg ha^?1) (P?<?0.05). The annual variation of litterfall was greater in TSF (17.4%, P?<?0.05) than in MTF (14.0%) or STF (13.2%). The annual mean decomposition rate of litterfall increased followed the order of MTF (2.72)?<?TSF (3.15)?<?STF (3.50) (P?<?0.05), which was not correlated with annual precipitation or annual mean temperature, but was rather related to litter quality. The nutrient use efficiency was found to be element-dependent and to vary significantly among the three forest types (P?<?0.05). These results indicate that litterfall production and decomposition rates in different tropical forest systems are related to plant species composition and are influenced strongly by coexisting species and their life stage (age) but less so by the species richness. Constructing multi-species and multistory man-made tropical forest is an effective way to enhance biological productivity and maintain soil nutrients on degraded tropical land.     

西双版纳热带山地雨林生物量研究

观测了西双版纳山地气候,建立了山地雨林生物量回归方程,调查了海拔1 100~1 820 m范围5块样地(面积0.16~0.25 hm2)的热带山地雨林生物量。结果表明,海拔1 105和1 610 m的年平均温度分别为20.1和16.6℃,年降雨量分别为1 659和2 011 mm,旱季(11~4月)降雨量分别为295和283mm,年平均相对湿度分别为81%和84%;5块样地生物量变化为256.4~368.6 t.hm-2,平均为312.6t.hm-2,其中乔木占97.1%、木质藤本占1.2%、幼树和灌木占1.3%、草本和幼苗占0.4%;采用热带季节雨林生物量回归方程估计山地雨林生物量,会使得总生物量以及树干和树根生物量高估38.3%~61.5%,树枝生物量低估7.6%~30.8%。可见,西双版纳山地海拔增加导致雨季降雨量增加,山地雨林生物量较热带季节雨林降低32.6%,季节雨林生物量方程不适用于山地雨林。     

Practice of conserving plant diversity through traditional beliefs: a case study in Xishuangbanna, southwest China

Developing various strategies for the global biodiversity conservation is important for today's critically degraded environment, and there is a growing recognition that the effective conservation of biodiversity will depend on the long-term participation and understanding of local communities. In order to establish the connection between traditional beliefs and the conservation of biodiversity, a case study was undertaken in Xishuangbanna, one of the richest areas in biodiversity in China. The Dai nationality, a dominant ethnic group in Xishuangbanna, has both Polytheistic and Buddhist beliefs, which have close relationships with plant diversity. This paper recommends the following approaches to conserve plant diversity by the application of traditional beliefs: (1) depending on the religious belief system, establishing an Association of Religious Plant Conservation to organize local people to participate in the conservation by means of religious activities, to document the indigenous botanical knowledge and to train local people; (2) training local people to different levels to improve their capacity in conservation of plant diversity with science and religion working together; (3) demonstrating the conservation of plant diversity through the recovering of holy hill forests and plants in temple gardens.     

Caesium,potassium and ammonium distributions in different organs of tropical plants

In the present work the distribution of ions in aboveground plant parts was studied in order to establish the suitability of using radiocaesium as a tracer for the plant absorption of nutrients, such as potassium (K⁺) and ammonium (NH₄⁺). We present the results for the distributions of ¹³⁷Cs, ⁴⁰K and NH₄⁺ from four tropical plant species: lemon (Citrus aurantifolia), orange (Citrus sinensis), guava (Psidium guajava) and chili pepper (Capsicum frutescens). Activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K were measured by gamma spectrometry and concentrations of free NH₄⁺ ions by a colorimetric method. Similarly to potassium and ammonium, caesium showed a high mobility within the plants, exhibiting the highest values of concentration in the growing parts of the tree (fruits, new leaves, twigs, and barks). A significant correlation between activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K was observed in these tropical plants. The K/Cs discrimination ratios were approximately equal to unity in different compartments of each individual plant, suggesting that caesium could be a good tracer for ⁴⁰K in tropical woody fruit species. Despite the similarity observed for the behaviour of caesium and ammonium in the newly grown plant compartments, ¹³⁷Cs was not well correlated with NH₄⁺. Significant temporal changes in the NH₄⁺ concentrations were observed during the development of fruits, while the ¹³⁷Cs activity concentration alterations were not of great importance, indicating, therefore, that Cs⁺ and free NH₄⁺ ions could have distinct concentration ratios for each particular plant organ.     

西双版纳热带季节雨林集水区基流特征

利用西双版纳热带季节雨林集水区1996--2006年日径流序列资料,计算出逐年基流指数值(BFI);以二水源假设理论为依据,用基流指数值对日径流资料做基流分割,计算出热带季节雨林集水区基流量.结果表明:西双版纳热带季节雨林集水区年基流指数值在0.24～0.45,均值为0.322,年间变化较小;月基流指数值在0.31～0.34,干季大于雨季;径流总量与降雨量年内变化趋势较为一致.本文结果将为热带森林生态水文功能研究和热带区域水资源的规划管理提供基础数据.     

Comb-footed spiders(Araneae:Theridiidae) in the tropical rainforest of Xishuangbanna,Southwest China

Xishuangbanna,with its typical tropical rainforest,is one of China's biodiversity hotspots.Through several years of extensive survey work on the spiders in rainforest and adjacent habitats,32 genera and 101 species,including 33 new species,of the family Theridiidae were collected.Four genera,Allothymoites Ono,2007,Nojimaia Yoshida,2009,Tekellina Levi,1957 and Yunohamella Yoshida,2007,are newly recorded from China.The 33new species are diagnosed,described and illustrated.Type specimens are deposited in the Institute of Zoology,Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing(IZCAS).