Soil disturbance regime in relation to micro-scale landforms and its effects on vegetation structure in a hilly area in Japan

To clarify vegetation-landform relationships, we examined the soil disturbance regime in relation to micro-scale landforms and its effects on vegetation structure in a mixed temperate forest in a hilly area in northeastern Japan. Soil profiles in each micro-landform unit were surveyed to elucidate the effects of soil disturbances on the vegetation structure. The hilly area studied consisted of an upper and a lower hillslope area divided by an erosion front, which differed considerably with respect to vegetation structure. In the upper hillslope area, canopy was closed and dominated by Pinus densiflora and Quercus serrata. In the lower hillslope area, on the other hand, canopy was less closed and shrubs, ferns, and herbaceous species were abundant. The species composition changed gradually from the crest slope to the upper sideslope to the head hollow in the upper hillslope area. However, micro-landforms in the lower hillslope area seemed to have less effect on the vegetation structure. This may be because the lower hillslope area, in contrast to the upper hillslope area, has suffered from soil disturbances, and hence shrubs, ferns, and herbs have developed irrespective of micro-landforms. Thus, vegetation can be quite different depending on whether or not sites have suffered from soil disturbance. In disturbed stands, it is suggested that the frequency and intensity of disturbance are more important for species composition than the type of soil disturbance.     

Vegetation restoration by seasonal exclosure in the Kerqin Sandy Land,Inner Mongolia

Grazing control has been reported to be effective for the control of desertification in semi-arid regions. However, economic reasons often make complete inhibition of grazing (complete exclosure) difficult to carry out. Grazing control has been applied to the Kerqin Sandy Lands, Inner Mongolia, China, by means of seasonal exclosure, whereby grazing is allowed from November to April. The harvesting of hay is also allowed once during September - October. The aim of the reported study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this seasonal exclosure on vegetation restoration. Species compositional data were obtained from 356 quadrats and ordinated by Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). Ordination indicated that landform was the most important factor influencing the species composition of the vegetation. Regardless of landform and type of grazing control, however, vegetation coverage, vegetation height and species richness were higher at sites where grazing had been controlled, than at sites lacking any control. Perennial species were dominant at the former while annual species were dominant at the latter. Both shrub and tree species were quite rare at the sites where seasonal exclosure had been carried out. It is concluded that seasonal exclosure is sufficient to restore and maintain grassland vegetation in and around the study area. When shrubby or tree vegetation is needed for reasons such as fixing sands or preventing sand dune remobilization, complete exclosure is recommended.     

Distribution of plant species in Israel in relation to spatial variation in rainfall

Abstract. Relations between the distribution of herbaceous and woody species from the flora of Israel and the variation (25–900 mm) in mean annual rainfall are described using a grid-based approach integrating multivariate techniques (cluster analysis and DCA-ordination) and GIS. The analysis was based on an extensive data base of vascular plant records in 10 km × 10 km grid cells representing the climatic zones of Israel. Cluster analysis revealed three geographically distinct clusters of grid cells which could be arranged along the main rainfall gradient in the study area. The main subdivision is between cells from the Mediterranean region and cells from the more arid region. The second subdivision separated cells from the arid region into two distinct groups which differed significantly in rainfall. Clustering of herbaceous and woody species was similar, but boundaries separating adjacent clusters based on woody species were consistently linked to more rainy areas. Cell scores on the first DCA-axis were significantly correlated with mean annual rainfall, but this relationship was not linear. Log-transformation of the rainfall data resulted in a higher correlation between the DCA-scores and rainfall, indicating that variation in rainfall had a stronger effect on species composition in relatively dry than in more mesic regions. Slopes of linear regression models relating cell scores on the first DCA-axis to mean annual rainfall, as well as the corresponding R²-values, were highest in the desert, intermediate in the dry Mediterranean, and lowest in the mesic Mediterranean territory. These results indicate that both the per-unit effect of rainfall on plant species composition and its relative importance as a determinant of compositional variation decreased from relatively dry to more mesic regions. The length of the first axis, as well as the slopes of regression models relating cell scores on the first DCA-axis to mean annual rainfall were consistently higher in the case of woody species which are characterized by a higher rate of compositional variation. Due to lack of comparable data, it is difficult to evaluate whether our results can be generalized to other regions. However, an analysis of data obtained from different parts of the world points to a considerable variability in the degree to which rainfall affects patterns of floristic variation. Our findings that compositional responses to rainfall may vary between different groups of species and may depend on the part of the rainfall range which is being considered may partially explain this inconsistency.     

Vegetation recovery patterns in early volcanic succession

Permanently plots were monitored from 1983 to the present on Mount Usu after the eruptions of 1977–78 which destroyed the pre-eruption vegetation by 1–3 m thick accumulations of ash and pumice in order to clarify the processes and mechanisms of succession. Until now, 163 species were recorded in the summit area. Most of these species were derived from vegetative reproduction throughout the volcanic deposits. Vegetative reproduction plays a major role on increases in cover. Although long-distance seed-dispersal species could immigrate to the crater basin, their cover increase was slow. Seedbank species only established in gullies where the original topsoil was exposed by erosion. Most annuais were supplied by the seedbank in the original topsoil and woody species originated via immigration, suggesting that the source greatly determines the species composition of establishing vegetation. Annual seedlings showed low survival, while overwintering perennial seedlings steadily established. Ground surface movements strongly restricted increases in plant cover and the distance from source vegetation was the principal determinant of plant density. Due to differences in disturbance intensity, successional rates were higher in the stable substrates outside gullies and lower on the exposed original topsoil in some gullies. Recipient of the Botanical Society Award of Young Scientists, 1994     

Do biodiversity patterns in Dutch wetland complexes relate to variation in urbanisation,intensity of agricultural land use or fragmentation?

Red list species densities of birds (maximally 22 km⁻²), and angiosperms (maximally 39 km⁻²) were used as biodiversity indicators in 21 larger complexes of wetlands across the Netherlands. Their covariability with a range of indicators of human land use was assessed, including population, road and visitor density, area covered by agriculture, open water, forest and residential housing. Data were collected on the wetland complexes as well as for a perimeter with 10 km radius. In a principal components analysis (PCA) with all land use variables, it was found that the population-density-related complex of urbanisation, fragmentation (by roads), and intensity of fertilizer use together explained most of the variability present (i.e. the first PCA axis explained 50%), whilst land use within these complexes was second with an additional 19% and waterside recreation third with 12%. Red list bird species density did not correlate with that of angiosperms, nor with any of the indicators used. For the 13 complexes on organic peatland, we observed an increase in maximum red list angiosperm species density with the proportion of open marshland (P < 0.01, r ² > 0.55), which, in turn, was negatively and closely correlated with the first PCA axis reflecting an urbanisation gradient across the Netherlands.     

陕北黄土高原丘陵区撂荒演替及其过程中主要乡土牧草的确定与评价

用系统聚类、撂荒年限两种方法对陕北黄土高原丘陵区撂荒演替序列进行分析,结果基本一致：1～6a,1年生杂草类群落→1年生杂草类＋丛生禾草群落→1年生杂草类＋根茎禾草群落或多年生草本群落→7～16a,多年生草本群落→多年生草本＋小灌木群落→17～42a：根茎丛生型禾草＋小灌木群落或小灌木＋多年生草本群落→小灌木群落或多年生草本＋丛生禾草群落,代表性群落依次为猪毛蒿（Artemisia scoparia Waldstet.et kit）群落或猪毛蒿＋长芒草（Stipa bungeana Trin.）群落→猪毛蒿＋铁杆蒿（Artemisia sacrorum Leded.）群落或冰草（Agropyron cristatum（L.）Gaertn）群落→铁杆蒿群落→铁杆蒿＋达乌里胡枝子（Lespedeza var.dahurica（Laxm.）Schindl）群落→白羊草（Bothriochloa ischaemum（L.）Keng）＋达乌里胡枝子群落或达乌里胡枝子＋铁杆蒿群落或铁杆蒿＋硬质早熟禾（Poa sphondylodes Trin.et Bge）群落.在此基础之上,提出将各物种在演替过程中重要值之和按大小排序,对前35位草种经适口性试验初步筛选后进行以粗蛋白、粗纤维等为指标的化学成分及以有效植被盖度为指标的生态效益的分析、评价,并依据两种评价结果对陕北黄土高原主要乡土牧草进行了综合评定,得出黄土高原23种乡土牧草具备较高的改良潜质,分为4类,主要归属于豆科（Leguminosae）、禾本科（Gramineae）、菊科（Compositae）等,并进一步探讨了黄土高原人工草场改良过程中不同荒地上草种的合理搭配.     

Community structure in montane grasslands of central Argentina in relation to land use

Abstract. We compared the responses of natural montane grasslands in central Argentina to two land-use patterns: cultivation - high intensity, low frequency, and short history of disturbance - and livestock raising - low intensity, high frequency and long history of disturbance. We analysed species composition, richness, and architectural traits in seven neighbouring sites under different land use. There were sharp floristic discontinuities between post-agricultural stages, whereas only minor shifts occurred among different grazing situations. Unlike cultivation, grazing did not produce significant differences in species richness and allowed very slight invasion by exotics. In post-cultivation situations, architectural differences were accounted for by species composition. In the case of different grazing intensities, they were mainly explained by morphological differences among populations of the same dominants. In view of the historical information and current ideas, we suggest that the differential responses to both land uses can be explained not only by the different frequencies and intensities of disturbance they represent, but also by their contrasting histories in the area. Accordingly, herbivory by ungulates should not be considered as a disturbance in these montane grasslands.     

浙江天童国家森林公园微地形与植被结构的关系

植物群落的本质特征之一是群落中的植物和环境之间存在一定的相互关系。丘陵地区的地形由各种微地形单元构成,这些微地形单元在空间上的分化提供的异质化的生境导致了区域丰富的物种和群落多样性的形成。选择浙江东部低山丘陵地区具有典型代表意义的天童国家森林公园,在地形识别的基础上,结合详细的植被调查,分析了不同微地形单元物种组成及其林分结构的变化。结果表明,基于物种组成相似性,7个微地形单元可以归为2组,与通过侵蚀前线划分结果一致。依据物种在这2个小尺度地形单元的分布格局,可以划分出3个特征种组,即上部坡面分布型、下部坡面分布型和无统计偏差型。壳斗科、山茶科、冬青科和山矾科常绿物种是构成上部坡面植被的主要成分,而榆科、槭树科、胡桃科和漆树科等的落叶种及樟科常绿种则是构成下部坡面植被的主要成分。下部坡面各微地形单元的林分垂直构造比上部坡面复杂,由榆科、槭树科、胡桃科和漆树科生境先锋种形成的明显超高层以及超大个体的存在是其显著特征。但其密度低于上部坡面微地形单元。上部坡面的顶坡和谷头凹地明显缺乏乔木层的存在。侵蚀前线是丘陵地区不同生境最重要的划分界限,由其切分的上部坡面和下部坡面是评价物种组成和林分结构的两大基本功能区域。     

Evolutionary patterns of Clavatoraceae (Charophyta) in the mesogean basins analysed according to environmental change during Malm and lower cretaceous

Evolutionary patterns of Clavatoraceae during the Malm and the Lower Cretaceous can be understood by considering how palaeoecological constraints of these charophytes were affected by palaeoenvironmental change. Speciation of Clavatoraceae reached maxima in the Tithonian and especially in the Lower Barremian, coinciding with an important areal extension and environmental diversification of freshwater swamps. Extinction reached a peak in the Upper Barremian, coinciding with the marine flooding of freshwater environments in Mesogea, and continued through the Aptian and Albian due to substitution of carbonatic freshwater swamps by terrigenous deltaic environments and probably by development of highly competitive aquatic flora of angiosperms. Anagenetic change within species attained maxima during the Berriasian and Lower Barremian, when freshwater environments became extensively developed. Absence of change (stasis) was marked during the Valanginian and Hauterivian, in a geological context of environmental stability and areal reduction of the freshwater environments.     

Vegetation mapping and multivariate approach to indicator species of a forest ecosystem: A case study from the Thandiani sub Forests Division (TsFD) in the Western Himalayas

QuestionsDoes the plant species composition of Thandiani sub Forests Division (TsFD) correlate with edaphic, topographic and climatic variables? Is it possible to identify different plant communities in relation to environmental gradients with special emphasis on indicator species? Can this approach to vegetation classification support conservation planning?LocationThandiani sub Forests Division, Western Himalayas.MethodsQuantitative and qualitative characteristics of species along with environmental variables were measured using a randomly stratified design to identify the major plant communities and indicator species of the Thandiani sub Forests Division. Species composition was recorded in 10 × 2.5 × 2 and 0.5 × 0.5 m square plots for trees, shrubs and herbs, respectively. GPS, edaphic and topographic data were also recorded for each sample plot. A total of 1500 quadrats were established in 50 sampling stations along eight altitudinal transects encompassing eastern, western, northern and southern aspects (slopes). The altitudinal range of the study area was 1290 m to 2626 m above sea level using. The relationships between species composition and environmental variables were analyzed using Two Way Cluster Analysis (TWCA) and Indicator Species Analysis (ISA) via PCORD version 5.ResultsA total of 252 plant species belonging to 97 families were identified. TWCA and ISA recognized five plant communities. ISA additionally revealed that mountain slope aspect, soil pH and soil electrical conductivity were the strongest environmental factors (p ≤ 0.05) determining plant community composition and indicator species in each habitat. The results also show the strength of the environment-species relationship using Monte Carlo procedures.ConclusionsAn analysis of vegetation along an environmental gradient in the Thandiani sub Forests Division using the Braun-Blanquet approach confirmed by robust tools of multivariate statistics identified indicators of each sort of microclimatic zones/vegetation communities which could further be used in conservation planning and management not only in the area studied but in the adjacent regions exhibit similar sort of environmental conditions.     

Vegetation succession in a floating mire in relation to management and hydrology

Abstract. The vegetation succession in a floating mire was studied in relation to management and hydrological conditions in a former peat cutting area in the northern part of the Netherlands. An existing map showed that in 1956 the vegetation consisted mainly of meadows, reedbeds and rich fen vegetation while a recent survey revealed that this picture had completely changed in 1989. The area had mainly become woodland but part had remained open, due to the continuation of a mowing regime. The timing of the mowing appears to be critical, especially during the earlier phases of the succession. Winter-mowing favours the development of eutrophic reedbeds, while summer-mowing promotes mesotrophic sedge communities. In the course of time these succession lines converge increasingly towards acidic vegetation types. The development from open water to embryonic bog differed greatly between sites with a similar management regime. Mostly this took only a few decades but in a few sites the vegetation had hardly changed since 1956. Whereas the former sites were acid throughout the profile, the latter showed a high pH from top to bottom. It is obvious that acidification does not occur as long as alkaline surface water can move freely underneath the floating mat. As soon as a given site becomes disconnected from the surface water the depletion of bases by infiltrating rainwater is no longer compensated. A rough estimate of the acidification rate shows that in an infiltration area three decades are sufficient for a floating mat of 40 cm to become completely decalcified. This corresponds well to the observed succession from rich fens to embryonic bogs in the same period. It is suggested that the best way to preserve rich fen vegetation is to start the succession anew by digging turf ponds.     

Movement patterns of threeAthalia sawflies in relation to the spatio-temporal distributions of their habitats

I compared the differences in the movement intensity of three species of sympatric Athalia sawflies, A. japonica, A. rosae and A. infumata feeding on cruciferous plants. Mark-release-recapture census was conducted to estimate movement distance, sex ratio and age composition of adult sawflies. In addition, the sex ratio of newlyemerged adults was examined by rearing field-collected larvae until adult emergence. Age composition and longevity of adults were estimated experimentally. The movement intensity was evaluated mostly with the indirect information thus obtained. Females moved more actively than males in all three sawflies. A. japonica females of all age classes moved actively in spring and autumn, but in summer they disappeared. Also, A. rosae females of all age classes moved actively in spring and autumn. In summer, in contrast with A. japonica, A. rosae females moved most actively among the three species in all seasons. A. infumata females, in particular the young females, moved most actively among the three species, except A rosae in summer. The movement patterns of the three sawflies were deduced in relation to the spatio-temporal distributions of their habitats. In spring and autumn, when host plants were abundant, A. japonica and A. rosae females were dispersed among the host patches within the census are. In summer, however, when host plants were scarce, A. japonica entered diapause, whereas A. rosae migrated to neighboring areas. On the other hand, A. infumata, in particular young famale, innately dispersed to seek for temporary host plants throughout the census seasons.     

Diversity patterns of plant functional types in relation to fire regime and previous land use in Mediterranean woodlands

Abstract. We explore patterns of diversity of plant functional types (PFTs) in Mediterranean communities subjected to landscape‐scale fire disturbances in a mosaic of uncultivated and old fields stands. We use regenerative and growth form attributes to establish two sets of PFTs of perennial species living in shrublands and pine forests of NE Spain. We test the following hypotheses: 1. Fire frequency decreases regenerative PFTs diversity by negatively selecting attributes with low regenerative efficiency. 2. Fire history has more influence on regenerative than on growth form PFTs. 3. The lowest diversity of growth form PFTs will be in old fields without recent fires. We surveyed stands of different combinations of fire and land use histories. Fire history included areas without fires in the last twenty years (unburned), sites burned in 1982 (1‐burned), and sites burned in 1982 and 1994 (2‐burned). Land use histories considered terraced old fields, and uncultivated stands on stony soils. We analysed patterns of PFT abundance and diversity at the stand level, and across the landscape (among stands absolute deviations from sample medians of the relative cover of PFTs). At the stand level, fire had more influence on the diversity patterns of regenerative PFTs than on growth form PFTs. Fire decreased the diversity of regenerative PFTs, due to the elimination of the species without effective mechanisms to post‐fire regeneration. This effect was not observed across the landscape, but seeders showed more variation in stands with longer history without fire. Land use contributed to explain the diversity patterns of growth form PFT (i.e. the number of growth form PFTs was lower in uncultivated, unburned sites), but it did not influence regenerative PFTs diversity. Patterns of PFTs diversity reflect the response to ecological processes operating at the landscape level. Overall, regenerative and growth form PFTs appear to be more sensitive to the fire history than to the past land use.     

Distribution of shrublands in relation to soil and climate in mid-subtropical China

Aims Understanding relationships between vegetation and environments is of importance for ecosystem restoration and management. However, information on how environments influence the floristic patterns of shrublands is lack, especially in the subtropical China. In this study, we explored how environments regulate species composition of shrublands at landscape scale in mid-subtropical China.Methods We investigated species composition and measured the climate and soil environments for 207 shrubland plots in mid-subtropical China (24°39′–30°08′N, 108°47′–114°15′E). We applied a hierarchical cluster analysis and indicator species analysis based on the Bray–Curtis similarity index to identify the main shrubland types and employed principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) to explore the relationship between floristic composition and environment.Important findings We identified four shrubland types occurring in different environmental conditions. Montane shrubland, dominated by species suitable for cool climates (e.g. Rhododendron simsii), were distributed in steep areas at comparatively high altitudes; foothill shrubland, dominated by mesophilous species (e.g. Loropetalum chinense), were distributed in low mountains and hills; pioneer shrubland, dominated by fast grow and short-life cycles species (e.g. Rhus chinensis), were distributed at low altitudes with dense population; and finally, limestone shrubland, dominated by calcicole plants (e.g. Coriaria nepalensis), were distributed in the extensive karst areas. Communities occurring in high pH soils were completely separated from those in low pH soils according to the hierarchical cluster analysis. PCoA ordination associated the four types with distinct edaphic and climatic gradients. Soil pH explained 63.3% of variation in PCoA, followed by soil depth and soil bulk density.     

Mineral-element composition ofLupinus albus andLupinus angustifolius in relation to manganese accumulation

Summary Lupinus albus andK. angustifolius were grown in the field, harvested prior to leaf fall and the Ca, Mg, Na, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, P and Si content of the leaflets, petioles, stems, young shoots and inflorescences determined. Element levels inL. albus parts had changed little from those at an earlier harvest, except in the inflorescences in which most element levels had decreased. Both species accumulated manganese;L. angustifolius only in, the leaflets andL. albus in most parts. The leaflets of both were enriched with iron and this with manganese accumulation in a soil of neutral pH is considered to result from reducing conditions in the rhizosphere increasing their availability to the lupins. Silica, present at trace levels, is unlikely to be important for tolerance of lupins to manganese.     

The response of herbaceous-layer vegetation to anthropogenic disturbance in intermittent stream bottomland forests of southern Indiana,USA

Between 1993 and 1995 we sampled herbaceous layer vegetation on 84 plots in Platanus/Asarum Wet-Mesic Bottomland forests to determine how these forests have responded to human disturbance. Four different disturbance types were sampled (abandoned agricultural are as, clearcuts, group-selection openings, and single-tree selection openings), and uncut 80–100 year-old reference stands were sampled for comparison. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), distance analyses (chord distance and normalized Euclidean distance) and similarity analysis (Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient) suggest that agricultural use has shifted herbaceous-layer vegetation composition away from that typical of the reference forests, but that clearcutting, group-selection harvest, and single-tree selection harvest have not greatly shifted herbaceous composition. This shift in vegetation on abandoned agricultural land resulted from a loss of indicator species, such as Cardamine concatenata (Michx.) Sw., Stellaria pubera Michx., and Laportea canadensis (L.) Weddell and an influx of disturbance, exotic, and nonforest species (e.g., Lycopodium complanatum L., Lonicera japonica Thunb. and Senecio aureus L.). However, only two species found in reference stands, Erigenia bulbosa (Michx.) Nutt. and Sphenopholis obtusata (Michx.) Scribn., were missing from clearcuts, group-selection openings, and single-tree selection openings. The species richness values of abandoned agriculture, clearcut, and group-selection plots were generally greater than those of single-tree selection and reference plots. Abandoned agricultural areas had much greater total species richness because of the influx of dry-site, exotic, disturbance, and non-forest species.     

坡面土地利用方式与景观位置对土壤质量的影响

坡面土地利用与植被的斑块化镶嵌是人类干扰山区景观异质性的特点,在卧龙湿润高山地区,森林砍伐、植被破坏,农业坡耕地与人工林种植是居民区附近土地利用多样化的原因,从样带与生态系统类型尺度上探究土地利用与坡面景观位置对土壤水分与养分的影响,利用定量化的方法,揭示坡面上土壤质量与土地利用类型,景观位置之间的关系。选取了四种典型的土地利用类型（灌丛,撂荒地,坡耕和人工林）与4个坡面位置（上坡,中坡,下坡和坡脚）,通过样带采样研究它们之间土壤养分的差异。利用主成分分析（PCA）等多元统计方法来定量化比较不同土地利用与坡位下的土壤质量。结果表明,灌丛有着较高的土壤质量指数（QI）。而人工林与农田的QI值较低。这表明灌丛在坡面上有着“肥力岛屿”效应。不同坡位条件下土壤质量指数（PI）表明,与中坡位和下坡位相比,上坡位与坡脚处土壤质量要高。结果说明坡面土壤质量的变化是土地利用方式变化与景观位置分异综合作用的结果。     

The macrofauna distribution in brackish inland waters in relation to chlorinity and other factors

The macrofauna of small isolated brackish waters on a barrier island in the Dutch Wadden Sea was sampled qualitatively. An attempt was made to correlate species composition and species richness to chlorinity characteristics and to data on the water regime of the localities studied.It is shown that the observed differences in the macrofauna cannot be explained by differences in chlorinity only. Present and former connections to other water bodies seem equally important.