Scales of spatiotemporal variability in macroinvertebrate abundance and diversity in monsoonal streams: detecting environmental change

1. We quantified spatial and temporal variability in benthic macroinvertebrate species richness, diversity and abundance in six unpolluted streams in monsoonal Hong Kong at different scales using a nested sampling design. The spatial scales were regions, stream sites and stream sections within sites; temporal scales were years (1997–99), seasons (dry versus wet seasons) and days within seasons. 2. Spatiotemporal variability in total abundance and species richness was greater during the wet season, especially at small scales, and tended to obscure site‐ and region‐scale differences, which were more conspicuous during the dry season. Total abundance and richness were greater in the dry season, reflecting the effects of spate‐induced disturbance during the wet season. Species diversity showed little variation at the seasonal scale, but variability at the site scale was apparent during both seasons. 3. Despite marked variations in monsoonal rainfall, inter‐year differences in macroinvertebrate richness and abundance at the site scale during the wet season were minor. Inter‐year differences were only evident during the dry season when streams were at base flow and biotic interactions may structure assemblages. 4. Small‐scale patchiness within riffles was the dominant spatial scale of variation in macroinvertebrate richness, total abundance and densities of common species, although site or region was important for some species. The proportion of total variance contributed by small‐scale spatial variability increased during the dry season, whereas temporal variability associated with days was greater during the wet season. 5. The observed patterns of spatiotemporal variation have implications for detection of environmental change or biomonitoring using macroinvertebrate indicators in streams in monsoonal regions. Sampling should be confined to the dry season or, in cases where more resources are available, make use of data from both dry and wet seasons. Sampling in more than one dry season is required to avoid the potentially confounding effects of inter‐year variation, although variability at that scale was relatively small.     

Edge effects on the orchid-bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apidae) at a large remnant of Atlantic Rain Forest in southeastern Brazil

Male orchid bees were sampled with chemical baits monthly from July 1999 to April 2000 at six sites situated at different distances from the forest edge (0 to 4,000 m) at Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, the largest remnant of Atlantic Forest in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The main goal of this study was to assess the abundance, richness, and the community structure of the orchid-bee fauna at different distances from the edge. In all, 1,183 males from 20 species were collected. Only minor and insignificant variation in richness and abundance were observed among the sites. Two dominant species, Euglossa analis Westwood (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and Eulaema cingulata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Apidae), showed strongly opposing habitat associations: while males of the former were most collected in the interior of the forest, the latter was most found at or close to the edge. The responses of individual species, such as these, and not composite measures of richness and abundance, are more informative regarding forest integrity and edge effects.     

Phyllostomid Bat Community Structure and Abundance in Two Contrasting Tropical Dry Forests1

Although tropical wet forests are generally more diverse than dry forests for many faunal groups, few studies have compared bat diversity among dry forests. I compared ground level phyllostomid bat community structure between two tropical dry forests with different precipitation regimes. Parque National Palo Verde in northwestern Costa Rica represents one of the wettest tropical dry forests (rainfall 1.5 m/yr), whereas the Chamela‐Cuixmala Biosphere Reserve on the Pacific coast of central Mexico represents one of the driest (750 mm/yr). Mist net sampling was conducted at the two study sites to compare changes in ground level phyllostomid bat community structure between regions and seasons. Palo Verde was more diverse than Chamela and phyllostomid species showed low similarity between sites (Classic Jaccard = 0.263). The distinct phyllostomid communities observed at these two dry forest sites demonstrates that variants of tropical dry forest can be sufficiently different in structure and composition to affect phyllostomid communities. At both dry forest sites, abundance of the two most common foraging guilds (frugivores and nectarivores) differed between seasons, with greatest numbers of individuals captured coinciding with highest chiropterophilic resource abundance.     

Seasonal variation in abundance and diversity of zooplankton in Asu River,Ebonyi state,Nigeria

The Physicochemical variables and Zooplankton of Asu River, Ebonyi State, Nigeria were studied monthly between October 2013 and June 2014 which covered the wet and dry seasons. The study was carried out monthly in two selected sites by collecting water samples for physiochemical analysis and zooplankton identification. Shannon-Weiner diversity and Margalef's indices were used to determine the zooplankton composition. Investigation on the physiochemical variables showed that water temperature, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, pH, conductivity and carbon (iv) oxide all recorded maximum values in the dry season. The present result also showed that the river is not seriously polluted. However, only carbon (iv) oxide and nitrate varied significantly between seasons (p < 0.05). Forty two (42) zooplankton species comprising Rotifera (7 families; 23 species), Copepoda (2 families; 8 species) and Cladoceran (6 families; 11 species) were identified. Rotifera spp. were numerically dominant and the most diverse group but the crustacean, Thermocyclops oithonoides dominated the total zooplankton biomass during the study. Species abundance showed inverse relationship with species richness, Shannon-Weiner diversity and Evenness. Zooplankton abundance was at its peak in the dry season while species richness, Shannon- Weiner diversity and evenness increased from dry season to wet season.     

Diversity,composition, and structure of tropical dry forests in Central America

Tropical dry forests have been reduced to less than 0.1% of their original expanse on the Pacific side of Central America and are considered by some to be the most endangered ecosystem in the lowland tropics. Plots 1000 m² were established in seven tropical dry forests in Costa Rica and Nicaragua in order to compare levels of species richness to other Neotropical dry forest sites and to identify environmental variables associated with species richness and abundance. A total of 204 species and 1484 individuals 2.5 cm were encountered. Santa Rosa National Park was the richest site with the highest family (33), genera (69), and species (75) diversity of all sites. Species richness and forest structure were significantly different between sites. Fabaceae was the dominant tree and shrub family at most sites, but no species was repeatably dominant based on number of stems in all fragments of tropical dry forest. Central American dry forests had similar species richness when compared to other Neotropical forests. There was no correlation between forest cover within reserves, or precipitation and plant species richness. There was a significant correlation between anthropogenic disturbance (intensity and frequency of fire, wood collection, grazing) and total species richness, tree and shrub species richness, and liana abundance. These results suggest controlling levels on anthropogenic disturbance within reserves should be a high priority for resource managers in Central America. Further research in forest fragments which examine individual and a combination of disturbance agents would help clarify the importance of anthropogenic disturbance on species richness and abundance.     

Alpha–beta diversity in trap-nesting wasps (Hymenoptera: Aculeata) in Southern Brazil

This study was carried out at the Parque Municipal das Araucárias, in the municipality of Guarapuava, state of Paraná, southern Brazil. The aims of the present study were to access the spectrum of wasp species inhabiting trap-nests in three habitats, to record their richness and diversity and elucidate the process responsible for their composition and abundance and to investigate if there is difference in their diversity between Brazilian tropical and subtropical regions. A total of 1097 nests, belonging to 21 species of solitary wasps, were collected. Of these, nine belonged to the family Vespidae (42.86%), six to Pompilidae (28.57%), four to Crabronidae (19.05%) and two to Sphecidae (9.52%). Crabronidae was the most abundant family in the samplings, with a total of 927 collected nests (84.3%). The environment that presented the greatest species diversity, richness and evenness was the grassland areas. Using the Bray–Curtis coefficient (beta diversity), the greatest similarity, in relation to species abundance, occurred between swamp and grasslands. In contrast, the araucaria forest was the habitat with the greatest dissimilarity, a result corroborated by the correspondence analysis.     

Environment heterogeneity and seasonal effects in ground-dwelling ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) assemblages in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, MG, Brazil

This work aimed to explore the response of ant species assemblage to contrasting types of forests in a semideciduous stationary rainforest, in the Parque Estadual do Rio Doce, South Eastern Brazil. We compared antropomorphic borders of this park and natural ecotones, such as lake margins continuous with forests, as well as preserved forests far from ecotones. We investigated whether ground-dwelling ant species richness, abundance and composition would change according to forest types and ecotones. We expected greater species richness in interior tall forest, compared with low forest or ecotone habitats. In addition, we tested the effect of climate seasonality on ant assemblages found in each studied vegetation type. Each forest type was surveyed based on a minimum transect sampling unit of 150 m long summing up 30 pit-falls per unit. Two sampling events, one in dry season (September of 2001) and another in the rainy season (January of 2002) were performed. For both seasons, tall forest presented greater total number of ant species, however lower mean ant species and abundance per trap than other forest types, thus corroborating the prediction that ecotones might present high alpha diversity. Mean species richness and abundance did not differ between interior low forest and lake edge, or between these habitats and reserve border. In general, species composition were not clearly defined by forest types. Results here found suggest that species loss or community dominance by generalist species, eventually due to deforestation, is probably a much greater problem than previously thought. However, to understand patterns of insect species diversity and distribution in tropical ecosystem should be taken in account much more comprehensive, spatially explicit sampling designs.     

云南高黎贡山地区蝴蝶群落多样性

位于滇西北的高黎贡山是全球生物多样性研究和保护的热点地区之一, 然而该地区昆虫多样性缺乏系统调查和总结。本研究聚焦蝴蝶类群, 考虑该区域高山峡谷特点, 结合海拔梯度、生境类型和季节变化, 采用样线法调查、分析蝴蝶物种多样性及群落结构变化。结果显示: 共观测记录到蝴蝶2,055只, 隶属于5科85属151种, 在历史记录上新增27种, 使该地区已知蝴蝶种类达488种; 其中蛱蝶科物种多样性最高, 灰蝶科次之, 凤蝶科最低。蝴蝶群落多样性分析结果表明: 中海拔1,000-2,000 m区域种类丰富、多样性指数最高; 低海拔区蝴蝶分布明显聚集, 并且与高海拔地区空间上分离, 少有重叠。该地区不同生境中蝴蝶的种类及数量差异也较大, 物种数及多样性指数在自然保护区最高、边缘交错带居中及农业种植区最低。此外, 蝴蝶的种类和数量也存在季节差异, 春季调查到的个体数少, 夏季观察到的物种数少, 两年秋季调查到的物种丰富度、多样性均高, 但存在季节内变化。总之, 高黎贡山地区不同海拔、生境、季节间和季节内蝴蝶群落组成有自身特点, 共存物种有限, 蝴蝶群落相似性低。综合评估分布于该地区的蝴蝶保护种类, 包括易危种17种、近危种50种, 有国家二级保护蝴蝶3种。本研究弄清了高黎贡山地区蝴蝶的物种本底, 并调查获得其多样性随海拔、生境和季节变化的模式, 为加强区域物种多样性监测、保护生物多样性提供了科学依据。     

The effects of land-use change on arthropod richness and abundance on Santa Maria Island (Azores): unmanaged plantations favour endemic beetles

We study how endemic, native and introduced arthropod species richness, abundance, diversity and community composition vary between four different habitat types (native forest, exotic forest of Cryptomeria japonica, semi-natural pasture and intensive pasture) and how arthropod richness and abundance change with increasing distance from the native forest in adjacent habitat types in Santa Maria Island, the Azores. Arthropods were sampled in four 150 m long transects in each habitat type. Arthropods were identified to species level and classified as Azorean endemic, single-island endemic (SIE), native, or introduced. The native forest had the highest values for species richness of Azorean endemics, SIEs and natives; and also had highest values of Azorean endemic diversity (Fisher’s alpha). In contrast, the intensive pasture had the lowest values for endemic and native species richness and diversity, but the highest values of total arthropod abundance and introduced species richness and diversity. Arthropod community composition was significantly different between the four habitat types. In the semi-natural pasture, the number of SIE species decreased with increasing distance from the native forest, and in the exotic forest the abundance of both Azorean endemics and SIEs decreased with increasing distance from the native forest. There is a gradient of decreasing arthropod richness and abundance from the native forest to the intensive pasture. Although this study demonstrates the important role of the native forest in arthropod conservation in the Azores, it also shows that unmanaged exotic forests have provided alternative habitat suitable for some native species of forest specialist arthropods, particularly saproxylic beetles.     

Ichthyofauna from wetlands of San Pedro, Balancán, Tabasco, México

San Pedro River's wetlands sustain trophic nets in the fluvial system, due to the high habitat availability, and space and temporal variations. In order to describe the relationship between environmental parameters and ichthyofauna, this study evaluated fish assemblages composition, distribution, abundance, density, biomass, richness species, diversity and equitability in the wetlands. Sampling considered three different sites and climatic seasons (dry, rainy and cold fronts). The physical and chemical parameters considered were dissolved oxygen, temperature, pH, water transparency and the depth. Fishes were caught with a shrimp net, after six minutes towings and were identified afterwards. A total of 1 049 organisms of 25 fish species were caught, two of which were exotic species: Oreochromis niloticus and Parachromis managuense. A total of 23 species were found at site I (with the highest density 0.23 ind./m2), 17 at site II (0.23 ind./m2) and 14 at site III (0.12 ind./m2). The dry season had the highest species number with 21 species, followed by the rainy season with 17 species, and the cold season with five species. Similarly, the highest biomass (8.30 g/m2) was found in dry season, followed by the rainy (2.16 g/m2) and the cold seasons (0.03 g/m2). Considering seasons, highest density was found during the dry (0.436 ind./m2), followed by the rainy (0.213 ind./m2) and the cold (0.023 ind./m2) seasons. The dominant density species during the study period, according to the quadrants graphic of Olmstead-Tukey were: Petenia splendida, Vieja heterospila, Vieja synspila, Dorosoma petenense and Astyanax aeneus. There were significant differences in the species richness among sites. Temperature, depth and transparency showed differences among the seasons. The canonical correspondence analysis indicated that fish distribution was governed by environmental parameters during all seasons. In terms of fish abundance and composition, environmental parameters play an important role showing spatial and temporal differences in the ecosystem, this could be explained with the fact that most of young fishes have a movement behavior to the wetlands, searching refuge and feed during the dry season. Considering the diversity indexes variation, it may be concluded that San Pedro River's wetlands correspond to a system where the ichthyofauna composition fluctuates spatial and seasonally.     

Inventory,diversity and communities of macrofungi in the Collestrada forest (Umbria,central Italy)

In this study, an inventory of the macrofungi in the Collestrada forest (Umbria, Italy).was performed through the collection of sporocarps of basidiomycetes and ascomycetes over a period of three years. Sampling was performed in selected sites’ representatives of the seven wood types present in the Collestrada forest. A total of 341 species were identified and a comprehensive spatial and seasonal analysis of macrofungal species richness, abundance and diversity was performed. Patterns of fungal fructification varied greatly between species and ecological groups, over the years and seasons. Differences in fungal species composition and abundance were detected between the wood types, however, changes of meteorogical conditions, especially the rainfall level and relative humidity, during the growing seasons and years have a major impact on determining the structure of fungal communities. As 143 of the fungal species identified matched with those included in the Red List (or proposals for Red Lists) in several European countries, the studied sites may represent important areas for conservation of fungal diversity (IFA). The results of this study constitute a powerful tool to optimize conservation strategies and policy.     

Negative per capita effects of two invasive plants, Lythrum salicaria and Phalaris arundinacea, on the moth diversity of wetland communities

Invasive plants have been shown to negatively affect the diversity of plant communities. However, little is known about the effect of invasive plants on the diversity at other trophic levels. In this study, we examine the per capita effects of two invasive plants, purple loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) and reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea), on moth diversity in wetland communities at 20 sites in the Pacific Northwest, USA. Prior studies document that increasing abundance of these two plant species decreases the diversity of plant communities. We predicted that this reduction in plant diversity would result in reduced herbivore diversity. Four measurements were used to quantify diversity: species richness (S), community evenness (J), Brillouin's index (H) and Simpson's index (D). We identified 162 plant species and 156 moth species across the 20 wetland sites. The number of moth species was positively correlated with the number of plant species. In addition, invasive plant abundance was negatively correlated with species richness of the moth community (linear relationship), and the effect was similar for both invasive plant species. However, no relationship was found between invasive plant abundance and the three other measures of moth diversity (J, H, D) which included moth abundance in their calculation. We conclude that species richness within, and among, trophic levels is adversely affected by these two invasive wetland plant species.     

台湾海峡浮游翼足类群聚之季节动态

本研究利用水产试验所研究船“水试一号”于2006年冬(1月)夏(7月)两季在台湾海峡海域进行水文探测及浮游动物采样, 以探讨浮游翼足类群聚组成与丰度之时空分布及其与水文环境的相关性。结果发现浮游翼足类夏季的丰度及多样性指数明显较冬季高, 而种类数则差异不大; 两季间优势种类组成相似但优势排名略有不同, 夏季主要优势种为棒笔帽螺(Creseis clava)、尖笔帽螺(C. acicula)和马蹄螔螺(Limacina trochiformis), 合占所有翼足类丰度的97%, 其中仅棒笔帽螺就占了总丰度的62%; 冬季主要优势种为胖螔螺(Limacina inflata), 占翼足类丰度的72%。翼足类丰度在空间上的分布亦有明显的季节差异, 夏季时以台湾海峡北部较高, 冬季则以南部较高。种类数与物种多样性指数则均以海峡南部较高。由水文站群分析及各站群生物及水文特征结果显示, 台湾海峡季节性水团的消长与翼足类群聚分布有十分密切的关联。     

Host Specificity, Alpha- and Beta-Diversity of Phytophagous Beetles in Two Tropical Forests in Panama

Species diversity, host specificity and species turnover among phytophagous beetles were studied in the canopy of two tropical lowland forests in Panama with the use of canopy cranes. A sharp rainfall gradient occurs between the two sites located 80 km apart. The wetter forest is located in San Lorenzo Protected Area on the Caribbean side of the isthmus, and the drier forest is a part of the Parque Natural Metropolitano close to Panama City on the Pacific slope. Host specificity was measured as effective specialization and recorded by probability methods based on abundance categories and feeding records from a total of 102 species of trees and lianas equally distributed between the two sites. The total material collected included more than 65,000 beetles of 2462 species, of which 306 species were shared between the two sites. The wet forest was 37% more species rich than the dry forest due to more saproxylic species and flower visitors. Saproxylic species and flower visitors were also more host-specific in the wet forest. Leaf chewers showed similar levels of species richness and host specificity in both forests. The effective number of specialized species per plant species was higher in the wet forest. Higher levels of local alpha- and beta-diversity as well as host specificity based on present data from a tropical wet forest, suggests higher number of species at regional levels, a result that may have consequences for ecological estimates of global species richness.     

Population genetic structure of the round stingray Urobatis halleri (Elasmobranchii: Rajiformes) in southern California and the Gulf of California

The round stingray, Urobatis halleri, is a viviparous elasmobranch that inhabits inshore, benthic habitats ranging from the western U.S.A. to Panama. The population genetic structure of this species was inferred with seven polymorphic microsatellite loci in samples collected at three sites in coastal southern California, one near Santa Catalina Island, California and one in the eastern Gulf of California. Urobatis halleri is relatively common, but little is known of its movement patterns or population structure. Small F_ST values (?0·0017 to 0·0005) suggested little structure among coastal populations of southern and Baja California. The population sampled at Santa Catalina Island, which is separated by a deep‐water channel from the coastal sites, however, was significantly divergent (large F_ST, 0·0251) from the other populations, suggesting low connectivity with coastal populations. The Santa Catalina Island population also had the lowest allele richness and lowest average heterozygosity, suggesting recent population bottlenecks in size.     

海南热带雨林国家公园不同植被类型的大型真菌多样性

为揭示海南热带雨林国家公园大型真菌多样性及不同植被类型对真菌群落的影响, 本研究于2020年和2021年湿季对海南热带雨林国家公园内7个管理局辖区开展了大型真菌多样性调查, 比较了不同植被类型(山地雨林、低地雨林、低地雨林次生林、人工林)的大型真菌生活型(共生型、腐生型)组成差异。从设置的58条1 km长的样带内采集到1,869份子实体标本, 根据子实体形态与ITS rDNA序列分析, 从中鉴定出562种真菌, 涉及17目64科174属, 其中80%以上的物种由伞菌目、牛肝菌目、红菇目、多孔菌目、鸡油菌目、锈革孔菌目和炭角菌目构成。大型真菌的营养型以腐生型(占48.2%物种)和共生型(44.8%)为主。每条样带的平均物种丰富度和多度以中海拔的山地雨林最高, 分别为28 ± 5种和33 ± 6个, 而人工林最低, 分别为11 ± 1种和11 ± 2个。植被类型主要影响共生型大型真菌物种丰富度(P = 0.026)和子实体多度(P = 0.019)及Shannon-Wiener多样性(P = 0.028), 但对腐生型大型真菌的影响并不显著。多响应置换过程(multiple response permutation procedure, MRPP)检验结果表明, 不同植被类型对共生型与腐生型大型真菌群落物种组成均有显著影响(腐生型: P = 0.004, 共生型: P = 0.041)。冗余分析(redundancy analysis, RDA)的结果表明, 植被类型对腐生型和共生型真菌群落物种组成差异的解释度均较低(共生型: R² = 0.068, P = 0.004; 腐生型: R² = 0.067, P = 0.004)。海拔仅对腐生型真菌群落物种组成产生微弱影响(R² = 0.029, P = 0.001), 而对共生型真菌影响不显著(R² = 0.024, P = 0.072)。在不同保护地之间, 共生型(R² = 0.148, P = 0.001)与腐生型(R² = 0.123, P = 0.002)真菌物种组成均具显著差异; 基于样带‒真菌矩阵的网络图显示, 海南热带雨林国家公园内尖峰岭、霸王岭、五指山等国家级自然保护区的山地雨林是共生型大型真菌多样性较高区域, 应作为共生型真菌与宿主的优先保护区域。     

Species Diversity and Temporal Variation of the Orchid-Bee Fauna (Hymenoptera, Apidae) in a Conservation Gradient of a Rocky Field Area in the Espinhaço Range, State of Minas Gerais, Southeastern Brazil

This study investigated the orchid-bee community in a conservation gradient of the high-altitude rocky fields in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Sampling was performed at two sites with different anthropic influences: a disturbed area (DA), with exotic plant species, and a preserved area (PA). From September 2009 through February 2011, males of euglossine bees were sampled using aromatic bait-traps. We collected a total of 819 specimens belonging to 11 species and three genera: Euglossa Latreille, Eulaema Lepeletier, and Eufriesea Cockerell. Despite the proximity of DA and PA (about 1.2 km), differences in orchid-bee abundance and richness were observed. Higher abundance was observed in the PA (n?=?485) compared with the DA (n?=?334). Eight species were common to both sites, and only the DA showed exclusive species. The DA showed higher diversity and higher estimated species richness. Euglossa leucotricha Rebêlo & Moure was the most abundant species at both sites followed by Euglossa melanotricha Moure. Higher abundance and richness were found in the warm rainy season. This study contributes to the knowledge of the orchid-bee fauna in the rocky fields and suggests that the greater resource availability in the DA was responsible for the higher orchid-bee diversity.     

The abundance and diversity of Odonata along an altitudinal gradient in East Java,Indonesia

Odonate diversity in East Java was surveyed, and samplings were made during 2 years in ten sites along an altitudinal gradient. The characteristics of odonate assemblages in East Java were analyzed regarding of the number of individuals, the number of species, and Shannon's diversity index. The differences in abundance, species richness, and diversity between study sites were analyzed by an independent t‐test. There were 3270 individuals of Odonata belong to 30 species, 7 families and 2 suborders identified from all study sites. The abundance, species richness and diversity of Odonata varied between study sites. The greatest abundance of Odonata was found in Malang Coban Talun (MCT) (148.8 ± 9.5), while the lowest was in South Beach Forest (SBF) (14.4 ± 3.6). The highest species richness and diversity was found in Malang Paddy Field (MPF) (richness =14.4 ± 0.8 and H′ = 2.4 ± 0.1), while the lowest was found in South Coastal Area (SCA) (richness =2.8 ± 0.1 and H′ = 0.4 ± 0.1). A significant positive correlation was detected between the elevation and overall odonate abundance (P < 0.05), while there was not significant correlation between that and odonate species richness and diversity.     

Numerical responses of different trophic groups of invertebrates to manipulations of plant diversity in grasslands

We studied the effects of plant diversity on abundance of invertebrate herbivores, parasitoids and predators in two grassland communities (one in Switzerland and one in Sweden) in which plant species richness and functional diversity have been experimentally manipulated. Among herbivores, the abundance of only the most sessile and specialised groups (leafhoppers and wingless aphids) was affected by plant diversity. At both sites, numbers of leafhoppers in sweep net samples showed a linear, negative relationship with plant species number whereas numbers of wingless aphids in suction samples increased with the number of plant functional groups (grasses, legumes, and non-legume forbs) present in the plot. Activity of carabid beetles and spiders (as revealed by pitfall catches) and the total number of predators in pitfalls at the Swiss site decreased linearly with increases in the number of plant species and plant functional groups. Abundance of more specialised enemies, hymenopteran parasitoids, was not affected by the manipulations of plant diversity. Path analysis and analysis of covariance indicated that plant diversity effects on invertebrate abundance were mostly indirect and mediated by changes in plant biomass and cover. At both sites, plant species composition (i.e. the identity of plant species in a mixture) affected numbers of most of the examined groups of invertebrates and was, therefore, a more important determinant of invertebrate abundance in grasslands than plant species richness per se or the number of plant functional groups. The presence of legumes in a mixture was especially important and led to higher numbers of most invertebrate groups. The similarity of invertebrate responses to plant diversity at the two study sites indicates that general patterns in abundance of different trophic groups can be detected across plant diversity gradients under different environmental conditions.     

What we know and do not know about moth diversity from seven-year-monitoring in Mt. Jirisan National Park,South Korea

We sampled macromoths from 2005 to 2011 at six sites in Mt. Jirisan National Park (JNP), the oldest and largest national park in South Korea, to address the following questions: (1) what is the total macromoth species richness of JNP and can the total moth species richness be estimated after 7-years? (2) What is the proportion of moth families and is this pattern of family dominance similar to that seen in other areas? (3) What are the yearly and monthly patterns of macromoth richness? In total, 24,890 individuals belonging to 948 species of 14 families of macrolepidoptera were collected. An estimated species number of 1096 was calculated using the Chao 1 estimator. A rank abundance plot showed a typical log-normal distribution. The proportions of dominant families were similar to those reported in temperate and tropical moth fauna studies: Noctuidae was the most species-rich taxon, followed by Geometridae, Erebidae, Notodontidae, Drepanidae, and Sphingidae. Overall species richness and abundance were greatest in June, but the patterns of species richness and abundance varied by season and site. Within years, patterns of species richness were correlated with phenology but not the proximity of sites to one another in JNP. We provide various hypotheses to explain the high moth diversity in JNP, and future perspectives based on the results of our 7-year moth monitoring study.