Uncommon vascular plant species in an East-Central Swedish forest area-a comparison between young and old stands

Abundance of uncommon vascular plant species (indicator species and red-listed species) was recorded in 120 circular (12.6 m²) random plots in young (10–24 years after deal-cutting) and old (>80 years) forest stands, respectively, in the forest area of Vällen (2 600 ha), ca. 80 km north of Stockholm, Sweden. Factors describing stand density, field-layer and soil moisture were recorded. A total of 16 species were observed and of these 14 were found in old and 9 in young stands. Seven species occurred exclusively in the old stands and two in the young stands. The total number of species records was significantly higher in young than in old stands, 80 and 71, respectively. Mean number of records per ha was ca. 530 for the young stands and ca. 470 for the old. Of the five species common enough to be tested, a difference was only found for Paris quadrifolia , which was significantly more frequent in young than old stands. Galium odoratum, Hepatica nobilis, Lathyrus vernus and Paris quadrifolia grew in significantly more sheltered sites, e.g. beneath other herbs and grasses or close to shrubs and trees in young compared to old stands. Nested subset analysis showed that the whole data-set had a nested structure. Galium odoratum was significantly nested and thus indicated rich plant assemblages. In this calcareous area with nutrient-rich forest soils, there evidently is a potential for at least some uncommon vascular plant species to survive the phases following clearcutting. The study indicates that green-tree retention at final fellings and avoidance of heavy shrub removal during cleaning are beneficial to the flora.     

Necessity and reality of monitoring threatened European vascular plants

Species monitoring is the regular observation and recording of changes in status and trend of species in a certain territory. The primary purpose of monitoring is to collect information that can be used to examine the outcomes of management actions and to guide management decisions. Here, we analyze plant species monitoring to provide a first overview on efforts made to monitor trends in vascular plant biodiversity in Europe. Our study is based on an assessment of 63 plant monitoring schemes from Europe (collected into a database “DaEuMon”), and 33 schemes found with literature screening. Altogether, the monitoring schemes cover 354 vascular plant species, of which 69 are listed in Annex II of the EU Habitats Directive (= EU protected species; Annex II includes 420 species). In most cases, an EU protected plant species occurs in 3 countries but is monitored in only 1 country. Scientific interest was the main reason for launching a monitoring scheme in 21% of the schemes from the database, but in 58% of the schemes from the literature survey. The current schemes collect insufficient data particularly on the dynamics of the extent and distribution pattern of species. We conclude that planning to publish monitoring data when designing a scheme would improve the quality and general effect of monitoring programs. The needs to cover the taxonomic diversity and the integration of different scales, as well as the inclusion of monitoring in the context of different types of sustainable management would require a strong emphasis in the development of monitoring schemes.     

Geographic distribution patterns and status assessment of threatened plants in China

Large scale heterogeneous distribution of biodiversity has become a hot topic for ecologists and conservationists. A threat status assessment combined with geographic distribution patterns of threatened plants in China has been conducted at a national scale in this study based upon a distribution database that refers to both specimen records and published references. Currently, 302 threatened plant species are cataloged in the “National Protected Key Wild Plants” in China belonging to 92 families and 194 genera. Results of the assessment according to the Categories and Criteria system of The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List indicate that three species have been assessed as Extinct in Wild (EW) while a further 79, 99 and 112 species have been assessed as Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN), and Vulnerable (VU), respectively. Distribution patterns of threatened plants were analyzed with GIS to identify areas of high species diversity. It was found that threatened plant species occur unevenly within counties and are concentrated in the following eight hotspots: the central and southern Hengduanshan mountain area; the southeast regions of Yunnan as well as Xishuangbanna and southwestern Guangxi; the southern Hainan island; the border mountainous regions of Guizhou, Hunan and Guangxi provinces; the mountainous regions of southwestern Hubei and northern Hunan; southwestern Zhejiang and western Fujian; central Sichuan and southern Gansu; and the western mountains of Guangdong. Moreover, the 12 counties with the greatest number of threatened plant species represent cumulatively more than 50% of the total listed species and, therefore, are the regions in China that should be prioritized for conservation efforts. By overlapping the map of threatened plant species with the distribution of national nature reserves, a gap was identified in protected areas. This research will ultimately provide insights for prioritizing biodiversity conservation as well as processing the mechanisms of distribution patterns.     

石山稀有濒危植物在迁地保护后的性状变异

本文对比研究了7种石山稀有濒危植物在石灰岩土壤以及迁移到酸性土壤后的外形特征,生长发育习性及化学元素含量,结果表明,7种石山稀有濒危植物迁移到酸性土壤后发生了以下变化：1）外形变化主要表现为叶片变大变薄,有的植物种子或叶形有变化;2）迁移后开花,结实,落叶期晚1周以上,在气候条件相同的地区,营养生长期没有变化;3）植物体内的化学元素N,Zn,B,Al的含量增加20％以上,而Ca含量减少10％;4）Al的含量虽增加很多,但仍远低于酸性土壤中的植物;Ca的含量虽然减少,但仍高于酸性土壤植物;5）元素K,B的生物吸收系数在石灰岩土壤高于酸性土壤,其他元素N,P,Ca,Mg,Fe,Al,Mn,Zn的生物吸收系数则是酸性土壤高于石灰岩土壤。     

Historical introduction,geographical distribution,and biological characteristics of alien plants in China

Using the published literature and records, this study investigated the historical introduction, geographical distribution, and biological characteristics of 404 alien plants in 32 provinces (including municipalities) in China. The results showed that three fifths of the alien plants was introduced for intentional purposes, and the introduction of alien plants increased with time from 139 BC to the current time, especially during historical events that played an important part in the process of introduction. The geographical distribution of alien plant species tended to decrease from the south and the east to the north and the west. Annual average precipitation (Y = 7.51X + 7.05, R² = 0.67) and temperature (Y = 0.07X + 41.54, R² = 0.67) had a linear relationship with alien plant introduction throughout China. Furthermore, population density and economic conditions also affected and promoted plant invasions in China. The life forms were well adapted to regional precipitation and temperature, but different life forms of alien plants were not consistent with the distribution tendency based on the quantity of alien plants. There was a higher percentage of annual and biennial plants in the northern provinces (e.g. 66.7 and 15.7% in Inner Mongolia), whereas there were more perennial and woody plant species in the southern provinces (e.g. 37.0 and 21.2% in Hainan). Family characteristics could not accurately predict plant invasions; however, predictions based on genera were acceptable. In addition, the origin of alien plants can also predict the distribution and potential risk of invasions. Thus, our study investigated the factors affecting plant invasions in order to provide information on the prevention and control of alien plants.     

中国西南与台湾地区维管植物的间断分布格局及形成机制

植物的间断分布格局及其形成机制是植物地理学研究的重要问题之一。本文在对中国大陆与台湾名录整理比较的基础上,对中国西南与台湾地区的植物间断分布格局及形成机制进行了分析。结果表明,两地同种型间断分布的维管植物有198种(包括变种和亚种),隶属于56科129属,其中蕨类植物86种,裸子植物3种,双子叶植物56种,单子叶植物53种;两地异种型间断分布的维管植物有22属,隶属于15科,其中蕨类植物6属,裸子植物1属,双子叶植物7属,单子叶植物兰科8属。间断分布类群以草本植物为主,主要是蕨类和兰科植物。间断分布类群在台湾地区主要分布在中部到东北部,在大陆的分布主要集中在川东–鄂西地区、川西–滇西北地区–藏东南地区和滇东南–桂西–黔西南地区。在垂直高度上,海拔1,550–2,350m是间断分布类群最集中分布的海拔范围。我们推测中国西南与台湾地区的间断分布类群有3种来源:北半球温带、中国西南和热带亚洲来源。     

北京地区木本春季物候特征与生物学特性的关系

植物物候是植物生活史中的重要性状,也是指示气候与自然环境变化的重要指标,现已成为全球变化领域的研究热点之一。传统物候研究多假设物候由气候因素决定,如气温、降水、光照等,并主要从植物物候的年际变化角度探讨了气候因素对物候特征的影响。然而,不同物种的物候存在较大差异表明植物物候还与自身生物学特性（如系统发育和功能性状）有关,但植物生物学特性如何影响植物物候仍缺乏深入研究。基于北京地区44种木本植物1965-2018年的展叶始期和开花始期观测资料,以展叶始期和开花始期的3类物候特征（平均物候期、物候对温度的响应敏感度和物候期的积温需求）为例,探究植物物候特征与系统发育和功能性状的关系。首先,利用系统发育信号Blomberg’s K和进化模型检验植物物候特征是否具有系统发育保守性,并通过系统发育信号表征曲线直观表达植物物候特征的进化模式;之后,利用广义估计方程分析植物生活型、传粉型与物候特征的关系,以揭示不同植物的资源利用方式及生存策略的差异。研究发现：（1）除展叶始期的温度敏感度外,其余物候特征的进化均受随机遗传漂变和自然选择力的共同作用,可推断物候特征具有系统发育保守性,即亲缘关系越近的物种物候特征越相似。（2）开花始期的系统发育信号强度比展叶始期更大,表明繁殖物候的系统发育可能比生长物候更保守。（3）植物展叶始期及其积温需求与生活型密切相关。灌木比乔木的展叶时间早、积温需求少。植物开花始期与传粉型相关,风媒植物开花显著早于虫媒植物。研究成果有助于深入理解物候变化的生物学机制,对于丰富物候学的理论研究有重要意义,同时对植物保护也具有重要的指导价值。     

模拟光条件下禾本科植物和藜科植物蒸腾特性与水分利用效率比较

利用人工模拟光源研究了两种 C4 光合途径禾本科植物 (虎尾草、狗尾草 )和两种 C3光合途径藜科植物 (藜、绿藜 )的光合速率 ( Pn)、蒸腾速率 ( Tr)、水分利用率 ( WUE)、气孔导度 ( Gs)、胞间 CO2 浓度 ( Ci)及叶面饱和蒸气压亏缺 ( Vpdl)随模拟光辐射 ( SPR)增强的变化规律及 Gs、Ci、Vpdl对 Tr和 WUE的影响。结果表明 :( 1 ) 4种植物的 Pn和 Tr均随 SPR增强而增大 ,两种藜科植物最大净 Pn和 Tr均高于两种禾本科植物的最大净 Pn和 Tr。 ( 2 ) WUE随 SPR增强先增大后减小 ,两种禾本科植物和两种藜科植物分别在SPR为 40 0、1 2 0 0 μmol/( m2·s)时达到最大值 ,禾本科植物的最大 WUE明显高于藜科植物。 ( 3) 4种植物的 Gs、Ci均随 SPR的增强而减小 ,两种藜科植物的 Gs和 Ci均显著高于两种禾本科植物。4种植物的 Vpdl均随 SPR增强而增大 ,禾本科植物高于藜科植物。实验表明 ,在以水分为限制因素的半干旱草原区 ,禾本科植物具有更好的保水机制和更高的水分利用效率 ,与藜科植物相比 ,在水分生态上具有一定的竞争优势。     

闽西北不同类型毛竹林养分分布及生物循环特征

以福建省永安市集约经营的毛竹纯林(Ⅰ)、竹阔混交林(Ⅱ)和竹针混交林(Ⅲ)3种类型林分为研究对象,对其N、P、K、Ca、Mg元素分布格局及生物循环特征进行了研究。结果表明,毛竹林N、P、K、Ca、Mg5种养分元素的排列顺序为土壤层乔木层凋落物层灌木层草本层,其中土壤层(0～60cm)养分累积量占系统养分总量99%。3种林分养分元素累积量的排列顺序为ⅡⅠⅢ,分别为146196.59、144466.35和105002.59kg.hm-2,其中植被层养分累积量的排列顺序为ⅠⅡⅢ,凋落物层和土壤层养分累积量排列顺序为ⅡⅠⅢ,竹阔混交林土壤层和凋落物层养分累积量最高,立地生产潜力最大。林分Ⅰ和Ⅱ的养分利用系数显著高于林分Ⅲ,反映了林分维持高生产力需要消耗更多的养分元素;循环系数排列顺序为ⅢⅡⅠ,竹针混交林和竹阔混交林维持林木生长所需的养分元素少于毛竹纯林;毛竹纯林养分周转时间最长,竹阔混交林次之,竹针混交林最短,分别为31.89年、12.39年和12.23年,混交林周转时间显著低于毛竹纯林。竹阔混交林既有较高的生产力,又有较强的养分归还能力,是一种较好的经营方式。     

Determinants of local abundance and range size in forest vascular plants

Aim For a large set of forest herbs we tested: (1) whether there is a positive relationship between local abundance and geographical range size; (2) whether abundance or range size are affected by the niche breadths of species or niche availability; and (3) whether these are affected by the species life‐history traits. Location Northwestern Germany. Methods We measured abundance as mean density in 22 base‐rich deciduous forests and recorded range size as area of occupancy on four different spatial scales (local to national). Niche breadth was expressed in terms of habitat specificity (specialists, generalists) and of the ability to grow across a broad range of soil pH. The species’ pH niche position was used as a measure of the importance of habitat availability. As life‐history traits we used diaspore mass and number, plant height, seed longevity, lifespan/clonality, pollination mode, dispersal capability and flowering time. Results There were mainly no positive relationships between the abundance of species and their range size, as tested across species and across phylogenetically independent contrasts. Forest specialists were generally distributed less widely than generalists, but habitat specificity was not related to local abundance. Species with a broader pH niche breadth were more common, but the positive relationships between niche breadth and abundance or range size disappeared when accounting for sample size effects. Clonal species with few and heavy diaspores were most abundant, as well as early‐flowering species and those lacking dispersal structures. Local and regional range size were determined largely by habitat availability, while national range was positively affected by plant height and diaspore mass. Main conclusions Different processes determine the local density of species and their range size. Abundance within habitat patches appears to be related mainly to the species life histories, especially to their capacity for extensive clonal reproduction, whereas range size appears to be determined strongly by the availability of suitable habitat.     

Biogeography, current knowledge and conservation of threatened vascular plants characteristic of Mexican temperate forests

The main goal of this study is to document the biogeographical patterns, current status and conservation of 24 species of vascular plants in Mexico, all of them recorded in some risk category in the Mexican official publication named ‘Norma Oficial Mexicana 059’ (NOM-059) and some of them in the IUCN red lists (the World Conservation Union) and CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species); many of these species are linked to Mexican cloud forests and other temperate vegetation types. Distribution maps of these 24 species were generated with information obtained from specialized literature, herbarium specimens, institutional databases, and field work; with this information, the patterns of richness and endemism of these species were obtained. For this, the Mexican territory was divided using a grid system based on a chart index (scale 1:50,000 system composed by grids of 15' × 20'). Also, we up to date the knowledge of these species and their populations and current habitats, and evaluate their geographic distribution in relation to the current Mexican National Parks and Reserves System and Mexican Priority Regions for Conservation. We also discuss some changes of categories in the NOM-059 and suggest the urgent incorporation of some of the species in the recent IUCN Red Data List of Threatened Species (2003). Most of the species studied require special policies for their conservation due to problems that affect their natural populations; also we consider that these taxa are underrepresented in the current Mexican System of Natural Protected Areas, especially those with restricted distributions.     

A comparison between Ca and Sr cycling in forest ecosystems

In favourable conditions, the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios of the Sr delivered by rain and soil mineral weathering differ. Assuming that Ca and Sr behave similarly in forest ecosystems, several authors have used the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variation in forest compartments to calculate the contribution of rain and mineral weathering to Ca fluxes and pools. However, there are a number of experimental reports showing that Ca and Sr may behave differently in the soil and in the plant. We have tested this Ca–Sr analogy in the field by measuring the variation of Sr and Ca concentrations, fluxes and pools in spruce, beech and maple stands on granite, sandstone and limestone. Results show that (1) variations of Ca and Sr concentrations are generally correlated at each level of the ecosystems. (2) In spruce on acid soils, a preferential uptake of Ca over Sr occurs (Aubure spruce Sr/Ca = 0.8×10⁻³; soil exchangeable Sr/Ca between 2 and 6×10⁻³). On calcareous soils, a preferential uptake of Sr over Ca by spruce may occur. (3) In spruce and beech on acid and calcareous soils, a preferential translocation of Ca over Sr from roots to leaves occurs ((Sr/Ca) in leaves was between 10 and 90% of that in roots). (4) The biological cycling of Ca and Sr leads to an enrichment of the upper soil layers in Ca and Sr. Compared to Sr, Ca accumulates in the upper layer of acid soils because Ca cycling through litterfall is favoured over Sr cycling, and possibly because of the selectivity of acid organic exchangers for Ca. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Persistence of vascular plants in a Norwegian boreal coniferous forest

Persistence, the tendency of a species to remain in its original position and not to colonize new sites, is studied for the most abundant forest vascular plants (25 species in spruce forest and 7 in pine forest) in Solhomfjell, Gjerstad, S Norway Data sets included presence/absence in 199 meso plots (1 m²) and 3184 subplots (1/16 m²), analyzed over a 5 yr interval, and a subset of 50 meso plots and 800 subplots, analyzed for six consecutive years Relationships between species variables (seedling frequency and mobility rate compiled from the literature, and cover and abundance means in the study area) are studied, and related to species optima along ecologically interpreted DCA ordination axes Vascular plant mobility may increase towards nutrient-poor sites Dominance in the boreal forest floor is mostly by clonal species Persistence was calculated for different temporal (1-5 yr) and spatial (1/16 and I m²) scales Persistence patterns in the spruce and pine forests were similar, but persistence decreased towards the xeric pine forests One main component of variation in persistence was demonstrated by PCA analyses the absolute level of persistence, which is related to seedling recruitment vs clonal growth, and within clonal species to ramet longevity, abundance, mobility, growth pattern and mode of surviving the infavourable season Minor components of variation in persistence were related to spatial scale and temporal scale Persistence characteristics were species-specific and varied little between years Numerous species characteristics were relevant to interpretation of variation in persistence, indicating a continuous, multidimensional variation in life history characteristics     

Seed floating ability and distribution of alpine plants along a northern Swedish river

Abstract. In this study we tested the hypothesis that diaspore buoyancy is an important factor in determining the distribution range of riparian plants, by measuring the floating capacity of fruits and seeds from 17 alpine vascular plant species during 1 yr. Minimum, median, mean, and maximum (≤ 1 yr) floating times of fruits and seeds were then related to the downstream distribution of plants along the free-flowing Vindel River in northern Sweden. The distances from the alpine headwater region to the most downstream occurrence of plants, and to the cessation of a more continuous distribution, were evaluated. The variation in downstream limits of plants could not be statistically explained by variation in seed buoyancy between species, indicating that floating ability of seeds is not important for plant distribution patterns. There may be several reasons for this, and they may differ between species.     

Major gaps in the distribution of protected areas for threatened and narrow range Afrotropical plants

We investigated the major patterns of plant rarity in sub-Saharan Africa, and looked for the most significant gaps in the reserve network of the region in terms of representing the distribution of threatened and geographically rare plants. Comparisons of the species ranges captured by the network of reserves were made against the proportion of species captured by randomly generated sets of areas and against a theoretical near minimum set of areas that represent all species once. At this scale of analysis, the network of large IUCN-coded reserves (the official ‘protected areas’) performs poorly against random and systematic selection procedures. Significant gaps in the IUCN-coded protected areas are in coastal Gabon/Cameroon, in the various tropical montane forest areas (Cameroon Highlands, Eastern Arc Mountains, Ethiopian Mountains), in lowland coastal eastern Africa, and in the South African Cape. Some of these gaps, for example in the Eastern Arc and eastern African coastal regions, are covered on the ground by a network of Forest Reserves under the management of national Forestry Authorities. The networks of Forest Reserves in Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Sierra Leone also fill reservation gaps for rare African plants in these countries. Upgrading the conservation status of some key Forest Reserves, which has been gradually happening for some decades, is proposed as an efficient way to enhance the protected area network of the Afrotropical region for the conservation of rare African plant species.     

龙角山林区维管植物物种多样性

以龙角山地区216个样方的调查资料为基础,用Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Sφrensen相似性指数,研究了龙角山林区野生维管植物物种多样性的空间分异规律及其原因。结果表明,乔木层物种多样性比较低,而灌木层和草本层的物种多样性则比较高;野生维管植物物种多样性随海拔高度的升高而降低;不同坡向的野生维管植物物种多样性存在着差异,北坡>东坡和西坡>南坡;坡向和海拔是影响该地区野生维管植物物种多样性空间分布的主要因子。坡向对当地的野生维管植物物种组成成分也有明显影响,其中北坡与南坡之间的野生维管植物物种组成差异最大,东坡与西坡之间的野生维管植物组成差异最小;海拔高程的变化对野生维管植物物种组成也有影响,但影响不明显。     

中国森林凋落量时空分布特征

通过构建全国尺度上森林叶凋落量和总凋落量与年平均温度、年平均降雨量和实际蒸散量的关系模型,应用地统计学分析方法,并结合遥感解译的森林覆盖信息,分析2001、2006和2012年中国森林叶凋落量和总凋落量的空间分布及其变异格局.结果表明: 与年平均温度和降雨量相比,区域尺度上实际蒸散量对森林叶凋落量和总凋落量有更好的解释预测关系;分布于中南地区的常绿阔叶林的年凋落量最高,为636.2 g·m^-2,分布于东北地区的温带落叶阔叶林的年凋落量范围为339～385 g·m^-2,其中,森林叶凋落量约占总凋落量的70％.2001、2006和2012年,全国森林凋落总量分别为801、865和1032 Tg,呈明显增长趋势,而基于遥感图像解译的森林年覆盖率分别为18％、20％和24％,呈增长趋势.我国人工林面积的迅速增加和林分生长,极大影响了森林凋落物量及其动态变化,进而对森林生态系统物质循环产生重要影响.