Macroinvertebrate assemblages in Andean Patagonian rivers and streams: environmental relationships

Macroinvertebrate communities from 29 streams and rivers of the mountain and the Andean Patagonian Plateau were analyzed. Samples were collected from six river basins, which were part of four different biozones of the Patagonian Ecoregion. Samples from mountain streams were dominated by Plecoptera, Ephemeroptera, Trichoptera and Diptera, while plateau rivers where mainly Diptera, Oligochaeta and Mollusca. Total invertebrate abundance ranged from 7 to 12249 ind.m^–2. Elmidae, Paratrichocladius, Chironomus, Smicridea annulicornis, Parasericostoma ovale and Meridialaris laminata were the most abundant insect taxa, while Nais communis and Hyalella curvispina were the most abundant non-insect taxa. Species-environmental relationships were examined using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. Current speed, conductivity, substrate size and abundance of aquatic plants, were identified as the major variables structuring faunal assemblages. Regression analyses revealed that species richness was negatively correlated with latitude, and positively correlated with water temperature and altitude. Macroivertebrate abundance increased with conductivity, altitude and water temperature. These results suggest that habitat heterogeneity was the strongest predictor of macroinvertebrate assemblages, but species richness could be predicted at a landscape scale using topographical and climatic features.     

The relationships of vegetation to surface water chemistry and peat chemistry in fens of Alberta,Canada

The relationships between vegetation components, surface water chemistry and peat chemistry from 23 fens in boreal Alberta, Canada, substantiate important differences along the poor to rich fen gradient. Each of the three fen types have their own characteristic species. The extreme-rich fens are characterized by Calliergon trifarium, Drepanocladus revolvens, Scirpus hudsonianus, S. cespitosus, Scorpidium scorpioides, and Tofieldia glutinosa. Moderate-rich fens are characterized by Brachythecium mildeanum, Carex diandra, Drepanocladus vernicosus, D. aduncus, and D. polycarpus. Poor fens are characterized by Carex pauciflora, Drepanocladus exannulatus, Sphagnum angustifolium, S. jensenii, and S. majus. Moderate-rich fens have fewer species in common with poor fens than with extreme-rich fens, while species richness is highest in the moderate-rich fens and lowest in poor fens. Variation in vascular plant occurrence appears to be more associated with nutrient levels, while bryophytes are more affected by changes in acidity and mineral elements. Based on chemical criteria, the three fen types are clearly separated by surface water pH, calcium, magnesium, and conductivity, but are less clearly differentiated by the nitrogen and phosphorus components of the surface waters. Moderate-rich fens are chemically variable both temporally and spatially, whereas poor fens and extreme-rich fens are more stable ecosystems. Whereas components of alkalinity-acidity are the most important factors that distinguish the three fen types in western Canada, nutrient concentrations in the surface waters generally do not differ appreciably in the three fen types.     

Testate Amoeba (Arcellinida,Euglyphida) Ecology along a Poor‐Rich Gradient in Fens of Western Poland

We investigated the relationships between testate amoebae (Arcellinida, Euglyphida), vegetation and water chemistry along environmental gradients in minerotrophic peatlands (fens) in western Poland. We hypothesized that: a) hydrochemistry significantly influences structure of testate amoeba communities, and b) testate amoeba communities are more closely correlated with the hydrochemical variables (environment) than with the vegetation data. Testate amoeba communities and vegetation from 71 sample plots were investigated together with the hydro‐chemistry and hydrology based on 16 environmental variables and vegetation composition. Testate amoeba communities revealed a distinctive poor‐rich gradient in analysed fens. Mineral‐rich habitats, which were dominated by brown mosses, were preferred by a higher number of taxa than acidic habitats, which were dominated by Sphagnum. We recorded a total of 107 testate amoebae taxa. The average species richness of testate amoebae for brown mosses was higher (20) than for Sphagnum (13). We found that testate amoebae communities were similarly correlated with vascular plants, mosses and environmental parameters. Results of direct ordination demonstrate that hydrology, pH, Mg²⁺ and sodium remain the most important environmental control for the entire data set. CCA showed that in case of brown mosses hydrology, sodium and oxygen affect testate amoeba communities significantly whereas in Sphagnum only sodium emerge as most significant determining testate amoeba assemblages. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Diversity and geographic distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorococcales</Emphasis> (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Chlorophyceae</Emphasis>) in contrasting lakes along a latitudinal transect in Argentinean Patagonia

The present study focuses on the geographic distribution and biodiversity of the Chlorococcales in Patagonian lakes, covering a latitudinal transect. Two different approaches are considered (a) a review of the historical records of Chlorococcales in Patagonia and (b) the analysis of the morphology-based species diversity, ecological remarks, and geographic distribution of the chlorococcalean species recorded in 33 aquatic environments during surveys 2007 and 2008. A total of 308 chlorococcalean species were recorded throughout a 60-year period in Patagonian freshwater systems, encountering the highest chlorococcalean richness in lakes and shallow lakes located in the more intensively sampled areas. In our surveys 2007–2008, 72 chlorococcalean taxa were registered, among which 80% are worldwide distributed, about 19% are restricted to cold temperate areas in both hemispheres and one species (Pediastrum patagonicum) is one of the taxa probably endemic for Patagonia. The chlorococcalean richness in relation to the environmental factors, revealed that it is directly correlated with the trophic status of the water bodies (chl a: r = 0.52 and DIN: r = 0.47; P < 0.05). The latitude was inversely correlated with the species richness (r = −0.40; P < 0.05), and the chlorococcalean biodiversity of the Andean lakes (mean value: 3.64) was significantly lower (P = 0.0022) than that of the lakes from the Patagonian Plateau (mean value: 9.62). In this study we observed a decreasing trend in the biodiversity of Chlorococcales with increasing latitude, which fits in the existing ecological pattern described for different groups of organisms.     

Environmental impact of heated mining waters on clitellate (Annelida: Clitellata) assemblages

Mining is a relatively highly monitored industry. While chemical pollutants (toxic ions, radionuclides, etc.) have mostly been eliminated from mining waters, other types of environmental pollution (temperature regime alterations, high concentrations of various anions, etc.) can affect benthic invertebrates. In this study, we focused on the effect of mining water effluent on the diversity and density of aquatic Clitellata. Four sampling sites were selected. Three sites in a natural stream (the Nedvědi?ka River, Czech Republic), one upstream and two downstream from the mining effluent, and one site on the mining waters were sampled monthly during 2008–2009. Environmental variables were recorded in and samples were collected from two types of habitats — riffles and pools. The response of clitellate assemblages was evaluated using principal component analysis and generalised estimating equations. The results indicated that the mining effluent caused partial species exchange and had negative effects on clitellate taxa richness and abundance. These responses were specific to both the habitat (riffle/pool) and species sampled. In each of the different taxa studied, we observed one of four typical clitellate responses: (a) elimination of stenotherm species; (b) reduction of clitellate species followed by quick recovery; (c) neutral response; or (d) positive influence. We found that aquatic clitellates, which are considered to be eurytopic with broad ecological valences, are also sensitive to even slight environmental pollution.     

Diversity assessment of benthic macroinvertebrate communities in Banco National Park (Banco Stream,Côte d'Ivoire)

In the present study, a first inventory of benthic macroinvertebrates in the Banco Stream, Côte d'Ivoire, and the correlations between environmental variables and taxonomic richness were analysed. Seven stations were sampled monthly over a 1‐year period, using a hand net (10 × 10 cm, 250 μm mesh, 50 cm length). One hundred and thirty‐two macroinvertebrate taxa were recorded. These taxa were distributed among 74 families and 15 orders belonging to Insecta (118 taxa; 89% of total richness), Oligochaeta (seven taxa), Crustacea (five taxa) and Mollusca (two taxa). Kruskal–Wallis test revealed significant difference (at least P < 0.05) in macroinvertebrate richness between upstream stations (S1 and S2) and stations S4, S5 and S6. Chironominae and Tanypodinae (Insecta) were the two very frequent taxa in all the stations. Lumbriculidae (Oligochaeta), Desmocaris trispinosa (Crustacea) and Eurymetra sp. (Insecta) were frequently found in the samples. Hierarchical cluster analysis revealed three groups of sampling stations according to taxonomic similarity. Taxonomic richness was significantly and negatively correlated with conductivity, while it was significantly and positively correlated with substrate types (woody debris and gravel). Due to the fact that Banco stream is the locality type of an endemic shrimp species (Macrobrachium thysi), this basin is of high conservation priority.     

Restoration of lost aquatic plant communities: New habitats forChara

In the Netherlands peat was excavated for fuel until 1950. This gave rise to waterbodies (called turf ponds) which were then colonized by aquatic plants. Succession resulted in different aquatic plant communities and more terrestrialized stages such as floating fens. Nature conservation authorities started to excavate new turf ponds in 1990(ca. 2 ha y^–1) with the aim to restore calcareous, mesotraphent ecosystems by totally setting back succession. A sequence of new species was revealed by mapping the aquatic vegetation from 1990 onwards.Chara spp. proved early colonizers, which was not expected because they have not been present in ditches and ponds in the area for the last 20 years. The denseChara vegetation prevents the resuspension of organic soil and contributes to keep the water column nutrient-poor and clear. ability of species such asStratiotes aloides to colonise the ponds from adjacent waterbodies is not possible because no open contact exists between a turf pond and a ditch. Management measures, such as re-introduction, have to be considered if the full-range of aquatic plant communities remains the goal.     

Biodiversity surrogacy: indicator taxa as predictors of total species richness in Brazilian Atlantic forest and Caatinga

The use of indicator taxa as biodiversity surrogates has received widespread attention in conservation planning, but remains a highly contentious issue. Here we assess biodiversity surrogacy in the two most important biomes of tropical northeastern Brazil, Atlantic forest and Caatinga. We examine the extent to which species richness is correlated among taxonomic groups, and assess relationships between the richness of individual groups, and combinations of groups and total species richness. We introduce a new approach to dealing with autocorrelation between focal taxon richness and total species richness, using standardized data such that each taxon is given equal weight. Our Atlantic forest data covered seven taxa (bryophytes, pteridophytes, trees, ants, euglosine bees, birds, and mammals; total of 768 species) sampled from 12 sites; in Caatinga it was four taxa (trees, spiders, beetles and ants; total of 184 species) from 25 sites. Our results showed that: (1) in nearly all cases the species richnesses of individual taxa were significantly correlated with each other; (2) the species richnesses of most individual taxa were significantly correlated with total species richness in both biomes; (3) only two taxa were required for excellent (R ² > 80%) surrogacy of total species richness in both biomes; and (4) the same two taxa (trees and ants) can provide reasonable (R ² > 60%) surrogacy for total richness in these contrasting biomes. Our findings therefore suggest that the ‘shopping basket of taxa’ required for effective biodiversity surrogacy may not only need to be very small (two taxa), but may also be very limited in composition.     

Abandonment alters community composition and canopy structure of Swiss calcareous fens

Abstract. We compared the plant species composition, productivity and canopy structure of seven mown sites to a chronosequence of 20 abandoned calcareous fens in northeastern Switzerland. Cessation of mowing led to an 18% decline in overall plant species richness and the diversity of most functional groups. Abandonment did not lead to marked increases of above‐ground productivity, but rather selectively favoured certain functional groups. On abandoned fens biomass of grasses increased nearly threefold, at the expense of biomass of Cyperaceae and Juncaceae, which declined by 30% compared to mown fens, while forb biomass remained unaffected. Litter mass increased more than 15‐fold in fallows, while canopy height increased by 50%. The foliage in abandoned fens was oriented more horizontally and had a lower overall cover. However, these successional changes were never dependent upon the age of the fallow. Furthermore, nearly all traits differed significantly on regional and local spatial scales, suggesting that floristic and (meso‐)climatic differences obscure or override successional trajectories in these species‐rich wetlands.     

Environmental correlates of plant and invertebrate species richness in ponds

Ponds (lentic water bodies <2 ha) constitute a considerable biodiversity resource. Understanding the environmental factors that underlie this diversity is important in protecting and managing the habitat. We surveyed 425 ponds for biological and physical characteristics with 78 of those also surveyed for chemical characteristics. A total of 277 invertebrate species and 265 plant species were found. Species richness varied between 2 and 99 (mean 27.2 ± 0.6 SE) for invertebrates and 1 and 58 (mean 20.8 ± 0.4 SE) for plants. Generalised additive models were used to investigate variables that correlate with the species richness of plants and invertebrates, with additional models to investigate insect, Coleoptera, Odonata, Hemiptera, Trichoptera and Mollusca species richness. Models performed reasonably well for invertebrates in general (R ² = 30.3%) but varied between lower-order invertebrate taxa (12.7–34.7%). Ponds with lower levels of shading and no history of drying contained higher numbers of species of plants and all invertebrate groups. Aquatic plant coverage positively correlated with species richness in all invertebrate groups apart from Trichoptera and the presence of fish was associated with high invertebrate species richness in all groups apart from Coleoptera. The addition of chemistry variables suggested non-linear relationships between oxygen demand and phosphate concentration and higher-order richness. We demonstrate that the composition of biological communities varies along with their species richness and that less diverse ponds are more variable compared to more diverse ponds. Variables positively correlated with richness of one taxon may be negatively correlated with that of another, making comprehensive management recommendations difficult. Promoting a high landscape-level pond biodiversity will involve the management of a high diversity of pond types within that landscape.     

Topographic position and water chemistry of fens in a Dutch river plain

Abstract. On the Vecht river plain (western Netherlands), small fens, remnants of a large mesotrophic wetland bordering a moraine, of 1 to 5 ha are found in a man-made matrix of lakes and pastures. The regional position of the fens, local position of sampling sites, composition of the vegetation and local hydrological variables were measured. Polders in the river plain produce a complex hydrology obscuring the regional zonation between moraine and river. Water supply and species composition are determined more by a site's regional than local position. High-productivity reedlands are abundant close to the river. Carex paniculata reedlands receive large amounts of river water, which gives their fen water a high K⁺ concentration. Low-productivity C. diandra fens and litter fens have their optimum closer to the moraine. C. diandra fens are fed mainly by inflowing nutrient-poor ground- or surface water; litter fens receive primarily rainwater. Nutrients in fen water and in peat are lowest in C. diandra and C. lasiocarpa fens, but do not differ significantly between the communities. In both, iron seems to be more important than calcium in reducing phosphate solubility. Iron richness in the C. diandra fens is caused by present inflows of ground- or surface water, while in C. lasiocarpa fens, which succeed the former, iron richness is the result of historical inflows.     

Recovery of lake vegetation following reduced eutrophication and acidification

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Diversity of wetland vegetation in the Bulgarian high mountains, main gradients and context-dependence of the pH role

We fill a gap in understanding wetland vegetation diversity and relationship with environmental determinants in Bulgarian high mountains. A total of 615 phytosociological samples were taken from springs, mires, wet meadows and tall-forb habitats throughout Bulgaria, of which 234 relevés are from mire and spring vegetation above timberline. The vegetation was classified by TWINSPAN and the resulting vegetation types were reproduced by the formal definitions using the combination of Cocktail species groups based on phi-coefficient of joint co-occurrence of the species. Nine vegetation types of springs and fens have been clearly delimited above the timberline. All vegetation types include Balkan endemic species, the representation of which varies. Fens generally harbour more Balkan endemics than do springs, with the exception of species-poor high-altitude Drepanocladetum exannulati. The gradient structure of the vegetation was revealed by DCA and by CCA with forward selection of environmental factors. The major determinants of vegetation variation strongly differ above and below the timberline and likewise between springs and fens. The base-richness gradient controls the floristic variation of Bulgarian submontane fens, whereas the complete data set including both submontane and subalpine fens is governed by the altitude gradient from lowland and basin fens to subalpine fens rich in Balkan endemics. When focusing on sites above the timberline only, the first DCA axis separates fens from springs without organic matter. The major species turnover in springs follows the variation in water pH and mineral content in water, whereas fen vegetation variation is primarily controlled by succession gradient of peat accumulation. Altitude remains an important factor in all cases. Weak correlation between water pH and conductivity was found. This correlation was even statistically insignificant in fens above the timberline. Water pH is not influenced by mineral richness in Bulgarian high mountains, since it is buffered by decomposition of organic matter in fens. In springs, pH reaches maximum values due to strong aeration caused by water flow. The plant species richness decreases significantly with increasing altitude. The increase of species richness towards circumneutral pH, often found in mires, was not confirmed in Bulgarian high mountains. The correlation between species richness and pH was significant only when arctic-alpine species and allied European high-mountain species were considered separately. The richness of boreal species was independent on pH. Some of them had their optima shifted to more acidic fens as compared to regions below the timberline. Our results suggest that subalpine spring and fen vegetation should be analysed separately with respect to vegetation-environment correlations. Separate analysis of fens below and above timberline is quite appropriate.     

Net primary productivity and seasonality of temperature and precipitation are predictors of the species richness of the Damselflies in the Amazon

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the mechanisms that generate temporal and spatial species richness patterns. We tested four common hypotheses (water, energy, climatic heterogeneity and net primary productivity) to evaluate which factors best explain patterns of Zygoptera species richness. Of these, we predicted that climatic heterogeneity would be the most important predictor for Zygoptera richness patterns. We sampled communities of adult Zygoptera in 100 small Amazonian streams. Based on generalized linear mixed models (GLMM), we found that net primary productivity and climatic heterogeneity comprised the best model of Zygoptera species richness in Amazonian streams, with an pseudo r² of 39.5%. Results indicate that species richness increases by one species per 1 kg of biomass per square meter in NPP, or with an increase of 2 °C in air temperature variability. Our work corroborates a recent study with other taxa in Brazilian Bioms. This suggests that temporal variation in climate and net primary productivity are important predictors of the macroecological patterns of richness for aquatic organisms in tropical regions.     

Benthic macro- and meso-invertebrates of a sandy riverbed in a mountain stream, central Japan

Quantitative samples of benthic invertebrates were collected from a sandy riverbed of a mountainous stream (Kozu site of Takami-gawa stream, Nara Prefecture), central Japan by core samplers in five sampling occasions through the years 2008–2009. A total of 120 taxa were identified, representing 55 families and 97 genera. Insects formed about 92% of the total recorded taxa and 88% of individuals’ abundance. A total of 111 taxa of aquatic insects, belonging to 49 families and 92 genera, were identified and represented by ten orders. Oligochaeta and Acari were dominant non-insect invertebrates. Diptera was the most diverse insect group, followed by Trichoptera and Ephemeroptera. Dominant taxa were mesoinvertebrates, younger stages of macroinvertebrates, both of which predominantly inhabit the interstitial zone of a sandy riverbed. Both taxon richness and invertebrate abundance were higher in February 2009 and lower in April and August 2008. A few major invertebrate taxa demonstrated distinct seasonal trends; i.e. Nymphomyia alba, Rheosmittia, and Corynoneura were abundant in February 2009. Newly hatched larvae of Larcasia akagiae were abundant in May 2008. This study also demonstrated the effectiveness of core samplers to collect small-sized benthic fauna that inhabit the interstitial or hyporheic zone of the sandy riverbed.     

Local‐ to continental‐scale variation in the richness and composition of an aquatic food web

Aim We investigated patterns of species richness and composition of the aquatic food web found in the liquid‐filled leaves of the North American purple pitcher plant, Sarracenia purpurea (Sarraceniaceae), from local to continental scales. Location We sampled 20 pitcher‐plant communities at each of 39 sites spanning the geographic range of S. purpurea– from northern Florida to Newfoundland and westward to eastern British Columbia. Methods Environmental predictors of variation in species composition and species richness were measured at two different spatial scales: among pitchers within sites and among sites. Hierarchical Bayesian models were used to examine correlates and similarities of species richness and abundance within and among sites. Results Ninety‐two taxa of arthropods, protozoa and bacteria were identified in the 780 pitcher samples. The variation in the species composition of this multi‐trophic level community across the broad geographic range of the host plant was lower than the variation among pitchers within host‐plant populations. Variation among food webs in richness and composition was related to climate, pore‐water chemistry, pitcher‐plant morphology and leaf age. Variation in the abundance of the five most common invertebrates was also strongly related to pitcher morphology and site‐specific climatic and other environmental variables. Main conclusions The surprising result that these communities are more variable within their host‐plant populations than across North America suggests that the food web in S. purpurea leaves consists of two groups of species: (1) a core group of mostly obligate pitcher‐plant residents that have evolved strong requirements for the host plant and that co‐occur consistently across North America, and (2) a larger set of relatively uncommon, generalist taxa that co‐occur patchily.     

Principal factors controlling the species richness of European fens differ between habitat specialists and matrix‐derived species

Aim

We present the first continental‐scale study of factors controlling the species richness of groundwater‐fed fens, comparing land snails, vascular plants and bryophytes. We separately analyse two ecologically distinct groups differing in conservation value and colonization/extinction dynamics, that is habitat specialists, and matrix‐derived species. Considering the island‐like nature of fen habitats, we hypothesize larger differences in the species richness–environment relationships between habitat specialists and matrix‐derived species than among the taxonomic entities.

Location

Seven European regions

Methods

Richness was counted at 373 well‐preserved fens with undisturbed hydrology using the same protocols. Relationships between the species richness and water pH, waterlogging, climate and geography were explored by GLMs.

Results

Land snail richness responded mainly to water pH, regardless of habitat specialization. Richness of vascular plant and bryophyte specialists was strongly driven by geographical location of the sites, while that of matrix‐derived species was driven by waterlogging and water pH. The richness of matrix‐derived species of all taxa significantly increased with the decreasing waterlogging. Residual richness of specialists of all taxa decreased towards southern Europe.

Main conclusions

In island‐like terrestrial habitats, differences between specialists and matrix‐derived species may outweigh differences among taxa, unless there is one strong physiological determinant of species richness such as pH in land snails. The richness of specialists seems to be strongly related to difficult‐to‐measure regional factors such as historical frequency and connectivity of fen habitats. The richness of matrix‐derived species depends mainly on local conditions, such as pH and waterlogging, determining the degree of habitat contrast against the surrounding matrix. Sufficient waterlogging maintains a high representation of habitat specialists in fen communities, and disturbance of water regime may cause the increase in the number of matrix‐derived species and potentially trigger successional shifts towards non‐fen communities.

     

Environmental drivers of freshwater macrophyte diversity and community composition in calcareous warm‐water rivers of America and Africa

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Diversity of grass-dwelling spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in calcareous fens of the Coastal Lowland,Latvia

Calcareous fens have a high conservation priority in the European Union. They are very unique, very sensitive and very rare habitats in Latvia as well as in many other European countries. Because of their rarity, many organisms living in calcareous fens are nowadays considered threatened. The same is applied to spiders. Spiders have been suggested as good biodiversity indicators because they have numerous direct and indirect relationships with other organisms. Only few investigations have been carried out on fen inhabiting spiders. The knowledge of grass-dwelling spiders is especially lacking. Thus the aim of this study was to evaluate grass-dwelling spider diversity in several calcareous fens of Latvia, compare these fens and to find out the habitat features that might affect grass-layer inhabiting spiders. The research was carried out in eight calcareous fens located in the Coastal Lowland of Latvia. A total of 760 spiders from nine families and 20 species were collected with a sweep net. Two of the most abundant spider species were Dolomedes fimbriatus (Clerck, 1757) and Tibellus maritimus (Menge, 1875). Diversity indices suggested that the grass-dwelling spider community consists of few abundant species and numerous rare species. Correlation analysis as well as DCA showed that plant species diversity did not significantly affect spider species richness and diversity, although at the same time there were a lot of significant associations between spiders and individual plant species. It was shown that various spider species responded very differently to the presence of particular plant species, and thus habitat structural heterogeneity emerges to be an important factor influencing the grass-dwelling spider diversity and community structure. Correlation analysis also revealed that spider abundance was negatively affected by the vegetation height and wind speed.     

Correction to: An update and reassessment of fern and lycophyte diversity data in the Japanese Archipelago

The fern and lycophyte flora of Japan comprising 721 native taxa (including subspecies and varieties) plus 371 interspecific hybrids was reassessed using a nearly comprehensively sampled distribution map at 10 km resolution vouchered by 216,687 specimens, up-to-date cytotaxonomic information covering 74% of the taxa, and an rbcL sequence dataset covering 97.9% of the taxa. Spatial distribution of species richness and phylogenetic diversity was visualized. Apomixis was observed in 11.0% of the native taxa whose reproductive modes are known. The number of sexually reproducing polyploid taxa (n = 199) is less than sexual diploids (n = 241), and 30 of them are evidently allopolyploid, in contrast with the low number of possible autopolyploids (n = 4). Apomictic taxa were found to have smaller latitudinal ranges than sexual taxa or taxa with multiple reproductive modes. A morphological character dataset in Lucid format is provided for taxonomic identification of the native taxa.