Patterns of phylogenetic community structure of sand dune plant communities in the Yucatan Peninsula: the role of deterministic and stochastic processes in community assembly

ABSTRACT

Background: Tropical sand dunes are ideal systems for understanding drivers of community assembly as dunes are subject to both deterministic and stochastic processes. However, studies that evaluate the factors that mediate plant community assembly in these ecosystems are few.

Aims: We evaluated phylogenetic community structure to elucidate the role of deterministic and stochastic processes in mediating the assembly of plant communities along the north of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico.

Methods: We used plastid genetic markers to evaluate phylogenetic relationships in 16 sand-dune communities. To evaluate the role of climate in shaping plant community structure we carried out linear regressions between climatic variables and mean phylogenetic distance. We estimated the Net Relatedness Index and Nearest Taxon Index to identify ecological processes mediating community assembly.

Results: Observed phylogenetic structure was not different from random, suggesting that stochastic processes are the major determinants of community assembly. Climate was slightly correlated with phylogenetic diversity suggesting that abiotic environment plays a minimal role in community assembly.

Conclusions: Random assembly appears to be the primary factor structuring the studied sand dune plant communities. Environmental filters may represent a secondary factor contributing to the observed phylogenetic structure. Thus, both processes may act simultaneously to mediate the assembly of sand-dune plant communities.     

Spatial patterns of Yucatan reef fish communities: Testing models using a multi-scale survey design

Using a hierarchical multi-scale survey design, we examined the spatial patterns of reef fish communities and tested ecological models concerning the relative importance of reef geomorphology and anthropogenic pressure possibly driving community structure. Canonical redundancy analysis was used as a form of multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) to asses differences in reef fish community composition at two spatial scales: broad (10⁵ m) and intermediate (10⁴ m). Surveys were conducted on the east coast of the Yucatan Peninsula (Mexican Caribbean fringing reef), including regions and reefs which differed in geomophologic structure and human use. Seven hundred and fourteen line transects were distributed among 13 reef localities belonging to different regions established a priori. Transects covered four types of reef habitat: lagoon, front, slope, and terrace. Tests of significance were based on permutation procedures. Significant differences among regions were found for the lagoon, slope, and terrace fish communities, consistent with the geomorphologic model, but it is only in the reef lagoon that they were consistent with the anthropogenic model, which may indicate an effect of coastal human activities. Significant differences among reefs within regions were observed, which could be associated with local environmental gradients. Canonical nested MANOVA was an appropriate method for testing ecological hypotheses about the functioning of complex biological systems. The use of a surveying strategy that explicitly incorporated the spatial structure represents an important contribution of this paper to coral reef fish ecology.     

中条山中段木本植物群落植物种多样性分析

采用样方法取样,依据重要值指标运用双向指示种分析(TWINSPAN)法,将山西中条山中段植被群系分成16个群丛。应用丰富度指数（R₁、R₂）、Simpson指数（λ）,Shannon-Weiner指数(H′)和均匀度指数(E₁、E₅)研究了16个群丛的植物种多样性。结果表明：群系植物种多样性指数的大小受立地生境和人为活动的综合影响;森林群落的植物种多样性指数明显高于灌丛群落;群落植物种多样性在空间上的差异不仅决定于物种丰富度指数,更与各物种间的均匀度指数密切相关;进而影响不同层次的物种多样性对群落总体物种多样性的贡献。     

干扰对植物群落物种组成及多样性的影响

在介绍了干扰的概念及其性质和干扰对物种多样性影响的有关假说基础上,以森林干扰为主要对象,探讨了干扰对植物群落物种组成的影响,并从干扰类型、干扰强度和干扰频率等几个方面阐述了干扰对植物群落物种多样性的影响;另外,还分析了重要的小尺度干扰——林隙在该方面的影响。分析总结出干扰对植物群落的影响差异主要与干扰特征、植物群落特征及植物的生物学特性和受干扰地点的资源条件有关。最后,总结分析了国内外在该方面研究存在的问题,并对今后研究提出一些建议,为相关工作提供参考。     

Spatial patterns of association at local and regional scales in coastal sand dune communities

Questions: Are positive understorey‐dominant associations important in physically severe dune communities and does the strength of positive associations vary with disturbance at the local scale and with stress at the regional scale? Do associational patterns observed at the neighbourhood scale predict diversity at higher scales? Location: Coastal sand dunes, Aquitaine (France). Methods: Associational patterns with five dominant species were recorded along a local gradient of disturbance and a 240‐km long regional gradient. Density, richness, cover and variance ratio of understorey species were recorded in quadrats located in dominant and in open areas. Spatial pattern of dominant plant species was recorded using a distance‐based method. Results: Positive understorey‐dominant associations were most frequent at both regional and local scale, although negative associations with understorey species were observed for one of the five dominants. At the regional scale, there was a shift in the magnitude of spatial associations, with higher positive associations in the most stressful sites, whereas spatial associations where not affected by the local disturbance gradient. Positive associations were not related to the size of the dominants but rather influenced by the identity of the dominant species. Conclusions: Our study highlights the potential crucial role of facilitation together with the importance of turnover of the dominants in explaining large‐scale variation in diversity. However, because positive associations may also be attributed to environmental heterogeneity or co‐occurrence of microhabitat preferences of species, experiments are needed to fully assess the relative importance of facilitation versus other drivers of community diversity.     

云南沾益中度退化天坑草地植物群落水平空间分布特征

规模最为宏大的地表负地形——喀斯特天坑不仅是世界罕见的地质奇观,圈闭化地形而形成的独特生境更是探索植物物种多样性及其空间分布特征最为理想的地域。以云南沾益天坑群中的中度退化天坑——"巴家陷塘"坑底草地植物群落为研究对象,通过α多样性指数与β相似性系数的应用,对"巴家陷塘"中度退化天坑坑底草地植物群落物种多样性的水平空间分布特征展开探讨,并对其近邻退化漏斗和"大毛寺"原生天坑坑外草地植物群落的相似性进行对比分析,研究结果发现:(1)中度退化天坑坑底草地植物群落物种丰富度和多样性从中心到边缘呈现出"中心高边缘低"的"逆洼地效应"特征;(2)相较于土壤资源,喀斯特天坑植物群落的生长与空间分布对光照资源的响应更为明显,且四周坑壁高度差异造成的坑内光照资源的空间异质性,也使坑底草地植物物种多样性存在一定的"圈层效应";(3)喀斯特天坑独特的圈闭化地形对植物群落的"隔离"、庇护作用即使在退化天坑中也有明显体现,且对喜阴、耐湿的物种更具庇护性。因而在全球气候变化下,即使是退化天坑,也应成为区域小尺度生态避难所的重要保护对象。     

云南高黎贡山北段植物物种多样性的垂直分布格局

在高黎贡山北段沿海拔梯度设置17个样地,采用数量分类,对高黎贡山北段植物群落类型、物种组成和多样性的垂直格局进行了研究.结果表明:(1)随着海拔的升高,森林群落类型由常绿阔叶林(2 000～2 300 m)依次过渡为以阔叶树为主的针阔混交林(2 300～2 600 m)、以针叶树为主的针阔混交林(2 600～3 000 m)和针叶林(3 000～3 100 m);(2)木本植物的物种丰富度随着海拔高度的增加显著下降,而草本植物的物种丰富度则随着海拔高度的增加先下降,然后在林线以上显著上升;(3)木本植物β多样性随着海拔的上升呈单调下降趋势,而草本植物β多样性在中海拔附近区域较低;(4)在植物区系方面,热带亚热带成分所占比例随海拔上升而下降,温带成分、世界分布成分则随着海拔的升高而增加.中国特有分布成分所占比重较小,主要分布在中海拔区域.总体上,温带成分占主导地位.区系平衡点在海拔2100～2200 m.     

北疆盐碱地植物群落空间分布及物种多样性

为探究盐碱地植物群落空间分布特征及群落间物种多样性的关系,根据对北疆盐碱地植物群落84个样点调查的数据,以各物种多度为指标,采用双向指示种分析方法（TWINSPAN）、除趋势对应分析法（DCA）、典范对应分析法（CCA）进行数量分类并分析群落分布与环境因子间关系和群落物种多样性及相似性变化特征。结果表明,TWINSPAN数量等级分类将84个样点的植物划分为11种类型。各群丛类型的物种多样性特征表现为群丛Ⅲ的多样性最大,群丛X多样性最小,且群丛Ⅲ多样性显著高于群丛X （P<0.05）,群丛VⅡ均匀度最大,群丛X均匀度最小,且群丛Ⅲ均匀度显著高于群丛X（P<0.05）,群丛I的丰富度最大,群丛X丰富度最小,且群丛I丰富度显著高于群丛X（P<0.05）,在所有群丛中群丛Ⅲ所含有的植物种类最多,有26种;相似性特征为群丛V和群丛VⅡ的相似性最大,群丛V和群丛VⅡ物种间的竞争较小,群丛稳定性高;CCA排序结果表明,北疆盐碱地植物群落分布与海拔高度、多年平均温度、土壤酸碱度等因素有关,其中影响最大的是海拔高度,其次为多年平均温度、降水量、蒸发量和土壤电导率,地形因子坡度对各群丛分布影响不大;北疆盐碱地植物群落数量分类及物种多样性变化的分析对于揭示北疆盐碱地植物群落空间分布特征和新疆盐碱地植物种质资源调查及其保护具有重要的意义。     

广州城区生态安全岛典型植物群落的结构及物种多样性研究

以广州城区生态安全岛典型的自然和半自然型植物群落为研究对象,通过样方调查,对物种组成、区系成分、群落结构、珍稀濒危种、物种丰富度和多样性等要素进行了研究,结果表明:广州城区6处生态安全岛3.238hm²的调查样方中,共记录到维管束植物145科342属495种,热带亚热带区系特征明显。不同保护级别的珍稀濒危植物6科7属7种;群落垂直结构复杂,乔木层一般都能划分亚层。物种丰富度Partrick指数值在22-100之间变化、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数值在0.3861-3.0901之间变化、Simpson优势度指数值在0.1380-0.9261之间变化以及Pielou均匀度指数值J_sw在0.1289-0.9427之间变化,相似性系数S和Bray-Curtis指数存在一定差异。目前广州城区生态安全岛的植物群落随着正向演替的进行,物种多样性在不断增加。在区系上,生态安全岛与具有南亚热带地带性典型植被的鼎湖山联系较密切,虽然在物种多样性方面尚有一定差距,但演替时间较长的生态安全岛植物群落的物种多样性已相当于鼎湖山南亚热带地带性植被演替的后期阶段。植被之间的空间距离、与城市中心距离的远近等生境条件差异、人为干扰均对群落的物种多样性产生影响。因此,需加强保护,才能在高度城市化的区域保存这样一些具有地带性顶级群落的结构和物种多样性特征的植物群落。     

Plant presence and species combination, but not diversity, influence denitrifier activity and the composition of nirK-type denitrifier communities in grassland soil

To explore potential links between plant communities, soil denitrifiers and denitrifier function, the impact of presence, diversity (i.e. species richness) and plant combination on nirK -type denitrifier community composition and on denitrifier activity was studied in artificial grassland plant assemblages over two consecutive years. Mesocosms containing zero, four and eight species and different combinations of two species were set up. Differences in denitrifier community composition were analysed by canonical correspondence analyses following terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified nirK gene fragments coding for the copper-containing nitrite reductase. As a measure of denitrifier function, denitrifier enzyme activity (DEA) was determined in the soil samples. The presence as well as the combination of plants and sampling time, but not plant diversity, affected the composition of the nirK -type denitrifier community and DEA. Denitrifier activity significantly increased in the presence of plants, especially when they were growing during summer and autumn. Overall, we found a strong and direct linkage of denitrifier community composition and functioning, but also that plants had additional effects on denitrifier function that could not be solely explained by their effects on nirK -type denitrifier community composition.     

中国黑戈壁植物多样性分布格局及其影响因素

我国西北地区内陆分布着近20万km~2的黑戈壁,由于其环境的特殊性,使其具有独特的生态系统,境内分布着多样的植被,蕴藏着大量特有的自然资源。但由于自然环境苛刻与交通条件不便,目前我国关于黑戈壁区系统的植被与物种多样性的研究还很缺乏。针对黑戈壁区植物多样性组成与分布特点,基于遥感及实地调查,采用DCCA排序和半变异函数模型等分析方法,对黑戈壁区植物群落组成,植物多样性特点及影响因素进行分析。研究结果表明:研究区植物以藜科和蒺藜科灌木或半灌木为主,群落物种生活型具有逐渐趋于简单甚至单一的特性,重要值0.1的植物主要有梭梭、红砂、白刺等13种;群落物种多样性呈现区域性的斑块化分布,结构性因子引起的物种多样性空间异质性占主导地位;作为极端干旱区,该区植物群落类型具有贫乏化及单一化的趋势,群落结构简单,植被覆盖度低,植物生长随环境的变化具有明显的可塑性,群落空间分异明显,群落空间演变具有明显的水分及土壤结构梯度;DCCA结果显示气候、土壤、地形是群落物种及类型变化的主要原因,海拔、坡位、土壤机械组成、降水、温度等环境因子对群落有着显著的影响,水土条件的空间异质性是戈壁植物多样性维持的关键因素。     

意大利苍耳入侵对本地植物群落物种多样性和稳定性的影响——以乌鲁木齐市为例

研究外来植物不同程度入侵对区域群落结构和植物群落物种多样性的影响对评价其对生态系统的危害具有重要意义。以入侵植物以意大利苍耳(Xanthium italicum)为主要研究对象,选择意大利苍耳危害较明显且分布面积较大的中国新疆乌鲁木齐市米东区为研究区域进行植物样方调查,以意大利苍耳和其共生的本地植物为切入点,以物种多样性指数、群落稳定性、群落可入侵性、影响程度指数、入侵植物的竞争优势和入侵强度来探究不同入侵程度下的本地植物群落物种多样性和群落稳定性的变化。结果表明:(1)与未入侵地相比,意大利苍耳轻度入侵显著增加了本地植物群落的物种多样性(P ＜ 0.05),而重度入侵显著降低了本地植物群落的物种多样性(P ＜ 0.05)。(2)在意大利苍耳入侵的群落中,群落稳定性由轻度入侵水平到重度入侵水平降低了25%,而群落可入侵性、意大利苍耳的竞争优势指数和入侵强度指数分别增加了77%、79%和83%。(3)在轻度入侵水平下,意大利苍耳对本植物群落物种多样性、群落稳定性和群落物种数的影响程度指数 ＜ 0,产生了积极影响;相反,在轻中度和重度入侵水平下意大利苍耳对本植物群落物种多样性、群落稳定性和群落物种数的影响程度指数 ＞ 0,产生了负面影响。(4)本地植物群落多样性与群落稳定性均呈正相关,但与群落可入侵性呈负相关(P ＜ 0.05)。(5)Shannon-Wiener指数对群落的稳定性的直接通经系数最大,为0.828;Simpson''s指数对群落可入侵性的直接通经系数最大,为0.932。由此可见,意大利苍耳在中度和重度入侵对植物群落结构产生巨大影响,而作为"一带一路"的核心和枢纽地带的新疆,将会对其脆弱的生态系统和土著物种的多样性造成不可估量的影响。应在入侵初期对其进行控制与铲除,防止意大利苍耳等有害外来入侵种的入侵和进一步扩散与蔓延。     

陆地植物群落物种多样性研究进展

生物多样性是当前生态学研究的热点之一,物种多样性层次是最直接、最易观察和最适合研究生物多样性的层次。总结了与群落动态、生境因子、取样尺度及生态系统相关的陆地植物物种多样性研究。同时,根据目前的趋势提出了多样性动态研究的发展动向。     

深圳市建成区入侵植物对草本植物种类及功能多样性的影响

入侵植物对城市生态系统形成潜在威胁,有待引起足够的关注。为探究城市入侵植物对草本植物种类及功能多样性的影响,以深圳市建成区入侵植物鬼针草（Bidens pilosa）和南美蟛蜞菊（Sphagneticola trilobata）为例,分析了不同绿地类型中不同程度的单独入侵和共同入侵对草本植物群落物种多样性和功能多样性的影响规律。结果显示：①Margalef物种丰富度指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数和Pielou均匀度指数均与入侵植物盖度呈显著负相关（P<0.05,0.5865 < R² < 0.9356）。②功能丰富度指数（FRic）、功能均匀度指数（FEve）和Rao二次熵指数（FD_Q）与入侵植物盖度有一定的相关关系（0.0000 < R² < 0.2211）。③群落的特征加权平均株高（CWM_H）与入侵植物盖度有一定的正相关关系（0.0716 < R² < 0.2262）。④与未入侵的样方相比,鬼针草轻度入侵显著提高了物种多样性（P<0.05）,鬼针草和南美蟛蜞菊单独重度入侵均显著降低物种多样性（P<0.05）,二者各种程度的分别单独入侵及共同入侵都显著提高了群落加权平均株高（CWM_H）（P<0.05）。⑤对不同的绿地类型分开计算发现,鬼针草单独入侵和二者共同入侵都显著提高了各种绿地类型的物种多样性（P<0.05）,南美蟛蜞菊单独入侵只对部分绿地类型的群落物种多样性影响显著。⑥鬼针草和南美蟛蜞菊之间的生态效应可能为拮抗作用。研究结果为进一步揭示植物入侵对城市草本植物群落的影响规律提供参考,为有效防治城市外来植物入侵提供一定的依据。     

Geographical patterns of species turnover in aquatic plant communities

1. A classic theory in biogeography predicts that high latitude communities are unstable. This may be because of decreased species richness or decreased environmental predictability and productivity towards the poles.
2. We studied latitudinal patterns in long-term community persistence of aquatic vascular plants in 112 Finnish lakes, situated within a 1000-km range from the northernmost to the southernmost lake.
3. Contrary to theoretical predictions, we found that the turnover rate of plant species in 45 years was inversely related to latitude. That is, plant communities in northern lakes were more persistent than communities in southern lakes. When we used multiple regression to find the best predictors of species turnover rate (TR), latitude was the only variable that was highly significantly related to species turnover rate. Area, species number, water transparency, pH and change in transparency did not notably explain the gradient observed.
4. The latitudinal trend was mainly because of lower species immigration rates at higher latitudes, whereas extinction rate did not so strongly decrease with increasing latitude. Immigrations and extinctions in the lakes were not in balance: the species numbers between the 1930s and 1980s increased more strongly in the southern than northern lakes.
5. We suggest that the inverse relationship between latitude and plant species TR in Finland is most probably caused by human influence on lakes, especially eutrophication and immigration of new species in southern latitudes. In addition, although species richness per lake did not decrease towards the north, the total species pool probably does, which means that in the north there are fewer species that can actually immigrate.     

松嫩平原破碎化羊草草甸退化演替系列植物多样性的空间格局

物种多样性格局是国际生物多样性科学前沿领域热点问题.本文以松嫩平原破碎化羊草草甸退化演替系列(6种植物群落、144个斑块)为研究对象,系统地探讨了其α、β和γ多样性空间格局及其机理.结果表明:在羊草草甸退化演替系列中共发现87种植物,但没有一种能分布于所有斑块;羊草+鸡儿肠群落或羊草群落的α、β和γ多样性较高,多稀有种和特有种;碱地肤群落最低,少稀有种,无特有种;γ多样性与α多样性显著正相关,但与β多样性无相关性.各植物群落的α多样性与单个斑块面积呈显著幂函数关系,β多样性(相似性指数Sjk)仅羊草+鸡儿肠群落呈显著幂函数关系;斑块平均面积和总面积与α、γ多样性呈显著正相关,与β多样性无相关性.群落的物种丰富度越高,稀有种和特有种就越多,物种在局域斑块上灭绝的可能性越大;β多样性在物种多样性格局中的重要性与生境破碎化程度有关.     

竹叶眼子菜种群遗传多样性与群落物种多样性关系的研究

以洪湖中的沉水植物群落及其优势种竹叶眼子菜(Potamogeton wrightii Morong)为研究对象,利用AFLP分子标记结合野外调查的方法,分析保护区(干扰较小)与非保护区(干扰较大,敞水区)中沉水植物群落的物种多样性与竹叶眼子菜遗传多样性之间的相关性。结果显示:洪湖沉水植物群落物种丰富度(S)和物种多样性辛普森指数(D)在保护区和非保护区均未发现显著性差异;竹叶眼子菜的重要值(IV)在保护区(5.2%~23.2%)较非保护区(8.5%~73.3%)稳定。竹叶眼子菜的遗传多样性在两个区未发现显著差异,其遗传多样性与群落物种多样性这两个指标在保护区、非保护区及全湖水平均不相关,说明沉水植物群落的物种多样性和竹叶眼子菜的遗传多样性对不同环境干扰的响应有所差异。