Wintering bird communities in newly-formed wetland in the Yangtze River estuary

We compared wintering bird communities and their habitats among three shoals at Jiuduansha, a newly-formed wetland in the Yangtze River estuary. The highest species richness and diversity were recorded in Shangsha, which is the highest shoal, and the highest abundance and lowest species diversity were recorded in Xiasha, which is the lowest shoal. Shangsha had the largest abundance of perching birds whereas Xiasha was the most abundant in waterbirds. Bird assemblages showed different associations with the different habitat types—perching birds were favored by reed (Phragmites australis) communities, shallow water foragers and dabbling ducks preferred sea-bulrush (Scirpus mariqueter) communities, and moist-soil foragers and gulls showed a preference for bare intertidal zones. All bird assemblages, however, avoided the smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) communities, which are dominated by an alien invasive plant. The composition of avian communities was related to habitat types at the three shoals. Our results suggest that the newly-formed tidelands can provide suitable habitats for waterbirds and that the lower tidelands can attract more waterfowl than the higher tidelands. Because the shoal with low species diversity could have exclusive bird species, conservation efforts should not concentrate only on the area with high species diversity. The estuarine wetlands should be considered as a whole when conservation strategies are designed. The alien invasive plant should, moreover, be effectively controlled, to provide suitable habitats for birds.     

Plant Communities in Multi-Metal Contaminated Soils: A Case Study in the National Park of Alta Murgia (Apulia Region - Southern Italy)

A phytosociological study was conducted in the National Park of Alta Murgia in the Apulia region (Southern Italy) to determine the adverse effects of metal contamination of soils on the distribution of plant communities. The phytosociological analyses have shown a remarkable biodiversity of vegetation on non-contaminated soils, while biodiversity appeared strongly reduced on metal-contaminated soils. The area is naturally covered by a wide steppic grassland dominated by Stipa austroitalica Martinovský subsp. austroitalica. Brassicaceae such as Sinapis arvensis L. are the dominating species on moderated contaminated soils, whereas spiny species of Asteraceae such as Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. and Carduus pycnocephalus L. subsp. pycnocephalus are the dominating vegetation on heavily metal-contaminated soils. The presence of these spontaneous species on contaminated soils suggest their potential for restoration of degraded lands by phytostabilization strategy.     

Vegetation analysis of Burullus Wetland: a RAMSAR site in Egypt

We analyzed the vegetation of Lake Burullus at the deltaic Mediterranean coast of Egypt, the sand bar between its northern shore and Mediterranean Sea, the water courses that drain into the lake and the wetland around it. Our ultimate aim was to identify threatened species and communities and the environmental factors that affect their distribution in order to formulate a plan for their conservation. The total number of the recorded species was 197 (100 annuals and 97 perennials), including 12 floating and submerged hydrophytes. Three species are endemic to Egypt: two annuals (Sinapis arvensis subsp. allionii and Sonchus macrocarpus) and one perennial (Zygophyllum album var. album). Thirty-four species are rare allover Egypt (15 annuals and 19 perennials). The lake area included 10 types of habitat (sand formations, salt marshes, lake cuts, terraces, slopes, water edges and open water of the drains, islets, shores and lake). The vegetation was classified into 13 groups (i.e., plant communities). Six groups were dominated or co-dominated by the common reed (Phragmites australis); these groups occupied a wide environmental gradient from xeric to hydric habitats. Five other groups were dominated by halophytic species (Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Suaeda vera, Sarcocornia fruticosa, Halocnemum strobilaceum and Salsola Kali). The remaining two groups were dominated by the emergent Typha domingensis and the submerged Potamogeton pectinatus. Moisture, salinity and sedimentation were the main factors that governed the plant succession in this wetland.     

Surprising low diversity of the plant pathogen Phytophthora in Amazonian forests

The genus Phytophthora represents a group of plant pathogens with broad global distribution. The majority of them cause the collar and root-rot of diverse plant species. Little is known about Phytophthora communities in forest ecosystems, especially in the Neotropical forests where natural enemies could maintain the huge plant diversity via negative density dependence. We characterized the diversity of soil-borne Phytophthora communities in the North French Guiana rainforest and investigated how they are structured by host identity and environmental factors. In this little-explored habitat, 250 soil cores were sampled from 10 plots hosting 10 different plant families across three forest environments (Terra Firme, Seasonally Flooded and White Sand). Phytophthora diversity was studied using a baiting approach and metabarcoding (High-Throughput Sequencing) on environmental DNA extracted from both soil samples and baiting-leaves. These three approaches revealed very similar communities, characterized by an unexpected low diversity of Phytophthora species, with the dominance of two cryptic species close to Phytophthora heveae. As expected, the Phytophthora community composition of the French Guiana rainforest was significantly impacted by the host plant family and environment. However, these plant pathogen communities are very small and are dominated by generalist species, questioning their potential roles as drivers of plant diversity in these Amazonian forests.     

Effects of fire on the structure and composition of open eucalypt forests

Abstract Fires are integral to the healthy functioning of most ecosystems and are often poorly understood in policy and management, however, the relationship between floristic composition and habitat structure is intrinsically linked, particularly after fire. The aim of this study was to test whether the variability of habitat structure or floristic composition and abundance in forests at a regional scale can be explained in terms of fire frequency using historical data and experimental prescribed burns. We tested this hypothesis in open eucalypt forests of Fraser Island off the east coast of Australia. Fraser Island dunes show progressive stages in plant succession as access to nutrients decreases across the Island. We found that fire frequency was not a good predictor of floristic composition or abundance across dune systems; rather, its affects were dune specific. In contrast, habitat structure was strongly influenced by fire frequency, independent of dune system. A dense understorey occurred in frequently burnt areas, whereas infrequently burnt areas had a more even distribution of plant heights. Plant communities returned to pre‐burn levels of composition and abundances within 6 months of a fire and frequently burnt areas were dominated by early successional species of plant. These ecosystems were characterized by low diversity and frequently burnt areas on the east coast were dominated by Pteridium. Greater midstorey canopy cover in low frequency areas reduces light penetration and allows other species to compete more effectively with Pteridium. Our results strongly indicate that frequent fires on the Island have resulted in a decrease in relative diversity through dominance of several species. Prescribed fire represents a powerful management tool to shape habitat structure and complexity of Fraser Island forests.     

Bird community patterns in response to the island features of urban woodlots in eastern China

Many studies have demonstrated the changes in the spatial patterns of plant and animal communities with respect to habitat fragmentation. Insular communities tend to exhibit some special patterns in connection with the characteristics of island habitats. In this paper, the relationships between richness, assemblage, and abundance of bird communities with respect to island features were analyzed in 20 urban woodlots in Hangzhou, China. Field investigations of bird communities, using the line transect method, were conducted from January to December, 1997. Each woodlot was surveyed 16 times during the year. Results indicated that bird richness was higher, per unit area, in the smaller woodlots than the larger ones, and overall bird density decreased with the increase in the size of woodlot. However, the evenness of species abundance increased with the area, and small woodlots were usually dominated by higher density species and large woodlots by medium density species. Most species occurring in the small woodlots also occurred in larger woodlots. Also, bird communities among urban woodlots showed a nestedness pattern in assemblage. These patterns implied that the main impacts of woodland habitat fragmentation are: (1) species are constricted and thus species number will increase at a given sample size; (2) as surface area decreases, the proportion of forest edge species as to interior species will increase; (3) community abundance will therefore increase per unit area but most individuals will be from a few dominant species; and (4) overall species diversity will decrease at a habitat level as well as at a region level. These patterns of community in response to the island features were therefore summarized as “island effects in community”. The underlying processes of such observations were also examined in this paper. Woodlot area, edge ratio, isolation, and habitat nestedness were considered as the important factors forming the island effects in community. High heterogeneity between habitats usually contributed most to the maintenance of regional biodiversity, especially in urban woodlots. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25(4): 657–663 [译自: 生态学报, 2005, 25(4): 657–663]     

The vegetation of the Farasān Islands,Red Sea,Saudi Arabia

Abstract. Classification of the vegetation of the Farasān Islands using TWINSPAN technique resulted in the recognition of seven community types associated with seven different habitat types: silty runnels, palm orchards, rocky plains, rocky plateau crevices, coastal sand dunes, sand plains, and mangroves. These communities were dominated or co-dominated by 13 perennial species; 87 associate species were recorded in the study area with chamaephytes dominating the life-form spectrum. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that organic carbon, soil moisture, silt, electrical conductivity and calcium carbonate were the major edaphic gradients controlling the distribution of the plant communities on the Farasān Islands. Higher species richness was recorded in the plant communities inhabiting the palm orchards, the crevices of the rocky plateau, silty runnels, rocky plains and rocky plateau, while those of the mangrove and sand formations (dunes and plains) showed a lower species richness. Soil texture and organic matter are the main factors promoting species diversity in the more diversified habitats, while high salinity and calcium carbonate are the main factors associated with lower species diversity in the less diversified habitats of the study area.     

Bird community patterns in response to the island features of urban woodlots in eastern China

Many studies have demonstrated the changes in the spatial patterns of plant and animal communities with respect to habitat fragmentation.Insular communities tend to exhibit some special patterns in connection with the characteristics of island habitats.In this paper,the relationships between richness,assemblage,and abundance of bird communities with respect to island features were analyzed in 20 urban woodlots in Hangzhou,China.Field investigations of bird communities,using the line transect method,were conducted from January to December,1997.Each woodlot was surveyed 16 times during the year.Results indicated that bird richness was higher,per unit area,in the smaller woodlots than the larger ones,and overall bird density decreased with the increase in the size of woodlot.However,the evenness of species abundance increased with the area,and small woodlots were usually dominated by higher density species and large woodlots by medium density species.Most species occurring in the small woodlots also occurred in larger woodlots.Also,bird communities among urban woodlots showed a nestedness pattern in assemblage.These patterns implied that the main impacts of woodland habitat fragmentation are:(1) species are constricted and thus species number will increase at a given sample size;(2) as surface area decreases,the proportion of forest edge species as to interior species will increase;(3)community abundance will therefore increase per unit area but most individuals will be from a few dominant species;and (4) overall species diversity will decrease at a habitat level as well as at a region level.These patterns of community in response to the island features were therefore summarized as "island effects in community".The underlying processes of such observations were also examined in this paper.Woodlot area,edge ratio,isolation,and habitat nestedness were considered as the important factors forming the island effects in community.High heterogeneity between habitats usually contributed most to the maintenance of regional biodiversity,especially in urban woodlots.     

Sunken roads as habitats for forest plant species in a dynamic agricultural landscape: effects of age and isolation

Aim This study tests the hypothesis that linear, woody habitat patches surrounding small, sunken rural roads not only function as an unstable sink but also as a true, sustainable habitat for forest plants. Furthermore, factors affecting the presence of forest plant species in sunken roads are determined. Finally, the implications of these findings for the overall metapopulation dynamics of forest plant species in fragmented agricultural landscapes are assessed. Location The study area, c. 155 km² in size, is situated in a fragmented agricultural landscape within the loamy region of central Belgium. Methods Forest species presence–absence data were collected for 389 sunken roads. The effect of area, depth, age and isolation on sunken road species richness was assessed using linear regression and analysis of variance (anova ). Analysis of covariance was employed to study the interaction between age and isolation. Differences in plant community dispersal spectra in relation to sunken road age and isolation were analysed by means of linear regression and anova . Results Sunken roads proved to function as an important habitat for forest plants. The sink‐hypothesis was falsified by a clear species accumulation in time: sunken road species richness significantly increased with the age of the elements. Sunken road age mainly affected species richness through effects on both area and depth, affecting habitat quality and diversity. Furthermore, sunken road isolation had a significant impact on species richness as well, with the number of forest species decreasing with increasing isolation of the elements, indicating dispersal limitation in sunken road habitats. Moreover, a significant age × isolation interaction effect was demonstrated. Differences in regression slopes for isolation between age classes revealed that the effect of isolation intensified with increasing age of the elements. Differential colonization in relation to forest species dispersal capacities probably account for this, as confirmed by the analysis of sunken road plant community dispersal spectra, with the fraction of species with low dispersal capacities increasing with increasing age and decreasing isolation of the elements. Main conclusions During sunken road development, area and depth increase and, gradually, suitable habitat conditions for forest plant species arise. Depending on their ecological requirements and dispersal capacities, forest species progressively colonize these habitats as a function of the element's isolation. The functioning of sunken roads as a sustainable habitat for forest species enhances the metapopulation viability of forest plants in agricultural landscapes and has important consequences for forest restoration practices. Moreover, the results of this work call for integrating the presence of forest species in small‐scaled linear habitat patches in forest fragmentation studies.     

青海省芨芨草草原的群落特征及其分布规律

芨芨草(Achnatherum splendens)是一种旱生植物,广泛分布于欧亚草原和荒漠地区。它是一种生态可塑性很强的植物,可分布于草原、荒漠草原等植被带内。以其为优势种可以形成盐生草甸、草原、荒漠草原等多种植被类型。青海省共和盆地、青海湖盆地和柴达木盆地东部等地大面积分布有芨芨草群落,并和本区分布的其他草原类型形成基带植被。无论是其生境条件、生物生态学特性、群落的组成及分布规律均具有草原性质,应划归草原植被类型较为合适。     

Abundance-age-area relationships in an insular plant community

Two processes are thought to generate positive relationships between species richness and island area. The areaper se hypothesis states that larger islands maintain larger populations, which are less susceptible to extinction. The habitat hypothesis states that larger islands contain more habitats, and therefore a greater number of habitat specialists. However, the importance of each mechanism is debated. I tested the areaper se and habitat hypotheses by comparing relationships between plant abundance, age and island area in five shrub species on islands off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Results showed that two shrub species increased in both abundance and age with island area. The remaining three species showed no differences in abundance and age with island area. Conifer abundances increased with island area, which generated differences in habitat availability. Smaller islands were dominated by open habitat, while larger islands contained both open and forested habitats. Changes in habitat availability with island area could explain patterns in plant abundance and age. The two species that increased in abundance with island area were commonly found in conifer forest on the mainland, and their distributions were consistent with the distribution forest habitat. Positive relationships between plant age and island area in these two species may result from lower survivorship in the open habitat, which dominated small islands. The three species that showed no relationship between abundance and island area are commonly found in open habitat on the mainland, and their island distributions paralleled the availability of open habitat on islands. Similar plant ages on different sized islands may result from their occurrence in open habitat on both large and small islands. Overall results support the habitat hypothesis and indicate that species distributions result from the interaction between habitat affinities and changes in habitat availability with island area.     

Impact of land use on the ecology of uncultivated plant species in the Rwenzori mountain range,mid western Uganda

Rwenzori mountain range is important for its high diversity of unique species and as a water catchment area and yet very fragile to human interference. The study documented the impact of land use on ecology of uncultivated plant species in the Rwenzori mountain range using Bugoye sub‐county as a reference site. The ecological aspects of the plants studied included distribution, abundance and diversity of the plant species in and around the various land uses as well as in degraded, disturbed and undisturbed areas. Land uses identified were; agriculture, built up area and land with other activities (conservation and abandoned fields). The study revealed that agriculture was the main land use category taking up 69.7% of land use area. Plants distributed in and around the land uses were mainly trees with species diversity of 34.5%. Generally, there was no relationship in the distribution of plant species in degraded, undisturbed and disturbed areas (a = 0.01). In disturbed areas, there was vegetation cover especially of plant species that occur as secondary re‐growth, and in degraded areas, the ground was sparsely covered by primary succession species while in the undisturbed areas, plant species growing in a ‘natural. habitat dominated and most of them were climax species.     

Traits related to species persistence and dispersal explain changes in plant communities subjected to habitat loss

Aim Habitat fragmentation is a major driver of biodiversity loss but it is insufficiently known how much its effects vary among species with different life‐history traits; especially in plant communities, the understanding of the role of traits related to species persistence and dispersal in determining dynamics of species communities in fragmented landscapes is still limited. The primary aim of this study was to test how plant traits related to persistence and dispersal and their interactions modify plant species vulnerability to decreasing habitat area and increasing isolation. Location Five regions distributed over four countries in Central and Northern Europe. Methods Our dataset was composed of primary data from studies on the distribution of plant communities in 300 grassland fragments in five regions. The regional datasets were consolidated by standardizing nomenclature and species life‐history traits and by recalculating standardized landscape measures from the original geographical data. We assessed the responses of plant species richness to habitat area, connectivity, plant life‐history traits and their interactions using linear mixed models. Results We found that the negative effect of habitat loss on plant species richness was pervasive across different regions, whereas the effect of habitat isolation on species richness was not evident. This area effect was, however, not equal for all the species, and life‐history traits related to both species persistence and dispersal modified plant sensitivity to habitat loss, indicating that both landscape and local processes determined large‐scale dynamics of plant communities. High competitive ability for light, annual life cycle and animal dispersal emerged as traits enabling species to cope with habitat loss. Main conclusions In highly fragmented rural landscapes in NW Europe, mitigating the spatial isolation of remaining grasslands should be accompanied by restoration measures aimed at improving habitat quality for low competitors, abiotically dispersed and perennial, clonal species.     

Natural habitats of typical plants growing on ruins of Roman archaeological sites (Rome,Italy)

In this study, we support the hypothesis that wall plant species come mainly from rocky habitats, taking into account that ancient walls show similar characteristics to rocks. The occurrence of wall species in natural habitats was investigated. The main literature concerning wall and natural vegetation of central-southern Italy was viewed. Vegetation synoptic tables were analysed through statistical procedures for comparing occurrence and behaviour of wall species in ruderal habitats as archaeological sites and natural ones.The study pointed out that wall species show similar ecological and coenological features in both habitats. This confirms that the main natural habitat from which wall species come from are rocks, but secondarily also ephemeral Mediterranean meadows and garrigues. Particularly, some wall species belonging to Parietarietea judaicae class are participating in the formation of natural rocky communities of Asplenietea trichomanis. Species occurring on emerging ruins form ephemeral meadows belonging to Helianthemetea guttati, also found in natural Mediterranean environment. On wide tops of ruins, where community dynamism is higher, some perennial herbaceous and shrubby species participate in the formation of impoverished communities matching to natural aspects of Mediterranean maquis. The knowledge of the natural habitat of wall species can be useful for a better management of archaeological sites.     

The intersection of ecological risk assessment and plant communities: an analysis of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Agrostis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Panicum</Emphasis> species in the northeastern U.S.

Ecological risk assessments for grass species with novel traits are advisable, or required, in order to identify potential environmental harms prior to large-scale cultivation. Credible risk assessments are built upon knowledge of the communities that could be negatively affected by crop-to-wild gene flow, new weeds, or invasive plants. This study focused on two cultivated grasses with different life histories: the exotic, weedy Agrostis stolonifera (creeping bentgrass) and the native Panicum virgatum (switchgrass). Vascular plant communities were analyzed in 190 transects (50 m) in ten habitat types across two ecoregions (inland and coastal) in the northeastern U.S. Ordination plots and dendrogram analysis showed clustering of inland plant community assemblages within habitat types, while coastal plant communities were similar across the habitats studied. Agrostis and Panicum species had unequal distribution across the habitat types and ecoregions. Agrostis species were more common in the inland ecoregion and habitats receiving moderate management or disturbance events. In both ecoregions, A. stolonifera had high co-occurrence values with other exotic Agrostis species, suggesting potential for interspecific gene flow. P. virgatum was most common in inland roadside and wasteland habitats, but was distributed equally in the three coastal habitats. Co-occurrence between P. virgatum and congenerics was infrequent, although one transect had both P. virgatum and the state-listed coastal species Panicum amarum. This is the first study to characterize Agrostis and Panicum plant communities and distribution providing the basis for ecological risk assessments, coexistence-strategies, and geographic exclusion zones.     

A relic wood of Juniperus turbinata Guss. (Cupressaceae) in Sicily: Structural and ecological features,conservation perspectives

Abstract

Juniperus turbinata Guss. (Cupressaceae) is a threatened tree species occurring in the Mediterranean area. It is listed as a vulnerable species in the Red Book of Italian plants and its various communities are included in Annex I of the Habitats Directive 92/43/EEC as a priority habitat for conservation. During field investigations carried out to analyse the plant biodiversity of coastal habitats in southern Sicily, a new interesting population was found. This study aims to characterize this relevant new finding with a marked focus on demography and synecology of the plant community in question in order to define its habitat, assess its conservation status and propose conservation measures. Our data highlight that the juniper is characterized by low turnover population dynamics. In order to understand the role of J. turbinata in sandy soil communities of south-eastern Sicily, comparisons of 21 plots (relevés) with 25 established plots in south-eastern Sicily were carried out using cluster analysis and canonical component analysis. This has allowed three different plant communities with different ecological features to be identified.     

The plankton community of an acid blackwater South Carolina power plant impoundment

Robinson Impoundment, an acid blackwater system in the South Carolina sandhills, serves as a cooling pond for a 854 MW power plant. It is divided by a causeway into an upper and lower impoundment. The upper impoundment is narrow, shallow, exhibits higher flow, and much more periphytic and rooted aquatic macrophyte vegetation. The lower impoundment is wide and deep with many sandy shoreline areas and little macrophyte vegetation.The zooplankton and phytoplankton communities of both the lower and upper impoundment were investigated over a three-year period (1980–1982) in an effort to determine power plant discharge effects on the plankton. Primary productivity rates were low, characteristic of an oligotrophic system. The phytoplankton community was dominated by the Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae in cell density and the Chlorophyceae in species richness. The zooplankton community was dominated numerically by copepods, rotifers, and cladocerans, respectively. Principal zooplankton species includedDiaptomus mississippiensis, Bosmina longirostris, Diaphanosoma brachyurum, Keratella americana, K. cochlearis, Pompholyx sulcata, andConochiloides coenobasis. The rotifers were dominant in species richness, while crustacean zooplankton species richness was usually quite low. Statistical analyses performed using phytoplankton and zooplankton population variables indicated that in most cases upper impoundment densities were significantly lower (p < 0.05) than lower impoundment densities which were likely a function of the lotic upper impoundment habitat. No significant differences were found between the discharge area and the rest of the lower impoundment stations suggesting that localized power plant discharge effects did not occur during the study. Peak midsummer thermal discharge (36.0 ° C) may have caused temporary reductions inD. mississippiensis and several rotifers. Thermal stimulation during summer may have caused population increases for the filter-feeding cladocerans,B. longirostris andD. brachyurum.     

垫状植物囊种草对群落物种多样性的影响

在甘肃盐池湾国家级自然保护区内海拔4137 m处,选择典型的囊种草垫状植被设置研究样地,研究了垫状植物囊种草对群落物种组成和群落物种多样性的影响,并且定量的研究了囊种草对群落物种丰富度的影响能力和维持潜力。研究结果表明:囊种草为群落中增加了新的植物种类,并且提高了部分生境一般种的多度;囊种草的出现提高了群落物种密度和物种丰富度,进而提高了群落物种多样性;囊种草斑块的增加将会引起景观水平物种丰富度的增加,表明囊种草具有为群落中引入新的植物种类进而提高群落物种丰富度的能力;在景观水平,囊种草所创造的生境多样性则成为一种保障,可以维持景观中物种丰富度从而降低物种损失的风险,表明囊种草具有较高的群落物种丰富度维持潜力。     

Plant species composition in green spaces within the built-up areas of Beijing,China

Plant species composition is a critical issue in ecological research. Studies on the characteristics of plant species composition in the built-up areas, however, are hampered by a lack of basic field-based investigation. In this article, the plant species composition in the built-up areas of Beijing, China, is investigated using abundant field observations. The origin of species, chorological spectra, life forms and plant communities were determined. The characteristic species in each type of green space were determined by k-means classification, and urban plant communities were identified by two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). Plant species composition in the built-up areas was further compared with that in natural mountain floras in Beijing to reveal the differences in life form composition and chorological spectra, and the coincidence of species in the two communities. A total of 618 plant species belonging to 349 genera and 103 families were identified. Our results revealed wide chorological spectra with trees dominated by deciduous species. Although native plant species were widely distributed, 53% of the plant species were aliens, among which 67% were introduced from America and other Asian countries. Furthermore, the characteristics of the plant species composition in the built-up areas are significantly different from those of the natural habitats. Our results highlight the dramatic changes in characteristics of plant species composition in the built-up area of Beijing. Several suggestions are proposed to increase the diversity of native species through the planning and management of green spaces.     

Roadside habitats: effects on diversity and composition of plant, arthropod, and small mammal communities

Road edge effects cover extensive areas and exert a wide range of ecological influences on nearby plants and animals. Most studies have focused on individual and population level effects of the road edge; less is known about how communities and their functionality are altered in proximity to roads. Here, we studied the effect of road edges on species richness, rarity, endemism, composition, and functional (trophic) classification of communities of plants, ground-dwelling arthropods (beetles, spiders, scorpions, diplopods), and small mammals. The study, conducted in a Mediterranean ecosystem in central Israel, included sampling of these taxa in 10 plots adjacent to a regional road, and in 12 nearby control plots located in a typical shrubland habitat. We found a variety of community level road edge effects on the structure, composition, and function of the studied communities. The extent of effects varied among taxa, but they were generally positive or neutral. For the species-rich taxa (plants, beetles, and spiders), distinct road edge communities characterized by higher richness and altered species composition were found. Rarity and endemism were lower, and the proportion of disturbance-associated plant species was higher at the road edge. Among the species-poor taxa, scorpions and small mammals were more abundant along road edges than in control plots, while diplopods, the only negatively affected taxon, showed decreased abundance along the road. No ecologically meaningful changes in richness or composition were detected for the species-poor taxa along the road edge. Road edges profoundly affect floral and faunal communities, with possible implications for biodiversity conservation.