Stand- and plot-level changes in a boreal forest understory community following wildfire

Background: Boreal forest understory plant communities are known to be resilient to fire – the species composition of stands after a fire is quite similar to the pre-fire composition. However, we know little about recovery of individual plants within particular locations in forest stands (i.e. plot-level changes) since we usually do not have pre-fire data for plots.

Aims: We wanted to determine whether species recruited into the same or different locations in a Pinus banksiana stand that experienced a severe wildfire.

Methods: We used pre-existing permanent plots to evaluate the cover of understory after an unplanned wildfire.

Results: Across the entire stand nine of 47 species showed a significant change in cover. The largest change in a plant functional group was in the mosses, with all species present before fire being eliminated. There was no change in species diversity or total cover. At the plot level, species composition showed a much greater change. An average of 47% of the species present in a plot before the fire were absent in the same plot after the fire, and the total species turnover in plots was 88% of the species present before the fire. The plots showed a similar shift in species composition.

Conclusions: These results confirm that boreal forest communities show a high degree of resilience to fire, but within a forest stand species will be found in different locations following fire, potentially exposing them to a different set of biotic and abiotic conditions in these new locations.     

峨眉山冷杉森林群落研究

依据 5 1个 40 0 m2乔木层和 1 0 2个 1 6m2灌木层、草本层与地被层样方调查资料 ,分析了峨嵋山冷杉森林的林型、环境、植物地理成分、群落结构和乔、灌层植被数量特征。结果表明 :当地冷杉森林分布区内生境多样 ;植物区系复杂 ,有一定的热性地理成分入侵和残遗性 ;各层次水平盖度具有精巧的消长关系 ,垂直结构在亚层水平上的发育与海拔和“混交”程度有关 ;冷杉在乔木层占绝对优势 ,但由于其种群衰退 ,冷杉所构成的森林有退化演替的趋势 ;灌木层的优势植物以竹类为主 ,亚优势种的变化多样。生物地史、生境和植物区系的种种特点 ,共同决定了当地冷杉林型的多样性及其某些少见的种群组合式样。     

Effects of repeated harvesting of forest residues on the ectomycorrhizal community in a Swedish spruce forest

The use of biofuels has been proposed as one possible substitute for fossil fuels, which contribute substantially to the increase in [CO₂] in the atmosphere. However, increased harvesting of forest residues for biofuel might affect the availability of base cations, P and N, as well as the development, community dynamics and function of ectomycorrhizas. This in turn might influence nutrient uptake and tree growth. In this study we investigated the effects of repeated forest residue harvesting on ectomycorrhizal species colonizing spruce roots in the humus layer of a 35-yr-old forest. Harvesting significantly decreased the thickness of the humus layer as well as decreasing the numbers of ectomycorrhizal root tips both per metre root length and per unit humus volume. Changes in mycorrhizal community structure were studied by ITS typing with the use of PCR–RFLP analysis. In total, 19 different ITS types were found on two different sampling occasions (autumn and spring); 11 of these were common to both samplings. Nine of the ITS types were identified to at least the genus level by comparison with RFLP patterns of identified fruiting bodies or axenic cultures. Five species, Cortinarius sp. 2, Thelephora terrestris (Ehrenb.) Fr., Lactarius theiogalus (Bull.:Fr.) S. F. Gray s.st. Neuhoff, Tylospora fibrillosa Donk and Tö-96-12, occurred on over 5% of the total sampled root tips. Together these five types colonized 63% of the mycorrhizas screened. A similarity index assessment showed no shift in mycorrhizal community structure as a result of harvesting. Our findings suggest that the repeated removal of forest residues might have a strong effect on the quantity and development of ectomycorrhizal roots in the organic horizon, but little effect on the species composition of the community.     

Spatial patterns and associations of four species in an old-growth temperate forest

The spatial pattern of a tree species is an important characteristic of plant communities, providing critical information to explain species coexistence. The spatial distribution and association of four different successional species were analyzed among different life-history stages in an old-temperate forest. Significant aggregation patterns were found, and the degree of aggregation decreased with the scales and life-history stages. Significant interspecific spatial associations were detected. In comparing the relationships among the different life-history stages, positive associations were found at small scales in all of the juvenile species pairs. In the adult stage, negative associations were detected in coniferous vs. deciduous species pairs, while the deciduous species pairs, which have identical resource requirements, showed a positive association in this study. The coniferous species pairs showed a positive association at small scales. We infer that seed dispersal, competitive ability, or the requirement for specific topographic and light environments may contribute to the coexistence of these species.     

Detection of the horizontal spatial structure of soil fungal communities in a natural forest

Soil microbes are considered to be a key determinant of the aboveground plant community. They are not distributed uniformly in the environment, and their activity, abundance, and ecosystem functioning could vary across localities, characterized by high β-diversity. Investigating factors that contribute to high β-diversity can help infer the possible mechanisms of microbial community assembly, and predict the scale and extent of impacts that soil microbes have on the plant community. Because soil systems consist of multiple horizons (i.e., vertical stratification) associated with different soil properties, complete understanding of high β-diversity requires consideration of both horizontal and vertical spatial structures of soil microbial communities. We studied the community composition of soil fungi from the O- and A-horizons in a Castanopsis-dominated temperate forest, and compared horizontal spatial autocorrelation in species composition between the two soil horizons (O- versus A-horizons). Pyrosequencing analysis yielded 67,129 sequencing reads, summed across all the 48 forest soil samples. Clustering analysis resulted in 597 molecular operational taxonomic units (OTUs), 68 % of which were identified as fungi, represented by four phyla. The Mantel test revealed that the O-horizon communities are spatially clustered, and the observed high β-diversity was driven not only by changes in OTUs present, but also by high turnover in identities of OTUs in soil samples. Furthermore, Mantel correlogram analysis showed that the O-horizon communities resembled each other in composition within the range of 50 m, whereas the A-horizon communities lacked such horizontal autocorrelation. These differences in the scale patchiness could arise from two processes: (1) that environmental conditions could show higher heterogeneity in finer scale at the A-horizon than at the O-horizon; and/or (2) dispersal could be more frequent at the O-horizon than the A-horizon. The present study suggests that either environmental filtering (i.e., the niche-based process) or dispersal limitation (i.e., neutral process) could characterize the observed patterns of spatial clustering in the soil fungal community.     

Spatial variation of species diversity across scales in an old-growth temperate forest of China

Species richness and abundance are the two most important diversity variables. Species abundance is additive when aggregated across spatial scale, whereas species richness is non-additive. This study analyzes the effect of spatial scale and site on species abundance and richness in a 25-ha temperate forest plot in the Changbai Mountains, northeastern China. The result shows that species abundance and richness are not only dependent on spatial scales, but also dependent on site. Species abundance responds linearly to changes of spatial scale with no intersection in different sites of the study area. However, although species richness also increases with the increase of spatial scale, there are some intersections for the different sites, suggesting that a species-rich site does not always have a high value if the spatial scale is changed. In all, with respect to additive variables, it is relatively easy to extrapolate them from one spatial scale to another spatial scale, as they and the spatial scale usually form a linear relationship. In contrast, non-additive variables are difficult to extrapolate across spatial scales, because they often respond nonlinearly to spatial scale changes. In order to extrapolate these non-additive variables across spatial scales, it is necessary to estimate the relationships between them and spatial scales. As a result, extrapolation of information among spatial scales may be possible, but very difficult, especially for non-additive variables. Because the 25-ha Changbai plot is very small compared to the extent of the world temperate forests, and the vegetation is a relatively uniform type, more such studies in other ecosystems are needed before theories and generalization about scaling effects can be formulated.     

幕阜山森林群落结构与物种多样性研究

幕阜山地处中亚热带-北亚热带过渡地带,物种资源丰富.通过对其典型样地的调查,分别采用Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数和Pielou均匀度指数作为测度指标,研究了幕阜山地区森林群落结构及其物种多样性特征.结果表明,该地区主要有21个森林群落类型.其中常绿阔叶林中,物种丰富度指数与多样性指数在群落梯度上的总体趋势均为灌木层相对高于乔木层,乔木层相对高于草本层;在落叶阔叶林中,其丰富度指数的趋势为灌木层＞草本层和乔木层,而在草本层与乔木层间是波动的,多样性指数的趋势为灌木层＞草本层＞乔木层;在针叶林中,物种丰富度、多样性指数表现的总趋势基本一致,即灌木层的丰富度相对较高,其次为草本层,乔木层的相对较小.在其他群落类型中,多样性指数、均匀度指数在乔木层、灌木层和草本层则表现出多样化的趋势;另外,从总体上看,各种指数在海拔梯度上并未表现出明显的规律性.     

A standardized assessment of forest mammal communities reveals consistent functional composition and vulnerability across the tropics

The understanding of global diversity patterns has benefitted from a focus on functional traits and how they relate to variation in environmental conditions among assemblages. Distant communities in similar environments often share characteristics, and for tropical forest mammals, this functional trait convergence has been demonstrated at coarse scales (110–200 km resolution), but less is known about how these patterns manifest at fine scales, where local processes (e.g. habitat features and anthropogenic activities) and biotic interactions occur. Here, we used standardized camera trapping data and a novel analytical method that accounts for imperfect detection to assess how the functional composition of terrestrial mammal communities for two traits – trophic guild and body mass – varies across 16 protected areas in tropical forests and three continents, in relation to the extent of protected habitat and anthropogenic pressures. We found that despite their taxonomic differences, communities generally have a consistent trophic guild composition, and respond similarly to these factors. Insectivores were found to be sensitive to the size of protected habitat and surrounding human population density. Body mass distribution varied little among communities both in terms of central tendency and spread, and interestingly, community average body mass declined with proximity to human settlements. Results indicate predicted trait convergence among assemblages at the coarse scale reflects consistent functional composition among communities at the local scale, suggesting that broadly similar habitats and selective pressures shaped communities with similar trophic strategies and responses to drivers of change. These similarities provide a foundation for assessing assemblages under anthropogenic threats and sharing conservation measures.     

Population genetic structure of an ectomycorrhizal fungus Amanita manginiana in a subtropical forest over two years

The population genetic structure of the late-stage fungus Amanita manginiana in a natural forest in Dujiangyan, southwest China was examined over two years using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. Seven ISSR primers were used and 170 bands were obtained in this population: 134/160 and 135/153 bands were polymorphic for sporocarps of 2001 and 2002, respectively. Each sporocarp represented a single genet in 2001 and 2002, and no identical genets were found between the two years. The results of genetic similarity comparison, using unweighted pair group method with arithmetic means, and analysis of molecular variance, indicated that although genetic variances were mainly within individuals of the same year the genetic variance between years was statistically significant (P<0.001). Relationships between genetic similarity and spatial distance of pairwise sporocarps were also found to be different in the two years. The differences in genetic structure and genetic similarity between individuals of the two years implied that the sporocarps were not likely to be derived from continuous generations, i.e., the sporocarps collected in 2002 were not developed from sexual spores dispersed by sporocarps of 2001. We suggest that the life-cycle traits of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi should be considered in genetic studies on ECM fungal populations.     

Host plant genus-level diversity is the best predictor of ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity in a Chinese subtropical forest

Microbial diversity is generally far higher than plant diversity, but the relationship between microbial diversity and plant diversity remains enigmatic. To shed light on this problem, we examined the diversity of a key guild of root-associated microbes, that is, ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi along a plant diversity gradient in a Chinese subtropical forest. The results indicated that EM fungal diversity was positively correlated with host plant diversity. Furthermore, this relationship was best predicted by host genus-level diversity, rather than species-level diversity or family-level diversity. The generality of this finding was extended beyond our study system through the analyses of 100 additional studies of EM fungal communities from tropical and temperate forests. Here as well, EM fungal lineage composition was significantly affected by EM plant diversity levels, and some EM fungal lineages were co-associated with some host plant genera. These results suggest a general diversity maintenance mechanism for host-specific microbes based on higher order host plant phylogenetic diversity.     

莲花山主要森林群落空间格局的分形特征

应用信息维数对莲花山主要森林群落的空间格局进行了研究.结果表明:森林群落的格局强度尺度变化程度由高至低的次序为:岷江冷杉一糙皮桦一白桦群落(Q4)1.84＞云杉-紫果云杉-糙皮桦群落(Q2)1.53＞岷江冷杉群落(Q3)1.14＞紫果云杉-云杉-岷江冷杉群落(Q7)1.10＞华山松群落(Q5)0.99＞岷江冷杉人工林(Q1)0.82＞辽东栎群落(Q6)0.45;群落格局信息维数的差异反映了更新状况的差异,揭示出群落个体分布的非均匀性状况.综合3种分形维数,确定各亚高山寒温性森林群落生长与更新状况的次序为Q4＞Q2＞Q3＞Q7＞Q5＞Q1＞Q6.各群落总体平均记盒维数为1.76,关联维数为1.71,信息维数为1.12;各森林群落生长状况较好,个体聚集程度较低,更新状况一般.分形维数谱将不同森林群落的空间结构特征明确区分开来.     

Fine-scale structure and cross-taxon congruence of bird and beetle assemblages in an old-growth boreal forest mosaic

Aim Nestedness occurs when species present in depauperate sites are subsets of those found in species‐rich sites. The degree of congruence of site nestedness among different assemblages can inform commonalities of mechanisms structuring the assemblages. Well‐nested assemblages may still contain idiosyncratic species and sites that notably depart from the typical assemblage pattern. Idiosyncrasy can arise from multiple processes, including interspecific interactions and habitat preferences, which entail different consequences for species co‐occurrences. We investigate the influence of fine‐scale habitat variation on nestedness and idiosyncrasy patterns of beetle and bird assemblages. We examine community‐level and pairwise species co‐occurrence patterns, and highlight the potential influence of interspecific interactions for assemblage structure. Location Côte‐Nord region of Québec, Canada. Methods We sampled occurrences of ground‐dwelling beetles, flying beetles and birds at sites within old‐growth boreal forest. We examined the nestedness and idiosyncrasy of sites and sought relationships to habitat attributes. We analysed non‐random species co‐occurrence patterns at pairwise and community levels, using null model analysis and five ‘association’ indices. Results All three assemblages were significantly nested. There was limited congruence only between birds and flying beetles whose nestedness was related to canopy openness. For ground‐dwelling beetles, nestedness was related to high stand heterogeneity and sapling density, whereas site idiosyncrasy was inversely related to structural heterogeneity. For birds, site idiosyncrasy increased with canopy cover, and most idiosyncratic species were closed‐canopy specialists. In all assemblages, species idiosyncrasy was positively correlated with the frequency of negative pairwise associations. Species co‐occurrence patterns were non‐random, and for flying beetles and birds positive species pairwise associations dominated. Community‐level co‐occurrence summaries may not, however, always reflect these patterns. Main conclusions Nestedness patterns of different assemblages may not correlate, even when sampled at common locations, because of different responses to local habitat attributes. We found idiosyncrasy patterns indicating opposing habitat preferences, consistent with antagonistic interactions among species within assemblages. Analysis of such patterns can thus suggest the mechanisms generating assemblage structures, with implications for biodiversity conservation.     

Spatial variation and biogeography of sand forest avian assemblages in South Africa

Aim To examine biogeographical affiliations, habitat‐associated heterogeneity and endemism of avian assemblages in sand forest patches and the savanna‐like mixed woodland matrix. Location Two reserves in the Maputaland Centre of Endemism (MC) on the southern Mozambique Coastal Plain of northern KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. Methods Replicated surveys were undertaken in each of the two habitat types in each reserve, providing species abundance data over a full year. Vegetation structure at each of the survey sites was also quantified. Differences between the bird assemblages and the extent to which vegetation structure explained these differences were assessed using multi‐variate techniques. Biogeographical comparisons were based on species presence/absence data and clustering techniques. Results Bird assemblages differed significantly between habitats both within a given reserve and between reserves, and also between reserves for a given habitat. Differences in vegetation structure contributed substantially to differences between the avian assemblages. Of the four species endemic to the MC, three (Neergaard’s sunbird, Rudd’s apalis, and Woodward’s batis) were consistently present in sand forest. The fourth (pink‐throated twinspot) preferred mixed woodland. None of these endemic species was classed as rare. In the biogeographical analysis, both the sand forest and the mixed woodland bird assemblages were most similar to bird assemblages found in the forest biome or the Afromontane forest biome, depending on the biome classification used. Main conclusions The close affinities of sand forest and mixed woodland assemblages to those of the forest biome are most likely due to similarities in vegetation structure of these forests. Bird assemblages differ between the sand forest and mixed woodland habitats both within a given reserve and between reserves, and also between reserves for a given habitat. These differences extend to species endemic to the MC. Thus, conservation of sand forest habitat in a variety of areas is necessary to ensure the long‐term persistence of the biota.     

Temporal persistence and spatial distribution of an American inoculant strain of the ectomycorrhizal basidiomycete Laccaria bicolor in a French forest plantation

Selected strains of ectomycorrhizal fungi, such as the basidiomycete Laccaria bicolor , are currently being used as inoculants in nurseries to improve growth of forest trees after outplanting. Information is needed on the survival of these introduced strains in forests and their impact on indigenous biodiversity. Dissemination and persistence of an American strain, L. bicolor S238N, were studied 10 years after outplanting in a Douglas fir plantation located at Saint-Brisson (Morvan, France). About 430 Laccaria spp. sporophores were collected over 3 years. Inheritance of nuclear ribosomal DNA, as well as RAPD markers, was characterized in L. bicolor S238N, using a haploid progeny set of 91 monokaryons. More than 50 markers were identified (19 heterozygous and 33 homozygous or cytoplasmic markers), which unambiguously confirmed that the introduced strain was still present in the inoculated plots. Neither selfing ( P < 0.0008) nor introgression with indigenous strains was detected although in vitro interfertility between the American strain and indigenous L. bicolor was identified. No ingress of the introduced genet into adjacent uninoculated plots colonized by various local Laccaria genets was detected. It is proposed that the spatial distributions identified have developed through mycelial propagation of the introduced strain and intraspecific competition with native genets. Although longer-term data is still lacking, the stability of the inoculant strain and the limited disturbance to indigenous populations described support large-scale nursery production of this host-fungal combination.     

深圳南山区天然森林群落多样性及演替现状

对南山区5个主要天然森林群落(铁榄群落、鼠刺 降真香群落、鸭脚木群落、假苹婆群落、水翁 假苹婆群落)的组成结构及物种多样性进行分析,并与相邻的香港地区地带性森林群落(黄桐群落)作比较。结果表明,依照亚热带及南亚热带森林群落演替规律,南山区天然林处于不同的演替发育阶段：铁榄群落处于演替第3阶段;鼠刺 降真香群落处于第4阶段;其它3个群落处于第5阶段,均未达到稳定的顶极群落阶段。随着铁榄群落、鼠刺 降真香群落、鸭脚木群落、假苹婆群落、水翁 假苹婆群落这个演替序列,物种丰富度的变化规律是：先逐渐上升,到达一个峰值,再缓慢下降。Shannon-Wiener指数和Pielous均匀度指数的变化规律与物种丰富度相同,Simpson指数变化曲线与这些指数相反。但这些指数反映的结果是一致的。综合多个指数分析,鸭脚木群落物种多样性最大,即当群落中阳生性树种与中生性树种优势度相差不大时。群落具有最大的物种多样性。多样性比较结果显示,南山森林群落物种多样性大大低于香港黄桐群落。5个群落的Shannon—Wiener指数在2．04～2．953之间,明显低于黄桐群落,其Shannon—Wiener指数为4．74;Simpson指数0．1～0．268,黄桐群落为0．05;Pielous均匀度指数64．2％～74％,黄桐群落为79％。南山森林群落物种多样性水平低下的状况与长期的人类干扰有关,必须尽快采取“封山育林”等相应措施来促进群落的保护和恢复。     

砂仁种植对季节雨林土壤节肢动物群落结构影响的初步研究

为了探讨砂仁种植对热带季节雨林土壤节肢动物群落的影响,采用样地调查法对西双版纳勐仑自然保护区热带季节雨林及林下砂仁种植地土壤节肢动物群落进行了调查,2种生境、不同季节3次取样共获得土壤节肢动物3772个,隶属6纲23目,其中砂仁地中膜翅目(蚂蚁)、蜱螨目、半翅目为优势类群,占全捕获量的73．329％,而季节雨林中膜翅目(蚁类)、蜱螨目、鞘趔目和弹尾目为优势类群,占全捕量89．778％。2样地土壤节肢动物类群数、个体数和多样性指数的水平分布差异显示为季节雨林高于砂仁地,垂直分布显示季节雨林为土壤表层多于下层,表聚现象明显,砂仁地因受人为活动影响,其土壤节肢动物的垂直分布具有较大变化,出现下层高于表层的逆向分布;2样地土壤节肢动物群落季节变化趋势相近,均表现为干季高于雨季,其中砂仁地土壤节肢动物个体数在干热季最多,季节雨林个体数则在雾凉季最高。