MORPHOLOGY AND DISPERSAL POTENTIAL OF WIND-DISPERSED DIASPORES OF NEOTROPICAL TREES

Morphological and aerodynamic traits affecting mean potential dispersal distance are quantified for wind-dispersed diaspores of tree species on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. The sample includes 34 species in 16 families and represents six aerodynamic groups. Mass and area (maximum cross section) each vary over six orders of magnitude among the species. In contrast, wing-loading, defined as weight divided by area, varies over only one order of magnitude, as does the rate of descent. While the regression of rate of descent on the square root of wing-loading is significant overall, the slopes vary significantly among five aerodynamic groups. At comparable wing-loading values, diaspores of fluffy kapok fall faster than four other aerodynamic groups and rolling autogyros fall faster than non-rolling autogyros. Assuming the diaspores are released from their typical tree height and experience a mean windspeed of 1.75 m sec^−-1, the expected mean dispersal distance varies among the 34 species from 22 to 194 m. Rate of descent is weakly correlated with shade tolerance of seedlings for a subset of 18 species; rate of descent is more strongly correlated with the log of dry mass of seed for all 34 species. Given these wide differences in dispersal potential, any generalizations about tropical trees that use wind dispersal are of dubious value.     

Using Range-Wide Abundance Modeling to Identify Key Conservation Areas for the Micro-Endemic Bolson Tortoise (Gopherus flavomarginatus)

A widespread biogeographic pattern in nature is that population abundance is not uniform across the geographic range of species: most occurrence sites have relatively low numbers, whereas a few places contain orders of magnitude more individuals. The Bolson tortoise Gopherus flavomarginatus is endemic to a small region of the Chihuahuan Desert in Mexico, where habitat deterioration threatens this species with extinction. In this study we combined field burrows counts and the approach for modeling species abundance based on calculating the distance to the niche centroid to obtain range-wide abundance estimates. For the Bolson tortoise, we found a robust, negative relationship between observed burrows abundance and distance to the niche centroid, with a predictive capacity of 71%. Based on these results we identified four priority areas for the conservation of this microendemic and threatened tortoise. We conclude that this approach may be a useful approximation for identifying key areas for sampling and conservation efforts in elusive and rare species.     

The geographical distribution of rarity

Summary This paper asks the question: are most species that are censused as rare in particular localities rare throughout most of their geographic ranges, or are they common in substantial portions of their ranges elsewhere? The first alternative is labeled suffusive rarity and the second diffusive rarity. To answer this and similar questions, rarity can be measured as the fraction of censuses from some locality (e.g., a quadrat) in which a species occurs (occurrence rarity), or the relative or absolute abundance of the species averaged over all censuses from some locality (abundance rarity). The question was analyzed for occurrence-rarity data from Australian terrestrial birds distributed over 1° (10⁴-km²) quadrats. The great majority of species that are rare in a particular quadrat are not rare and are often common in a substantial number of other quadrats, i.e., these avian species are much closer to the diffusive than suffusive portion of the rarity continuum. The data also show that 1) the distribution of sizes of geographic ranges, whether breeding or total, is highly skewed, appearing exponential to more concave; 2) species are much rarer in their nonbreeding than breeding ranges; 3) more widespread species, whether breeding or total ranges are considered, tend to occur more rarely in a slightly but significantly greater fraction of their ranges; and 4) hawks and owls, typified by high abundance rarity, show occurrence rarity in a greater fraction of their ranges than the average nonraptorial species. Although continental birds may be especially predilected toward diffusive rarity, the present analysis points to identification of centers of abundance as major ways of preserving those species contributing most to recorded instances of rarity. Similar analyses with other kinds of organisms would be most welcome.     

Ciliate populations in temporary freshwater ponds: seasonal dynamics and influential factors

SUMMARY 1. The ciliate populations of two temporary ponds in southern Ontario were studied throughout their aquatic phases in 2001. Pond I (～1 ha) held water for 98 days, whereas Pond II (～0.25 ha) held water for 34 days. Populations were assessed both within the ponds themselves and within a series of enclosures in which invertebrate predator pressure was manipulated. 2. In the natural pond water, total ciliate abundance in Pond II rose rapidly from day 1 increasing two orders of magnitude by day 7. In contrast, total abundance in Pond I began at the same level as in Pond II but increased much more slowly, reached a plateau of around 500 individuals L^?1, and increased again late in the hydroperiod. 3. Despite being only 500 m apart, the two ponds were fairly dissimilar in terms of their species richness and species composition. Pond I contained 50 species compared with 70 species for Pond II, with only 24 species shared. Additional species occurred within the enclosures raising the total species richness to 145 species; 88 from Pond I, 104 from Pond II, with 47 species (30%) in common. Pond II contained more mid‐sized ciliates (50–200 μm), whereas Pond I was dominated by smaller ciliates, especially in mid‐May and early June. In Pond I, cumulative species richness throughout the hydroperiod was highest in the predator addition enclosures (65 ± 4 species), followed by the partial‐predator exclusion enclosures (50 ± 4). Lowest species richness was found in the control enclosures (39 ± 2) and in the pondwater controls (39 ± 0). Differences between the ciliates in the natural pond water and the enclosures appeared to be related to a greater concentration of phytoplankton within the enclosures (perhaps resulting from extensive growth of duckweed, Lemna, outside), and higher densities of zooplankters in the pond. 4. The physicochemical environment influenced species richness, total abundance and the number of rare species (27 in Pond II versus 13 in Pond I). Variation in ciliate abundance in Pond I could be explained by the number of days after filling (39%) and enclosure treatment (23%). These two parameters also explained 72% of the variation in species richness in Pond I (46 and 26%, respectively). Sixty‐five per cent of the variation in abundance in Pond II could be explained by the measured parameters: number of days after filling 27%, pH 19%, and nitrate levels 12%. Fifty‐two per cent of the variation in species richness was explained by the environmental parameters, of which pH was the most influential. Species succession was a strong feature of both ponds and its relationship to environmental variables and the presence of other organisms is discussed. 5. Addition of invertebrate predators resulted in higher abundance and higher species richness for a limited time period in one of the ponds – suggesting that differences in foodweb dynamics may influence ciliate community composition.     

Estimating population abundance in plant species with dormant life-stages: Fire and the endangered plant Grevillea caleyi R. Br.

Summary Assessment of the conservation significance of a species at a particular site involves estimating the population size. Generally this is based on a single survey. However, where plant species vary greatly in abundance in response to disturbance regimes, there will be uncertainty associated with the use of single estimates of abundance. The interpretation of such estimates is dependent on an understanding of the ecology of the species and the disturbance regimes that impact on it. We examined the usefulness of abundance estimates in the endangered shrub Grevillea caleyi (a fire‐sensitive shrub with a persistent soil seed bank) from south‐eastern Australia, where fire is a major landscape disturbance. Comparisons of estimates of abundance before and after fire showed very large changes in the number of plants of G. caleyi above ground. Changes in abundance of over two orders of magnitude were observed. The longer the site was left unburnt, the greater the magnitude of change in abundance after the next fire. Above‐ground plants may be rare or absent at sites unburnt for over 15–20 years, but were abundant after fire, due to re‐establishment from the soil seed bank. Sites burnt by two fires in quick succession showed declines in population abundance, most likely due to the soil seed bank not being replenished between such short interval fires. Assessments of the conservation significance of remnant sites of G. caleyi and similar species based on a single sample of above‐ground plant abundance at one time are considered inappropriate. The amount of available habitat for G. caleyi, either as area of occupancy or preferably extent of available habitat, was a moderate predictor of the likely magnitude of abundance in the species after fire. However, the usefulness of these measures for species whose biology is comparable to Grevillea caleyi, will be limited due to factors relating to the degree of species‐specific habitat requirements, local site fire history and the impact of any one fire on resultant post‐fire germination levels. Any assessment of conservation significance will require the interpretation of available information in relation to the ecology of a species.     

Dispersal of adult caddisflies (Trichoptera) into forests alongside three New Zealand streams

The abundance and taxonomic richness of adult caddisfly faunas were determined at varing distances (up to 200 m) away from three North Island, New Zealand, streams to help define appropriate forested riparian zone widths for adult aquatic insects. Adults were collected using sticky traps and ultraviolet light traps on four occasions over summer. Light traps were more effective at catching caddisflies than sticky traps, but both methods gave similar patterns of declining abundance and taxonomic richness with distance from the stream edge. Abundances of total caddisflies at 20 m were <21% of those caught at the stream edge for both trapping techniques. The same trends were evident for abundances of most common species in light traps, whereas bimodal peaks were evident with distance from the channel edge for percentage females of three common species. More than 30% of species caught at the stream edge was found in light traps at least 70 m into forest at all sites. A faster rate of decline for abundance than richness with distance away from the stream reflected the relatively large distances travelled by representatives of many species. Similar results from the three sites for numbers and species richness indicate that the main area of activity for adult Trichoptera in forested riparian zones was within 30 m of the stream edge at these sites.     

Is a biology of rarity in primates yet possible?

If we lack data on the biology of rare species, then understanding of the biology of rarity will be incomplete at best, biased at worst. However, the extent of potential under-study is mostly unknown. We therefore ask for primates, one of the better known orders of mammals, whether data are lacking on rare species. The measure used is published data on a crucial aspect of biology, namely density. Rare species are here defined as those with both geographic range sizes and habitat breadths less than the median for primates; common species are at or above the median for those two measures. Globally, nearly half, 47%, of the 32 rare species lack data on their density, compared to only 10% of the 83 common species (²corr. = 17.1, p < 0.001). Within realms, Asia and Madagascar show a particularly strong bias, missing density data for over 50% of their rare species. Thus, rare species are indeed severely under-studied compared to common species, even in this well-studied mammalian taxon.     

Ant Diversity and Abundance along an Elevational Gradient in the Philippines1

Ant communities were surveyed along an elevational gradient in the Philippines extending from lowland dipterocarp forest (250 m elevation) to mossy forest (1750 m). Standardized pitfall trapping in arboreal and terrestrial microhabitats at seven sites yielded 51 species. Collecting by hand at five of the sites yielded 48 species. The two methods produced substantially different assemblages, with only 22 species (29%) taken in common. Only a fraction of the total ant community appeared to be sampled at most of the sites. Measures of species richness and relative abundance peaked at mid-elevations and declined sharply with increasing elevation. Ants were extremely rare above 1500 m elevation. Arboreal ants were trapped much less frequently than terrestrial ants at all sites. Ant species that were abundant had broader elevational distributions than those that were less common, but most species were rare and occurred at only one or two sites. The elevational patterns for ants are largely the inverse of those documented for Philippine small mammals which reach their greatest diversity and abundance at high elevations where ants are rare. This suggests that the two groups may interact competitively. Some of the patterns observed or inferred from this study may apply to tropical ant communities in general, and are presented as series of testable hypotheses as a guide and stimulus for future research.     

放牧强度和地形对内蒙古典型草原物种多度分布的影响

为了更好地理解放牧对草原生态系统物种多度分布格局的影响, 以及常见种和稀有种对维持群落多样性的作用, 以内蒙古典型草原为研究对象, 基于长期放牧控制实验平台(包括7个载畜率水平(0、1.5、3.0、4.5、6.0、7.5、9.0 sheep·hm^-2)和两种地形系统(平地和坡地)), 研究了群落内全部物种、常见种和稀有种的丰富度和多度对放牧强度的响应规律, 并选取对数正态模型、对数级数模型和幂分割模型, 对物种多度数据进行拟合。结果表明: 1)平地系统中, 物种丰富度和多度在低放牧强度下(1.5、3.0 sheep·hm^-2)增加, 而在中、高度放牧强度下(4.5-9.0 sheep·hm^-2)降低, 全部物种的多度分布在大多数放牧强度下符合幂分割模型, 在高放牧强度下也符合对数正态模型; 坡地系统中, 物种丰富度和多度随着放牧强度增加而显著降低, 全部物种的多度分布在各个放牧强度下, 均符合幂分割模型和对数正态模型。2)随着放牧强度增加, 常见种的多度响应趋势与全部物种的响应趋势一致, 其多度分布均符合幂分割模型和对数正态模型; 稀有种的丰富度响应趋势与全部物种的响应趋势一致, 其多度分布符合幂分割模型, 同时也部分符合对数正态和对数级数模型。总之, 适宜的载畜率有利于生物多样性和初级生产力的提高, 平地系统中物种多度的响应在一定程度上支持放牧优化假说; 而坡地系统中不同物种多度的响应差异说明: 确定最佳载畜率时, 还需要考虑地形因素的影响。此外, 模型的拟合结果表明: 生态位分化机制对内蒙古典型草原物种多度分布起着主要作用, 常见种和稀有种通过不同的响应方式共同维持着草原生态系统的物种多样性。     

Spatial scaling and transition in pneumatophore arthropod communities

Although most ecological variables are scale-dependent, few studies cover a broad range of spatial scales. Here, we consider South African mangrove pneumatophore arthropod communities (mites, crustaceans and insects), across seven spatial scales (from 10  cm to 100  km). We plot spatial autocorrelation in individual species, evaluate if resource and habitat availability determine spatial patterning, and identify the scales of community transition. Spatial autocorrelation in most ecological variables decreased with increasing spatial scale, with notable exceptions for the larger scales. Negative abundance autocorrelation was stronger at 10  km than at 100  km for common species, while the opposite was true for rare species. Spatial autocorrelation in species richness decreased from 1  m (strong positive) to 10  km (strong negative), but was not significant at the 100  km scale. These patterns reflect the patchy distribution of pneumatophores within mangrove forests, that of the forests along the coast, and the poor dispersal abilities of most of the arthropods sampled, in a highly dynamic environment. Although resource and habitat availability exhibited a similar autocorrelation pattern to that of the community, the total mass of pneumatophores did not appear to be an important determinant of community structure. Variations in the abundance of common species, as well as the restricted distribution of rare species caused assemblage structure to change gradually with increasing distance from 10 cm to 100 km, but only marginally from 10 to 100  km. We highlight the need for cross-scale studies in bridging the gap between two key ecological concepts: potential ecological niche and realized geographic range.     

CHROOCOCCOID CYANOBACTERIA IN LAKE ONTARIO: VERTICAL AND SEASONAL DISTRIBUTIONS DURING 19821

Chroococcoid cyanobacteria (0.7–1.3 μm in diameter) were discovered to be a significant component of the Lake Ontario plankton. Using epifluorescence microscopy, the densities of these microorganisms were found to vary by four orders of magnitude with a single large peak in abundance (6.5 × 10⁵ cells mL^?1) corresponding to the time of maximum water temperature. The morphology and abundance of these cyanobacteria were similar to those previously found in oceanic systems. They constituted 10% of the bacterial numbers in the epilimnion during this period, approximately 40% of the biomass of prokaryotes less than 2.0 μm, and 30% of the biomass of all microorganisms less than 20 μm in size. Size fractionation studies indicated that they were responsible for approximately 38% of the total primary production during times of peak abundance, and were important in phosphorus uptake. Cyanobacteria observed in the food vacuoles of heterotrophic microflagellates and in the guts of rotifers suggest that the latter organisms may be important consumers of this prokaryote population.     

CETACEANS OF THE WESTERN TROPICAL INDIAN OCEAN: DISTRIBUTION, RELATIVE ABUNDANCE, AND COMPARISONS WITH CETACEAN COMMUNITIES OF TWO OTHER TROPICAL ECOSYSTEMS

We conducted a cetacean survey in the pelagic western tropical Indian Ocean (WTIO) aboard an 85-m research vessel from March to July 1995, covering 9,784 linear km. Using 25 × binoculars and line-transect methods, we recorded 589 sightings of 21 species. Stenella longirostris was the most abundant cetacean, in terms of number of individuals sighted, by an order of magnitude above any other species, while Physeter macrocephalus was the most frequently sighted, in terms of number of schools. Twelve species were widespread, seven were rare, and two were localized; our sightings include new distributional records for 12 species. Significant observations included the following: (1) Delphinus cf. tropicalis was abundant off the coast of Oman (16 sightings) and readily distinguishable in the field from D. delphis and D. capensis, (2) Balaenoptera musculus was fairly common and localized in the area of the Maldives (17 sightings), and (3) three sightings were made of an unidentified bottlenose whale tentatively referred to as Indopacetus (i. e., Mesoplodon) pacificus. We recorded 26 mixed-species cetacean schools, 43 schools with which seabirds associated, and 17 schools associated with tuna. Notable among these were mixed aggregations of Stenella attenuata, S. longirostris, yellowfin tuna, and seabirds. The cetacean community of the WTIO was similar to that of the eastern tropical Pacific (ETP) and the Gulf of Mexico (GM) in several respects. First, differences in abundance rank of individual species were small, with the result that common species were common and rare species were rare, regardless of ocean. Second, these differences in abundance were due primarily to differences in encounter rate, which varied with ocean by as much as 3,000%, and less so to school size, which generally varied less than 100%. Third, regardless of ocean, three species comprised the majority of cetaceans in the community, Stenella attenuata, S. longirostris, and S. coeruleoalba, representing 62%-82% of all individuals for all species. However, the rank order of abundance for these three species differed with ocean. Most notably, S. attenuata was abundant in the ETP and GM (abundance rank = 2 and 1, respectively) but much less common in the WTIO (abundance rank = 6). Although habitat preferences for S. attenuata appear to overlap considerably with those of S. longirostris in the ETP, our results suggest there may actually be significant differences between these two species. Detailed analysis of oceanographic correlates of distribution will be necessary in order to understand fully the habitat requirements of these pelagic dolphins, often the most conspicuous elements of tropical cetacean communities around the world.     

Risks to Birds Traded for African Traditional Medicine: A Quantitative Assessment

Few regional or continent-wide assessments of bird use for traditional medicine have been attempted anywhere in the world. Africa has the highest known diversity of bird species used for this purpose. This study assesses the vulnerability of 354 bird species used for traditional medicine in 25 African countries, from 205 genera, 70 families, and 25 orders. The orders most represented were Passeriformes (107 species), Falconiformes (45 species), and Coraciiformes (24 species), and the families Accipitridae (37 species), Ardeidae (15 species), and Bucerotidae (12 species). The Barn owl (Tyto alba) was the most widely sold species (seven countries). The similarity of avifaunal orders traded is high (analogous to “morphospecies”, and using Sørensen''s index), which suggests opportunities for a common understanding of cultural factors driving demand. The highest similarity was between bird orders sold in markets of Benin vs. Burkina Faso (90%), but even bird orders sold in two geographically separated countries (Benin vs. South Africa and Nigeria vs. South Africa) were 87% and 81% similar, respectively. Rabinowitz''s “7 forms of rarity” model, used to group species according to commonness or rarity, indicated that 24% of traded bird species are very common, locally abundant in several habitats, and occur over a large geographical area, but 10% are rare, occur in low numbers in specific habitats, and over a small geographical area. The order with the highest proportion of rare species was the Musophagiformes. An analysis of species mass (as a proxy for size) indicated that large and/or conspicuous species tend to be targeted by harvesters for the traditional medicine trade. Furthermore, based on cluster analyses for species groups of similar risk, vultures, hornbills, and other large avifauna, such as bustards, are most threatened by selective harvesting and should be prioritised for conservation action.     

Taxonomic level, trophic biology and the regulation of local abundance

• 1 Taxocenes — monophyletic ecological assemblages — are a key focus of macroecology. Abundance (individuals per area) is a basic property of taxocenes but has received less attention than diversity, although the two are probably related. Abundance reflects a taxocene’s ability to harvest and sequester available energy and divide it among individuals. This paper explores how two properties of all taxocenes — trophic makeup and taxonomic level (e.g. genus, tribe, subfamily, family … ) — may contribute to patterns of local abundance at geographical scales.
• 2 Forty‐nine ground ant taxocenes, in habitats ranging from New World deserts to rain forests, were surveyed along a three‐orders of magnitude productivity gradient using transects of 30 1‐m² quadrats at each site. Abundance — the number of nests per transect — varied over two orders of magnitude.
• 3 Over 80% of the genera collected were omnivores. However, herbivore, omnivore, and predator taxa were added to ant taxocenes in roughly 1 order of magnitude steps up the productivity gradient. Specialist detritivores were added last.
• 4 Net primary productivity and mean monthly temperature both consistently entered regression models predicting abundance. However, while productivity was the dominant predictor of abundance for higher taxa (families, subfamilies), temperature was the dominant predictor of abundance for lower taxa (tribes, genera). The answer to the question ‘What regulates the abundance of a taxocene?’ is thus sensitive to the taxonomic level of analysis.
• 5 These data support the following scenario. Lower taxa are abiotic specialists given the insufficient number of genomes and generations required for the exploration of the entire abiotic envelope. Higher taxa, in contrast, consist of suites of abiotic specialists arrayed along the entire productivity gradient, with access to productivity everywhere the taxon occurs. If this scenario is true, individual species may respond to global changes in temperature; the higher taxa they belong to may most respond to global changes in productivity.

     

Species richness and abundance of forest birds in relation to radiation at Chernobyl

The effects of low-level radiation on the abundance of animals are poorly known, as are the effects on ecosystems and their functioning. Recent conclusions from the UN Chernobyl forum and reports in the popular media concerning the effects of radiation from Chernobyl on animals have left the impression that the Chernobyl exclusion zone is a thriving ecosystem, filled with an increasing number of rare species. Surprisingly, there are no standardized censuses of common animals in relation to radiation, leaving the question about the ecological effects of radiation unresolved. We conducted standardized point counts of breeding birds at forest sites around Chernobyl differing in level of background radiation by over three orders of magnitude. Species richness, abundance and population density of breeding birds decreased with increasing level of radiation, even after controlling statistically for the effects of potentially confounding factors such as soil type, habitat and height of the vegetation. This effect was differential for birds eating soil invertebrates living in the most contaminated top soil layer. These results imply that the ecological effects of Chernobyl on animals are considerably greater than previously assumed.     

Soil seed bank composition along a forest chronosequence in seasonally moist tropical forest,Panama

Abstract. We used a forest chronosequence at the Barro Colorado Nature Monument (BCNM) to examine changes in the abundance and species composition of seeds in the soil during forest succession. At each of eight sites varying from 20 yr to 100 yr since abandonment, and at two old-growth (> 500 yr) forest stands, we established two 160-m transects and sampled the surface 0–3 cm of soil in cores collected at each 5 m interval. Seed densities were estimated from the number of seedlings germinated from the soil over a six-week period. Contrary to expectation, neither the density of the soil seed bank, nor species richness or diversity were directly related to age since abandonment, but the density of the soil seed bank was correlated with the abundance of seed-bank-forming species in the standing vegetation. In marked contrast to published studies, herbaceous taxa were rare even in the youngest stands, and the common tree species, which accounted for most seeds in the soil, were present in all stands. The pioneer tree Miconia argentea (Melastomataceae) was the single most common species in the seed bank, accounting for 62% of seeds and present in 92% of soil samples. Rapid recovery of the vegetation of young regrowth stands on BCNM, when compared to sites elsewhere may be partly due to allochthonous seed rain from nearby mature forest stands and the lack of seed inputs of weeds and grasses from agricultural and pasture lands which may inhibit forest succession.     

Species are not most abundant in the centre of their geographic range or climatic niche

The pervasive idea that species should be most abundant in the centre of their geographic range or centre of their climatic niche is a key assumption in many existing ecological hypotheses and has been declared a general macroecological rule. However, empirical support for decreasing population abundance with increasing distance from geographic range or climatic niche centre (distance–abundance relationships) remains fairly weak. We examine over 1400 bird, mammal, fish and tree species to provide a thorough test of distance–abundance relationships, and their associations with species traits and phylogenetic relationships. We failed to detect consistent distance–abundance relationships, and found no association between distance–abundance slope and species traits or phylogenetic relatedness. Together, our analyses suggest that distance–abundance relationships may be rare, difficult to detect, or are an oversimplification of the complex biogeographical forces that determine species spatial abundance patterns.     

Macrophyte decomposition in a surface-flow ammonia-dominated constructed wetland: Rates associated with environmental and biotic variables

Decomposition of senesced culm material of two bulrush species was studied in a surface-flow ammonia-dominated treatment wetland in southern California. Decomposition of the submerged culm material during summer months was relatively rapid (k = 0.037 day⁻¹), but slowed under extended submergence (up to 245 days) and during fall and spring sampling periods (k = 0.009–0.014 day⁻¹). Stepwise regression of seasonal data indicated that final water temperature and abundance of the culm-mining midge, Glyptotendipes, were significantly associated with culm decomposition. Glyptotendipes abundance, in turn, was correlated with water quality parameters such as conductivity and dissolved oxygen and ammonia concentrations. No differences were detected in decomposition rates between the bulrush species, Schoenoplectus californicus and Schoenoplectus acutus.