Species diversity in vertical, horizontal, and temporal dimensions of a fruit-feeding butterfly community in an Ecuadorian rainforest

To test the hypotheses that fruit-feeding nymphalid butterflies are randomly distributed in space and time, a community of fruit-feeding nymphalid butterflies was sampled at monthly intervals for one year by trapping 6690 individuals of 130 species in the canopy and understory of four forest habitats: primary, higraded, secondary, and edge. The overall species abundance distribution was well described by a lognormal distribution. Total species diversity (γ-diversity) was partitioned into additive components within and among community subdivisions (α-diversity and β-diversity) in vertical, horizontal and temporal dimensions. Although community subdivisions showed high similarity (1 —β-diversity/γ-diversity), significant β-diversity existed in each dimension. Individual abundance and observed species richness was lower in the canopy than in the understory. However, rarefaction analysis and species accumulation curves revealed that canopy had higher species richness than understory. Observed species richness was roughly equal in all habitats, but individual abundance was much greater in edge, largely due to a single, specialist species. Rarefaction analysis and species accumulation curves showed that edge had significantly lower species richness than all other habitats. Samples from a single habitat, height and time contained only a small fraction of the total community species richness. This study demonstrates the feasibility, and necessity, of large-scale, long-term sampling in multiple dimensions for accurately measuring species richness and diversity in tropical forest communities. We discuss the importance of such studies in conservation biology.     

Computing β-diversity with Rao's quadratic entropy: a change of perspective

Ecologists have traditionally viewed β-diversity as the ratio between γ-diversity and average α-diversity. More recently, an alternative way of partitioning diversity has been proposed for which β-diversity is obtained as the difference between γ-diversity and average α-diversity. Although this additive model of diversity decomposition is generally considered superior to its multiplicative counterpart, in both models β-diversity is a formally derived quantity without any self-contained ecological meaning; it simply quantifies the diversity excess of γ-diversity with respect to average α-diversity. Taking this excess as an index of β-diversity is a questionable operation. In this paper, we show that a particular family of α-diversity measures, the most celebrated of which is Rao's quadratic entropy, can be adequately used for summarizing β-diversity. Our proposal naturally leads to a new additive model of diversity for which, given two or more sets of plots, overall plot-to-plot species variability can be additively partitioned into two non-negative components: average variability in species composition within each set of plots and the species variability between the set of plots. For conservation purposes, the suggested change of perspective in the summarization of β-diversity allows for a flexible analysis of spatial heterogeneity in ecological diversity so that different hierarchical levels of biotic relevance (i.e. from the genetic to the landscape level) can be expressed in a significant and consistent way.     

Latitudinal variation of diversity in European freshwater animals is not concordant across habitat types

Aim   We analysed the variation of species richness in the European freshwater fauna across latitude. In particular, we compared latitudinal patterns in species richness and β-diversity among species adapted to different habitat types.
Location   Europe.
Methods   We compiled data on occurrence for 14,020 animal species across 25 pre-defined biogeographical regions of European freshwaters from the Limnofauna Europaea . Furthermore, we extracted information on the habitat preferences of species. We assigned species to three habitat types: species adapted to groundwater, lotic (running water) and lentic (standing water) habitats. We analysed latitudinal patterns of species richness, the proportion of lentic species and β-diversity.
Results   Only lentic species showed a significant species–area relationship. We found a monotonic decline of species richness with latitude for groundwater and lotic habitats, but a hump-shaped relationship for lentic habitats. The proportion of lentic species increased from southern to northern latitudes. β-Diversity declined from groundwater to lentic habitats and from southern to northern latitudes.
Main conclusions   The differences in the latitudinal variation of species richness among species adapted to different habitat types are in part due to differences in the propensity for dispersal. Since lentic habitats are less persistent than lotic or groundwater habitats, lentic species evolved more efficient strategies for dispersal. The dispersal propensity of lentic species facilitated the recolonization of central Europe after the last glaciation. Overall, we stress the importance of considering the history of regions and lineages as well as the ecological traits of species for understanding patterns of biodiversity.     

The additive partitioning of species diversity: recent revival of an old idea

Ecologists have traditionally viewed the total species diversity within a set of communities as the product of the average diversity within a community (alpha) and the diversity among the communities (beta). This multiplicative concept of species diversity contrasts with the lesser known idea that α- and β-diversities sum to give the total diversity. This additive partitioning of species diversity is nearly as old as the multiplicative concept, yet ecologists are just now beginning to use additive partitioning to examine patterns of species diversity. In this review we discuss why additive partitioning remained "hidden" until just a few years ago. The rediscovery of additive partitioning has expanded the way in which ecologists define and measure β-diversity. Beta diversity is no longer relegated to describing change only along an environmental gradient. Through additive partitioning, β-diversity is explicitly an average amount of diversity just as is α-diversity. We believe that the additive partitioning of diversity into α and β components will continue to become more widely used because it allows for a direct comparison of α- and β-diversities. It also has particular relevance for testing ecological theory concerned with the determinants of species diversity at multiple spatial scales and potential applications in conservation biology.     

Predators temper the relative importance of stochastic processes in the assembly of prey metacommunities

Communities assemble through a combination of stochastic processes, which can make environmentally similar communities divergent (high β-diversity), and deterministic processes, which can make environmentally similar communities convergent (low β-diversity). Top predators can influence both stochasticity (e.g. colonization and extinction events) and determinism (e.g. size of the realized species pool), in community assembly, and thus their net effect is unknown. We investigated how predatory fish influenced the scaling of prey diversity in ponds at local and regional spatial scales. While fish reduced both local and regional richness, their effects were markedly more intense at the regional scale. Underlying this result was that the presence of fish made localities within metacommunities more similar in their community composition (lower β-diversity), suggesting that fish enhance the deterministic, relative to the stochastic, components of community assembly. Thus, the presence of predators can alter fundamental mechanisms of community assembly and the scaling of diversity within metacommunities.     

The lichen flora on Picea abies in a suboceanic spruce forest area in Central Norway with emphasis on the relationship to site and stand parameters

The lichen flora on 400 Picea abies trees (branches, trunks and trunk bases) in 100 patches of suboceanic spruce forest in Central Norway has been investigated. Relationships between occurrence of the species and a number of habitat and tree variables were analysed by detrended correspondence analysis (DCA). A total of 122 lichen species were recorded. Total species number was found to be about the same on branches and trunk bases (considerably lower on trunks), but with higher β-diversity on trunk bases. Most species could be classified as branch specialists, generalists, trunk or trunk base specialists. Among the measured habitat variables, stand age, altitude and vegetation type were found to be the most important for explaining the patterns of species distributions. Alectoria sarmentosa, Mycoblastus sanguinarius and several dry bark species on trunks, including Caliciales species, were more or less confined to old forests, while Usnea spp. were more abundant in young form. Trentepohlia-containing trunk base species like Arthonia vinosa, Dimerella pineti, Lecanactis abietina and Sclerophora coniophaea showed preference for vegetation types indicating nutrient-rich substrates. The number of branch species was highest on lower altitudes while the opposite was true for trunk species. Larger trees with rough bark in older stands had a more species-rich lichen flora, probably because of higher substratum area and availability of more diverse microsites.     

Response of reed community to the environment gradient-water depth in the Yellow River Delta, China

We investigated and monitored a reed community in the fields. Data on the bio-ecological characteristics and β-diversity of reed communities in different environmental gradients (mainly based on water depth) of the Yellow River Delta were collected through multianalysis, extremum analysis and β-diversity index analysis. In accordance with the square sum of deviations (Ward) cluster analysis, 10 sampling plots were divided into six types with the dominant plants in different plots varying according to the change in environmental gradients. The dominant plants in these plots varied from aquatic plants to xerophytes and salt tolerant plants as water depth decreased. The average height and diameter of the reeds at breast level were significantly correlated with the average water depth. The fitness curves of average density and coverage with average water depth were nonlinear. When the average water depth was 0.3 m, the average density and coverage of reeds reached the apex value, while the height and diameter of the reeds at breast level increased with the water depth. There were obvious changes to the environmental gradient in the Yellow River Delta. The transitional communities were also found to exist in the Yellow River Delta by β-diversity analysis. Vicarious species appeared with the change in water depth. The occurrence of substitute species is determined by the function of common species between adjacent belts. The different functions of common species led to differences in community structure and function and differences in dominant plants. The result reflects the variations of species present in different habitats and directly reflects environmental heterogeneity. The values of β-diversity indices of adjacent plots were higher than those of nonadjacent plots. There are transition zones between the xerophytes and aquatic plants in the Yellow River Delta. In an aquatic environment, the similarity of reed community is higher than that of xeromorphic plants. The β-diversity index can reflect plant succession trends caused by the change in environmental gradients in the Yellow River Delta. The β-diversity index reveals plant responses to changes in environmental gradient and is helpful in observing changes in patterns of species diversity in relation to environmental gradient change and evolving trends in the future, which in turn plays a prominent role when environmental water requirements of wetland are discussed. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2006, 26(5): 1533–1541 [译自: 生态学报]     

白龙江干旱河谷不同坡向主要灌丛群落随海拔梯度变化的物种多样性研究

采用样方调查法,研究了白龙江干旱河谷不同坡向主要灌丛群落沿着海拔梯度的结构特征、物种多样性的变化规律,旨在了解白龙江干旱河谷不同海拔梯度植被特征和物种多样性变化,为白龙江干旱河谷区域不同海拔植被恢复提供理论依据。研究结果表明：（1）不同海拔梯度同一坡向物种数不同,同一海拔不同坡向物种数也不同,随着海拔的升高不同坡向物种数表现为先增加后减少的趋势,同一海拔梯度内不同坡向主要植被类型也不同。（2）主要灌木群落α多样性在不同坡向随着海拔梯度的升高,表现出先升高后减小的趋势。不同坡向草本群落α多样性随着海拔的升高,也表现出先升高后减小的趋势。对主要灌丛α多样性指数进行相关性分析得物种丰富度指数对物种多样性贡献率最大,表现为丰富度指数（D₁、D₂）> 生态优势度指数（SN）> 种间机遇指数（H）> 群落均匀度指数（R）。（3）不同坡向主要灌丛群落β多样性Whittaker指数沿着不同海拔梯度变化不大,最大值出现在海拔1250~1650m;Routledge和Codyβ多样性指数在海拔1450~1650m出现最大值,但是大体呈现出波形变化。草本β多样性随着海拔的升高变化较大,阳坡植物的β多样性指数在海拔1050~1250m达到最大,阴坡和半阴半阳坡在海拔区间1250~1450m达到最大,半阴半阳坡的β多样性指数均大于阳坡。白龙江干旱河谷不同坡向、不同海拔梯度物种α多样性和β多样性都不同,且不同坡向随着海拔梯度的变化物种α多样性和β多样性呈一定的相关性,说明海拔和坡向是影响生物多样性主要因子之一。     

Niche properties of Central European spiders: shading, moisture and the evolution of the habitat niche

Aim  Niche theory emphasizes the importance of environmental conditions for the distribution and abundance of species. Using a macroecological approach our study aimed at identifying the important environmental gradients for spiders. We generated numerical values of niche position and niche width. We also investigated relationships between these niche properties as well as the degree of phylogenetic conservatism in order to draw conclusions about the evolution of the habitat niche.
Location  Central Europe: lowlands of Austria, Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Methods  We analysed 244 published spider communities from 70 habitat types by correspondence analysis. The resulting community scores were used to test for correlations with habitat characteristics. Species scores were used to derive niche position (mean scores) and niche width (standard deviation of scores). To test for niche conservatism we estimated variance components across the taxonomic hierarchy.
Results  The first two axes of the correspondence analysis were correlated with shading and moisture, respectively. Niche width had a hump-shaped relationship to both environmental gradients. β-diversity was strikingly higher in open habitats than in forests. Habitat niche conservatism was lower than phylogenetic conservatism in body size.
Main conclusions  Environmental factors are important drivers for the β-diversity of spiders, especially across open habitats. This underlines the importance of preserving the whole range of moisture conditions in open habitats. Narrow niches of species occurring at the ends of both environmental gradients indicate that adaptations to extreme habitats lead to constraints in ecological flexibility. Nevertheless, the habitat niche of species seems to evolve much faster than morphological or physiological traits.     

Litter decomposition contrasts in second- and old-growth Douglas-fir forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA

Litterfall and its subsequent decomposition are important feedback mechanisms in the intrasystem cycling of nutrients in forest ecosystems. The amount of litterfall and the rate of decomposition are expected to vary with stand age and climate. Over a 2-year period, decomposition of five litter types were measured in two second-growth forest stands and one old-growth stand in the Cascade Mountains of southern Washington state, USA. Both second-growth stands were dominated by Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.,) Franco] but one had a significant proportion of red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.), a nitrogen (N) fixer. The old-growth stand was dominated by Douglas-fir and western hemlock [Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.]. All stands had a relatively shallow layer of forest floor mass. The five litter types were placed in each stand to evaluate decomposition patterns. Despite significant differences in stand age, microclimate and mean residence times for carbon (C) and N, the rates of litter mass loss varied only slightly between sites. The relative order of species litter mass loss was: vine maple ≫ salal = western hemlock > Douglas-fir (from the youngest stand) > Douglas-fir (from the N rich stand with red alder). The initial litter lignin concentration, not lignin:N, was the primary determinant of decomposition rates, although the initial N concentration was the predictor for mass loss after 2 years in the N rich Douglas-fir-alder stand. All litter types showed immobilization of N for nearly 2 years. Data for Douglas-fir litter suggest that higher levels of N may retard decomposition of tissues with greater amounts of lignified material. The retention of N by the litter appeared influenced by the nutrient capital of the stands as well as the forest floor C:N ratio. Decomposition was minimal during the cold winter months, but displayed a definitive peak period during early Fall with wet weather, warm soils, and fungal activity. Thus, long-term climatic change effects on forest floor C storage may depend more on changes in seasonality of precipitation changes than just temperature changes.     

Local variation in rodent communities of Sitka spruce plantations: the interplay of successional stage and site-specific habitat parameters

Habitat associations of wood mouse Apodemus svlvaticus, bank vole Clethrionomvs glareolus and field vole Microtus agrestis were analysed during a chronosequence study of succession in Sitka spruce Picea stichensis plantations in Hamsterley Forest, northeast England In mature plantations (ca 40 yr after planting), A svlvaticus and C glareolus were both abundant, in clear-felled areas the former was usually dominant, in young plantations (5-8 yr after planting) either of the three species was dominant at different sites Pooling all sites, in young plantations rodent communities were most diverse, because of an inter-site component (β-diversity), although within sites, young plantations and mature plantations had similar diversities Clear-felled areas showed least rodent diversity Detrended Correspondence Analysis was used to describe the taxonomic and structural changes in vegetation during succession Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that in young plantations C glareolus was associated with dense ground cover, provided mostly by heather Microtus agrestis was most commonly associated with Deschampsia flexuosa, whereas A svlvaticus was not strongly associated with any plant species Spatial heterogeneity in soils explained much of the inter-site variation in vegetation winch in turn explained much of the β-diversity of rodent communities in young plantations     

Baidzharakhs (relic mounds) increase plant community diversity by interrupting zonal vegetation distribution along the Arctic Sea, northern Siberia

To understand how baidzharakhs (relic mounds enclosing polygonal ice blocks in permafrost) affect the zonal distribution of vegetation, vegetation was measured in 145 plots of area 50 cm × 50 cm on a coastal terrace facing the Arctic Ocean in northern Siberia. Cluster analysis classified five community types that were zonally distributed along the coastline. α-diversities (species richness and diversity) were not different among vegetation types except for vegetation close to the coastline. On and around baidzharakhs, burrows created by lemmings were frequently observed, and plant cover was low, suggesting that baidzharakhs support habitats for rodents. Disturbances by rodent habits caused plant cover to decline but did not change α-diversity. Two vegetation types that developed only on baidzharakhs were found at intermediate distances between the seacoast and inland areas. Because these two vegetation types are azonally distributed, β- and γ-diversities were increased by permafrost-derived topography, i.e., baidzharakh, and/or disturbance by rodents of which suitable nesting habitat is provided by baidzharakh.     

Diversity and Decomposing Ability of Saprophytic Fungi from Temperate Forest Litter

This study was designed to examine saprophytic fungi diversity under different tree species situated in the same ecological context. Further, the link between the diversity and decomposition rate of two broadleaved, two coniferous and two mixed broadleaved-coniferous litter types was targeted. Litter material was decomposed in litter bags for 4 and 24 months to target both early and late stages of the decomposition. Fungal diversity of L and F layers were also investigated as a parallel to the litter bag method. Temperature gradient gel electrophoresis fingerprinting was used to assess fungal diversity in the samples. Mass loss values and organic and nutrient composition of the litter were also measured. The results showed that the species richness was not strongly affected by the change of the tree species. Nevertheless, the community compositions differed within tree species and decomposition stages. The most important shift was found in the mixed litters from the litter bag treatment for both variables. Both mixed litters displayed the highest species richness (13.3 species both) and the most different community composition as compared to pure litters (6.3–10.7 species) after 24 months. The mass loss after 24 months was similar or greater in the mixed litter (70.5% beech–spruce, 76.2% oak–Douglas-fir litter) than in both original pure litter types. This was probably due to higher niche variability and to the synergistic effect of nutrient transfer between litter types. Concerning pure litter, mass loss values were the highest in oak and beech litter (72.8% and 69.8%) compared to spruce and D. fir (59.4% and 66.5%, respectively). That was probably caused by a more favourable microclimate and litter composition in broadleaved than in coniferous plantations. These variables also seemed to be more important to pure litter decomposition rates than were fungal species richness or community structure.     

Does the Existence of Bird's Nest Ferns Enhance the Diversity of Oribatid (Acari: Oribatida) Communities in a Subtropical Forest?

We examined the effects of the presence of bird's nest ferns on the species diversity of oribatid mites in the whole forest in terms of the three categories of species diversity (α-, β-, and γ-diversity) in a subtropical forest in south-western Japan. The species diversity (1 − D) of oribatid communities in the ferns was significantly lower than those in bark of trees and the forest-floor litter and soil, and was similar to that in the branches. The oribatid faunas in the litter in and the roots of the fern were more similar to those in both the forest-floor litter and soil than to the faunas in the other arboreal habitats. However, the ferns can be colonized by endemic oribatid species specialized to such environments. The number of oribatid species estimated for a hypothetical stand with no ferns was about 180 species from 80 samples; this value did not differ significantly from that in another hypothetical stand with ferns (ca. 190 species). Thus, the species richness of oribatid communities estimated for the whole forest (the γ-diversity) was not affected by the presence or absence of bird's nest ferns. The α- and β-diversities of oribatid communities on bird's nest ferns were lower than those in other habitats, and they might not dramatically raise the overall γ-diversity of invertebrate communities in the whole forest. The bird's nest ferns, however, can generate a unique habitat for specialized species, and this would help to maintain species diversities of invertebrates at the whole-forest scale in subtropical forests.     

Structure and diversity of shallow soft-bottom benthic macrofauna in the Gulf of Lions (NW Mediterranean)

Samples of soft-sediment macrobenthos from 92 sites between 10 and 50 m depth were used to assess (1) the main soft-bottom macrofauna communities in the Gulf of Lions, (2) the different components of the diversity of benthic macrofauna in this area, and (3) the relevance of the use of major taxonomic groups as surrogates for the analysis of the structure and diversity of total macrofauna. Three main communities were identified by cluster analysis and associated procedures. These communities corresponded well to the assemblages recently identified on the basis of polychaete composition. The α-diversity indices were in accordance with those reported for similar communities in the Mediterranean. Conversely, the β-diversity value was higher than the few other data available in the literature for marine soft-bottom macrofauna. The total number of species in the studied area estimated by the “total species accumulation curve” (TS) method was 2,319, which was only 10% higher than the number obtained by extrapolation of the species–area curve. The similarity matrix based on polychaetes correlated best with the one based on total macrofauna. Polychaetes and crustaceans were also the best surrogates of total macrofauna when assessing α-diversity (except in the case of Δ*). Conversely, molluscs were the best surrogates of total macrofauna β-diversity. Our results show that the choice of an optimal surrogate for total benthic macrofauna depends on the characteristic of the benthic macrofauna to be studied. Moreover, this choice is also dependent on the environment to be studied.     

Species diversity in neutral metacommunities: a network approach

Biologists seek an understanding of the processes underlying spatial biodiversity patterns. Neutral theory links those patterns to dispersal, speciation and community drift. Here, we advance the spatially explicit neutral model by representing the metacommunity as a network of smaller communities. Analytic theory is presented for a set of equilibrium diversity patterns in networks of communities, facilitating the exploration of parameter space not accessible by simulation. We use this theory to evaluate how the basic properties of a metacommunity – connectivity, size, and speciation rate – determine overall metacommunity γ -diversity, and how that is partitioned into α - and β -components. We find spatial structure can increase γ -diversity relative to a well-mixed model, even when θ is held constant. The magnitude of deviations from the well-mixed model and the partitioning into α - and β -diversity is related to the ratio of migration and speciation rates. γ -diversity scales linearly with metacommunity size even as α - and β -diversity scale nonlinearly with size.     

Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) Plantations Provide Additional Habitats for Vascular Plant Species in Agricultural Mosaic Landscapes

Increasing loss of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes is often debated in the bioenergy context, especially with respect to non-traditional crops that can be grown for energy production in the future. As promising renewable energy source and additional landscape element, the potential role of short rotation coppice (SRC) plantations to biodiversity is of great interest. We studied plant species richness in eight landscapes (225 km²) containing willow and poplar SRC plantations (1,600 m²) in Sweden and Germany, and the related SRC α-diversity to species richness in the landscapes (γ-diversity). Using matrix variables, spatial analyses of SRC plantations and landscapes were performed to explain the contribution of SRC α-diversity to γ-diversity. In accordance with the mosaic concept, multiple regression analyses revealed number of habitat types as a significant predictor for species richness: the higher the habitat type number, the higher the γ-diversity and the lower the proportion of SRC plantation α-diversity to γ-diversity. SRC plantation α-diversity was 6.9 % (±1.7 % SD) of species richness on the landscape scale. The contribution of SRC plantations increased with decreasing γ-diversity. SRC plantations were dominated more by species adapted to frequent disturbances and anthropo-zoogenic impacts than surrounding landscapes. We conclude that by providing habitats for plants with different requirements, SRC α-diversity has a significant share on γ-diversity in rural areas and can promote diversity in landscapes with low habitat heterogeneity and low species pools. However, plant diversity enrichment is mainly due to additional species typically present in disturbed and anthropogenic environments.     

Variation in fine root biomass of three European tree species: Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.), and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)

Abstract

Fine roots (<2 mm) are very dynamic and play a key role in forest ecosystem carbon and nutrient cycling and accumulation. We reviewed root biomass data of three main European tree species European beech, (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), in order to identify the differences between species, and within and between vegetation zones, and to show the relationships between root biomass and the climatic, site and stand factors. The collected literature consisted of data from 36 beech, 71 spruce and 43 pine stands. The mean fine root biomass of beech was 389 g m^?2, and that of spruce and pine 297 g m^?2 and 277 g m^?2, respectively. Data from pine stands supported the hypothesis that root biomass is higher in the temperate than in the boreal zone. The results indicated that the root biomass of deciduous trees is higher than that of conifers. The correlations between root biomass and site fertility characteristics seemed to be species specific. There was no correlation between soil acidity and root biomass. Beech fine root biomass decreased with stand age whereas pine root biomass increased with stand age. Fine root biomass at tree level correlated better than stand level root biomass with stand characteristics. The results showed that there exists a strong relationship between the fine root biomass and the above-ground biomass.     

Plant Community Composition as a Predictor of Regional Soil Carbon Storage in Alaskan Boreal Black Spruce Ecosystems

The boreal forest is the largest terrestrial biome in North America and holds a large portion of the world’s reactive soil carbon. Therefore, understanding soil carbon accumulation on a landscape or regional scale across the boreal forest is useful for predicting future soil carbon storage. Here, we examined the relationship between floristic composition and ecosystem parameters, such as soil carbon pools, the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of live black spruce needles, and normalized basal area increment (NBAI) of trees in black spruce communities, the most widespread forest type in the boreal forest of Alaska. Variability in ecosystem properties among black spruce stands was as large as that which had previously been documented among all forest types in the central interior of Alaska; we found an eightfold range in NBAI and fivefold range in mineral soil carbon and nitrogen pools. Acidic black spruce communities had significantly more carbon in the organic soil horizon than did nonacidic black spruce communities, but did not differ in any other measured ecosystem parameter. We explained 48% of the variation in total soil carbon with a combination of plant community indices and abiotic and biotic factors. Plant community composition was at least as effective as any single environmental factor or stand characteristic in predicting soil C pools in Alaskan black spruce ecosystems. We conclude that among the community properties analyzed, the presence of key groups of species, overall species composition, and diversity of certain functional types, especially Sphagnum moss species, are important predictors of soil carbon sequestration in the black spruce forest type.     

Testing the higher-taxon approach: a case study of aquatic marcophytes in China’s northwest arid zone and its implications for conservation

Assessments of biodiversity are time-consuming and require a high level of expert knowledge. A reduced set of taxonomic ranks other than species has been proved to be useful for rapid and cost-effective assessment of biodiversity. However, few studies have examined how well this method performs for aquatic plant group that of enormous ecological importance. We studied the aquatic plant flora in the arid zone of China and examined whether the distribution of species α- and β-diversity could be predicted well from genus-, and family-levels. Analyses of 3 years field data showed that significant and positive relations exist between α-diversity of species and α-diversity of genera and family in both entire arid zone and five sub-zones. In contrast, β-diversity at species level is difficult to predict from β-diversity indexes at higher taxonomic level. The results indicate that higher-taxon α-diversity, especially at the generic level in our research, can be useful surrogates of species α-diversity for aquatic plants conservation.