Effects of age and distance on the composition of mixed deciduous forest fragments in an agricultural landscape

Abstract. Forest patches in central Belgium were inventoried twice for the presence or absence of forest plant species to study the effects of age and distance on species composition. All forests in the study area were subdivided based on their land use history. To avoid effects of autocorrelated environmental characteristics on species composition, habitat homogeneity was indirectly investigated using a TWINSPAN classification of the vegetation data. Two major habitats (alluvial and non‐alluvial forests) were distinguished and analysed separately. Patterns of species composition were investigated at the landscape level using Mantel tests. Species composition similarity measures were calculated between all pairs of fragments based on the floristic data. A highly significant correlation was found between species composition similarity and inter‐patch distance. Difference in age, which we used as a measure for habitat quality, was less important in explaining species composition patterns. The effects of spatial configuration became significant when difference in age was accounted for, and a partial correlation was calculated between inter‐patch distance and species composition similarity. Different results were found for alluvial and non‐alluvial forest types. Alluvial forests were more influenced by the spatial configuration than the non‐alluvial. For the non‐alluvial forest type effects measured with the difference in age between forest fragments obscured the effects of inter‐patch distance. Based on our findings we suggest that species composition is not only internally generated, but external processes such as differential colonization caused by varying degrees of isolation may be of overriding importance.     

中国石斛属一新种

Dendrobium fanjingshanense Z. H. Tsi ex X. H. Jin et Y. W. Zhang, sp. nov. Fig. 1 Habitu D. wilsonii Rolfe simile, a quo tepalis revolutis fulvis, lobo labelli intermedii infra medium macula una flabellata purpurea ornato. Epiphyticum; caulis teres, 20～40 cm altus, 2～3 mm crassus, caespitosus, superne 5～6-foliatus, internodiis 1～1.5 cm longis. Folia oblongo-lanceolata, subcoriacea, 2～5 cm longa, 5～15 mm lata, apice obtusa et plus minusve hamata, basi vaginis tubulatis membranaceis obtecta. Inflorescentiae e lateribus partium superarum caulium annotinorum defoliatorum nascentes, versus apicem caulis laterales, 1～2-florae; pedunculi 2～3 mm longi, ca. 1 mm crassi, basi vaginis 3～4 membranaceis 3～4 mm longis instructi; bracteae ovato-triangulatae, 3～5 mm longae, apice acutae, macula atro-fusca ornatae. Flores patentes; pedicelli cum ovario ca. 2～3 cm longi; tepala revoluta, fulva, apice obtusa; sepalum intermedium oblongum 2 cm longum, medio 6～7 mm latum, apice fere obtusum; sepala lateralia paulo oblique ovato-lanceolata, sepalo intermedio aequilonga sed medio paulo angustiora, apice obtusa, basi cum pede columnae mentum obconoideum ca. 8 mm longum 6 mm latum apice obtusum formantia; petala subelliptica, ca. 2 cm longa, medio 6 mm lata, apice subobtusa; labellum fulvum, basi purpureum et dense velutinum, obscure trilobatum, lobis lateralibus semiorbiculatis erectis, basi (inter lobos laterales) callo uno purpureo praeditis, lobo intermedio ovato, ca. 1 cm longo, 7 mm lato, apice subacuto et recurvo, supra medio carinato, glabro; columna alba, ca. 3 mm longa, basi in pedem ca. 9 mm longum producta, pede medio purpurato, glabro; operculum antherae album, ambitu rhombicum, glabrum; pollinia 4.     

巧花兜兰——越南中部兰科一新种

在今年年初的一次访问云南南部的旅行中,笔者曾购得数苗小型的兜兰,据兰商称系采自越南中部,又叫越南黄花仔。此种兜兰的叶甚似小叶兜兰ＰａｐｈｉｏｐｅｄｉｌｕｍｂａｒｂｉｇｅｒｕｍＴａｎｇｅｔＷａｎｇ和海伦兜兰Ｐａｐｈ.ｈｅｌｅｎａｅＡｖｅｒｙａｎｏｖ,但花却有着明显的不同。小叶兜兰的花大,直径达5.5～7ｃｍ;合萼片狭窄,其宽度仅为中萼片的1/2～3/5。海伦兜兰花纯黄色;花瓣线形或宽线形。而此种兜兰的花直径3～3.5ｃｍ,呈淡黄绿色,唇瓣表面、合萼片中脉下半部和花瓣的中脉及中脉上方一侧均有枣红色晕;合萼片宽度为中萼片的4/5;…     

3种植物精油对霉菌的抑制作用

肉桂 ( Cinnamomum cassia Presl)别名连桂 ,属樟科樟属 ,常绿乔木 ,高 1 0～ 1 5m,多为栽培 ,主产于广西、广东等地 ,云南、福建等省亦有分布。人们可从其叶、枝或树皮、籽中提取精油 ,精油主要用于医药及食品香精[1 ] 。山苍子 [Litsea cubeba ( Lour.) Pers]别名山鸡椒、木姜子 ,属樟科木姜子属 ,落叶灌木和乔木 ,高 8～ 1 0 m,果期 7～ 8月份 ,我国长江以南各省都有分布。民间广泛使用水蒸汽蒸馏法 ,从其果实中提制精油 ,精油主要用于调配食品、化妆品香精 ,合成其它原料及维生素 [2 ]。丁子香 [Stzygium aromaticum( Linn.)Merr.et…     

Egyptian tortoise conservation: A community‐based,field research program developed from a study on a captive population

Local community participation and ex situ conservation has the potential to assist the recovery of the endangered Egyptian tortoise, Testudo kleinmanni. We initiated an in situ community‐based conservation and research program from a captive population of T. kleinmanni. We used a captive population of the Egyptian tortoise to train a member of the local community as a research technician and used his indigenous tracking skills and knowledge of the area to collect activity and dietary data on 28 captive tortoises. We overcame problems with illiteracy by creating a data sheet based on symbols and numbers. This data sheet allowed us to use the indigenous knowledge of various people from the community, and employ them in the future. Our local community approach to data collection, in conjunction with a craft program, made the conservation of the Egyptian tortoise more rewarding to the local community by providing a more sustainable form of income than collecting animals for the pet trade. Our multidimensional approach (local community participation as research technicians, craft program, and trust building) for gaining local support eventually led to the rediscovery of wild Egyptian tortoises in North Sinai, which was significant, as this species was presumed extinct in Egypt. We have now shifted our focus to in situ conservation, using the research and local capacity building template developed from this captive population study. Our template can be used by zoos and conservation organizations with small budgets and collections of native species in natural habitats to create similar captive research programs that can be applied to in situ conservation. Zoo Biol 26:397–406, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Haramonas dimorpha gen. et sp. nov. (Raphidophyceae), a new marine raphidophyte from Australian mangrove*

A new raphidophyte flagellate is described from the river mouth of the Daintree River, north-east Australia where there are extensive mangrove forests. The organism has two distinct phases: a club-shaped motile form, and a more or less spherical benthic non-motile form. The motile cell is metabolic and possesses 10–20 chloroplasts. The chloroplasts are imbricated, somewhat reminiscent of roofing tiles. A unique structure has been found at the posterior end of the cell. It is a tubular invagination, which consists of a single membrane supported by many small flattened vesicles. In addition, the structure is surrounded by many fibril-containing vesicles. The tubular invagination is different from both the contractile vacuoles and the pusules of dinoflagellates in both behavior and structure. Based on the possession of these unique features, it is concluded that the this mangrove flagellate should be described as a new species in a new genus and the name Haramonas dimorpha Horiguchi gen. et sp. nov. is proposed.     

Distribution of plant functional types along gradients of disturbance intensity and resource supply in an agricultural landscape

Abstract. In this study, plant functional types are understood as groups of plants with similar biological traits displaying significant optima or maxima on a gradient plane of resource supply and disturbance intensity. The biological traits refer to expansion, vegetative regeneration, generative reproduction, dispersal and seed bank longevity. 129 vegetation samples were taken in an agricultural landscape in southwestern Germany, covering a wide range of terrestrial vegetation types – but with the exception of forests and wetlands. For each site, also soil data were recorded. Mean daily soil moisture was estimated with a simple model. Soil moisture, balanced nitrogen supply and available phosphorus were combined into a factor ‘resource supply’. In addition, disturbance intensity was estimated for each site. This factor was based on (1) frequency of disturbance, (2) disturbance depth below or above the soil surface, and (3) proportion of the area affected by a discrete disturbance event. 30 plant groups with similar biological characteristics resulted from a cluster analysis, based on a compilation of 19 biological traits for a regional species pool. Logistic regression on a gradient plane of disturbance intensity and resource supply yielded response curves for 28 groups. The dependent variable was defined as the probability of encountering all members of a group in a sample. 17 groups display a significant response curve on the gradient plane. Plants with a potential for long- range dispersal are concentrated on sites with low or high disturbance intensities (e.g. fallow land, fields, lawns). On sites with medium disturbance intensity (e.g. meadows) and low to medium resource supply, small-range dispersal predominates. There are no distinct trends concerning seed bank longevity. The potential for vertical and lateral expansion increases with decreasing disturbance intensity. Only at medium disturbance intensities does vertical expansion correlate positively with resource supply. Rapid detachment of daughter individuals occurs more often on productive sites than on less productive sites. Diversity of groups with similar biological traits is highest on sites with medium disturbance intensities.