Classification and ordination of plant communities along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range,New Hampshire,USA

An analysis of vegetation along an altitudinal gradient on the Presidential Range, New Hampshire, USA, using the Braun–Blanquet approach followed by multivariate data analysis is presented. Twelve main plant communities have been distinguished. Floristic information is presented in twelve tables and one appendix. The relationships of the communities to complex environmental gradients are analyzed using Correspondence Analysis. Floristic composition and community structure are controlled primarily by the altitudinal gradient (temperature, precipitation), and by mesotopographic conditions (snow accumulation, exposure and cryoturbation, slope position, and soil moisture).     

Alpine vascular plant species richness: the importance of daily maximum temperature and pH

Species richness in the alpine zone varies dramatically when communities are compared. We explored (i) which stress and disturbance factors were highly correlated with species richness, (ii) whether the intermediate stress hypothesis (ISH) and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) can be applied to alpine ecosystems, and (iii) whether standing crop can be used as an easily measurable surrogate for causal factors determining species richness in the alpine zone. Species numbers and standing crop were determined in 14 alpine plant communities in the Swiss Alps. To quantify the stress and disturbance factors in each community, air temperature, relative air humidity, wind speed, global radiation, UV-B radiation, length of the growing season, soil suction, pH, main soil nutrients, waterlogging, soil movement, number of avalanches, level of denudation, winter dieback, herbivory, wind damage, and days with frost were measured or observed. The present study revealed that 82% of the variance in␣vascular species richness among sites could be explained by just two abiotic factors, daily maximum temperature and soil pH. Daily maximum temperature and pH affect species richness both directly and via their effects on other environmental variables. Some stress and disturbance factors were related to species richness in a monotonic way, others in an unimodal way. Monotonic relationships suggest that the harsher the environment is, the fewer species can survive in such habitats. In cases of unimodal relationships (ISH and IDH) species richness decreases at both ends of the gradients due to the harsh environment and/or the interaction of other environmental factors. Competition and disturbance seemed only to play a secondary role in the form of fine-tuning species richness in specific communities. Thus, we concluded that neither the ISH nor the IDH can be considered useful conceptual models for the alpine zone. Furthermore, we found that standing crop can be used as an easily measurable surrogate for causal factors determining species richness in the alpine zone, even though there is no direct causality.     

Comparison of Southern Appalachian high-elevation outcrop plant communities with their Northern Appalachian counterparts

Abstract. Southern Appalachian high-elevation outcrops harbour six regionally rare Northern Appalachian taxa usually considered relicts of a Pleistocene alpine flora. For five of the six taxa, minimum elevation in the south was 367–1113 m higher than in the north. While habitats compared between the two regions share only 9% of their total flora, individual plots had up to 70% of their species occurring in the opposite region. The northern affinity of southern outcrops increased with elevation, slope steepness, soil Cu, B and SO₄ and decreased with potential solar radiation and soil Na. As a result, communities above 1600 m on felsic bedrock, and above 1350 m on mafic bedrock, were most northern in composition. Northern affinity of southern outcrops also increased with latitude, which may partly result from closer geographic proximity to past communities that provided progenitors for the current northern flora. Northern treeless habitats increased in southern affinity with increased slope steepness, perennial seepage, vegetation height, shade, soil pH, Al, Mn, Na and decreased elevation and organic matter. As a result, northern outcrop communities below treeline were most similar to those on southern outcrops. This suggests that southern outcrop vegetation may be more similar to Pleistocene outcrop vegetation than to Pleistocene alpine vegetation. Partial constrained ordination showed that while compositional differences between the Northern and Southern Appalachian habitats were largely explained by environmental differences, there was a significant component of residual variation explained by north or south position that was unrelated to environment. These residual compositional differences may result from historical influences on community structure involving stochastic extinction and colonization processes.     

Genetic comparisons of New and Old World coregonid fishes*

The genetic relationships among New and Old World coregonid fishes were studied by electrophoresis. The genetic composition of 60 populations, representing perhaps nine commonly recognized species of Coregonus and Stenodus from Europe and North America was determined for 37 genetic loci. Six distinct genetic groups were evident. The first contained only populations of the inconnu, Stenodus leucichthys (Güldenstadt). The Nei genetic distance between Stenodus and Coregonus was 0.305, a relatively small value as compared to other salmonid inter-generic comparisons. The second genetic grouping contained the Arctic cisco, C. autumnalis (Pallas), the N. American lake cisco, C. artedii Lesueur, and the Irish pollan, C. autumnalis pollan Thompson. These three taxa appear to be conspecific on the basis of genetic distances. The third genetic grouping contained the European whitefish, C. lavaretus (L.), and the N. American lake whitefish, C. clupeaformis (Mitchill). European and lake whitefish may be conspecific. Lake whitefish from northwestern N. America were more closely related to European whitefish (genetic distance 0.038) than to lake whitefish from central N. America (genetic distance 0.098). The fourth group contained the broad whitefish, C. nasus (Pallas), which is perhaps more closely related to the European/lake whitefish groups than other coregonids. The fifth genetic grouping contained only the Asian endemic, C. peled (Gmelin), and the sixth contained the least cisco, C. sardinella Valenciennes, and vendace, C. albula (L.), which also appear to be conspecific. The widespread genetic groupings obtained for ciscoes indicate that they do not constitute a single closely related group within the genus Coregonus.     

天祝高寒珠芽蓼草甸群落的热值和营养成分的初步研究

 本文报告了甘肃天祝高寒珠芽蓼(Polygonum viviparum)草甸群落地上及地下四部分生物量的热值和营养成分动态,并对其放牧利用的价值进行了总的评价。 6—9月现存量的热值平均为18330焦／克干物质,或20279焦／克去灰分物质,较立枯物+凋落物、活根、死根的平均值为大;死根略大于活根。在珠芽蓼及其他大多数植物种子成熟期的8月下旬,现存量的热值最大,其他三部分的热值变化也有其各自的特点。现存量6—9月的平均营养成分以绝对干重计为：粗蛋白13.52%,粗脂肪2.25,粗纤维22.99,无氮浸出物51.88,粗灰分9.61(其中钙1.627,磷0.164);在时间变化上四部分各有其特点。根据地形、植物组成、产量、易食性、适口性、热值和营养成分等综合条件,认为珠芽蓼草甸是良好的放牧地。     

Seasonal fluctuations of selected physiological characteristics of elite alpine skiers

The effects of heavy resistance training and jumping exercise were examined during the 1989–1990 season in 12 international level alpine skiers. The athletes were tested before, during, immediately after training and during the period off training (June, July, October 1989, April 1990). Their mechanical behaviour was investigated using firstly squat jumps performed without (SJ) or with low extra loads (20 kg, SJ_20kg) and high extra loads (equivalent to body mass on the shoulders, SJ_bm) and secondly 15–30 s continuous jumping. These tests allowed the assessment of explosive dynamic strength production (SJ and SJ_20kg), slow dynamic strength (SJ_bm) and maximal mechanical power (continuous jumping). The training adopted resulted in specific changes in neuromuscular performance; in fact all the variables studied showed a significant improvement (P<0.01) from the beginning compared to the end of training. The range of improvement was between 55.4% (SJ_bm) and 12.5% (average power during 15-s continuous jumping). The enhancement of SJ had become significant by July. Surprisingly, even when no strength or jumping training was performed during the competition period (November-April), no deterioration in the neuromuscular performance was observed, there being no significant difference between the test values obtained in October 1989 and April 1990. It was concluded that the demanding competition programme of alpine skiers may provide a training stimulus adequate to maintain the neuromuscular improvement induced by training throughout the competition season.     

Impact of whitefish on an enclosure ecosystem in a shallow eutrophic lake: selective feeding of fish and predation effects on the zooplankton communities

Bag-type enclosures (75 m³) with bottom sheets and tube-type enclosures (105 m³) open to the bottom sediment were stocked with exotic whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus maraena) to study their predation effects on the plankton community. The fish fed mainly on adult chironomids during the period of their emergence (earlier part of the experimental period). Thereafter, the food preference was shifted to larvae of chironomids and crustacean zooplankters. The predation effects on the plankton community were not evident in the bag-type enclosures where zooplankton densities were consistently low. The fish reduced the crustacean populations composed ofBosmina fatalis, B. longirostris andCyclops vicinus in the tube-type enclosures where the prey density was high (above ca. 50 individuals 1⁻¹). The results suggested that the intensity of predation depended on the prey density. Rotifers increased in the fish enclosure, probably becauseCoregonus reduced the predation pressure byCyclops vicinus on rotifers and allowed the latter to increase. In the fish enclosures, no marked changes in species composition were observed. Zooplankton predated by the fish seemed to be distributed near the walls of the enclosures. Problems of enclosure experiments for examining the effects of fish predation on pelagic zooplankton communities are discussed.     

一株耐低温纤维素酶高产菌株的筛选、鉴定和产酶的初步试验

从若尔盖高寒湿地距表层80cm处土壤中筛选出一株纤维素酶高产菌株XW-1。根据形态学、生理生化特征以及16SrDNA核酸序列分析结果表明,该菌属于缺陷短波单胞菌(Brevundimonas sp.)。对该菌产酶条件研究表明,XW-1在含0.5%CMC-Na条件下,20°C培养3d后出现最高酶活,达到15.6U/mL。对其酶学性质初步研究表明,该菌株所产纤维素酶的最适pH为6.0,最适反应温度为20°C,15°C时相对酶活达到80%,并且在5°C时,相对酶活仍能保持56%。     

Short-term effects of temperature enhancement on growth and reproduction of alpine grassland species

In order to study the effects of temperature enhancement on alpine calcareous grassland species, a warming experiment was carried out in the Berchtesgaden National Park (Southeast Germany, Northern Calcareous Alps) between 2002 and 2004. The study was conducted in stands of the Carex sempervirens and the Carex firma communities; the two most widespread grassland types in the alpine zone of the Northern Calcareous Alps. The temperature of the vegetation stand and the upper soil was passively enhanced using open top chambers (OTCs). The construction of the OTCs was appropriate since temperature was clearly increased while water conditions (humidity, soil water content) were not changed.

By comparing manipulated (temperature enhancement) with non-manipulated plots, the effects of warming on growth and reproduction of selected key species were studied. To test if vegetation response to temperature enhancement is at least partly due to increases in nutrient availability, soil solution concentrations of nitrate and ammonium were analysed.

We found that most of the studied plant species are sensitive to temperature enhancement. Growth and/or reproduction of 12 of the 14 studied species were significantly stimulated by warming. Only two species showed no response; none of the species experienced decreases in growth or reproduction. Dwarf shrubs and graminoids showed a stronger response than herbaceous perennials. A significant effect of warming on nutrient availability could not be detected. The observed response of vegetation is therefore mainly caused by direct and not by indirect temperature effects.