A comparison of alpha and beta diversity patterns of ferns,bryophytes and macrolichens in tropical montane forests of southern Ecuador |
| |
Authors: | Nicole Mandl Marcus Lehnert Michael Kessler S Robbert Gradstein |
| |
Institution: | 1.Department of Systematic Botany, Institute of Plant Sciences,University of G?ttingen,G?ttingen,Germany;2.Staatliches Museum Für Naturkunde,Stuttgart,Germany;3.Institute of Systematic Botany,University of Zürich,Zürich,Switzerland |
| |
Abstract: | We present a first comparison of patterns of alpha and beta diversity of ferns, mosses, liverworts and macrolichens in neotropical
montane rainforests, and explore the question whether specific taxa may be used as surrogates for others. In three localities
in southern Ecuador, we surveyed terrestrial and epiphytic species assemblages in ridge and slope forests in 28 plots of 400 m2
each. The epiphytic habitat was significantly richer in ferns, liverworts, and macrolichens than the terrestrial habitat;
mosses, however, were primarily terrestrial. Alpha diversity of ferns and of liverworts was congruent in both habitats. Mosses
were similar to ferns and liverworts only in the epiphytic habitat. Macrolichens did not share patterns of alpha diversity
with any other group. Beta diversity of ferns, mosses and liverworts (lichens excluded due to low species richness) was similar
in the terrestrial habitat, but not in the epiphytic habitat. Our results demonstrate that patterns of alpha diversity of
the studied taxa cannot be used to predict patterns of beta diversity. Moreover, diversity patterns observed in epiphytes
are different from terrestrial plants. We noted a general coincidence in species patterns of liverworts and ferns. Diversity
patterns of macrolichens, in contrast, were completely independent from any other taxonomic group studied. |
| |
Keywords: | |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|