The research on the biological ecology of the Prydz Bay-Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica is inadequate under the increasing threat from climate change,especially for Antarctic fish and krill.The Dynamic Bioclimatic ...The research on the biological ecology of the Prydz Bay-Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica is inadequate under the increasing threat from climate change,especially for Antarctic fish and krill.The Dynamic Bioclimatic Envelope Model(DBEM)has been widely used in predicting the variation of species distribution and abundance in ocean and land under climate change;it can quantify the spatiotemporal changes of multi population under different climate emission scenarios by identifying the environmental preferences of species.The species richness and geographical pattern of six Antarctic representative species around Prydz Bay-Amery ice shelf were studied under RCP 8.5 and RCP 2.6 emission scenarios from 1970 to 2060 using Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory(GFDL),Institut Pierre Simon Laplace(IPSL),and Max Planck Institute(MPI)earth system models.The results showed that the species richness decreased as a whole,and the latitude gradient moved to the pole.The reason is that ocean warming,sea ice melting,and human activities accelerate the distribution changes of species biogeographical pattern,and the habitat range of krill,silverfish,and other organisms is gradually limited,which further leads to the change of species composition and the decrease of biomass.It is obvious that priority should be given to Prydz Bay-Amery ice shelf in the planning of Marine Protected Areas(MPAs)in East Antarctica.展开更多
Natural forest ecosystems play an essential role in the conservation of biodiversity of many plants and animals by providing them with habitat and suitable environments. Studies have shown that biodiversity-protected ...Natural forest ecosystems play an essential role in the conservation of biodiversity of many plants and animals by providing them with habitat and suitable environments. Studies have shown that biodiversity-protected areas reduce the loss and degradation of natural habitats to various wild species of plants. This study examined the forest resources in five subzones by conducting tree/shrub species inventory to be able to develop an effective forest management plan for the Buffer Zone Forest Reserve for the sustainable conservation of flora and fauna of Nimule National Park. This is with the view to identify the main tree and shrub species;assess the composition, distribution, and abundance of various tree/shrub species;to determine the species diversity as well as the richness of these areas in terms of growth and performance where DBH and heights of trees/shrubs in the circular sample plots were measured. The results revealed the overall mean DBH and H of 13.83 cm and 6.61 m respectively. The highest number of trees was obtained in subzone B followed by D, while the least were found in subzone A. The overall mean tree/shrub density was 0.83 tons/ha. The mean total basal area and volume per hectare were 3252.74 m<sup>2</sup>/ha and 46,540.82 m<sup>3</sup>/ha respectively. The overall species abundance and distribution indicate Combretum spp, Cedrella spp., Grewia mollis, Acacia Sieberiana, Ziziphus abysinica, and Acacia seyal were the most dominant species, with over 12 species richness at the deposition side of the River Nile, 13 species at the western side of the Nile, the Administration site shows only 7 species, the lowland of Mt. Gordon show over 14 different species, whereas over 10 species were found on the top of Mt. Gordon. The overall mean diversity indices and evenness of H’, D, and E depicted 2.507, 0.871, and 0.840 respectively. These results yielded are relatively moderate. Therefore, conservation efforts are very necessary to improve and maintain the quality of vegetation cover.展开更多
The aim of this research is to investigate the patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and distribution along an elevation gradient in the Abune Yosef mountain range,Ethiopia.Preferential systematic samp...The aim of this research is to investigate the patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and distribution along an elevation gradient in the Abune Yosef mountain range,Ethiopia.Preferential systematic sampling was employed to collect vegetation and environmental data along the elevation gradient.We found that plant species richness declines monotonically from low to high elevations.Specifically,vascular plant species richness and diversity were lower in the Afroalpine grassland(high elevation)than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest(low elevations).In contrast,endemic vascular plant richness was significantly higher in the Afroalpine grassland than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest.Elevation showed a significant impact on the richness,diversity,and endemism of vascular plants.According to Sorensen's coefficient,the similarity between Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest vegetation types is higher(32%)than the similarity between Ericaceous forest and Afroalpine grassland(18%).Only 5%similarity was recorded between the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Afroalpine grassland.Growth forms showed different elevationai richness patterns.Trees and liana increased monotonically up to 3300 m.Shrub and herb richness patterns followed a hump-shaped and inverted hump-shaped pattern along the elevation gradient.The elevation patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and growth form in the present study may be attributed to differences in management intensity,spatial heterogeneity,microclimatic variations,and anthropogenic disturbances.展开更多
It is a challenge in the field sampling to face conflict between the statistical requirements and the logistical constraints when explicitly estimating the macrobenthos species richness in the heterogeneous intertidal...It is a challenge in the field sampling to face conflict between the statistical requirements and the logistical constraints when explicitly estimating the macrobenthos species richness in the heterogeneous intertidal wetlands. To solve this problem, this study tried to design an optimal, efficient and practical sampling strategy by comprehensively focusing on the three main parts of the entire process(to optimize the sampling method, to determine the minimum sampling effort and to explore the proper sampling interval) in a typical intertidal wetland of the Changjiang(Yangtze) Estuary, China. Transect sampling was selected and optimized by stratification based on pronounced habitat types(tidal flat, tidal creek, salt marsh vegetation). This type of sampling is also termed within-transect stratification sampling. The optimal sampling intervals and the minimum sample effort were determined by two beneficial numerical methods: Monte Carlo simulations and accumulative species curves. The results show that the within-transect stratification sampling with typical habitat types was effective for encompassing 81% of the species, suggesting that this type of sampling design can largely reduce the sampling effort and labor. The optimal sampling intervals and minimum sampling efforts for three habitats were determined: sampling effort must exceed 1.8 m^2 by 10 m intervals in the salt marsh vegetation, 2 m^2 by 10 m intervals in the tidal flat, and 3 m^2 by 1 m intervals in the tidal creek habitat. It was suggested that the differences were influenced by the mobility range of the dominant species and the habitats' physical differences(e.g., tidal water, substrate, vegetation cover). The optimized sampling strategy could provide good precision in the richness estimation of macrobenthos and balance the sampling effort. Moreover, the conclusions presented here provide a reference for recommendations to consider before macrobenthic surveys take place in estuarine wetlands. The sampling strategy, focusing on the three key parts of the sampling design, had a good operational effect and could be used as a guide for field sampling for habitat management or ecosystem assessment.展开更多
Background: Schima genus of Theaceae is confined to subtropics and tropics of South, East and Southeast Asia.Thirteen species of Schima are distributed in subtropical China. Many of them appear as dominant canopy spec...Background: Schima genus of Theaceae is confined to subtropics and tropics of South, East and Southeast Asia.Thirteen species of Schima are distributed in subtropical China. Many of them appear as dominant canopy species in the subtropical forests. To date, Schima species richness distribution patterns of China have remained unknown.Meanwhile, there has been a longtime debate as to whether forests dominated by Schima species are early or late successional forests. We aim to clarify Schima species richness patterns and these species' roles in the forest succession and regeneration dynamics of the subtropical ecosystem in Yunnan Province, China.Method: We mapped Schima species richness distribution patterns in China. Based on 71 vegetation plots, we analyzed forest characteristics, population structure, and regeneration dynamics of Schima species in Yunnan.Results: Yunnan was found to harbor the greatest richness and the highest rarity-weighted richness of Schima species in the subtropical regions of China. We classified five primary and six secondary forest types containing Schima species as one of dominants. Yunnan had the high floristic diversity and varying stand structure of forests containing Schima species. The Schima species studied generally had a sporadic regeneration type and a long lifespan. Four species(Schima argentea, Schima villosa, Schima sinensis, Schima sericans) were shade-intolerant. But three species(Schima noronhae, Schima khasiana and Schima wallichii) were considered as bi-modal type species having shade-intolerant and shade-tolerant traits. Schima noronhae was seen to be a top dominant in late successional forests, while S. wallichii was found as a top-dominant in early or middle or late successional forests. S.khasiana, Schima villosa, Schima sinensis usually appeared as a top dominant in early or middle successional secondary forests, though they also presented as a second dominant in late-successional forests. Schima argentea and Schima sericans dominated only in the early or middle/seral successional forests. Schima species' regeneration establishment depended mainly on forest canopy gap formation through moderate human and natural disturbances.Conclusions: Yunnan has high species richness and rarity-weighted richness of Schima. Both moderate human and natural disturbances have provided regeneration niches for Schima species. Some of the Schima species studied as a second dominant(rare as the top-dominant) present in the late-successional forests. Some of them are more often as the top-dominant in early or middle successional forests, where as time goes by the dominance of Schima species would be replaced by their associated dominant taxa such as Castanopsis species.展开更多
Background:In biological systems,biological diversity often displays a rapid turn-over across elevations.This defining feature has made mountains classic systems for studying the spatial variation in diversity.Because...Background:In biological systems,biological diversity often displays a rapid turn-over across elevations.This defining feature has made mountains classic systems for studying the spatial variation in diversity.Because patterns of elevational diversity can vary among lineages and mountain systems it remains difficult to extrapolate findings from one montane region to another,or among lineages.In this study,we assessed patterns and drivers of avian diversity along an elevational gradient on the eastern slope of Mt.Gongga,the highest peak in the Hengduan Mountain Range in central China,and a mountain where comprehensive studies of avian diversity are still lacking.Methods:We surveyed bird species in eight 400-m elevational bands from 1200 to 4400 m a.s.l.between 2012 and 2017.To test the relationship between bird species richness and environmental factors,we examined the relative importance of seven ecological variables on breeding season distribution patterns:land area(LA),mean daily temperature(MDT),seasonal temperature range(STR),the mid-domain effect(MDE),seasonal precipitation(SP),invertebrate biomass(IB) and enhanced vegetation index(EVI).Climate data were obtained from five local meteorological stations and three temperature/relative humidity smart sensors in 2016.Results:A total of 219 bird species were recorded in the field,of which 204 were recorded during the breeding season(April–August).Species richness curves(calculated separately for total species,large-ranged species,and smallranged species) were all hump-shaped.Large-ranged species contributed more to the total species richness pattern than small-ranged species.EVI and IB were positively correlated with total species richness and small-ranged species richness.LA and MDT were positively correlated with small-ranged species richness,while STR and SP were negatively correlated with small-ranged species richness.MDE was positively correlated with large-ranged species richness.When we considered the combination of candidate factors using multiple regression models and model-averaging,total species richness and large-ranged species richness were correlated with STR(negative) and MDE(positive),while small-ranged species richness was correlated with STR(negative) and IB(positive).Conclusions:Although no single key factor or suite of factors could explain patterns of diversity,we found that MDE,IB and STR play important but varying roles in shaping the elevational richness patterns of different bird species categories.Model-averaging indicates that small-ranged species appear to be mostly influenced by IB,as opposed to large-ranged species,which exhibit patterns more consistent with the MDE model.Our data also indicate that the species richness varied between seasons,offering a promising direction for future work.展开更多
Water quality, size, connectivity and other physical properties of hydrological systems might have different functions in the formation and maintenance of biodiversity, but this remains mostly unclear due to the lack ...Water quality, size, connectivity and other physical properties of hydrological systems might have different functions in the formation and maintenance of biodiversity, but this remains mostly unclear due to the lack of undisturbed sites for experimental modelling. Alpine freshwater habitats such as micro-waterbodies(MWB) represent a kind of natural system suitable for biodiversity research. In order to assess potential linkages between environmental factors, connectivity of MWBs and aquatic species richness, we conducted a pilot study in two separated MWB systems located in Gaoligong Mountain, northwest Yunnan province, China. A total of 27 MWBs have been analyzed, including 22 connected and 5 isolated bodies. 13 conventional environmental factors were tested while all kinds of aquatic macro-organisms were collected and classified. Results showed a high environmental heterogeneity among MWBs and significant differences between the two systems but only a few environmental variables such as the depth of soil bottom, total Nitrogen and altitude were related to species richness and the formation of the community structure. As a benefit from the high environmental heterogeneity, the cascaded MWB systems provided divergent habitats able to support species richness at a higher level than the same number of randomly selected MWBs. This finding supports the idea that habitat connectivity matters also in extremely small aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, although still a preliminary result, a polarization effect within connected chains where edge MWBs host higher taxa and endemic taxa richness as well as larger populations, was detectable. This study gives interesting insights on the spatial processes driving community structure and a new prospective for biodiversity conservation. Since alpine MWBs have significant effects on the maintenance of watershed biodiversity, further research on such small and crucial ecosystems is encouraged.展开更多
The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vas...The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vascular plants for the Eocene(56-33.9 million years ago) and Oligocene(33.9-23 million years ago) epochs of North America north of IVlexico using 201 fossil floras.We calculated the direction and shape of the gradient using quadratic regression to detect linear and curvilinear trends.We performed regressions for the Eocene and Oligocene as well as for informal time intervals within the Eocene:early,middle,and middle + late.We found that quadratic models better explain the data than linear models for both epochs as well as for the early Eocene.A roughly linear trend in the middle and middle + late intervals may reflect limited sampling of high latitude floras for those times.The curvilinear relationship was weak for the Eocene and the model showed a peak in richness at 45.5°N.The curvilinear relationship was much stronger for the Oligocene and the peak occurred at 48.5°N.In the Eocene,the mid-latitude peak in richness may be explained by mean annual temperature,which was probably higher at some mid-latitudes than at lower ones.For the Oligocene,the peak in richness at midlatitudes may be explained by evolutionary diversification within the temperate zone or by increased aridity at low latitudes.We also assessed the latitudinal richness gradient of genera within modern floras in North America north of Mexico and we found a weak,curvilinear trend with a peak in richness at 31.5°N.Our results suggest that the latitudinal genus richness gradient of vascular plants in North America continued to develop into its modern structure following the Oligocene.展开更多
Understanding how geographical patterns of plant richness are established is a key scientific question in ecology and biogeography.Climate factors,such as environmental energy,water availability,and rainfall seasonali...Understanding how geographical patterns of plant richness are established is a key scientific question in ecology and biogeography.Climate factors,such as environmental energy,water availability,and rainfall seasonality,have been widely proposed to account for geographical patterns of plant richness at large scales.Using a compiled distribution data set of 3166 native woody dicotyledons across 732 calibration grids at the county level in humid regions of China,we explored the geographical pattern of woody dicotyledon richness and its relationship to climatic variations,especially the Asian monsoonal climate.We found that species richness decreases with increasing latitude.Our study indicates that water availability(particularly mean annual precipitation,MAP)is the major abiotic factor in determining large-scale distribution patterns of species richness,Moreover,the seasonality of rainfall variables under the Asian monsoon climate largely contributes to species richness,because species richness correlates more significantly with precipitation during the three driest consecutive months(P3 DRY)than precipitation during the three wettest consecutive months(P3 WET).Therefore,we conclude that woody dicotyledon richness in humid regions of China is mainly affected by the Asian winter monsoon.展开更多
Larch forests are important for species diversity,as well as soil and water conservation in mountain regions.In this study,we determined large-scale patterns of species richness in larch forests and identified the fac...Larch forests are important for species diversity,as well as soil and water conservation in mountain regions.In this study,we determined large-scale patterns of species richness in larch forests and identified the factors that drive these patterns.We found that larch forest species richness was high in southern China and low in northern China,and that patterns of species richness along an elevational gradient depend on larch forest type.In addition,we found that patterns of species richness in larch forests are best explained by contemporary climatic factors.Specifically,mean annual temperature and annual potential evapotranspiration were the most important factors for species richness of tree and shrub layers,while mean temperature of the coldest quarter and anomaly of annual precipitation from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present were the most important for that of herb layer and the whole community.Community structural factors,especially stand density,are also associated with the species richness of larch forests.Our findings that species richness in China's larch forests is mainly affected by energy availability and cold conditions support the ambient energy hypothesis and the freezing tolerance hypothesis.展开更多
Species diversity exhibit a close relationship with ecosystem services, and making clear the relationship can help us understand the service value and functional mechanism of ecosystems and take measures to promote hu...Species diversity exhibit a close relationship with ecosystem services, and making clear the relationship can help us understand the service value and functional mechanism of ecosystems and take measures to promote human well-being. Here, we used species survey data and multi-source habitat factors to simulate the spatial distribution of species richness and four types of ecosystem services(water production, net primary productivity, carbon storage, and habitat quality) in Sanjiangyuan National Park located in Qinghai Province, China. We also analyzed the spatial distribution pattern and explored the spatial relationship between species richness and ecosystem services through Geo Detector analyses. We found that high species richness in Sanjiangyuan National Park was shown to be mainly distributed in areas with high vegetation growth on both sides of rivers. The effect of climate on the spatial distribution of species richness in the park is the highest among all the selected environmental variables. For the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem services, the relative correlation strength of single ecosystem service varied among the three main ecosystems(grassland, meadow, and wetland) and all relations are positive.展开更多
Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands.However,at the neighborhood scale,which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interact...Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands.However,at the neighborhood scale,which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interactions among individual plants,the local diversity spatial structure in secondary forest and the feedback effects of neighborhood diversity on natural regeneration remain unclear,and this may be the key to properly understand the mechanisms of natural secondary forest species diversity recovery.To this end,this study established a dynamic plot in a rehabilitated secondary forest after disturbance and conducted a comprehensive survey of 68,336 individual plants with repeated measurements at 5-year interval to assess the characteristics of neighborhood diversity structure across life history stages and link the neighborhood species richness(NSR)effect translated by species interactions at species diversity structure with individual trees recruitment/mortality in secondary forest regeneration.The results showed that,compared with tropical and temperate natural forests,a higher proportion of diversity accumulators and a lower proportion of repellers in subtropical secondary forests resulted in neighborhood diversity structures characterized by heterospecific or high-diversity patches,which are beneficial to the maintenance or restoration of biodiversity.As an important supplement to the research on the relationship between diversity and productivity,our findings show a positive diversity-survival relationship in subtropical secondary forests.Importantly,we observed that the neighborhood diversity structure exhibited a trend of accumulator-dominated to neutral-dominant changes with life stage from sapling to adult,which,in turn,determined the direction and strength of NSR effects on recruitment/mortality.Specifically,diverse local neighborhoods at a later successional stage characterized with‘neutral’species-species interactions can act as a‘welfare net’by offering favorable microhabitats for the most vulnerable recruitments or saplings,i.e.,the NSR effects that promoted individual recruitment/survival in our study.These results not only enrich our understanding of the biodiversity-productivity-survival relationship but also highlight the importance of retaining latesuccessional species of native trees in intensive forest production or in situ conservation policies.展开更多
River-floodplain ecosystems are in delicate balance and are impacted by even minor changes in water availability. In this study, we surveyed fish assemblages and investigated environmental and landscape parameters in ...River-floodplain ecosystems are in delicate balance and are impacted by even minor changes in water availability. In this study, we surveyed fish assemblages and investigated environmental and landscape parameters in a total of 135 floodplain waterbodies (rivers, diversion canals, ponds, irrigation ditches, paddy fields, and wetlands) in the Chao Phraya River Basin in rainy (September 2014) and dry (March 2015) seasons. Factors affecting fish species richness in each type of waterbody were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Floodplain area around each surveyed waterbody was a major factor determining fish species richness in rivers, diversion canals, and ponds in the region. The contribution of floodplain area was equivalent to that of hydrology (current velocity, water depth) and water quality (dissolved oxygen, turbidity) in the waterbodies. The population of juvenile fishes was increased in temporarily connected floodplain waterbodies to main rivers compared with isolated waterbodies, and fluvial and lacustrine fishes were observed in the temporary inundated floodplain waterbodies during the rainy season. The high dependence of fish species richness on floodplain area in the region appeared to be a result of the use of inundated floodplains by fish species to forage and breed. Our results highlight the impact of flood control measures that reduces floodplain area. These measures must be reviewed to ensure the conservation of fish biodiversity in the Chao Phraya River Basin, one of the world’s most threatened floodplain systems.展开更多
Background: The species–area relationship is one of the best documented patterns in community ecology.Factors influencing species–area relationship are still not well understood.Since the proposal of the equilibrium...Background: The species–area relationship is one of the best documented patterns in community ecology.Factors influencing species–area relationship are still not well understood.Since the proposal of the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, many studies have tested the effects of area and isolation, estimating effects of disturbance and patch age were scarce and should also be important bearing.Methods: We investigated summer waterbird species richness in 38 post?mining subsidence lakes in Huainan and Fuyang, Anhui, China, May 25–June 12, 2016.We examined the effects of lake area, isolation(distance to natural water bodies), aquaculture disturbance, lake age and lake state(still sinking or not sinking) on summer waterbird species richness with multivariable linear regression method and model selection method.Results: Our results from multivariable linear regression and model selection were consistent, which showed that species richness was positively related with lake area and negatively related with isolation.Aquaculture disturbance negatively influenced species richness.Highest species richness were found in lakes under intermediate intensity of aquaculture activities with area less than 100 ha and lakes under low intensity of aquaculture activities with area greater than 100 ha.Lake age and lake state had no significant effects on species richness.Conclusions: Species richness was most related with lake area, aquaculture disturbance, and isolation, with lake area had a positive effect, while aquaculture activities and isolation had a negative effect.What's more, aquaculture activi?ties significantly changed the slope of species–area relationship and might impede us finding a relationship between species richness and lake age.展开更多
Background:Among urban stimuli,anthropogenic noise has been identified to be one of the behavioral drivers of species that rely on acoustic signals for communication.Studies have shown both species‑specific and assemb...Background:Among urban stimuli,anthropogenic noise has been identified to be one of the behavioral drivers of species that rely on acoustic signals for communication.Studies have shown both species‑specific and assemblage responses to urban noise,ranging from the modulation of their acoustic frequencies and spatiotemporal adjustments to declines in species richness.In this study,we assessed the citywide relationship between two anthropogenic noise variables(noise levels recorded during bird surveys and daily average noise levels)and vegetation cover with bird species richness.Methods:This study was conducted in the city of Xalapa(Mexico)through a 114 citywide point‑count survey.We recorded bird communities at each sampling site.We measured noise levels using a sound level meter while performing point‑counts.Then,we generated a map of average daily noise of the city using an array of 61 autonomous recording units distributed across the city of Xalapa and calculated daily noise levels for the 114 points.We ran a linear model(LM)to assess potential relationships between both point‑count and daily(24 h)noise values and vegetation cover with bird richness.Results:Results from the LM show:(1)a negative relationship between maximum point‑count noise and avian species richness,(2)no relationship between 24 h noise and bird species richness,and(3)a positive relationship between vegetation cover and bird species richness.Conclusions:Results provide evidence that decreases in urban bird species richness do not necessarily imply the permanent absence of species,suggesting that birds can temporarily fly away from or avoid sites when noisy,become cryptic while noisy events are occurring,or be undetected due to our inability to record them in the field during noisy events.展开更多
The coast of Acapulco is located within the Marine Priority Region No. 32 (MPR No. 32) at the State of Guerrero, Mexico. The National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity has stated the lack of informa...The coast of Acapulco is located within the Marine Priority Region No. 32 (MPR No. 32) at the State of Guerrero, Mexico. The National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity has stated the lack of information on marine species that live there, among which are the Class Polyplacophora. This study aimed to: 1) determine species richness, 2) the community structure based on the representative families, 3) estimate the density, 4) locate species distribution, 5) determine their degree of occurrence (hierarchical position) within the community, 6) analyze the structure of length and width across the populations and 7) estimate the diversity index. The intertidal rocky substrate at seven beaches was sampled from 2009 to 2012. The sampling unit 1 m2, while the area sampled was 10 m2. It was analyzed 2.548 specimens of Polyplacophora, with 20 species identified. Tonicellidae and Ischnochitonidae were the Families better represented inspecies richness and Chitonidae in abundance. Lepidochitona flectens is a new record for the Mexican Tropical Pacific and Stenoplax mariposa for MPR. No. 32. The density was 25.48 specimens/m2. Eight dominant species were determined. Chiton albolineatus had the highest density. Ischnochiton muscarius, Chaetopleura unilineata, Chiton albolineatus and Chiton articulatus presented wide distribution. Chiton articulatus showed the largest size in length and width. H’ = 2.01 bits/ individual. Numerous dominant species were present with broad and regular distribution, probably due to Polyplacophora body design, which allows for better adaptation to the rigorous environmental conditions of the rocky intertidal.展开更多
The avifauna in Tajikistan has been widely studied for the last century,but specific work on species richness pattern along elevation gradients in Tajikistan is rarely investigated.Here,we reported the first study of ...The avifauna in Tajikistan has been widely studied for the last century,but specific work on species richness pattern along elevation gradients in Tajikistan is rarely investigated.Here,we reported the first study of bird species richness(BSR)in the high-altitude mountain systems(Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay)of Tajikistan which are very sensitive to the recent climate changes.We aim to explore the relationship of BSR pattern with elevation gradient and to determine the potential drivers underlying the patterns.We collected occurrence data from field surveys,published articles,and open access websites to compile a list of bird species along elevational gradients across the whole country.The BSR was counted by 100 m elevational bands ranging from 294 m to 5146 m.The patterns of BSR were calculated separately for five groups:all breeding birds,Passeriformes,Non-Passeriformes,large elevational range species,and small elevational range species.We calculated ecological and climatic factors of planimetric area,mid-domain effect(MDE),habitat heterogeneity(HH),mean annual temperature(MAT),temperature annual range(TAR),annual precipitation(AP),normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),human influence index(HII),and human disturbance(HD)in each elevational band.A combination of polynomial regression,Pearson’s correlation,and general least squares model analyses were used to test the effects of these factors on the BSR.A unimodal distribution pattern with a peak at 750-1950 m was observed for all breeding birds.The similar pattern was explored for Passeriformes and Non-Passeriformes,while species with different elevational range sizes had different shapes and peak elevations.For all the breeding birds and Passeriformes,BSR was significantly related to spatial,climate and human influence factors,while BSR of Non-Passeriformes positively correlated with all the given factors.First,second and fourth range classes of birds were significantly correlated with human influence factors.Moreover,large-ranged species had positive correlations with the middomain effect and weakly with habitat heterogeneity.We found that area,MAT and AP were the main factors to explain the richness pattern of birds,and the species richness increases with these three factors increasing.Multiple factors such as area and climate explain 84%of the variation in richness.Bivariate and multiple regression analyses revealed a consistent influence of spatial and climate factors in shaping the richness pattern for nearly all bird groups.展开更多
Background: Under ongoing climate and land-use change, biodiversity is continuously decreasing and monitoring biodiversity is becoming increasingly important. National Forest Inventory(NFI) programmes provide valuable...Background: Under ongoing climate and land-use change, biodiversity is continuously decreasing and monitoring biodiversity is becoming increasingly important. National Forest Inventory(NFI) programmes provide valuable timeseries data on biodiversity and thus contribute to assessments of the state and trends in biodiversity, as well as ecosystem functioning. Data quality in this context is of paramount relevance, particularly for ensuring a meaningful interpretation of changes. The Swiss NFI revisits about 8%–10% of its sample plots regularly in repeat surveys to supervise the quality of fieldwork.Methods: We analysed the relevance of observer bias with equivalence tests, examined data quality objectives defined by the Swiss NFI instructors, and calculated the pseudo-turnover(PT) of species composition, that is, the percentage of species not observed by both teams. Three attributes of woody species richness from the latest Swiss NFI cycles(3 and 4) were analysed: occurrence of small tree and shrub species(1) on the sample plot and(2) at the forest edge, and(3) main shrub and trees species in the upper storey.Results: We found equivalent results between regular and repeat surveys for all attributes. Data quality, however,was significantly below expectations in all cases, that is, as much as 20%–30% below the expected data quality limit of 70%–80%(proportion of observations that should not deviate from a predefined threshold). PT values were about 10%–20%, and the PT of two out of three attributes decreased significantly in NFI4. This type of uncertainty –typically caused by a mixture of overlooking and misidentifying species – should be considered carefully when interpreting change figures on species richness estimates from NFI data.Conclusions: Our results provide important information on the data quality achieved in Swiss NFIs in terms of the reproducibility of the collected data. The three applied approaches proved to be effective for evaluating the quality of plot-level species richness and composition data in forest inventories and other biodiversity monitoring programmes. As such, they could also be recommended for assessing the quality of biodiversity indices derived from monitoring data.展开更多
The association between biodiversity and belowground biomass(BGB) remains a central debate in ecology.In this study, we compared the variations in species richness(SR) and BGB as well as their interaction in the top(0...The association between biodiversity and belowground biomass(BGB) remains a central debate in ecology.In this study, we compared the variations in species richness(SR) and BGB as well as their interaction in the top(0–20 cm), middle(20–50 cm) and deep(50–100 cm) soil depths among 8 grassland types(lowland meadow, temperate desert, temperate desert steppe, temperate steppe desert, temperate steppe, temperate meadow steppe, mountain meadow and alpine steppe) and along environmental gradients(elevation, energy condition(annual mean temperature(AMT) and potential evapotranspiration(PET)), and mean annual precipitation(MAP)) based on a 2011–2013 survey of 379 sites in Xinjiang, Northwest China.The SR and BGB varied among the grassland types.The alpine steppe had a medium level of SR but the highest BGB in the top soil depth, whereas the lowland meadow had the lowest SR but the highest BGB in the middle and deep soil depths.The SR and BGB in the different soil depths were tightly associated with elevation, MAP and energy condition;however, the particular forms of trends in SR and BGB depended on environmental factors and soil depths.The relationship between SR and BGB was unimodal in the top soil depth, but SR was positively related with BGB in the middle soil depth.Although elevation, MAP, energy condition and SR had significant effects on BGB, the variations in BGB in the top soil depth were mostly determined by elevation, and those in the middle and deep soil depths were mainly affected by energy condition.These findings highlight the importance of environmental factors in the regulations of SR and BGB as well as their interaction in the grasslands in Xinjiang.展开更多
In the present study, the interplay and higher-order terms of environmental and spatial variables are considered to evaluate the relations of environment and space-species richness rankings at global scale. Three taxo...In the present study, the interplay and higher-order terms of environmental and spatial variables are considered to evaluate the relations of environment and space-species richness rankings at global scale. Three taxonomic groups composed of mammals, birds and amphibians were analyzed for the study. Thek-means clustering method was introduced for richness rankings detection and analysis from published digital maps;and simple regression analysis and AIC criteria were used for identifying mostimportant correlated explanatory variables.When comparing each single variable, I found that latitude was the most important one influencing global vertebrate richness rankings. When onlyconsidering environmental variables, I foundthat precipitation was the only predictor of vertebrate richness rankings. However, when the interaction and high-order terms of different independent variables were considered, it was found that the interaction between latitude and temperature could better explain the global bird richness ranking, while the second-power effectof latitude was the best predictor for amphibianand mammalian richness rankings, as evidenced by the AIC model selection and comparison among the regression models. In conclusion, the inclusion of high-order and interaction terms of environmental and spatial variables could offer more insights into the understanding of global species diversity patterns.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.42176234)the Chinese Arctic and Antarctic Creative Program(No.JDB20210211)the Key Special Project for Introduced Talents Team of Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory(Guangzhou)(No.GML2019ZD0402)。
文摘The research on the biological ecology of the Prydz Bay-Amery Ice Shelf in East Antarctica is inadequate under the increasing threat from climate change,especially for Antarctic fish and krill.The Dynamic Bioclimatic Envelope Model(DBEM)has been widely used in predicting the variation of species distribution and abundance in ocean and land under climate change;it can quantify the spatiotemporal changes of multi population under different climate emission scenarios by identifying the environmental preferences of species.The species richness and geographical pattern of six Antarctic representative species around Prydz Bay-Amery ice shelf were studied under RCP 8.5 and RCP 2.6 emission scenarios from 1970 to 2060 using Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory(GFDL),Institut Pierre Simon Laplace(IPSL),and Max Planck Institute(MPI)earth system models.The results showed that the species richness decreased as a whole,and the latitude gradient moved to the pole.The reason is that ocean warming,sea ice melting,and human activities accelerate the distribution changes of species biogeographical pattern,and the habitat range of krill,silverfish,and other organisms is gradually limited,which further leads to the change of species composition and the decrease of biomass.It is obvious that priority should be given to Prydz Bay-Amery ice shelf in the planning of Marine Protected Areas(MPAs)in East Antarctica.
文摘Natural forest ecosystems play an essential role in the conservation of biodiversity of many plants and animals by providing them with habitat and suitable environments. Studies have shown that biodiversity-protected areas reduce the loss and degradation of natural habitats to various wild species of plants. This study examined the forest resources in five subzones by conducting tree/shrub species inventory to be able to develop an effective forest management plan for the Buffer Zone Forest Reserve for the sustainable conservation of flora and fauna of Nimule National Park. This is with the view to identify the main tree and shrub species;assess the composition, distribution, and abundance of various tree/shrub species;to determine the species diversity as well as the richness of these areas in terms of growth and performance where DBH and heights of trees/shrubs in the circular sample plots were measured. The results revealed the overall mean DBH and H of 13.83 cm and 6.61 m respectively. The highest number of trees was obtained in subzone B followed by D, while the least were found in subzone A. The overall mean tree/shrub density was 0.83 tons/ha. The mean total basal area and volume per hectare were 3252.74 m<sup>2</sup>/ha and 46,540.82 m<sup>3</sup>/ha respectively. The overall species abundance and distribution indicate Combretum spp, Cedrella spp., Grewia mollis, Acacia Sieberiana, Ziziphus abysinica, and Acacia seyal were the most dominant species, with over 12 species richness at the deposition side of the River Nile, 13 species at the western side of the Nile, the Administration site shows only 7 species, the lowland of Mt. Gordon show over 14 different species, whereas over 10 species were found on the top of Mt. Gordon. The overall mean diversity indices and evenness of H’, D, and E depicted 2.507, 0.871, and 0.840 respectively. These results yielded are relatively moderate. Therefore, conservation efforts are very necessary to improve and maintain the quality of vegetation cover.
基金Addis Ababa University office of vice president for research and Technology transfer for funding the thematic research, “Integrated approaches of Molecular Systematics and plant Biodiversity Informatics to Climate Change Mitigation and Monitoring in Ethiopian Mountains”
文摘The aim of this research is to investigate the patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and distribution along an elevation gradient in the Abune Yosef mountain range,Ethiopia.Preferential systematic sampling was employed to collect vegetation and environmental data along the elevation gradient.We found that plant species richness declines monotonically from low to high elevations.Specifically,vascular plant species richness and diversity were lower in the Afroalpine grassland(high elevation)than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest(low elevations).In contrast,endemic vascular plant richness was significantly higher in the Afroalpine grassland than in the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest.Elevation showed a significant impact on the richness,diversity,and endemism of vascular plants.According to Sorensen's coefficient,the similarity between Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Ericaceous forest vegetation types is higher(32%)than the similarity between Ericaceous forest and Afroalpine grassland(18%).Only 5%similarity was recorded between the Dry evergreen Afromontane forest and Afroalpine grassland.Growth forms showed different elevationai richness patterns.Trees and liana increased monotonically up to 3300 m.Shrub and herb richness patterns followed a hump-shaped and inverted hump-shaped pattern along the elevation gradient.The elevation patterns of vascular plant species richness,diversity,and growth form in the present study may be attributed to differences in management intensity,spatial heterogeneity,microclimatic variations,and anthropogenic disturbances.
基金The Special Scientific Research Funds for Central Non-profit Institutes(East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute)under contract No.2016T08the National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No.31400410
文摘It is a challenge in the field sampling to face conflict between the statistical requirements and the logistical constraints when explicitly estimating the macrobenthos species richness in the heterogeneous intertidal wetlands. To solve this problem, this study tried to design an optimal, efficient and practical sampling strategy by comprehensively focusing on the three main parts of the entire process(to optimize the sampling method, to determine the minimum sampling effort and to explore the proper sampling interval) in a typical intertidal wetland of the Changjiang(Yangtze) Estuary, China. Transect sampling was selected and optimized by stratification based on pronounced habitat types(tidal flat, tidal creek, salt marsh vegetation). This type of sampling is also termed within-transect stratification sampling. The optimal sampling intervals and the minimum sample effort were determined by two beneficial numerical methods: Monte Carlo simulations and accumulative species curves. The results show that the within-transect stratification sampling with typical habitat types was effective for encompassing 81% of the species, suggesting that this type of sampling design can largely reduce the sampling effort and labor. The optimal sampling intervals and minimum sampling efforts for three habitats were determined: sampling effort must exceed 1.8 m^2 by 10 m intervals in the salt marsh vegetation, 2 m^2 by 10 m intervals in the tidal flat, and 3 m^2 by 1 m intervals in the tidal creek habitat. It was suggested that the differences were influenced by the mobility range of the dominant species and the habitats' physical differences(e.g., tidal water, substrate, vegetation cover). The optimized sampling strategy could provide good precision in the richness estimation of macrobenthos and balance the sampling effort. Moreover, the conclusions presented here provide a reference for recommendations to consider before macrobenthic surveys take place in estuarine wetlands. The sampling strategy, focusing on the three key parts of the sampling design, had a good operational effect and could be used as a guide for field sampling for habitat management or ecosystem assessment.
基金financially supported by Ministry of Science and Technology,China (Project No.2015FY210200–15)。
文摘Background: Schima genus of Theaceae is confined to subtropics and tropics of South, East and Southeast Asia.Thirteen species of Schima are distributed in subtropical China. Many of them appear as dominant canopy species in the subtropical forests. To date, Schima species richness distribution patterns of China have remained unknown.Meanwhile, there has been a longtime debate as to whether forests dominated by Schima species are early or late successional forests. We aim to clarify Schima species richness patterns and these species' roles in the forest succession and regeneration dynamics of the subtropical ecosystem in Yunnan Province, China.Method: We mapped Schima species richness distribution patterns in China. Based on 71 vegetation plots, we analyzed forest characteristics, population structure, and regeneration dynamics of Schima species in Yunnan.Results: Yunnan was found to harbor the greatest richness and the highest rarity-weighted richness of Schima species in the subtropical regions of China. We classified five primary and six secondary forest types containing Schima species as one of dominants. Yunnan had the high floristic diversity and varying stand structure of forests containing Schima species. The Schima species studied generally had a sporadic regeneration type and a long lifespan. Four species(Schima argentea, Schima villosa, Schima sinensis, Schima sericans) were shade-intolerant. But three species(Schima noronhae, Schima khasiana and Schima wallichii) were considered as bi-modal type species having shade-intolerant and shade-tolerant traits. Schima noronhae was seen to be a top dominant in late successional forests, while S. wallichii was found as a top-dominant in early or middle or late successional forests. S.khasiana, Schima villosa, Schima sinensis usually appeared as a top dominant in early or middle successional secondary forests, though they also presented as a second dominant in late-successional forests. Schima argentea and Schima sericans dominated only in the early or middle/seral successional forests. Schima species' regeneration establishment depended mainly on forest canopy gap formation through moderate human and natural disturbances.Conclusions: Yunnan has high species richness and rarity-weighted richness of Schima. Both moderate human and natural disturbances have provided regeneration niches for Schima species. Some of the Schima species studied as a second dominant(rare as the top-dominant) present in the late-successional forests. Some of them are more often as the top-dominant in early or middle successional forests, where as time goes by the dominance of Schima species would be replaced by their associated dominant taxa such as Castanopsis species.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Granted to Yongjie Wu(No.31501851,31772478)the Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorship for Senior International Scientists to Per Alstrom(No.2011T2S04)
文摘Background:In biological systems,biological diversity often displays a rapid turn-over across elevations.This defining feature has made mountains classic systems for studying the spatial variation in diversity.Because patterns of elevational diversity can vary among lineages and mountain systems it remains difficult to extrapolate findings from one montane region to another,or among lineages.In this study,we assessed patterns and drivers of avian diversity along an elevational gradient on the eastern slope of Mt.Gongga,the highest peak in the Hengduan Mountain Range in central China,and a mountain where comprehensive studies of avian diversity are still lacking.Methods:We surveyed bird species in eight 400-m elevational bands from 1200 to 4400 m a.s.l.between 2012 and 2017.To test the relationship between bird species richness and environmental factors,we examined the relative importance of seven ecological variables on breeding season distribution patterns:land area(LA),mean daily temperature(MDT),seasonal temperature range(STR),the mid-domain effect(MDE),seasonal precipitation(SP),invertebrate biomass(IB) and enhanced vegetation index(EVI).Climate data were obtained from five local meteorological stations and three temperature/relative humidity smart sensors in 2016.Results:A total of 219 bird species were recorded in the field,of which 204 were recorded during the breeding season(April–August).Species richness curves(calculated separately for total species,large-ranged species,and smallranged species) were all hump-shaped.Large-ranged species contributed more to the total species richness pattern than small-ranged species.EVI and IB were positively correlated with total species richness and small-ranged species richness.LA and MDT were positively correlated with small-ranged species richness,while STR and SP were negatively correlated with small-ranged species richness.MDE was positively correlated with large-ranged species richness.When we considered the combination of candidate factors using multiple regression models and model-averaging,total species richness and large-ranged species richness were correlated with STR(negative) and MDE(positive),while small-ranged species richness was correlated with STR(negative) and IB(positive).Conclusions:Although no single key factor or suite of factors could explain patterns of diversity,we found that MDE,IB and STR play important but varying roles in shaping the elevational richness patterns of different bird species categories.Model-averaging indicates that small-ranged species appear to be mostly influenced by IB,as opposed to large-ranged species,which exhibit patterns more consistent with the MDE model.Our data also indicate that the species richness varied between seasons,offering a promising direction for future work.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation Program of P.R.China[31760126,U1602262,31960255,31472021]supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(STEP),Grant No.SQ2019QZKK2002+1 种基金the provincial innovation team of biodiversity conservation and utility of the three parallel rivers region from Dali Universitythe“Key Laboratory of Yunnan State Education Department on Er’hai Lake Basin Protection and the Sustainable Development Research”。
文摘Water quality, size, connectivity and other physical properties of hydrological systems might have different functions in the formation and maintenance of biodiversity, but this remains mostly unclear due to the lack of undisturbed sites for experimental modelling. Alpine freshwater habitats such as micro-waterbodies(MWB) represent a kind of natural system suitable for biodiversity research. In order to assess potential linkages between environmental factors, connectivity of MWBs and aquatic species richness, we conducted a pilot study in two separated MWB systems located in Gaoligong Mountain, northwest Yunnan province, China. A total of 27 MWBs have been analyzed, including 22 connected and 5 isolated bodies. 13 conventional environmental factors were tested while all kinds of aquatic macro-organisms were collected and classified. Results showed a high environmental heterogeneity among MWBs and significant differences between the two systems but only a few environmental variables such as the depth of soil bottom, total Nitrogen and altitude were related to species richness and the formation of the community structure. As a benefit from the high environmental heterogeneity, the cascaded MWB systems provided divergent habitats able to support species richness at a higher level than the same number of randomly selected MWBs. This finding supports the idea that habitat connectivity matters also in extremely small aquatic ecosystems. Moreover, although still a preliminary result, a polarization effect within connected chains where edge MWBs host higher taxa and endemic taxa richness as well as larger populations, was detectable. This study gives interesting insights on the spatial processes driving community structure and a new prospective for biodiversity conservation. Since alpine MWBs have significant effects on the maintenance of watershed biodiversity, further research on such small and crucial ecosystems is encouraged.
文摘The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vascular plants for the Eocene(56-33.9 million years ago) and Oligocene(33.9-23 million years ago) epochs of North America north of IVlexico using 201 fossil floras.We calculated the direction and shape of the gradient using quadratic regression to detect linear and curvilinear trends.We performed regressions for the Eocene and Oligocene as well as for informal time intervals within the Eocene:early,middle,and middle + late.We found that quadratic models better explain the data than linear models for both epochs as well as for the early Eocene.A roughly linear trend in the middle and middle + late intervals may reflect limited sampling of high latitude floras for those times.The curvilinear relationship was weak for the Eocene and the model showed a peak in richness at 45.5°N.The curvilinear relationship was much stronger for the Oligocene and the peak occurred at 48.5°N.In the Eocene,the mid-latitude peak in richness may be explained by mean annual temperature,which was probably higher at some mid-latitudes than at lower ones.For the Oligocene,the peak in richness at midlatitudes may be explained by evolutionary diversification within the temperate zone or by increased aridity at low latitudes.We also assessed the latitudinal richness gradient of genera within modern floras in North America north of Mexico and we found a weak,curvilinear trend with a peak in richness at 31.5°N.Our results suggest that the latitudinal genus richness gradient of vascular plants in North America continued to develop into its modern structure following the Oligocene.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U1502231 and 41661134049)the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.XDA19050301)。
文摘Understanding how geographical patterns of plant richness are established is a key scientific question in ecology and biogeography.Climate factors,such as environmental energy,water availability,and rainfall seasonality,have been widely proposed to account for geographical patterns of plant richness at large scales.Using a compiled distribution data set of 3166 native woody dicotyledons across 732 calibration grids at the county level in humid regions of China,we explored the geographical pattern of woody dicotyledon richness and its relationship to climatic variations,especially the Asian monsoonal climate.We found that species richness decreases with increasing latitude.Our study indicates that water availability(particularly mean annual precipitation,MAP)is the major abiotic factor in determining large-scale distribution patterns of species richness,Moreover,the seasonality of rainfall variables under the Asian monsoon climate largely contributes to species richness,because species richness correlates more significantly with precipitation during the three driest consecutive months(P3 DRY)than precipitation during the three wettest consecutive months(P3 WET).Therefore,we conclude that woody dicotyledon richness in humid regions of China is mainly affected by the Asian winter monsoon.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31988102)the National Science and Technology Basic Project of China(No.2015FY210200).
文摘Larch forests are important for species diversity,as well as soil and water conservation in mountain regions.In this study,we determined large-scale patterns of species richness in larch forests and identified the factors that drive these patterns.We found that larch forest species richness was high in southern China and low in northern China,and that patterns of species richness along an elevational gradient depend on larch forest type.In addition,we found that patterns of species richness in larch forests are best explained by contemporary climatic factors.Specifically,mean annual temperature and annual potential evapotranspiration were the most important factors for species richness of tree and shrub layers,while mean temperature of the coldest quarter and anomaly of annual precipitation from the Last Glacial Maximum to the present were the most important for that of herb layer and the whole community.Community structural factors,especially stand density,are also associated with the species richness of larch forests.Our findings that species richness in China's larch forests is mainly affected by energy availability and cold conditions support the ambient energy hypothesis and the freezing tolerance hypothesis.
基金This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant number 2018YFC0507201)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant number 41801366)。
文摘Species diversity exhibit a close relationship with ecosystem services, and making clear the relationship can help us understand the service value and functional mechanism of ecosystems and take measures to promote human well-being. Here, we used species survey data and multi-source habitat factors to simulate the spatial distribution of species richness and four types of ecosystem services(water production, net primary productivity, carbon storage, and habitat quality) in Sanjiangyuan National Park located in Qinghai Province, China. We also analyzed the spatial distribution pattern and explored the spatial relationship between species richness and ecosystem services through Geo Detector analyses. We found that high species richness in Sanjiangyuan National Park was shown to be mainly distributed in areas with high vegetation growth on both sides of rivers. The effect of climate on the spatial distribution of species richness in the park is the highest among all the selected environmental variables. For the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem services, the relative correlation strength of single ecosystem service varied among the three main ecosystems(grassland, meadow, and wetland) and all relations are positive.
基金supported by the Innovative Team Project of Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences,MEECentral Public Welfare Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund,Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China(Nos.GYZX210302,GYZX200203):Biodiversity Survey,Observation and Assessment Program of Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China+2 种基金The National Environmental Protection Public Welfare Industry Targeted Research Fund:Research and demonstration of key technologies for dynamic supervision of nature reserves(No.201509042)The Special Foundation for National Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation of China(No.2019FY202300)The Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Funding Program(No.2021K038A)。
文摘Natural secondary forest has a strong capacity to regrow naturally and recover biodiversity rapidly on abandoned lands.However,at the neighborhood scale,which can truly reflect the facilitative or competitive interactions among individual plants,the local diversity spatial structure in secondary forest and the feedback effects of neighborhood diversity on natural regeneration remain unclear,and this may be the key to properly understand the mechanisms of natural secondary forest species diversity recovery.To this end,this study established a dynamic plot in a rehabilitated secondary forest after disturbance and conducted a comprehensive survey of 68,336 individual plants with repeated measurements at 5-year interval to assess the characteristics of neighborhood diversity structure across life history stages and link the neighborhood species richness(NSR)effect translated by species interactions at species diversity structure with individual trees recruitment/mortality in secondary forest regeneration.The results showed that,compared with tropical and temperate natural forests,a higher proportion of diversity accumulators and a lower proportion of repellers in subtropical secondary forests resulted in neighborhood diversity structures characterized by heterospecific or high-diversity patches,which are beneficial to the maintenance or restoration of biodiversity.As an important supplement to the research on the relationship between diversity and productivity,our findings show a positive diversity-survival relationship in subtropical secondary forests.Importantly,we observed that the neighborhood diversity structure exhibited a trend of accumulator-dominated to neutral-dominant changes with life stage from sapling to adult,which,in turn,determined the direction and strength of NSR effects on recruitment/mortality.Specifically,diverse local neighborhoods at a later successional stage characterized with‘neutral’species-species interactions can act as a‘welfare net’by offering favorable microhabitats for the most vulnerable recruitments or saplings,i.e.,the NSR effects that promoted individual recruitment/survival in our study.These results not only enrich our understanding of the biodiversity-productivity-survival relationship but also highlight the importance of retaining latesuccessional species of native trees in intensive forest production or in situ conservation policies.
文摘River-floodplain ecosystems are in delicate balance and are impacted by even minor changes in water availability. In this study, we surveyed fish assemblages and investigated environmental and landscape parameters in a total of 135 floodplain waterbodies (rivers, diversion canals, ponds, irrigation ditches, paddy fields, and wetlands) in the Chao Phraya River Basin in rainy (September 2014) and dry (March 2015) seasons. Factors affecting fish species richness in each type of waterbody were analyzed using generalized linear mixed models. Floodplain area around each surveyed waterbody was a major factor determining fish species richness in rivers, diversion canals, and ponds in the region. The contribution of floodplain area was equivalent to that of hydrology (current velocity, water depth) and water quality (dissolved oxygen, turbidity) in the waterbodies. The population of juvenile fishes was increased in temporarily connected floodplain waterbodies to main rivers compared with isolated waterbodies, and fluvial and lacustrine fishes were observed in the temporary inundated floodplain waterbodies during the rainy season. The high dependence of fish species richness on floodplain area in the region appeared to be a result of the use of inundated floodplains by fish species to forage and breed. Our results highlight the impact of flood control measures that reduces floodplain area. These measures must be reviewed to ensure the conservation of fish biodiversity in the Chao Phraya River Basin, one of the world’s most threatened floodplain systems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31472020)
文摘Background: The species–area relationship is one of the best documented patterns in community ecology.Factors influencing species–area relationship are still not well understood.Since the proposal of the equilibrium theory of island biogeography, many studies have tested the effects of area and isolation, estimating effects of disturbance and patch age were scarce and should also be important bearing.Methods: We investigated summer waterbird species richness in 38 post?mining subsidence lakes in Huainan and Fuyang, Anhui, China, May 25–June 12, 2016.We examined the effects of lake area, isolation(distance to natural water bodies), aquaculture disturbance, lake age and lake state(still sinking or not sinking) on summer waterbird species richness with multivariable linear regression method and model selection method.Results: Our results from multivariable linear regression and model selection were consistent, which showed that species richness was positively related with lake area and negatively related with isolation.Aquaculture disturbance negatively influenced species richness.Highest species richness were found in lakes under intermediate intensity of aquaculture activities with area less than 100 ha and lakes under low intensity of aquaculture activities with area greater than 100 ha.Lake age and lake state had no significant effects on species richness.Conclusions: Species richness was most related with lake area, aquaculture disturbance, and isolation, with lake area had a positive effect, while aquaculture activities and isolation had a negative effect.What's more, aquaculture activi?ties significantly changed the slope of species–area relationship and might impede us finding a relationship between species richness and lake age.
基金CONACYT(771343,700755,250910,251526,researcher number 1640,project number 1781).
文摘Background:Among urban stimuli,anthropogenic noise has been identified to be one of the behavioral drivers of species that rely on acoustic signals for communication.Studies have shown both species‑specific and assemblage responses to urban noise,ranging from the modulation of their acoustic frequencies and spatiotemporal adjustments to declines in species richness.In this study,we assessed the citywide relationship between two anthropogenic noise variables(noise levels recorded during bird surveys and daily average noise levels)and vegetation cover with bird species richness.Methods:This study was conducted in the city of Xalapa(Mexico)through a 114 citywide point‑count survey.We recorded bird communities at each sampling site.We measured noise levels using a sound level meter while performing point‑counts.Then,we generated a map of average daily noise of the city using an array of 61 autonomous recording units distributed across the city of Xalapa and calculated daily noise levels for the 114 points.We ran a linear model(LM)to assess potential relationships between both point‑count and daily(24 h)noise values and vegetation cover with bird richness.Results:Results from the LM show:(1)a negative relationship between maximum point‑count noise and avian species richness,(2)no relationship between 24 h noise and bird species richness,and(3)a positive relationship between vegetation cover and bird species richness.Conclusions:Results provide evidence that decreases in urban bird species richness do not necessarily imply the permanent absence of species,suggesting that birds can temporarily fly away from or avoid sites when noisy,become cryptic while noisy events are occurring,or be undetected due to our inability to record them in the field during noisy events.
基金partly funded by CONACYT(Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tegnologia-National Council of Science and Technology)the state government of Guerrero through the research project No.91624 Ecological study of the Acapulco Bay FOMIX 2008-C01 and the research project No.91724 Diversity and abundance of marine cock-roach off the coast of Guerrero state Fomix 2008-C01.
文摘The coast of Acapulco is located within the Marine Priority Region No. 32 (MPR No. 32) at the State of Guerrero, Mexico. The National Commission for the Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity has stated the lack of information on marine species that live there, among which are the Class Polyplacophora. This study aimed to: 1) determine species richness, 2) the community structure based on the representative families, 3) estimate the density, 4) locate species distribution, 5) determine their degree of occurrence (hierarchical position) within the community, 6) analyze the structure of length and width across the populations and 7) estimate the diversity index. The intertidal rocky substrate at seven beaches was sampled from 2009 to 2012. The sampling unit 1 m2, while the area sampled was 10 m2. It was analyzed 2.548 specimens of Polyplacophora, with 20 species identified. Tonicellidae and Ischnochitonidae were the Families better represented inspecies richness and Chitonidae in abundance. Lepidochitona flectens is a new record for the Mexican Tropical Pacific and Stenoplax mariposa for MPR. No. 32. The density was 25.48 specimens/m2. Eight dominant species were determined. Chiton albolineatus had the highest density. Ischnochiton muscarius, Chaetopleura unilineata, Chiton albolineatus and Chiton articulatus presented wide distribution. Chiton articulatus showed the largest size in length and width. H’ = 2.01 bits/ individual. Numerous dominant species were present with broad and regular distribution, probably due to Polyplacophora body design, which allows for better adaptation to the rigorous environmental conditions of the rocky intertidal.
基金funded by the National Science and Technology Major Project(2018ZX10101004)the Key Collaborative Research Program of the Alliance of International Science Organizations(ANSO-CR-KP-2020-04)Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA19050202)。
文摘The avifauna in Tajikistan has been widely studied for the last century,but specific work on species richness pattern along elevation gradients in Tajikistan is rarely investigated.Here,we reported the first study of bird species richness(BSR)in the high-altitude mountain systems(Tien Shan and Pamir-Alay)of Tajikistan which are very sensitive to the recent climate changes.We aim to explore the relationship of BSR pattern with elevation gradient and to determine the potential drivers underlying the patterns.We collected occurrence data from field surveys,published articles,and open access websites to compile a list of bird species along elevational gradients across the whole country.The BSR was counted by 100 m elevational bands ranging from 294 m to 5146 m.The patterns of BSR were calculated separately for five groups:all breeding birds,Passeriformes,Non-Passeriformes,large elevational range species,and small elevational range species.We calculated ecological and climatic factors of planimetric area,mid-domain effect(MDE),habitat heterogeneity(HH),mean annual temperature(MAT),temperature annual range(TAR),annual precipitation(AP),normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI),human influence index(HII),and human disturbance(HD)in each elevational band.A combination of polynomial regression,Pearson’s correlation,and general least squares model analyses were used to test the effects of these factors on the BSR.A unimodal distribution pattern with a peak at 750-1950 m was observed for all breeding birds.The similar pattern was explored for Passeriformes and Non-Passeriformes,while species with different elevational range sizes had different shapes and peak elevations.For all the breeding birds and Passeriformes,BSR was significantly related to spatial,climate and human influence factors,while BSR of Non-Passeriformes positively correlated with all the given factors.First,second and fourth range classes of birds were significantly correlated with human influence factors.Moreover,large-ranged species had positive correlations with the middomain effect and weakly with habitat heterogeneity.We found that area,MAT and AP were the main factors to explain the richness pattern of birds,and the species richness increases with these three factors increasing.Multiple factors such as area and climate explain 84%of the variation in richness.Bivariate and multiple regression analyses revealed a consistent influence of spatial and climate factors in shaping the richness pattern for nearly all bird groups.
基金funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 787638),granted to Catherine Graham。
文摘Background: Under ongoing climate and land-use change, biodiversity is continuously decreasing and monitoring biodiversity is becoming increasingly important. National Forest Inventory(NFI) programmes provide valuable timeseries data on biodiversity and thus contribute to assessments of the state and trends in biodiversity, as well as ecosystem functioning. Data quality in this context is of paramount relevance, particularly for ensuring a meaningful interpretation of changes. The Swiss NFI revisits about 8%–10% of its sample plots regularly in repeat surveys to supervise the quality of fieldwork.Methods: We analysed the relevance of observer bias with equivalence tests, examined data quality objectives defined by the Swiss NFI instructors, and calculated the pseudo-turnover(PT) of species composition, that is, the percentage of species not observed by both teams. Three attributes of woody species richness from the latest Swiss NFI cycles(3 and 4) were analysed: occurrence of small tree and shrub species(1) on the sample plot and(2) at the forest edge, and(3) main shrub and trees species in the upper storey.Results: We found equivalent results between regular and repeat surveys for all attributes. Data quality, however,was significantly below expectations in all cases, that is, as much as 20%–30% below the expected data quality limit of 70%–80%(proportion of observations that should not deviate from a predefined threshold). PT values were about 10%–20%, and the PT of two out of three attributes decreased significantly in NFI4. This type of uncertainty –typically caused by a mixture of overlooking and misidentifying species – should be considered carefully when interpreting change figures on species richness estimates from NFI data.Conclusions: Our results provide important information on the data quality achieved in Swiss NFIs in terms of the reproducibility of the collected data. The three applied approaches proved to be effective for evaluating the quality of plot-level species richness and composition data in forest inventories and other biodiversity monitoring programmes. As such, they could also be recommended for assessing the quality of biodiversity indices derived from monitoring data.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U1603235, 31660127)the Tianshan Innovation Team Plan of Xinjiang (2017D14009)
文摘The association between biodiversity and belowground biomass(BGB) remains a central debate in ecology.In this study, we compared the variations in species richness(SR) and BGB as well as their interaction in the top(0–20 cm), middle(20–50 cm) and deep(50–100 cm) soil depths among 8 grassland types(lowland meadow, temperate desert, temperate desert steppe, temperate steppe desert, temperate steppe, temperate meadow steppe, mountain meadow and alpine steppe) and along environmental gradients(elevation, energy condition(annual mean temperature(AMT) and potential evapotranspiration(PET)), and mean annual precipitation(MAP)) based on a 2011–2013 survey of 379 sites in Xinjiang, Northwest China.The SR and BGB varied among the grassland types.The alpine steppe had a medium level of SR but the highest BGB in the top soil depth, whereas the lowland meadow had the lowest SR but the highest BGB in the middle and deep soil depths.The SR and BGB in the different soil depths were tightly associated with elevation, MAP and energy condition;however, the particular forms of trends in SR and BGB depended on environmental factors and soil depths.The relationship between SR and BGB was unimodal in the top soil depth, but SR was positively related with BGB in the middle soil depth.Although elevation, MAP, energy condition and SR had significant effects on BGB, the variations in BGB in the top soil depth were mostly determined by elevation, and those in the middle and deep soil depths were mainly affected by energy condition.These findings highlight the importance of environmental factors in the regulations of SR and BGB as well as their interaction in the grasslands in Xinjiang.
文摘In the present study, the interplay and higher-order terms of environmental and spatial variables are considered to evaluate the relations of environment and space-species richness rankings at global scale. Three taxonomic groups composed of mammals, birds and amphibians were analyzed for the study. Thek-means clustering method was introduced for richness rankings detection and analysis from published digital maps;and simple regression analysis and AIC criteria were used for identifying mostimportant correlated explanatory variables.When comparing each single variable, I found that latitude was the most important one influencing global vertebrate richness rankings. When onlyconsidering environmental variables, I foundthat precipitation was the only predictor of vertebrate richness rankings. However, when the interaction and high-order terms of different independent variables were considered, it was found that the interaction between latitude and temperature could better explain the global bird richness ranking, while the second-power effectof latitude was the best predictor for amphibianand mammalian richness rankings, as evidenced by the AIC model selection and comparison among the regression models. In conclusion, the inclusion of high-order and interaction terms of environmental and spatial variables could offer more insights into the understanding of global species diversity patterns.
