Here,we characterize the temporal and spatial dynamics of forest community structure and species diversity in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China.We found that community structure in this forest chang...Here,we characterize the temporal and spatial dynamics of forest community structure and species diversity in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China.We found that community structure in this forest changed over a 15-year period.Specifically,renewal and death of common species was large,with the renewal of individuals mainly concentrated within a few populations,especially those of Aidia canthioides and Cryptocarya concinna.The numbers of individual deaths for common species were concentrated in the small and mid-diameter level.The spatial distribution of community species diversity fluctuated in each monitoring period,showing a more dispersed diversity after the 15-year study period,and the coefficient of variation on quadrats increased.In 2010,the death and renewal of the community and the spatial variation of species diversity were different compared to other survey years.Extreme weather may have affected species regeneration and community stability in our subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forests.Our findings suggest that strengthening the monitoring and management of the forest community will help better understand the long-and short-term causes of dynamic fluctuations of community structure and species diversity,and reveal the factors that drive changes in community structure.展开更多
Maintaining natural habitats is crucial for the preservation of insects and other species that indicate environmental changes. However, the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve and its surrounding farmlands are facing distur...Maintaining natural habitats is crucial for the preservation of insects and other species that indicate environmental changes. However, the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve and its surrounding farmlands are facing disturbance due to human activities, which is putting many wildlife species, particularly larger mammals, at risk. To determine the impact of human activities on butterfly species diversity and abundance in the reserve and its surrounding areas, we conducted a study from November 2021 to October 2023. We collected butterfly data using transect walks and baited traps in two habitat types. Our study yielded 2799 butterfly Individuals ranging in 124 species divided into five families habitat, season, and anthropogenic factors are significant environmental variables influencing species diversity and abundance of butterflies. Therefore, it’s important to protect habitat and dry-season water for the conservation of invertebrates such as butterflies. Our study findings provide essential information for ecological monitoring and future assessment of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve ecosystem health.展开更多
An oasis is a unique natural landscape in arid and semi-arid areas,significant for regulating regional microclimates and hydrological processes in deserts.However,little is known regarding the response of natural oasi...An oasis is a unique natural landscape in arid and semi-arid areas,significant for regulating regional microclimates and hydrological processes in deserts.However,little is known regarding the response of natural oasis plants communities to various environmental factors.Nineteen sample plots(50 m×50 m)were selected in the Daliyabuyi Oasis in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland based on the location of groundwater monitoring wells and 76 vegetation quadrats(25 m×25 m)were established.A two-way indicator species analysis,Mantel test,detrended correspondence analysis,canonical correspondence analysis(CCA),and hierarchical partitioning were used to provide an in-depth analysis of community classification,species composition,and environmental interpretation of the oasis.A generalized linear model was used to verify the results which showed that the current oasis community could be divided into four types according to the dominant species,which is controlled by soil moisture.Measurement of species composition and distribution of communities showed significant differences between species diversity of individual community types.Variations in groundwater depth affects patterns of species diversity which is sensitive to richness,while the degree of surface water disturbance affects the pattern of species evenness.Moreover,the CCA ordination map showed that community distribution and diversity characteristics have their own preferences in habitat gradients.The study concluded that the species dominance of the community and the composition and distribution are not dominated by a single factor.There are differences in the scale and effect of different water resource types in maintaining community characteristics.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
Tree communities contribute to maintenance of species diversity in tropical forests. Coexistence of many tree species is not without competition. Therefore, coexistence of tree species and size diversities occur seque...Tree communities contribute to maintenance of species diversity in tropical forests. Coexistence of many tree species is not without competition. Therefore, coexistence of tree species and size diversities occur sequentially or simultaneously in tropical natural forests. Understanding coexistence and competition mechanisms of tree species requires knowledge of interactions within and between species. However, many conservation efforts and strategies failed due to inability to identify and maintain functional coexistence mechanisms among tree species in the forest. Also, most trees died because of pressure on their habitats and not because of limiting growth resources. Hence, species identity, minimum distance and size of the neighbouring trees which are responsible for coexistence of competing trees in most tropical forests have not been explicitly reviewed. Therefore, this review evaluated some of the density dependent mechanisms for coexistence of tree species alpha diversity in tropical forests. Many interactive mechanisms are responsible for coexistence tree species in tropical forests. Inter- and intra-specific competitions are the most significant and both facilitate positive and negative density dependence. Therefore, switching from negative to positive density dependence may occur in some situations. Positive and negative density effects regulate species abundance and coexistence through conspecific and heterospecific structures. Aggregates of conspecific and heterospecific neighbours constitute forest spatial structure. Negative density interactions are mutually exclusive and basically ranged from effect of species identity of neighbours, distance to neighbours and tree size of the neighbours to reference trees in the community structures. Some mechanisms shorten distances for heterospecific than conspecific interactions. Conspecific structures improved survival and growth of rare tree species. Interactive mechanisms in tree community and population structures facilitate species diversity and size inequality, respectively.展开更多
Although numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain the patterns of species diversity of forests at local and landscape levels,it is still difficult to predict the alpha diversity of species,especially in tropi...Although numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain the patterns of species diversity of forests at local and landscape levels,it is still difficult to predict the alpha diversity of species,especially in tropical and subtropical natural forests where trees of different sizes and shapes are highly mixed.Size might characterize species diversity,and the possible correlation between these variables may contribute to the development of easy-to-use growth indicators to predict diversity and to understand the status of trees within a stand.In this study,diameter classes were divided using the equal diameter class(EDC)and minimum measured diameter(MMD)methods,and five species diversity indices were calculated for each diameter class of 14 permanent plots in five national nature reserves surrounding the Tropic of Cancer(23.5°),southwest China.The results show that species richness,abundance,and spatial diversity indices decreased in a typical inverted J-shape pattern with increasing diameter class and MMD,and could be easily modeled by a negative exponential function.The ShannonWiener index showed a linear decrease while Pielou’s evenness index displayed a linear increase,with a small degree of instability.The results suggest that species diversity in subtropical forests is closely related to tree size,and the relationship is possibly independent of habitat.Measuring DBH of some trees in a stand could be informative regarding species diversity and contribute to the investigation and assessment of biodiversity.展开更多
The loss of bird species diversity is a crucial problem in the European agricultural landscape.Change in the area coverage of major land cover types has been mentioned as one of the main factors responsible for bird b...The loss of bird species diversity is a crucial problem in the European agricultural landscape.Change in the area coverage of major land cover types has been mentioned as one of the main factors responsible for bird biodiversity impoverishment.In this study,we focused on the impact of landscape matrix characteristics on bird species richness and on Faith’s phylogenetic diversity index on a spatial scale of 1000-m radius around the measured occurrence points.We investigated how land cover composition affects bird diversity on the landscape scale using nationwide citizen science data.In total,168,739 records of bird occurrence in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic during growing season from 2009 to 2019 were evaluated.We found that the presence of water bodies and wetlands significantly corresponded to the areas of highest bird species richness.We also revealed that the presence of forests(~60%of the forest in the Czech Republic is occupied by commercial forests),urban areas and arable land were negatively associated with bird species richness and phylogenetic diversity.Forests(both coniferous and deciduous)and urban habitats were found to have a tendency to host a clustered phylogenetic community structure in comparison with wetland and arable land.A strong negative association between forest proportion and bird diversity led us to conclude that the expansion of the forest(with simple species composition,horizontal and vertical structure)could be one of the critical drivers of the decline of bird species diversity in the European agricultural landscape.On the other hand,our results also pointed out that small woody features(i.e.,woodlots)and scattered woodland shrub vegetation were one of the main landscape characteristics supporting a bird diversity in rural landscape.This is in concordance with other studies which mention these landscape structures as important elements for nesting and foraging of farmland birds.We thus recommend to maintain and restore scattered trees or woodlots with complex structure in agricultural landscape.展开更多
This paper aims to study characteristics and biodiversity of the Torreya fargesii community in the Jinfo Mountains to provide baseline information related to the protection of T. fargesii. The results indicated that a...This paper aims to study characteristics and biodiversity of the Torreya fargesii community in the Jinfo Mountains to provide baseline information related to the protection of T. fargesii. The results indicated that among the 5 plots(100 m2 each) set along an altitudinal gradient, 176 species of vascular plants, 136 genera and 64 families were recorded. These included 7 species of pteridophytes, 6 genera and 4 families, 3 species of gymnosperms, 3 genera and 2 families, and 166 species of angiosperms, 127 genera and 58 families. The community physiognomy was mainly dominated by phanerophytes with medium-sized herbaceous and simple leaves. The proportions of phanerophytes among the fl oristic spectrum, frequency spectrum and vegetational spectrum are 68.75%, 73.13% and 67.48% respectively. The vertical structure can be divided into the shrub and herb layers in this community. The dominant species in shrub layer were T. fargesii, Zanthoxylum ovalifolium, Rubus coreanus, Kerria japonica, Cotoneaster horizontalis etc.. The dominant herbs included Miscanthus sinensis, Carex gibba, Artemisia lactifl ora, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Pilea notata, Aster ageratoides etc.. Species richness(S) and the Simpson(D), Shannon-Wiener(H') and Pielou evenness(Jsw) indices of shrub layer species richness are higher than those of the herb layer; the distribution of the species in the community is obviously uneven. The species richness and diversity indices increase with the rising altitude.展开更多
Twenty-three temperate China species of Lachnum, Lachnum abnorme, L. angustum, L. brevipilosum, L. calosporum, L. calyculiforme, L. carneolum, L. ciliare, L. controversum, L. flavidulum, L. cf. fushanese, L. indicum, ...Twenty-three temperate China species of Lachnum, Lachnum abnorme, L. angustum, L. brevipilosum, L. calosporum, L. calyculiforme, L. carneolum, L. ciliare, L. controversum, L. flavidulum, L. cf. fushanese, L. indicum, L. kumaonicum, L. lushanese, L. minutum, L. montanum, L. cf. pteridophyllum, L. pygmaeum, L. sclerotii var. sclerotii, L. sclerotii var. sichuanense, L. subpygmeaum, L. tenuissimum, L. virgineum and L. willisii are reported, whose main characteristics are given in a formula of the described species, some of which are discussed below.展开更多
East Asia has long been recognized as a major center for temperate woody plants diversity.Although several theories have been proposed to explain how the diversity of these temperate elements accumulated in the region...East Asia has long been recognized as a major center for temperate woody plants diversity.Although several theories have been proposed to explain how the diversity of these temperate elements accumulated in the region,the specific process remains unclear.Here we describe six species of Carpinus,a typical northern hemisphere temperate woody plant,from the early Miocene of the Maguan Basin,southwestern China,southern East Asia.This constitutes the southernmost,and the earliest occurrence that shows a high species diversity of the genus.Together with other Carpinus fossil records from East Asia,we show that the genus had achieved a high diversity in East Asia at least by the middle Miocene.Of the six species here described,three have become extinct,indicating that the genus has experienced apparent species loss during its evolutionary history in East Asia.In contrast,the remaining three species closely resemble extant species,raising the possibility that these species may have persisted in East Asia at least since the early Miocene.These findings indicate that the accumulation of species diversity of Carpinus in East Asia is a complex process involving extinction,persistence,and possible subsequent speciation.展开更多
Despite that several studies have shown that data derived from species lists generated from distribution occurrence records in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility(GBIF)are not appropriate for those ecological...Despite that several studies have shown that data derived from species lists generated from distribution occurrence records in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility(GBIF)are not appropriate for those ecological and biogeographic studies that require high sampling completeness,because species lists derived from GBIF are generally very incomplete,Suissa et al.(2021)generated fern species lists based on data with GBIF for 100 km×100 km grid cells across the world,and used the data to determine fern diversity hotspots and species richness-climate relationships.We conduct an evaluation on the completeness of fern species lists derived from GBIF at the grid-cell scale and at a larger spatial scale,and determine whether fern data derived from GBIF are appropriate for studies on the relations of species composition and richness with climatic variables.We show that species sampling completeness of GBIF is low(<40%)for most of the grid cells examined,and such low sampling completeness can substantially bias the investigation of geographic and ecological patterns of species diversity and the identification of diversity hotspots.We conclude that fern species lists derived from GBIF are generally very incomplete across a wide range of spatial scales,and are not appropriate for studies that require data derived from species lists in high completeness.We present a map showing global patterns of fern species diversity based on complete or nearly complete regional fern species lists.展开更多
Hevea brasiliensis is one of the important economic trees with a great economic value for natural rubber production.Symbiosis between roots of H.brasiliensis and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)is widely recognized,a...Hevea brasiliensis is one of the important economic trees with a great economic value for natural rubber production.Symbiosis between roots of H.brasiliensis and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)is widely recognized,and can provide a range of benefits for both of them.Hainan Island harbors is one of the largest plantations of H.brasiliensis in China,whereas the information regarding the diversity of AMF in the rhizosphere of H.brasiliensis on this island is scarce.The diversity of AMF species in the rhizosphere of rubber tree plantations in Hainan was investigated in this study.A total of 72 soil samples from the rhizosphere of H.brasiliensis RY7-33-97 were collected.These included 48 samples from plantations in 11 cities or counties that had been planted for 15–25 years,and 24 samples from a demonstrating plantation site of the China National Rubber Tree Germplasm Repository representing plantations with tree plantation ages from one to 40 year-old.Collectively,a total of 68 morphotypes of AMF,belonging to the genera of Archaeospora(1),Glomus(43),Acaulospora(18),Entrophospora(3),Scutellospora(2),and Gigaspora(1)were isolated and identified,as per morphological characteristics of spores presented in the collected soil samples.Glomus(Frequency,F=100%)and Acaulospora(F=100%)were the predominant genera,and A.mellea(F=63.9%)and A.scrobiculata(F=63.9%)were the predominant species.AMF species differed significantly among collected sites in spore density(SD,290.7–2,186.7 spores per 100 g dry soil),species richness(SR,4.3–12.3),and Shannon-Weiner index of diversity(H,1.24–2.24).SD was negatively correlated with available phosphorus level in the soil;SR was positively correlated with soil total phosphorus content;and H was positively correlated with levels of soil organic matter and total phosphorus.Similarly,SD,SR,and H were also correlated with H.brasiliensis plantation age,and an increasing trend was observed up to 40 years.These results suggest that the AMF community was complex and ubiquitous in the island plantation ecosystems of H.brasiliensis,with high species abundance and diversity.Soil factors and plantation age dramatically affected AMF diversity at species level.展开更多
As a typical inland wetland, Yangguan nature reserve wetland in Dunhuang is one of the important stops of migratory route for birds, which is vulnerable and particular. Study on the community characteristics and speci...As a typical inland wetland, Yangguan nature reserve wetland in Dunhuang is one of the important stops of migratory route for birds, which is vulnerable and particular. Study on the community characteristics and species diversity of wetland has great signifi cance for biodiversity protection. Based on the fi eld investigation, the fl oristic composition, geographical elements and species diversity of wetland plants were studied in Yangguan reserve of Dunhuang. The results showed that 26 families, 56 genera and 74 species were recorded in the study area. The largest families were the Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae, accounting for 29.73% of the total. Herbs were the most abundant life-form, accounting for 77.03% of the total. The fl oral geographical elements of the plants were mainly composed of temperate zone distribution type. By using two way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN), the vegetation in 36 sampling plots could be classifi ed into 8 communities. The species diversity indexes of communities were relatively low, but had large differences among each other. According to the importance value, the Margalef richness index(Rm) ranged from 0 to 4.200. Simpson diversity index(D) was between 0 and 0.512; Shannon diversity index(H) ranged from 0 to 1.400, and Pielou evenness index(J) was within the range of 0.538 to 1.000. The results indicated that the plant species were relatively rare and simple in general, the species diversity of communities was low, and the ecological environment was fragile in Yangguan nature reserve of Dunhuang.展开更多
Plant species diversity is an important index reflecting the functional complexity and stability of ecosystems.Human activity can completely alter plant species diversity and cause serious degradation of ecosystems bu...Plant species diversity is an important index reflecting the functional complexity and stability of ecosystems.Human activity can completely alter plant species diversity and cause serious degradation of ecosystems but its impact on bamboo forest still lacks of systematic evaluation.In this study,we performed a field investigation to reveal the influences of human disturbances on the plant diversity and stability of Moso bamboo forests at Southern China.The selected bamboo fields contained different intensities of human activities that could be classified as slight,moderate and severe disturbance level.Species richness index S,Shannon-Wienner index H,Simpson index D,Pielou index Jsw,community similarity index IS and community stability index were employed to quantitatively evaluate the plant species diversity and stability.The survey revealed that there were 203 species belonging to 83 families and 108 genera in Moso bamboo forests.The number of plant species in the Moso bamboo forests decreased with the increasing of disturbance intensity.The species diversity indexes generally followed the order of slight>moderate>severe disturbance,as well as the richness index S,Shannon-Wienner index H and Pielou index Jsw.The similarity and species stability of the bamboo forest communities also decreased with the increase of the disturbance intensity.Under the severe disturbance,plant species replacement occurred strongly.The obtained results provide some a guideline for the sustainable management of bamboo forest.展开更多
Background:Urban remnant forests are embedded in urban areas and are threatened directly and indirectly by urbanization.The direct effects(e.g.,loss of area)have been well studied.However,knowledge about the indirect ...Background:Urban remnant forests are embedded in urban areas and are threatened directly and indirectly by urbanization.The direct effects(e.g.,loss of area)have been well studied.However,knowledge about the indirect influence of urbanization through edge effects on the biodiversity in remnant forests is limited.Methods:In this study,we surveyed woody plant species in 72 plots in nine remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We examined the influences of urbanization and edge effects on the species diversity and composition of woody plants in remnant forests.We compared alpha diversities and quantified compositional dissimilarities in interior and edge sites at different levels of urbanization.We also measured the niche width of the recorded plant species and assessed whether high levels of urbanization and edge effects increased the number of generalist species.Results and conclusions:The Shannon index,the Simpson index and the Pielou index of adult trees were lowest in the edge habitat under high levels of urbanization.Significant differences in the Shannon index and the Simpson index of sapling/seedling were detected between interior and edge sites under low urbanization.The edge effects on the species composition of adult trees were intensified by high levels of urbanization.Woody plant species with wide niche widths were more abundant at edge sites under high levels of urbanization.Therefore,we recommend that urban expansion surrounding remnant patches should be strictly controlled to alleviate edge effects on biodiversity.展开更多
Dry afromontane forests are among the most poorly managed and endangered ecosystems.Therefore,we assessed the composition,diversity,and conservation status of woody plant species of the Debre Libanos church forests an...Dry afromontane forests are among the most poorly managed and endangered ecosystems.Therefore,we assessed the composition,diversity,and conservation status of woody plant species of the Debre Libanos church forests and surrounding forest lands in Oromiya Regional National State,central Ethiopia in 62 nested circular sample plots spaced 200 m apart along two transect lines.Large circular plots 314 m^(2)were used to sample trees with DBH of at least 10 cm,and subplots of 28.26 m^(2)were laid in each main plot were used to assess saplings and shrubs;a small subplot of 3.14 m2 was used to assess seedlings.In total,70 woody plant species belonging to 62 genera and 43 families were recorded.Of these,59,28 and 32 were in the church,government and private forest types,respectively.The most dominant families were Fabaceae and Verbenaceae,each represented by five species.In the forests considered,trees accounted for 61%,and shrubs with diameter at breast height(DBH)of 1-10 cm accounted for ca.33%.Among growth forms of woody species,shrubs and seedlings,followed by trees constituted much of the density of woody species in all the three ownership types of forests.The church forest had the most species(59)and highest Shannon(3.12)and Simpson(0.92)species diversity indices,and the government and private forests had a nearly similar total number of species and Shannon and Simpson species diversity indices.Most of the species with higher importance value indices(IVI)were indigenous in origin within the church forest(Juniperus procera=82),government forest(J.procera=66)and private forest(Acacia abyssinica=84).The composition,diversity,and population structure of woody species in the church forest were significantly higher than in the other forest lands.However,interventions of the government and private sectors to conserve forest systems in the areas,particularly the government-owned forest and specific species such as Olea europaea need active enrichment plantings due to their limited natural regeneration.Without improved management interventions,livelihood income diversification and ecosystem services obtained from the forest will not be sustainable.展开更多
The study was carried out in Wawa-Zange Forest Reserve. The aim was to investigate the Herbaceous Species Composition and Diversity. Point Centered Quarter (PCQ) Sampling method was used to conduct the study. Data obt...The study was carried out in Wawa-Zange Forest Reserve. The aim was to investigate the Herbaceous Species Composition and Diversity. Point Centered Quarter (PCQ) Sampling method was used to conduct the study. Data obtained was analyzed for Frequency, Relative Frequency, Density, Relative Density and Importance Value Index. The result obtained showed a total number of twenty<span style="font-family:;" "="">.</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> Herbaceous Plant Species. Out of this number 17 were Forbs and 3 were Grasses. They belonged to 9 families and 19 genera. The family Fabaceae (Subfamily Caesalpinoideae, Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae) had 5 species, and Malvaceae had 5 species while Poaceae had 3 species, Rubiaceae had 2 species. Euphorbiaceae, Linderniaceae, Acanthaceae, Commelinaceae and Arecaceae had 1 species each. Simpson’s index of diversity (1 - D) was (0.60) while Shannon-Wiener index was (2.21).</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "="">The species with the highest importance value index was <i>Urena</i> <i>lobata</i> L</span><span style="font-family:;" "="">.</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> (65.47%) and the species with lowest importance value index were <i>Palisota</i> <i>hirsuta</i>, <i>Cassia</i> <i>rotundifolia</i>, <i>Amorphophallus</i> <i>abyssinicus</i>, and <i>Corchorus</i> <i>olitorius</i> with (2.93%).</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "="">These plants therefore require urgent conservation measures.</span>展开更多
Forest and vegetation of particular ecosystem is generally influenced by external factors especially from development activities. Nepal has been endowed with an immense variety of forest resources with its unique biod...Forest and vegetation of particular ecosystem is generally influenced by external factors especially from development activities. Nepal has been endowed with an immense variety of forest resources with its unique biodiversity. The current study is conducted in the temperate forest of central Nepal to compare the state of vegetation recorded during 1995 with the present condition. To identify floristic composition, species distribution and diversity, same location and same size of quadrates were selected in natural forest and planted or regenerated area as in previous study. Measurement and analytical tools for forest and vegetation reveled a total of 19 species and 341 individuals in 0.14 ha regenerated area and 18 species, 17 genera and 260 individuals in 0.16 ha, natural forest areas. However, in 1995, total 31 individuals of 20 woody species, 18 genera and 15 families were recorded within the sampling plots of 0.16 ha of natural forest. Moreover, Alnus nepalensis is found dominating regenerated area and Caryopteris odorata in natural forests whereas in 1995, Litsea chartacea and Maesa chisia were recorded dominant. The Shannon’s diversity H’ = 2.908, E = 0.970 and Var H’ = -0.00 and Simpsons D = 0.027 recorded in 1995 is found to be with higher values when compared with the analysis of present study. Furthermore, in comparison to 1995 study, this study showed lower basal area and timber volume with declining species diversity. Although, the natural forest is found with higher species composition compared to rehabilitated forest, species of herbs and shrubs were found extensively growing.展开更多
This paper lists 50 fish specs in the Huanghe Estuary, which belong to 9 orders, 22 families and 37 genera. The paper describes the seasonal distributions of these fish species and the succession of the important fish...This paper lists 50 fish specs in the Huanghe Estuary, which belong to 9 orders, 22 families and 37 genera. The paper describes the seasonal distributions of these fish species and the succession of the important fish species during the past 50 a. The authors discuss the main factors that have resulted in the changes in fish species diversity and the fishery resources. These include the overexploitation of the fishery and the sharp reduction in the fresh water discharges from the Huanghe River.展开更多
Understory plants are important components of forest ecosystems and play a crucial role in regulating community structures,function realization,and community succession.However,little is known about how abiotic and bi...Understory plants are important components of forest ecosystems and play a crucial role in regulating community structures,function realization,and community succession.However,little is known about how abiotic and biotic drivers affect the diversity of understory species in cold temperate coniferous forests in the semiarid climate region of North China.We hypothesized that(1)topographic factors are important environmental factors affecting the distribution and variation of understory strata,and(2)different understory strata respond differently to environmental factors;shrubs may be significantly affected by the overstory stratum,and herbs may be more affected by surface soil conditions.To test these hypotheses,we used the boosted regression tree method to analyze abiotic and biotic environmental factors that influence understory species diversity,using data from 280 subplots across 56 sites in cold temperate coniferous forests of North China.Elevation and slope aspect were the dominant and indirect abiotic drivers affecting understory species diversity,and individual tree size inequality(DBH variation)was the dominant biotic driver of understory species diversity;soil water content was the main edaphic factors affecting herb layers.Elevation,slope aspect,and DBH variation accounted for 36.4,14.5,and 12.1%,respectively,of shrub stratum diversity.Shrub diversity decreased with elevation within the range of altitude of this study,but increased with DBH variation;shrub diversity was highest on north-oriented slopes.The strongest factor affecting herb stratum species diversity was slope aspect,accounting for 25.9%of the diversity,followed by elevation(15.7%),slope(12.2%),and soil water content(10.3%).The highest herb diversity was found on southeast-oriented slopes and the lowest on northeast-oriented slopes;herb diversity decreased with elevation and soil water content,but increased with slope.The results of the study provide a reference for scientific management and biodiversity protection in cold temperate coniferous forests of North China.展开更多
基金funded by the Guangxi Natural Science Foundation Program (2022GXNSFAA035583 and 2020GXNSFAA159108)National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060305)+2 种基金Foundation of Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University)Ministry of Education, China (ERESEP 2021Z06)Chinese Forest Biodiversity Monitoring Network
文摘Here,we characterize the temporal and spatial dynamics of forest community structure and species diversity in a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China.We found that community structure in this forest changed over a 15-year period.Specifically,renewal and death of common species was large,with the renewal of individuals mainly concentrated within a few populations,especially those of Aidia canthioides and Cryptocarya concinna.The numbers of individual deaths for common species were concentrated in the small and mid-diameter level.The spatial distribution of community species diversity fluctuated in each monitoring period,showing a more dispersed diversity after the 15-year study period,and the coefficient of variation on quadrats increased.In 2010,the death and renewal of the community and the spatial variation of species diversity were different compared to other survey years.Extreme weather may have affected species regeneration and community stability in our subtropical monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forests.Our findings suggest that strengthening the monitoring and management of the forest community will help better understand the long-and short-term causes of dynamic fluctuations of community structure and species diversity,and reveal the factors that drive changes in community structure.
文摘Maintaining natural habitats is crucial for the preservation of insects and other species that indicate environmental changes. However, the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve and its surrounding farmlands are facing disturbance due to human activities, which is putting many wildlife species, particularly larger mammals, at risk. To determine the impact of human activities on butterfly species diversity and abundance in the reserve and its surrounding areas, we conducted a study from November 2021 to October 2023. We collected butterfly data using transect walks and baited traps in two habitat types. Our study yielded 2799 butterfly Individuals ranging in 124 species divided into five families habitat, season, and anthropogenic factors are significant environmental variables influencing species diversity and abundance of butterflies. Therefore, it’s important to protect habitat and dry-season water for the conservation of invertebrates such as butterflies. Our study findings provide essential information for ecological monitoring and future assessment of the Mpanga/Kipengere Game Reserve ecosystem health.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of the China Joint Key Program(No.U1703237)Postgraduate Research Innovation Project in the Autonomous Region(No.XJ2022G017)the National Natural Science Foundation of China Regional Program(No.32160260)。
文摘An oasis is a unique natural landscape in arid and semi-arid areas,significant for regulating regional microclimates and hydrological processes in deserts.However,little is known regarding the response of natural oasis plants communities to various environmental factors.Nineteen sample plots(50 m×50 m)were selected in the Daliyabuyi Oasis in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland based on the location of groundwater monitoring wells and 76 vegetation quadrats(25 m×25 m)were established.A two-way indicator species analysis,Mantel test,detrended correspondence analysis,canonical correspondence analysis(CCA),and hierarchical partitioning were used to provide an in-depth analysis of community classification,species composition,and environmental interpretation of the oasis.A generalized linear model was used to verify the results which showed that the current oasis community could be divided into four types according to the dominant species,which is controlled by soil moisture.Measurement of species composition and distribution of communities showed significant differences between species diversity of individual community types.Variations in groundwater depth affects patterns of species diversity which is sensitive to richness,while the degree of surface water disturbance affects the pattern of species evenness.Moreover,the CCA ordination map showed that community distribution and diversity characteristics have their own preferences in habitat gradients.The study concluded that the species dominance of the community and the composition and distribution are not dominated by a single factor.There are differences in the scale and effect of different water resource types in maintaining community characteristics.
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.
文摘Tree communities contribute to maintenance of species diversity in tropical forests. Coexistence of many tree species is not without competition. Therefore, coexistence of tree species and size diversities occur sequentially or simultaneously in tropical natural forests. Understanding coexistence and competition mechanisms of tree species requires knowledge of interactions within and between species. However, many conservation efforts and strategies failed due to inability to identify and maintain functional coexistence mechanisms among tree species in the forest. Also, most trees died because of pressure on their habitats and not because of limiting growth resources. Hence, species identity, minimum distance and size of the neighbouring trees which are responsible for coexistence of competing trees in most tropical forests have not been explicitly reviewed. Therefore, this review evaluated some of the density dependent mechanisms for coexistence of tree species alpha diversity in tropical forests. Many interactive mechanisms are responsible for coexistence tree species in tropical forests. Inter- and intra-specific competitions are the most significant and both facilitate positive and negative density dependence. Therefore, switching from negative to positive density dependence may occur in some situations. Positive and negative density effects regulate species abundance and coexistence through conspecific and heterospecific structures. Aggregates of conspecific and heterospecific neighbours constitute forest spatial structure. Negative density interactions are mutually exclusive and basically ranged from effect of species identity of neighbours, distance to neighbours and tree size of the neighbours to reference trees in the community structures. Some mechanisms shorten distances for heterospecific than conspecific interactions. Conspecific structures improved survival and growth of rare tree species. Interactive mechanisms in tree community and population structures facilitate species diversity and size inequality, respectively.
基金supported by the Open Foundation of Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation(Grant No.20221203)National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.32060340)+1 种基金Scientific Research Capacity Building Project for Laibin Jinxiu Dayaoshan Forest Ecosystem Observation and Research Station of Guangxi under(Grant No.22-035-130-01)the Guangxi Key Research and Development Program(Grant No.Guike AB16380254)。
文摘Although numerous hypotheses have been proposed to explain the patterns of species diversity of forests at local and landscape levels,it is still difficult to predict the alpha diversity of species,especially in tropical and subtropical natural forests where trees of different sizes and shapes are highly mixed.Size might characterize species diversity,and the possible correlation between these variables may contribute to the development of easy-to-use growth indicators to predict diversity and to understand the status of trees within a stand.In this study,diameter classes were divided using the equal diameter class(EDC)and minimum measured diameter(MMD)methods,and five species diversity indices were calculated for each diameter class of 14 permanent plots in five national nature reserves surrounding the Tropic of Cancer(23.5°),southwest China.The results show that species richness,abundance,and spatial diversity indices decreased in a typical inverted J-shape pattern with increasing diameter class and MMD,and could be easily modeled by a negative exponential function.The ShannonWiener index showed a linear decrease while Pielou’s evenness index displayed a linear increase,with a small degree of instability.The results suggest that species diversity in subtropical forests is closely related to tree size,and the relationship is possibly independent of habitat.Measuring DBH of some trees in a stand could be informative regarding species diversity and contribute to the investigation and assessment of biodiversity.
基金supported by the internal grant agency of the Faculty of AgriSciences of Mendel University in Brno(AF-IGA2022-IP-034).
文摘The loss of bird species diversity is a crucial problem in the European agricultural landscape.Change in the area coverage of major land cover types has been mentioned as one of the main factors responsible for bird biodiversity impoverishment.In this study,we focused on the impact of landscape matrix characteristics on bird species richness and on Faith’s phylogenetic diversity index on a spatial scale of 1000-m radius around the measured occurrence points.We investigated how land cover composition affects bird diversity on the landscape scale using nationwide citizen science data.In total,168,739 records of bird occurrence in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic during growing season from 2009 to 2019 were evaluated.We found that the presence of water bodies and wetlands significantly corresponded to the areas of highest bird species richness.We also revealed that the presence of forests(~60%of the forest in the Czech Republic is occupied by commercial forests),urban areas and arable land were negatively associated with bird species richness and phylogenetic diversity.Forests(both coniferous and deciduous)and urban habitats were found to have a tendency to host a clustered phylogenetic community structure in comparison with wetland and arable land.A strong negative association between forest proportion and bird diversity led us to conclude that the expansion of the forest(with simple species composition,horizontal and vertical structure)could be one of the critical drivers of the decline of bird species diversity in the European agricultural landscape.On the other hand,our results also pointed out that small woody features(i.e.,woodlots)and scattered woodland shrub vegetation were one of the main landscape characteristics supporting a bird diversity in rural landscape.This is in concordance with other studies which mention these landscape structures as important elements for nesting and foraging of farmland birds.We thus recommend to maintain and restore scattered trees or woodlots with complex structure in agricultural landscape.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(31470568)Project of Scientifi c Research Innovation Team of Yangtze Normal University(2014XJTD06)
文摘This paper aims to study characteristics and biodiversity of the Torreya fargesii community in the Jinfo Mountains to provide baseline information related to the protection of T. fargesii. The results indicated that among the 5 plots(100 m2 each) set along an altitudinal gradient, 176 species of vascular plants, 136 genera and 64 families were recorded. These included 7 species of pteridophytes, 6 genera and 4 families, 3 species of gymnosperms, 3 genera and 2 families, and 166 species of angiosperms, 127 genera and 58 families. The community physiognomy was mainly dominated by phanerophytes with medium-sized herbaceous and simple leaves. The proportions of phanerophytes among the fl oristic spectrum, frequency spectrum and vegetational spectrum are 68.75%, 73.13% and 67.48% respectively. The vertical structure can be divided into the shrub and herb layers in this community. The dominant species in shrub layer were T. fargesii, Zanthoxylum ovalifolium, Rubus coreanus, Kerria japonica, Cotoneaster horizontalis etc.. The dominant herbs included Miscanthus sinensis, Carex gibba, Artemisia lactifl ora, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusculum, Pilea notata, Aster ageratoides etc.. Species richness(S) and the Simpson(D), Shannon-Wiener(H') and Pielou evenness(Jsw) indices of shrub layer species richness are higher than those of the herb layer; the distribution of the species in the community is obviously uneven. The species richness and diversity indices increase with the rising altitude.
基金Project supported by the Natural Science Foundation of AnhuiProvince (No. 050430502) and Education Department of AnhuiProvince (No. 2004kj045), China
文摘Twenty-three temperate China species of Lachnum, Lachnum abnorme, L. angustum, L. brevipilosum, L. calosporum, L. calyculiforme, L. carneolum, L. ciliare, L. controversum, L. flavidulum, L. cf. fushanese, L. indicum, L. kumaonicum, L. lushanese, L. minutum, L. montanum, L. cf. pteridophyllum, L. pygmaeum, L. sclerotii var. sclerotii, L. sclerotii var. sichuanense, L. subpygmeaum, L. tenuissimum, L. virgineum and L. willisii are reported, whose main characteristics are given in a formula of the described species, some of which are discussed below.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31670216,No.31900194)the Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy,Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology,Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.183112)。
文摘East Asia has long been recognized as a major center for temperate woody plants diversity.Although several theories have been proposed to explain how the diversity of these temperate elements accumulated in the region,the specific process remains unclear.Here we describe six species of Carpinus,a typical northern hemisphere temperate woody plant,from the early Miocene of the Maguan Basin,southwestern China,southern East Asia.This constitutes the southernmost,and the earliest occurrence that shows a high species diversity of the genus.Together with other Carpinus fossil records from East Asia,we show that the genus had achieved a high diversity in East Asia at least by the middle Miocene.Of the six species here described,three have become extinct,indicating that the genus has experienced apparent species loss during its evolutionary history in East Asia.In contrast,the remaining three species closely resemble extant species,raising the possibility that these species may have persisted in East Asia at least since the early Miocene.These findings indicate that the accumulation of species diversity of Carpinus in East Asia is a complex process involving extinction,persistence,and possible subsequent speciation.
文摘Despite that several studies have shown that data derived from species lists generated from distribution occurrence records in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility(GBIF)are not appropriate for those ecological and biogeographic studies that require high sampling completeness,because species lists derived from GBIF are generally very incomplete,Suissa et al.(2021)generated fern species lists based on data with GBIF for 100 km×100 km grid cells across the world,and used the data to determine fern diversity hotspots and species richness-climate relationships.We conduct an evaluation on the completeness of fern species lists derived from GBIF at the grid-cell scale and at a larger spatial scale,and determine whether fern data derived from GBIF are appropriate for studies on the relations of species composition and richness with climatic variables.We show that species sampling completeness of GBIF is low(<40%)for most of the grid cells examined,and such low sampling completeness can substantially bias the investigation of geographic and ecological patterns of species diversity and the identification of diversity hotspots.We conclude that fern species lists derived from GBIF are generally very incomplete across a wide range of spatial scales,and are not appropriate for studies that require data derived from species lists in high completeness.We present a map showing global patterns of fern species diversity based on complete or nearly complete regional fern species lists.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31960616)the Construction of Modern Agriculture(tea)Industry Technology System(CARS-19)(China)+2 种基金the Key Agricultural Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province([2016]2570)(China)the Science and Technology Foundation of Guizhou Province(2013[2155])(China)the High-value Patent Cultivation Project of Guizhou Province Academy of Agricultural Sciences([2018]02)(China).
文摘Hevea brasiliensis is one of the important economic trees with a great economic value for natural rubber production.Symbiosis between roots of H.brasiliensis and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi(AMF)is widely recognized,and can provide a range of benefits for both of them.Hainan Island harbors is one of the largest plantations of H.brasiliensis in China,whereas the information regarding the diversity of AMF in the rhizosphere of H.brasiliensis on this island is scarce.The diversity of AMF species in the rhizosphere of rubber tree plantations in Hainan was investigated in this study.A total of 72 soil samples from the rhizosphere of H.brasiliensis RY7-33-97 were collected.These included 48 samples from plantations in 11 cities or counties that had been planted for 15–25 years,and 24 samples from a demonstrating plantation site of the China National Rubber Tree Germplasm Repository representing plantations with tree plantation ages from one to 40 year-old.Collectively,a total of 68 morphotypes of AMF,belonging to the genera of Archaeospora(1),Glomus(43),Acaulospora(18),Entrophospora(3),Scutellospora(2),and Gigaspora(1)were isolated and identified,as per morphological characteristics of spores presented in the collected soil samples.Glomus(Frequency,F=100%)and Acaulospora(F=100%)were the predominant genera,and A.mellea(F=63.9%)and A.scrobiculata(F=63.9%)were the predominant species.AMF species differed significantly among collected sites in spore density(SD,290.7–2,186.7 spores per 100 g dry soil),species richness(SR,4.3–12.3),and Shannon-Weiner index of diversity(H,1.24–2.24).SD was negatively correlated with available phosphorus level in the soil;SR was positively correlated with soil total phosphorus content;and H was positively correlated with levels of soil organic matter and total phosphorus.Similarly,SD,SR,and H were also correlated with H.brasiliensis plantation age,and an increasing trend was observed up to 40 years.These results suggest that the AMF community was complex and ubiquitous in the island plantation ecosystems of H.brasiliensis,with high species abundance and diversity.Soil factors and plantation age dramatically affected AMF diversity at species level.
基金Sponsored by Global Change Special Funded Project of National Key Scientifi c Research Program(2013CB956000)
文摘As a typical inland wetland, Yangguan nature reserve wetland in Dunhuang is one of the important stops of migratory route for birds, which is vulnerable and particular. Study on the community characteristics and species diversity of wetland has great signifi cance for biodiversity protection. Based on the fi eld investigation, the fl oristic composition, geographical elements and species diversity of wetland plants were studied in Yangguan reserve of Dunhuang. The results showed that 26 families, 56 genera and 74 species were recorded in the study area. The largest families were the Gramineae and Chenopodiaceae, accounting for 29.73% of the total. Herbs were the most abundant life-form, accounting for 77.03% of the total. The fl oral geographical elements of the plants were mainly composed of temperate zone distribution type. By using two way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN), the vegetation in 36 sampling plots could be classifi ed into 8 communities. The species diversity indexes of communities were relatively low, but had large differences among each other. According to the importance value, the Margalef richness index(Rm) ranged from 0 to 4.200. Simpson diversity index(D) was between 0 and 0.512; Shannon diversity index(H) ranged from 0 to 1.400, and Pielou evenness index(J) was within the range of 0.538 to 1.000. The results indicated that the plant species were relatively rare and simple in general, the species diversity of communities was low, and the ecological environment was fragile in Yangguan nature reserve of Dunhuang.
基金The present work was financially supported by National Key R&D Program(2018YFD0600104)Scientific Program of Zhejiang Province of China(2017C02016).
文摘Plant species diversity is an important index reflecting the functional complexity and stability of ecosystems.Human activity can completely alter plant species diversity and cause serious degradation of ecosystems but its impact on bamboo forest still lacks of systematic evaluation.In this study,we performed a field investigation to reveal the influences of human disturbances on the plant diversity and stability of Moso bamboo forests at Southern China.The selected bamboo fields contained different intensities of human activities that could be classified as slight,moderate and severe disturbance level.Species richness index S,Shannon-Wienner index H,Simpson index D,Pielou index Jsw,community similarity index IS and community stability index were employed to quantitatively evaluate the plant species diversity and stability.The survey revealed that there were 203 species belonging to 83 families and 108 genera in Moso bamboo forests.The number of plant species in the Moso bamboo forests decreased with the increasing of disturbance intensity.The species diversity indexes generally followed the order of slight>moderate>severe disturbance,as well as the richness index S,Shannon-Wienner index H and Pielou index Jsw.The similarity and species stability of the bamboo forest communities also decreased with the increase of the disturbance intensity.Under the severe disturbance,plant species replacement occurred strongly.The obtained results provide some a guideline for the sustainable management of bamboo forest.
基金funded by the Guizhou Science and Technology Department under Grant(QKHLHZ[2016]7447)the first-class discipline construction project of Guizhou Province under Grant(GNYL[2017]007).
文摘Background:Urban remnant forests are embedded in urban areas and are threatened directly and indirectly by urbanization.The direct effects(e.g.,loss of area)have been well studied.However,knowledge about the indirect influence of urbanization through edge effects on the biodiversity in remnant forests is limited.Methods:In this study,we surveyed woody plant species in 72 plots in nine remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We examined the influences of urbanization and edge effects on the species diversity and composition of woody plants in remnant forests.We compared alpha diversities and quantified compositional dissimilarities in interior and edge sites at different levels of urbanization.We also measured the niche width of the recorded plant species and assessed whether high levels of urbanization and edge effects increased the number of generalist species.Results and conclusions:The Shannon index,the Simpson index and the Pielou index of adult trees were lowest in the edge habitat under high levels of urbanization.Significant differences in the Shannon index and the Simpson index of sapling/seedling were detected between interior and edge sites under low urbanization.The edge effects on the species composition of adult trees were intensified by high levels of urbanization.Woody plant species with wide niche widths were more abundant at edge sites under high levels of urbanization.Therefore,we recommend that urban expansion surrounding remnant patches should be strictly controlled to alleviate edge effects on biodiversity.
基金supported financially by the Fundamental Research Funds of Environment and Coffee Forest Forum。
文摘Dry afromontane forests are among the most poorly managed and endangered ecosystems.Therefore,we assessed the composition,diversity,and conservation status of woody plant species of the Debre Libanos church forests and surrounding forest lands in Oromiya Regional National State,central Ethiopia in 62 nested circular sample plots spaced 200 m apart along two transect lines.Large circular plots 314 m^(2)were used to sample trees with DBH of at least 10 cm,and subplots of 28.26 m^(2)were laid in each main plot were used to assess saplings and shrubs;a small subplot of 3.14 m2 was used to assess seedlings.In total,70 woody plant species belonging to 62 genera and 43 families were recorded.Of these,59,28 and 32 were in the church,government and private forest types,respectively.The most dominant families were Fabaceae and Verbenaceae,each represented by five species.In the forests considered,trees accounted for 61%,and shrubs with diameter at breast height(DBH)of 1-10 cm accounted for ca.33%.Among growth forms of woody species,shrubs and seedlings,followed by trees constituted much of the density of woody species in all the three ownership types of forests.The church forest had the most species(59)and highest Shannon(3.12)and Simpson(0.92)species diversity indices,and the government and private forests had a nearly similar total number of species and Shannon and Simpson species diversity indices.Most of the species with higher importance value indices(IVI)were indigenous in origin within the church forest(Juniperus procera=82),government forest(J.procera=66)and private forest(Acacia abyssinica=84).The composition,diversity,and population structure of woody species in the church forest were significantly higher than in the other forest lands.However,interventions of the government and private sectors to conserve forest systems in the areas,particularly the government-owned forest and specific species such as Olea europaea need active enrichment plantings due to their limited natural regeneration.Without improved management interventions,livelihood income diversification and ecosystem services obtained from the forest will not be sustainable.
文摘The study was carried out in Wawa-Zange Forest Reserve. The aim was to investigate the Herbaceous Species Composition and Diversity. Point Centered Quarter (PCQ) Sampling method was used to conduct the study. Data obtained was analyzed for Frequency, Relative Frequency, Density, Relative Density and Importance Value Index. The result obtained showed a total number of twenty<span style="font-family:;" "="">.</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> Herbaceous Plant Species. Out of this number 17 were Forbs and 3 were Grasses. They belonged to 9 families and 19 genera. The family Fabaceae (Subfamily Caesalpinoideae, Papilionoideae and Mimosoideae) had 5 species, and Malvaceae had 5 species while Poaceae had 3 species, Rubiaceae had 2 species. Euphorbiaceae, Linderniaceae, Acanthaceae, Commelinaceae and Arecaceae had 1 species each. Simpson’s index of diversity (1 - D) was (0.60) while Shannon-Wiener index was (2.21).</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "="">The species with the highest importance value index was <i>Urena</i> <i>lobata</i> L</span><span style="font-family:;" "="">.</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> (65.47%) and the species with lowest importance value index were <i>Palisota</i> <i>hirsuta</i>, <i>Cassia</i> <i>rotundifolia</i>, <i>Amorphophallus</i> <i>abyssinicus</i>, and <i>Corchorus</i> <i>olitorius</i> with (2.93%).</span><span style="font-family:;" "=""> </span><span style="font-family:;" "="">These plants therefore require urgent conservation measures.</span>
文摘Forest and vegetation of particular ecosystem is generally influenced by external factors especially from development activities. Nepal has been endowed with an immense variety of forest resources with its unique biodiversity. The current study is conducted in the temperate forest of central Nepal to compare the state of vegetation recorded during 1995 with the present condition. To identify floristic composition, species distribution and diversity, same location and same size of quadrates were selected in natural forest and planted or regenerated area as in previous study. Measurement and analytical tools for forest and vegetation reveled a total of 19 species and 341 individuals in 0.14 ha regenerated area and 18 species, 17 genera and 260 individuals in 0.16 ha, natural forest areas. However, in 1995, total 31 individuals of 20 woody species, 18 genera and 15 families were recorded within the sampling plots of 0.16 ha of natural forest. Moreover, Alnus nepalensis is found dominating regenerated area and Caryopteris odorata in natural forests whereas in 1995, Litsea chartacea and Maesa chisia were recorded dominant. The Shannon’s diversity H’ = 2.908, E = 0.970 and Var H’ = -0.00 and Simpsons D = 0.027 recorded in 1995 is found to be with higher values when compared with the analysis of present study. Furthermore, in comparison to 1995 study, this study showed lower basal area and timber volume with declining species diversity. Although, the natural forest is found with higher species composition compared to rehabilitated forest, species of herbs and shrubs were found extensively growing.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract No. 3963260.
文摘This paper lists 50 fish specs in the Huanghe Estuary, which belong to 9 orders, 22 families and 37 genera. The paper describes the seasonal distributions of these fish species and the succession of the important fish species during the past 50 a. The authors discuss the main factors that have resulted in the changes in fish species diversity and the fishery resources. These include the overexploitation of the fishery and the sharp reduction in the fresh water discharges from the Huanghe River.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.31470630)Shanxi Forestry Science and Technology Innovation Project
文摘Understory plants are important components of forest ecosystems and play a crucial role in regulating community structures,function realization,and community succession.However,little is known about how abiotic and biotic drivers affect the diversity of understory species in cold temperate coniferous forests in the semiarid climate region of North China.We hypothesized that(1)topographic factors are important environmental factors affecting the distribution and variation of understory strata,and(2)different understory strata respond differently to environmental factors;shrubs may be significantly affected by the overstory stratum,and herbs may be more affected by surface soil conditions.To test these hypotheses,we used the boosted regression tree method to analyze abiotic and biotic environmental factors that influence understory species diversity,using data from 280 subplots across 56 sites in cold temperate coniferous forests of North China.Elevation and slope aspect were the dominant and indirect abiotic drivers affecting understory species diversity,and individual tree size inequality(DBH variation)was the dominant biotic driver of understory species diversity;soil water content was the main edaphic factors affecting herb layers.Elevation,slope aspect,and DBH variation accounted for 36.4,14.5,and 12.1%,respectively,of shrub stratum diversity.Shrub diversity decreased with elevation within the range of altitude of this study,but increased with DBH variation;shrub diversity was highest on north-oriented slopes.The strongest factor affecting herb stratum species diversity was slope aspect,accounting for 25.9%of the diversity,followed by elevation(15.7%),slope(12.2%),and soil water content(10.3%).The highest herb diversity was found on southeast-oriented slopes and the lowest on northeast-oriented slopes;herb diversity decreased with elevation and soil water content,but increased with slope.The results of the study provide a reference for scientific management and biodiversity protection in cold temperate coniferous forests of North China.
