Thriving green havens in baking deserts:Plant diversity and species composition of urban plantations in the Sahara Desert

Hot arid zones represent vital reservoirs of unique species and ecosystems,holding significant importance for biodiversity.This study aimed to explore the plant diversity associated with tree plantations in urban ecosystems under hyper-arid climatic conditions in the Sahara Desert of Algeria.In May 2022,30 quadrats measuring 1 m^(2) each were established at the base of Phoenix dactylifera,Leucaena leucocephala,and Tamarix aphylla,corresponding to the dominant tree species in each of three plantations.In each quadrat,the plant quantitative inventory was conducted to measure plant diversity and similarity among the studied plantations.Based on this,we assessed the plant functional traits and rarity/abundance status of the flora.The findings revealed a diverse flora associated with the studied plantations,comprising 29 plant species grouped into 27 genera and 12 families.Notably,Poaceae(accounting for 30.8% of the flora),Asteraceae(25.0%),and Zygophyllaceae(21.6%)were well-represented.With an overall density of approximately 555 individuals/m^(2),Zygophyllum album(120 individuals/m^(2))and Polypogon monspeliensis(87 individuals/m^(2))emerged as the most abundant species.Functional trait analysis underscored the pivotal role of therophytes(constituting over 50.0% of the flora)and anemochorous species(33.0%-62.5%).Phytogeographic analysis emphasized the prevalence of the Saharo-Arabic element(constituting over 31.0% of the flora)and the Mediterranean Saharo-Arabic element(9.5%-21.5%).The Cosmopolitan element thrived under disturbance factors,recording percentages from 13.0% to 20.0% of the plant community.The rarity/abundance status of the flora emphasized the significance of rare,common,and very common species in the studied plantations.These findings could provide fundamental data for the effective control and management of biodiversity in hot hyper-arid urban ecosystems.

Assessment of plant diversity of endemic species of the Saharo-Arabian region in Egypt

Savanna, semi-deserts, and hot deserts characterize the Saharo-Arabian region, which includes Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, southern Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and northern India. Its neighboring regions, the Sudano-Zambezian region belonging to the Paleotropical Kingdom and the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian regions included in the Holarctic Kingdom, share a large portion of their flora with the Saharo-Arabian region. Despite the widespread acknowledgment of the region's global importance for plant diversity, an up to date list of the Saharo-Arabian endemics is still unavailable. The available data are frequently insufficient or out of date at both the whole global and the national scales. Therefore, the present study aims at screening and verifying the Saharo-Arabian endemic plants and determining the phytogeographical distribution of these taxa in the Egyptian flora. Hence, a preliminary list of 429 Saharo-Arabian endemic plants in Egypt was compiled from the available literature. Indeed, by excluding the species that were recorded in any countries or regions outside the Saharo-Arabian region based on different literature, database reviews, and websites, the present study has reduced this number to 126 taxa belonging to 87 genera and 37 families. Regarding the national geographic distribution, South Sinai is the richest region with 83 endemic species compared with other eight phytogeographic regions in Egypt, followed by the Isthmic Desert(the middle of Sinai Peninsula, 53 taxa). Sahara regional subzone(SS1) distributes all the 126 endemic species, Arabian regional subzone(SS2) owns 79 taxa, and Nubo-Sindian subzone(SS3) distributes only 14 endemics. Seven groups were recognized at the fourth level of classification as a result of the application of the two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN) to the Saharo-Arabian endemic species in Egypt, i.e., Ⅰ Asphodelus refractus group, Ⅱ Agathophora alopecuroides var. papillosa group, Ⅲ Anvillea garcinii group, Ⅳ Reseda muricata group, V Agathophora alopecuroides var. alopecuroides group, Ⅵ Scrophularia deserti group, and Ⅶ Astragalus schimperi group. It's crucial to clearly define the Saharo-Arabian endemics and illustrate an updated verified database of these taxa for a given territory for providing future management plans that support the conservation and sustainable use of these valuable species under current thought-provoking devastating impacts of rapid anthropogenic and climate change in this region.

Island biogeography theory and the habitat heterogeneity jointly explain global patterns of Rhododendron diversity

Mountain biodiversity is of great importance to biogeography and ecology.However,it is unclear what ecological and evolutionary processes best explain the generation and maintenance of its high levels of species diversity.In this study,we determined which of six common hypotheses(e.g.,climate hypotheses,habitat heterogeneity hypothesis and island biogeography theory)best explain global patterns of species diversity in Rhododendron.We found that Rhododendron diversity patterns were most strongly explained by proxies of island biogeography theory(i.e.,mountain area)and habitat heterogeneity(i.e.,elevation range).When we examined other relationships important to island biogeography theory,we found that the planimetric area and the volume of mountains were positively correlated with the Rhododendron diversity,whereas the‘mountains-to-mainland’distance was negatively correlated with Rhododendron diversity and shared species.Our findings demonstrate that Rhododendron diversity can be explained by island biogeography theory and habitat heterogeneity,and mountains can be regarded as islands which supported island biogeography theory.

Responses of plant diversity and soil microorganism diversity to nitrogen addition in the desert steppe,China

Nitrogen(N)deposition is a significant aspect of global change and poses a threat to terrestrial biodiversity.The impact of plant-soil microbe relationships to N deposition has recently attracted considerable attention.Soil microorganisms have been proven to provide nutrients for specific plant growth,especially in nutrient-poor desert steppe ecosystems.However,the effects of N deposition on plant-soil microbial community interactions in such ecosystems remain poorly understood.To investigate these effects,we conducted a 6-year N-addition field experiment in a Stipa breviflora Griseb.desert steppe in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China.Four N treatment levels(N0,N30,N50,and N100,corresponding to 0,30,50,and 100 kg N/(hm2•a),respectively)were applied to simulate atmospheric N deposition.The results showed that N deposition did not significantly affect the aboveground biomass of desert steppe plants.N deposition did not significantly reduce the alfa-diversity of plant and microbial communities in the desert steppe,and low and mediate N additions(N30 and N50)had a promoting effect on them.The variation pattern of plant Shannon index was consistent with that of the soil bacterial Chao1 index.N deposition significantly affected the beta-diversity of plants and soil bacteria,but did not significantly affect fungal communities.In conclusion,N deposition led to co-evolution between desert steppe plants and soil bacterial communities,while fungal communities exhibited strong stability and did not undergo significant changes.These findings help clarify atmospheric N deposition effects on the ecological health and function of the desert steppe.

Analysis of wild medicinal vascular plant resources and diversity in Dabie Mountains, Anhui Province

Dabie Mountains are located at the junction of Anhui,Henan and Hubei provinces in the East of China.With its varied altitude,climate,and soil texture,Dabie Mountains are extremely rich in wild plant resources.The 12th Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Resources Scientific Expedition Team of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University conducted a study on wild vascular plants resources,especially medicinal vascular plants,through field investigation,literature review and specimen identification.There were 472 species of vascular plants belonging to 347 genera and 125 families collected during July 2018 in this area,of which 424 species were medicinal vascular plants,accounting for 89.83%of the total.From the perspective of medicinal parts,most of the medicinal plants there have values in their roots and rhizomes,as well as the whole plants.The efficacy and characteristics of these pharmaceutical dimensions were also summarized and analyzed in detail.Besides,among the wild vascular plants collected,the most dominant families with the biggest numbers of species are Compositae,Lamiaceae,Liliaceae,Rosaceae,Leguminosae,Ranunculaceae,Saxifragaceae and Polygonaceae,and the dominant genus are Viola and Sedum.In terms of life form,perennial herbs are dominant,accounting for 55.72%of the total species,followed by some annual(or biennial)herbs,shrubs and lianas.Finally,recommendations are put forward for strengthening the protection and utilization of wild medicinal plant resources in Dabie Mountains.

Community Structure and Diversity of Ground Cover Plants in Tianjin Binhai International Airport

By using quadrat sampling method, the community structure and diversity of ground cover plants in the flight area in Tianjin Binhai International Airport were investigated from spring to autumn in 2015. The results showed that 58 plant species were recorded at the airport, belonging to 18 families and 48 genera. Dominant plant species showed seasonal characteristics. Specifically, lxeri chinensis （ Thunb. ） Nakai and Lagopsis supina （ Steph. ） Ik. -Gal. ex Knorr. were the dominant species in spring; Lagopsis supina, Cirsium setosum （Willd.） MB, Plantago asiatica L. , Cynanchum chinense R. Br. and Humulus scandens （I_our.） Merr. were the dominant species in summer; Chloris virgata Sw. and Eleusine indica （L.） Gaertn. were the dominant species in autumn. Quantitative characteris- tics of the dominant species, including the density, frequency, coverage and height, varied in different seasons. In different seasons, changes in the diversity of plant communities in three sampling points were analyzed. The results indicated that plant communities in summer exhibited the highest diversity and the most uni- form distribution. This study provided a theoretical basis for avoidance of bird strike in Tianjin Binhai International Airport.

Survey on the Diversity of Afforestation Plants in Xi'an City

Through investigating plants applied in the main streets and public greenbelts,the first-hand information about afforestation plants in Xi'an City was obtained for the first time.The results showed that,there are 136 species of plants in total belong to 102 genera,and 53 families,among which 122 species are woody plants belong to 89 genera and 44 families,i.e.89.71% of the total afforestation plants;14 species are herbaceous plants belong to 13 genera and 9 families,i.e.10.29% of the total;and there are 3 species of liana that belong to 3 genera and 2 families in woody plants with a ratio of 2.21%.The analysis showed that the landscape monotonicity was caused by the simplification of plant disposition pattern,as well as uneven quantity and frequency of applied afforestation plants.From the perspective of plant diversity,the proportion of herbaceous plants was too small;native plants were used widely which basically demonstrated the characteristics of local landscape,and most of exotic plants had obvious pantropic features which grew well in Xi'an City.This paper also analyzed problems in the present greening situation and put forward several suggestions for future tasks.

Eff ects of thinning on ecosystem carbon storage and tree-shrub-herb diversity of a low-quality secondary forest in NE China

Thinning is a widely used forest management tool but systematic research has not been carried out to verify its eff ects on carbon storage and plant diversity at the ecosystem level.In this study,the eff ect of thinning was assessed across seven thinning intensities(0,10,15,20,25,30 and 35%)in a low-quality secondary forest in NE China over a ten-year period.Thinning aff ected the carbon storage of trees,and shrub,herb,and soil layers(P<0.05).It fi rst increased and then decreased as thinning intensity increased,reaching its maximum at 30%thinning.Carbon storage of the soil accounted for more than 64%of the total carbon stored in the ecosystem.It was highest in the upper 20-cm soil layer.Thinning increased tree species diversity while decreasing shrub and herb diversities(P<0.05).Redundancy analysis and a correlation heat map showed that carbon storage of tree and shrub layers was positively correlated with tree diversity but negatively with herb diversity,indicating that the increase in tree diversity increased the carbon storage of natural forest ecosystems.Although thinning decreased shrub and herb diversities,it increased the carbon storage of the overall ecosystem and tree species diversity of secondary forest.Maximum carbon storage and the highest tree diversity were observed at a thinning intensity of 30%.This study provides evidence for the ecological management of natural and secondary forests and improvement of ecosystem carbon sinks and biodiversity.

Do aeolian deposits and sand encroachment intensity shape patterns of vegetation diversity and plant functional traits in desert pavements?

The effects of sand encroachment on composition,diversity,and functional patterns of vegetation in drylands are rarely studied,and yet addressing these aspects is important to deepen our understanding of the biodiversity conservation.This study aimed to investigate the effect of sand encroachment on plant functional biodiversity of desert pavements(gravel deserts)in the Sahara Desert of Algeria.Plants were sampled and analyzed in three desert pavements with different levels of sand encroachment(LSE)and quantity of aeolian deposits(low,LLSE;medium,MLSE;and high,HLSE).Within the sample-plot area(100 m^(2)),density of every plant species was identified and total vegetation cover was determined.Plant taxonomic and functional diversity were analyzed and compared between LSE.Result showed that 19 plant species in desert pavements were classified into 18 genera and 13 families.Asteraceae and Poaceae were the most important families.The species Anabasis articulata(Forssk)Moq.characterized LLSE desert pavements with 11 species,whereas Thymelaea microphylla Coss.&Durieu ex Meisn.and Calobota saharae(C&D)Boatwr.&van Wyk were dominant species of desert pavements with MLSE(14 species)and HLSE(10 species),respectively.The highest values of species richness and biodiversity were recorded in desert pavements with MLSE,while low values of these ecological parameters were obtained in desert pavements with HLSE.Desert pavements with LLSE were characterized with the highest values of species abundances.Plant communities were dominated by chamaephytes,anemochorous,arido-active,and competitive stress-tolerant plants.The increase in LSE along the gradient from LLSE to HLSE induced significant changes in plant community variables including decreases in plant density,plant rarity,lifeform composition,morphological type,and aridity adaptation.Desert pavements with HLSE favor the degradation of vegetation and trigger biodiversity erosion.

Leguminosae plants play a key role in affecting soil physical-chemical and biological properties during grassland succession after farmland abandonment in the Loess Plateau,China

Leguminosae are an important part of terrestrial ecosystems and play a key role in promoting soil nutrient cycling and improving soil properties.However,plant composition and species diversity change rapidly during the process of succession,the effect of leguminosae on soil physical-chemical and biological properties is still unclear.This study investigated the changes in the composition of plant community,vegetation characteristics,soil physical-chemical properties,and soil biological properties on five former farmlands in China,which had been abandoned for 0,5,10,18,and 30 a.Results showed that,with successional time,plant community developed from annual plants to perennial plants,the importance of Leguminosae and Asteraceae significantly increased and decreased,respectively,and the importance of grass increased and then decreased,having a maximum value after 5 a of abandonment.Plant diversity indices increased with successional time,and vegetation coverage and above-and below-ground biomass increased significantly with successional time after 5 a of abandonment.Compared with farmland,30 a of abandonment significantly increased soil nutrient content,but total and available phosphorus decreased with successional time.Changes in plant community composition and vegetation characteristics not only change soil properties and improve soil physical-chemical properties,but also regulate soil biological activity,thus affecting soil nutrient cycling.Among these,Leguminosae have the greatest influence on soil properties,and their importance values and community composition are significantly correlated with soil properties.Therefore,this research provides more scientific guidance for selecting plant species to stabilize soil ecosystem of farmland to grassland in the Loess Plateau,China.

Impacts of environmental conditions on woody plant diversity,structure and regeneration in forest patches of Guna Mountain:Este District,South Gondar Zone,Ethiopia

Environmental conditions determine woody plant life such as species diversity,structure and regeneration status.This research aimed to assess the impact of environmental conditions on woody plant species diversity,structure and regeneration in forest patches of Guna Mountain:the case of Este District,South Gondar Zone,north-west Ethiopia.A total of 71 square sample plots(400 m~2 each) were established at 10 transects laid in five forest patches of the study area to collect vegetation data including the abundance of species,height and diameter at breast height(DBH).Environmental data including available potassium,available phosphorus,cation exchange capacity,soil texture,electrical conductivity,soil acidity,total nitrogen,organic matter,organic carbon,sodium adsorption ratio,exchangeable sodium percentage,bulk density,aspect,elevation,slope,latitude and longitude data were collected in the same plots.A correlation analysis between vegetation and environmental data was performed using rcorr(x) function in package Hmisc in R Programming Language.The most pronounced impacts were observed in altitude,grazing and pH,positively and silt,sand,electrical conductivity and cation exchange capacity,negatively.In addition,strong and significant impacts on plant structure were also observed due to the variation in soil texture and p H.The difference in aspect,sand and slope also impacted plant regeneration.The study showed that environmental parameters influence the diversity,structure and regeneration of woody plants.These parameters can be considered in the rehabilitation of the vegetation cover and conservation efforts of the rare woody species.Conservation measures that can minimalize the negative influences of environmental conditions can be applied through collaboration with communities around the forest patches.

Understory plant diversity and phenolic allelochemicals across a range of Eucalyptus grandis plantation ages

Allelopathy is an important mechanism in Eucalyptus plantations that causes detrimental impacts on understory diversity.Phenolic compounds are the main allelochemicals suppressing understory plants.However,the dynamic changes in phenolic allelochemicals and their relationship with understory diversity with increasing age of Eucalyptus plantations remain largely unclear.In this study,the understory plant diversity was assessed and phenolic compounds identified from leaf litter,roots,and rhizosphere soil samples in a Eucalyptus grandis plantation at two-year intervals for ten years using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS).The abundance and diversity of under story plant species were lowest in 4-year-old plantations and increased significantly with age.Seven phenolic acids and 10 flavonoids were identified from leaf litter,roots,and rhizosphere soils.Most of the potential phenolic allelochemicals,such as salicylic acid,gallic acid,4-hydroxybenzoic acid,and epicatechin,were more abundant in younger plantations,especially at4 years old.The concentrations of phenolic compounds in the rhizosphere zone were significantly lower than in litter and root samples and did not change significantly with an increase in age.Notably,phenolic compounds contributed more to the variation in the understory plants than soil factors.Hydroxyphenyllactic acid,ellagic acid,quercetin,salicylic acid,and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were the main phenolic compounds explaining the variation in plant diversity with plantation age.These findings indicate that young E.grandis plantations,especially at four years of age,merit a greater focus because of their lower understory plant diversity and higher allelopathic potential.

Plant Diversity in City Parks under the Concept of Landscaping:A Case Study of Hefei City

Driven by the concept of landscaping,this paper analyzed the impact of plant diversity on landscaping function,arrangement methods and community structure by taking plot sampling method as the experimental axis and 3 urban parks in Hefei as the blueprint.Six plots with the size of 20 m×20 m were selected for investigation.There were 56 species of plants belonging to 50 genera and 42 families in the plots of Zhongshan Road City Park,48 species of plants belonging to 44 genera and 40 families in the plots of Four Seasons Flower Sea City Park,and 69 species of plants belonging to 57 genera and 45 families in the plots of Xiaoyaojin Park.The survey results show that there are following problems in city parks:lack of plant effectiveness,too homogeneous plant community,disharmony between landscape and environment,poor plant maintenance and lack of attention to ecological maintenance.Based on this,the optimization measures are put forward:increasing evergreen plants to avoid no scenery in autumn,developing plants with excellent landscape effects and a variety of colorful plants,paying attention to the shaping of spatial structure and landscape pattern,regularly taking care of plants and their surrounding environment.It is expected to provide some reference for the construction and development of Hefei city parks,ensure the healthy and stable development of city parks,and provide ideas and methods for the improvement of plant landscaping in city parks.

Analysis of wild vascular plant resources and diversity in Taibai Mountains of Qinling area,Shaanxi Province

Taibai Mountains,located at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains,are composed of the Yuan Taibai Mountain(also known as East Taibai Mountain),Aoshan Mountain(also known as West Taibai Mountain)and their connection part.With its complex geographical and climatic conditions,Taibai Mountains are extremely rich in wild plant resources.Based on field investigation,literature review and specimen identification,wild vascular plants resources and their diversity in Taibai Mountains were studied by the sixth Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Resources Scientific Expedition Team of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University.222 species of vascular plants belonging to 163 genera and 63 families were collected during July 2012 in this area,and most of the plants are angiosperms.The families with more species are Liliaceae,Ranunculaceae,Asteraceae,Rosaceae,and Saxifragaceae,and the dominant genus are Aconitum,Sedum,Eleutherococcus,Pedicularis,Polygonatum,and Patrinia.In terms of life form,perennial herbs are the main species,accounting for 72.97%of the total species,with others being some annual(or biennial)herbs,shrubs and lianas.Among all the collected vascular plants,170 species of them are medicinal vascular plants,accounting for 76.58%of the total.Most of the medicinal parts are roots and rhizomes,followed by the whole plants.Finally,on the basis of investigation and study,some suggestions are put forward to strengthen the protection and utilization of plant resources in Taibai Mountains.

Plant Diversity on the North of East Lake Luoyan Scenic Area in Wuhan Municipality

The research was conducted as per biocenology normal sampling method in the north of East Lake Luoyan Scenic Area and the results showed that of 14 sample plots, there are 62 species in 56 genera in the families of 38, including 32 arbor species, 22 shrub species and 8 herbaceous species. Cinnamomum septentrionale and Cynodondactylon（Linn.） Pers. appeared the most frequently of 64.3%.Margalef＇s index, Shannon-wiener index and Simpson index from high to low were all arbor layershrub layerherbaceous layer, of which arbor layer in green space D kept the highest in terms of Margalef＇s index, and herbaceous layer in the space was the lowest. Besides, herbaceous layers maintained the highest in Pielou＇s index and shrub layer the lowest.

Changes of growth-climate relationships of Smith fir forests along an altitudinal gradient

Temporal changes in the relationship between tree growth and climate have been observed in numerous forests across the world.The patterns and the possible regu-lators(e.g.,forest community structure)of such changes are,however,not well understood.A vegetation survey and analyses of growth-climate relationships for Abies georgei var.Smithii(Smith fir)forests were carried along an altitudi-nal gradient from 3600 to 4200 m on Meili Snow Mountain,southeastern Tibetan Plateau.The results showed that the associations between growth and temperature have declined since the 1970s over the whole transect,while response to standardized precipitation-evapotranspiration indices(SPEI)strengthened in the mid-and lower-transect.Comparison between growth and vegetation data showed that tree growth was more sensitive to drought in stands with higher species richness and greater shrub cover.Drought stress on growth may be increased by heavy competition from shrub and herb layers.These results show the non-stationary nature of tree growth-climate associations and the linkage to for-est community structures.Vegetation components should be considered in future modeling and forecasting of forest dynamics in relation to climate changes.

Elevational patterns of warming effects on plant community and topsoil properties: focus on subalpine meadows ecosystem

Climate warming profoundly affects plant biodiversity, community productivity, and soil properties in alpine and subalpine grassland ecosystems. However, these effects are poorly understood across elevational gradients in subalpine meadow ecosystems. To reveal the elevational patterns of warming effects on plant biodiversity, community structure, productivity, and soil properties, we conducted a warming experiment using open-top chambers from August 2019 to August 2022 at high(2764 m a. s. l.), medium(2631 m a. s. l.), and low(2544 m a. s. l.) elevational gradients on a subalpine meadow slope of Mount Wutai, Northern China. Our results showed that three years of warming significantly increased topsoil temperature but significantly decreased topsoil moisture at all elevations(P<0.05), and the percentage of increasing temperature and decreasing moisture both gradually raised with elevation lifting. Warming-induced decreasing proportions of soil organic carbon(SOC, by 19.24%), and total nitrogen(TN, by 24.56%) were the greatest at high elevational gradients. Experimental warming did not affect topsoil C: N, p H, NO_(3)^(-)-N, or NH_(4)^(+)-N at the three elevational gradients. Warming significantly increased species richness(P<0.01) and Shannon-Weiner index(P<0.05) at low elevational gradients but significantly decreased belowground biomass(P<0.05) at a depth of 0–10 cm at three elevational gradients. Warming caused significant increases in the aboveground biomass in the three elevational plots. Warming significantly increased the aboveground biomass of graminoids in medium(by 92.47%) and low(by 98.25%) elevational gradients, that of sedges in high(by 72.44%) and medium(by 57.16%) elevational plots, and that of forbs in high(by 75.88%), medium(by 34.38%), and low(by 74.95%) elevational plots. Species richness had significant linear correlations with SOC, TN, and C: N(P<0.05), but significant nonlinear responses to soil temperature and soil moisture in the warmed treatment(P<0.05). The warmed aboveground biomass had a significant nonlinear response to soil temperature and significant linear responses to soil moisture(P<0.05). This study provided evidence that altitude is a factor in sensitivity to climate warming, and these different parameters(e.g., plant species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, soil temperature, soil moisture, SOC, and TN) can be used to measure this sensitivity.

Different mechanisms underlie similar species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes

Despite much research in the field of island biogeography,mechanisms regulating insular diversity remain elusive.Here,we aim to explore mechanisms underlying plant species-area relationships in two tropical archipelagoes in the South China Sea.We found positive plant species-area relationships for both coral and continental archipelagoes.However,our results showed that different mechanisms contributed to similar plant species-area relationships between the two archipelagoes.For coral islands,soil nutrients and spatial distance among communities played major roles in shaping plant community structure and species diversity.By contrast,the direct effect of island area,and to a lesser extent,soil nutrients determined plant species richness on continental islands.Intriguingly,increasing soil nutrients availability(N,P,K)had opposite effects on plant diversity between the two archipelagoes.In summary,the habitat quality effect and dispersal limitation are important for regulating plant diversity on coral islands,whereas the passive sampling effect,and to a lesser extent,the habitat quality effect are important for regulating plant diversity on continental islands.More generally,our findings indicate that island plant species-area relationships are outcomes of the interplay of both niche and neutral processes,but the driving mechanisms behind these relationships depends on the type of islands.

Effects of vegetation type on soil microbial community structure and catabolic diversity assessed by polyphasic methods in North China

Soil microbes play a major role in ecological processes and are closely associated with the aboveground plant community. In order to understand the effects of vegetation type on the characteristics of soil microbial communities, the soil microbial communities were assessed by plate counts, phospholipid fatty acid （PLFA） and Biolog microplate techniques in five plant communities, i.e., soybean field （SF）, artificial turf （AT）, artificial shrub （AS）, natural shrub （NS）, and maize field （MF） in Jinan, Shandong Province, North China. The results showed that plant diversity had little discernible effect on microbial biomass but a positive impact on the evenness of utilized substrates in Biolog microplate. Legumes could significantly enhance the number of cultural microorganisms, microbial biomass, and community catabolic diversity. Except for SF dominated by legumes, the biomass of fungi and the catabolic diversity of microbial community were higher in less disturbed soil beneath NS than in frequently disturbed soils beneath the other vegetation types. These results confirmed that high number of plant species, legumes, and natural vegetation types tend to support soil microbial communities with higher function. The present study also found a significant correlation between the number of cultured bacteria and catabolic diversity of the bacterial community. Different research methods led to varied results in this study. The combination of several approaches is recommended for accurately describing the characteristics of microbial communities in many respects.

Origins and evolution of plant diversity in the Hengduan Mountains, China

1.Introduction The Hengduan Mountains region(HDM)in southwest China,one of the earth's 34 biodiversity hotspots,is characterized by its unique geology,dramatic topography,a climate where snow and below freezing temperatures can occur on any day of the year,by its location at elevations averaging between(1400e)2000 and4500(e5300)meters above sea level(m a.s.l.),and by one of