Community structure and species diversity dynamics of a subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in China:2005 to 2020

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.

Impacts of Human Activities and Season on Species Diversity and Abundance of Butterflies in Mpanga Kipengere Game Reserve and Surrounding Farmlands, Tanzania

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.

Responses of arid plant species diversity and composition to environmental factors

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.

Assessing Forest Cover Distribution, Species Diversity, and Richness of the Buffer Zone for Strategic Forest Management Planning for Nimule National Park, South Sudan

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 m2/ha and 46,540.82 m3/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.

Some of the Mechanisms for Coexistence of Tree Species Diversity in Tropical Forests: A Review of Effects of Tree Density Dependence

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.

Spatial pattern of plant species diversity and the influencing factors in a Gobi Desert within the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China

Understanding the spatial pattern of plant species diversity and the influencing factors has important implications for the conservation and management of ecosystem biodiversity. The transitional zone between biomes in desert ecosystems, however, has received little attention in that regard. In this study, we conducted a quantitative field survey （including 187 sampling plots） in a 40-km2 study area to determine the spatial pattern of plant species diversity and analyze the influencing factors in a Gobi Desert within the Heihe River Basin, Northwest China. A total of 42 plant species belonging to 16 families and 39 genera were recorded. Shrub and semi-shrub species generally represented the major part of the plant communities （covering 90% of the land surface）, while annual and perennial herbaceous species occupied a large proportion of the total recorded species （71%）. Patrick richness index （R）, Shannon-Wiener diversity index （H）, Simpson＇s dominance index （D）, and Pielou＇s evenness index （I） were all moderately spadaUy variable, and the variability increased with increasing sampling area. The semivariograms for R and H＇ were best fitted with Gaussian models while the semivariograms for D andJ were best fitted with exponential models. Nugget-to-still ratios indicated a moderate spatial autocorrelation for R, H＇, and D while a strong spatial autocorrelation was observed for J. The spatial patterns of R and H＇ were closely related to the geographic location within the study area, with lower values near the oasis and higher values near the mountains. However, there was an opposite trend for D. R, H＇, and D were significantly correlated with elevation, soil texture, bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, and total porosity （P〈0.05）. Generally speaking, locations at higher elevations tended to have higher species richness and diversity and the higher elevations were characterized by higher values in sand and gravel contents, bulk density, and saturated hydraulic conductivity and also by lower values in total porosity. Furthermore, spatial variability of plant species diversity was dependent on the sampling area.

Volume fractal dimension of soil particles and relationships with soil physical-chemical properties and plant species diversity in an alpine grassland under different disturbance degrees

Fractal geometry is an important method in soil science,and many studies have used fractal theory to examine soil properties and the relationships with other eco-environmental factors.However,there have been few studies examining soil particle volume fractal dimension in alpine grasslands.To study the volume fractal dimension of soil particles （D） and its relationships with soil salt,soil nutrient and plant species diversity,we conducted an experiment on an alpine grassland under different disturbance degrees：non-disturbance （N0）,light disturbance （L）,moderate disturbance （M） and heavy disturbance （H）.The results showed that （1） Ds varied from 2.573 to 2.635 among the different disturbance degrees and increased with increasing degrees of disturbance.（2） Shannon-Wiener diversity index,Pielou＇s evenness index and Margalef richness index reached their highest values at the M degree,indicating that moderate disturbance is beneficial to the increase of plant species diversity.（3） In the L and M degrees,there was a significant positive correlation between D and clay content and a significant negative correlation between D and soil organic matter （SOM）.In the H degree,D was significantly and positively correlated with total salt （TS）.The results suggested that to a certain extent,D can be used to characterize the uniformity of soil texture in addition to soil fertility characteristics.（4） For the L degree,there was a significant negative correlation between D and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index; while for the M degree,there was a significant negative correlation between D and Pielou＇s evenness index.

Characters and Species Diversity of Torreya fargesii Franch. Community in the Jinfo Mountains

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.

Fish species diversity in the Huanghe Estuary

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.

Species diversity of Lachnum (Helotiales, Hyaloscyphaceae) from temperate China

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.

Global patterns of fern species diversity:An evaluation of fern data in GBIF

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.

Involucre fossils of Carpinus,a northern temperate element,from the Miocene of China and the evolution of its species diversity in East Asia

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.

Effects of selection cutting on the forest structure and species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Fujian, southern China

The short-term effects of selection curing of different intensities on the forest structure and species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest in northern Fujian Province were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that selection curing of low and medium intensities caused little variation in the forest structure. After curing, the dominant species retained their leading status in the community. However, the community structure changed significantly following selection curing of high and extra-high intensities; the status of the dominant species of the community declined dramatically. Some tree species began to disappear from the sampling plots. Except for extra-high intensity curing, the diversity of tree species did not change significantly for the other three curing intensities. However, the evenness of the stands was very different among the four kinds of curing plots. For low and medium intensity selection cutting, the evenness declined slightly. For extra-high intensity selection curing, the evenness increased to some extent, which might be due to a more even distribution of tree species after curing. CuRing operations resulted in some adverse reactions to development of arborous species diversity of evergreen broad-leaved forest, particularly serious damage to the forest canopy. But the rational selection cuttings, which may benefit the restoration and maintenance of species diversity over a long period and may come about from the variations in environmental factors such as sunlight, temperature and humidity.

Urbanization strengthens the edge effects on species diversity and composition of woody plants in remnant forests

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.

Species diversity and stability of natural secondary communities with different cutting intensities after ten years

Species diversity and stability of natural secondary communities in different layers with different cutting intensities 10 years later were investigated by calculating Marglef Richness index（R）,Shannon-Wiener diversity index（H）,Simpson diversity index（P）,and Pielou Evenness index（J）.Results show that the values of R,H and P among different layers are listed in a decreasing order：the shrub layer the arbor layer the herb layer,all the three indices values reach the maximum under medium selective cutting intensity after 10 years.The J value of the shrub layer shows a concave parabolic change with the increase in cutting intensity;it shows a linear increase for the arbor layer,whereas the J value of the herb layer shows an opposite change pattern.The values of R at different cutting intensities had high significant difference,but other indices had not significant difference.The stability of communities at different cutting intensities after 10 years is non-cutting low selective cutting intensity medium selective cutting intensity high selective cutting intensity extra-high intensity clear cutting.The stability of communities at different cutting intensities after 10 years shows that the greater cutting intensities,the worse the stability is.

Species Diversity Based on Vertical Structure as Indicators of Artificial Restoration for Coniferous Forests in Southwest China

Five indices of species richness, species diversity and species evenness were used to assess a diversity of four types of coniferous forests undergone different artificial regeneration time. The study was based on the vertical structure of forests, involving growth-forms of total plants as well as vertical layers of woody plants. The results showed that, except for the fourth layer of woody plants, the vertical structure of the four forests exhibited significant difference in terms of their species richness, species diversity and species evenness, suggesting that a species diversity index provided more detailed information and was a better index reflecting the regeneration processes in this region. It was recommended that silvicultural management of artificially regenerated forests should be strengthened to conserve the biodiversity of the forests, optimize forest structure and, in the long run, promote sustainable development of forest ecosystems.

Species Diversity of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi in the Rhizosphere of Hevea brasiliensis in Hainan Island,China

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.

Protection of marine species diversity in China

China has approximately 14 500 krn long coastline that not only offers to dwell for human being but also exists diverse marine organisms. Nowadays, Chinese marine economy development is rapid and marvelous, while we have met very serious problem on losing marine biodiversity. Marine biodiversity can be addressed at the level of diversity within species, between the species and of ecosystems. Each level of biodiversity have been at different extents of threatening. Among this species-level diversity may be the most essential and important for these protecting actions. Species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank, as well as a unit of biodiversity. Removing species from marine ecosystems removes those important functions. We have an ethical responsibility to protect marine biodiversity, but the first step is to understand how many marine species exist, and it is important because it provides a measure of how well we know about marine life and their potential ecosystem functions.

Remarkable Species Diversity on Adjacent Salt Lakes in South Australia

Lakes Acraman,Gairdner,Harris and Everard are a cluster of large episodic salt lakes on Eyre Peninsula,South Australia.These lakes have a characteristic terrestrial invertebrate fauna including various spiders,

Community Characteristics and Species Diversity of Wetland Plants in the Yangguan Nature Reserve of Dunhuang

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.