Flora and ecological characteristics of rare plant communities on the southern slope of Shennongjia Mountain

According to the investigation of sampling area of 6800 m2 on the south slope of Shennongjia Mountain, there were 126 vascular plant species, belonging to 108 genera and 64 families, in the investigated rare plant communities, of which 9 rare plant species were recorded, accounting for 27.3% of the total rare plants. The communities were about 30 m in height and were divided into three layers as tree layer, shrub layer, and herb layer. The flora of the communities had obvious temperate character. Phanerophytes (accounted for 65.9%), Mesophyllous (62.7%), Papyraceous (84.1%), simple leaf (83.3%), un-entire leaf (69.8%) were dominant in life form, leaf size class, leaf texture, leaf form, and leaf margin respectively. According to important value of species, the communities were divided into three types as Davidia involucrata + Litsea pungens community, Cercidiphyllum japanicum + Padus wilsonii community, and Padus wilsonii + Acer mono community. The indexes of species diversity of tree layer had little difference among communities and evenness was high. The results indicated that the communities had complex structure and relative stability.

Late Miocene Woods of Taxodiaceae from Yunnan, China

Late Miocene woods were investigated from the Luhe Basin in Chuxiong Borough, central Yunnan, China. The calcified woods preserved in the Shigucun member of the Shihuiba Formation, are represented by fallen logs and stumps. Two species of fossil wood, Taxodioxylon cryptomeripsoides Schonfeld 1953 and T. cunninghamioides Watari 1948, are described. Their anatomical structure shows striking similarities to the woods of Cryptomeria and Cunninghamia respectively. That the two fossil woods are classed in the Taxodiaceae suggest a subtropical, humid, and warm environment in Lithe during Late Miocene. They compare favorably to other fossil specimens and species reported from localities ranging from Cretaceous to Pliocene. This is the first record of the presence of the species T. cryptomeripsoides and T. cunninghamioides in late Miocene of Yunnan.

Seasonal Variations of Net-Phytoplankton Community Structure in the Southern Yellow Sea

Based on the field survey data of four cruises in 2011,all phytoplankton communities in the southern Yellow Sea (SYS) were investigated for the species composition,dominant species,abundance and diversity indices.A total of 379 species belonging to9 phyla were identified,of which the most abundant group was Bacillariophyta (60.9%) ,followed by Pyrrophyta (23.7%) and Haptophyta (6.9%) .The seasonal distribution of abundance was:summer (4137.1×103ind m 3) >spring (3940.4×103ind m 3) >winter (3010.6×103ind m 3) >autumn (340.8×103ind m 3) ,while the horizontal distribution showed a decreasing tendency from inshore to offshore regions.The dominant species of phytoplankton varied in different seasons.The dominant species were Thalassiosira pacifica,Skeletoema spp.and Chaetoceros cinctus in spring,Chaetoceros debbilis,Chaetoceros pseudocurvisetus and Chaetoceros curvisetus in summer,Thalassiosira curviseriata,Alexandrium catenella and Ceratium fusus in autumn,Paralia sulcata,Phaeocystis sp.and Bacillaria paradoxa in winter,respectively.In SYS,the group of temperate coastal species was the major ecotype,and the groups of the central SYS species and oceanic species were also important constituents.The average values of Shannon-Weaver diversity index (H’) and Pielou evenness index (J) were 2.37 and 0.65 respectively.The indices H’and J in the open sea were higher than those in coastal waters.Obvious co-variation tendencies between H’and J were observed in all but the summer cruise of this survey.

Distribution Characteristics of Provincial Traditional Villages and Their Reasons

In this paper, a total of 723 traditional villages in Hunan were selected for research. With the aid of spatial analysis of GIS, the number equilibrium and spatial autocorrelation of the traditional villages were analyzed quantitatively, watershed distribution characteristics and ethnic distribution characteristics of the traditional villages were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively, and the influence factors of distribution of the traditional village were explored in terms of three aspects of agricultural production and population migration, history and culture, and economic activities.

Dynamics of phytoplankton communities in the Jiangdong Reservoir of Jiulong River,Fujian,South China

Phytoplankton blooms occurring in the Jiangdong Reservoir of Jiulong River,Fujian Province,South China,are a potential source of contamination of the drinking water of Xiamen(Amoy)City.To understand the main factors governing phytoplankton composition and succession,we sampled phytoplankton and measured environmental parameters in the reservoir,weekly or biweekly from Jan.2010 to Feb.2012.We identifi ed 123 species of phytoplankton from 7 phyla and 74 genera.The major phyla were Chlorophyta,Bacillariophyta,Cryptophyta,Cyanophyta,and Dinophyta.The main trend in the succession of phytoplankton was from prevalence of Cryptophyta-Bacillariophyta communities to those of Chlorophyta-Cyanophyta.High cell concentrations of Cryptophyta,predominantly Komma caudate,Cryptomonas marssonii,and Cryptomonas erosa,were present in winter,associated with low river discharge and cold water.Bacillariophyta,primarily Cyclotella meneghiniana,Aulacoseira granulata,and Aulacoseira granulata var.angustissima,dominated in early spring,coinciding with high turbulence and low irradiance.During early summer and autumn,Chlorophyta,comprising Scenedesmus quadricauda,Dictyosphaerium ehrenbergianum,and Pandorina sp.were prevalent during conditions of warmer water temperatures and low turbulence.Cyanophyta,with dominance of Pseudanabaena mucicola,Merismopedia tenuissima and Raphidiopsis sp.increased throughout the summer,coinciding with higher water temperatures and lower nutrient concentrations.Dinophyta content was occasionally high during winter and summer.Peridiniopsis penardii(Dinophyta)bloomed during winter 2009,with a persistently high biomass recorded into early spring.Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that phytoplankton communities were infl uenced by river discharge,irradiance,water temperature,and nutrient concentrations.

Community structure changes of macrobenthos in the South Yellow Sea

The ecological environment in the Yellow Sea has changed greatly from the 1950s to 1990s and this has had significant impact on marine organisms. In this study, data on soft-sediment macrobenthos occurring in depths from 25 m to 81 m in the South Yellow Sea were used to compare changes in community structure. The agglomerative classification (CLUSTER) and multidimensional scaling (MDS) methods were applied. Five communities were recognized by cluster analysis: 1. The Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass community dominated by cold water species, which changed slightly in species composition since the 1950s; 2. The mixed community with the coexistence of cold water species and warm water species, as had been reported previously; 3. The polychaete-dominated eurythermal community in which the composition changed considerably as some dominant species disappeared or decreased; 4. The Changjiang (Yangtze) River Estuarine community, with some typical estuarine species; 5. The community affected by the Yellow Sea Warm Current. The greatest change occurred in the coastal area, which indicated that the change may be caused by human activities. Macrobenthos in the central region remained almost unchanged, particularly the cold water species shielded by the Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass. The depth, temperature and median grain size of sediments were important factors affecting the distributions of macrobenthos in the South Yellow Sea.

Studies on the Community Structures of Meiofauna and Marine Nematode at Six Stations in the Southern Yellow Sea,China

Meiofauna (0.031-0.5 mm) were sampled and studied at a grid of six stationsduring the cruise of investigation for over winter ground of anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) in theSouthern Yellow Sea, China in January 2003. Total meiofauna individuals averaged (1.162 ± 0.347) x10^6 ind m^(-2) and the corresponding biomass 1.748 ± 0.72 g dwt m^(-2) with the maximum 2.35 g dwtm^(-2) at Station 9594 and the minimum 0.537 g dwt m^(-2) at Station 11794. A total of fourteentaxa were identified. Free living marine nematodes were the most dominant group with an averageabundance of (1.026 ± 0.206) x 10~6 ind m^(-2), accounting for 88.5% of total numbers, and anaverage of 85.4% lived in the surface layer (0-2cm) of sediments. The individual dry weight wascalculated, which ranges from 0.01 μg to 31.32 μg with an average of 0.261 μg. One hundred andforty two species or taxa of free-living marine nematodes belonging to 89 genera, 24 families and 4orders were identified. Six of them were new species. The common dominant species were Dorylaimopsisrabalaisi, Sphaerolaimus balticus, Sphaerolaimus mini-tus, Metalinhomoeus longicauda,Prochromadorella attenuata., Campylaimus sp. 1, Vasostoma sp. 1, Daptonema nor-mandicum,Paramonohystera riemanni, and Promonhystera sp. 1. According to cluster analysis of Primer 5.0, thesix stations were clustered into 2 groups with similar species composition at 40% similarity. Thespecies diversity index (H′), evenness index (J) and species richness index (d) of nematode werecalculated and analyzed. Correlation analysis with respect to environmental factors showed that theabundance of meiofauna had a significant correlation with the median diameter of sediment (Md_φ).The species richness of nematodes had a highly significant correlation with Chl-a and significantcorrelations with Pha-a and Chl-a + Pha-a.

Seasonal Community Structure of Mesozooplankton in the Daya Bay,South China Sea

Mesozooplankton are key components of coastal ecosystems,linking the microbial food web to the classic food chain.In this study,species composition and abundance of mesozooplankton is studied for the Daya Bay in April(spring) and October(fall),2006.A total of 27 species of mesozooplankton were identified in spring and 58 species in fall.Dominant species were Oithona tenuis,Flaccisagitta enflata,Penilia avirostris and Centropages tenuiremis in spring,shifting to Microsetella norvegica,Oithona tenuis and Parvocalanus crassirostris in fall.Higher mesozooplankton abundance was found at Aotou Cove and Dapeng'ao Cove compared to other stations,indicating the influence of eutrophication on mesozooplankton community in the Daya Bay.The outbreak of Noctiluca scintillans bloom in spring reduced the species diversity and abundance of mesozooplankton.

Community structure of planktonic copepods in artificial reefs of Wenchang,Hainan

To understand the characteristics of population structure of planktonic copepods and their response mechanisms to marine environmental factors in different seasons,the community structure of planktonic copepods in samples obtained from 7 stations in artificial reefs of Wenchang,Hainan Province in March and September 2019 were investigated.A total of 33 species of planktonic copepods belonging to 23 genera within 17 families were identified in artificial reefs,with 27 species and 21 genera in spring,and 23 species and 19 genera in fall,respectively.The identified planktonic copepods were further categorized into estuarine groups,warm temperate groups,warm water coastal groups,and warm water widespread groups.The predominant species in spring were mainly composed of Temora turbinata and Canthocalanus pauper,whereas Tortanus gracilis and Subeucalanus subcrassus were dominant species in fall.The species and abundance of planktonic copepods in spring were higher than that in fall,while the diversity index and evenness were vice versa,with obvious seasonal differences.In addition,there was a correlation between the population of copepods and physicochemical environmental factors.The major warm water group of copepods in spring showed different degree of correlation with environmental factors,such as NO2-N,NH3-N,pH,water depth,temperature etc.,while the population of copepods in fall was affected by limiting factors such as dissolved oxygen,pH,and temperature.In conclusion,copepods species inartificial reefs were rich and diverse,and their community structure tended to be stable.In addition,the surrounding water quality was generally good,and the whole marine ecosystem and ecological environment were in good condition.

Water quality assessment of benthic diatom communities for water quality in the subalpine karstic lakes of Jiuzhaigou,a world heritage site in China

Jiuzhaigou, characterized by its magnificent waterscapes and subalpine karstic features, is both a World Heritage Site and a World Biosphere Reserve in southwestern China. In recent years, this unique ecosystem has shown signs of stress due to increasing tourism activities within the reserve. The various routine methods, which monitor physical and chemical properties, do not fully reflect water quality in the subalpine and alpine lakes, while the indicators using aquatic organisms to evaluate the water quality or status of the subalpine lakes are poorly reported. Thus, in this study, benthic diatoms from multiple habitats in Jiuzhaigou were sampled and assessed for water quality monitoring. Canonical Correspondence Analysis （CCA） showed that the canonical coefficients for elevation, water temperature and total nitrogen on the first Canonical Corresnondence Analysis axis were -0.84. 0.78 and -0.53, respectively, environmental variables associated with the distribution patterns of benthic diatoms. The dominance of diatom taxa indicative of nutrient enrichment indicates a clear trend toward eutrophication in the Pearl Shoal and Colorful Lake, two of the sites mostly visited by tourists. It was observed that the effect of the type of substratum on diatom community composition is not significant in subalpine lakes. The most dominant species in Jiuzhaigou lakes are the genera Achnanthes, Fragilaria, CymbeUa, Cocconeis, Diatoma and Denticula. In combination with dominant and sensitive species in the benthic diatom communities, CCA and CA methods can be used to evaluate the impact of human activities on subalpine karstic lakes. The dominance of diatom taxa is indicative of nutrient enrichment and the results of CCA and CA indicate a clear trend toward eutrophication in the Pearl Shoal and Colorful Lake, two of the sites mostly visited by tourists.

Phytoplankton abundance and community structure in the Antarctic polar frontal region during austral summer of 2009

The Antarctic polar front region in the Southern Ocean is known to be most productive. We studied the phytoplankton community structure in the Indian sector at this frontal location during late austral summer (February, 2009) onboard R/V Akademic Boris Petrov. We used the phytoplankton and microheterotrophs abundance, as also the associated physico-chemical parameters to explain the low phytoplankton abundance in the study region. This study emphasizes the shift of phytoplankton, from large (>10 μm) to small (<10 μm) size. The phytoplankton abundance appears to be controlled by physical parameters and by nutrient concentrations and also by the microheterotrophs (ciliates and dinoflagellates) which exert a strong grazing pressure. This probably reduces small (<10 μm) and large (>10 μm) phytoplankton abundance during the late austral summer. This study highlights the highly productive polar front nevertheless becomes a region of low phytoplankton abundance, due to community shifts towards pico-phytoplankton (<10 μm) during late austral summer.

Habitats of Directive 92/431EEC in the National Park of Alta Murgia （Apulia-Southern Italy）： Threat, Action and Relationships with Plant Communities

The study reports the habitats of Directive 92/43/EEC in National Park of Alta Murgia （Apulia Region, southem Italy）. The habitats have been identified based on phytosociological analysis. New records are presented of rocky, meadow, woodlands and temporary ponds habitats, such as： Stipo bromoidis-Quercetum dalechampii （habitat： eastern white oak woods, 91AA＊）; Verbenion supinae （habitat： Mediterranean temporary ponds, 3170＊）; Campanulo versicoloris-Dianthion japigici （habitat： calcareous rocky slopes with chasmophytic vegetation, 8210）; Acino suaveolentis-Stipetum austroitalicae （habitat： eastern sub-mediterranean dry grasslands （Scorzoneretalia villosae）, 62A0）. Other information on their extension, major threat and suggestions of actions for their conservation are provided.

Maixi River estuary to the Baihua Reservoir in the Maotiao River catchment:phytoplankton community and environmental factors

Phytoplankton and environmental variables were measured monthly from July 2009 to August 2011 in the Maixi River from the estuary to Baihua Reservoir in the Maotiao River catchment, southwestern China, to understand phytoplankton community structure and environmental factors. The relationship between phytoplankton community structure and environmental factors including hydrological, meteorological, physical, and chemical variables were explored using multivariate analysis. A total of 81 taxa of phytoplankton were identified, which were mainly composed of chlorophyta, bacillariophyta, and cyanobacteria. The phytoplankton community was dominated by Pseudanabaena limnetica during summer and fall and by Cyclotella meneghiniana during winter and spring. The abundance of phytoplankton ranged from 0.24~ 104 cells/L to 33.45x 106 cells/L, with the minimum occurring during February 2010 and the maximum during July 2009. The phytoplankton community was dominated mainly by cyanobacteria from April to September, and by bacillariophyta and pyrrophyta from October to March. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that temperature, pH values, and orthophosphate were the most important driving factors regulating the composition and dynamics of the phytoplankton community in the estuary. Cyanobacteria and euglenophyta abundance and biomass were affected mainly by temperature and pH values, while most chlorophyta and bacillariophyta were influenced by the concentrations of nutrients.

Biomarker Records of Phytoplankton Productivity and Community Structure Changes During the Last 14000 Years in the Mud Area Southwest off Cheju Island, East China Sea

The ecological environment in the East China Sea(ECS)and the Yellow Sea(YS)has changed significantly due to sea-level rising and the Kuroshio incursion since the last deglaciation.In this study,biomarker records of core F10B from the mud area southwest off Cheju Island(MSWCI)were generated to evaluate phytoplankton productivity and community structure changes in response to environmental evolution during the last 14 kyr.The contents of diatom,dinoflagellate and haptophyte biomarkers(brassicasterol,dinosterol and C37alkenones)display similar trends,with increasing phytoplankton productivity during the last 14kyr due to the increased influences of the Kuroshio,and especially due to the eddy-induced upwelling during the late Holocene.On the other hand,the contents of terrestrial biomarkers(C28+C30+C32n-alkanols)and terrestrial organic matter(TOM)proxies(TMBR′and BIT)all reveal decreasing TOM input into the area around the sampling site for the 14 kyr,mostly due to sea-level ris-ing.Phytoplankton biomarker ratios reveal a shift from a haptophyte-dominated community at 6.2 2.5 kyr BP to a diatom-dominated community at 2.5 1.45 kyr BP,likely caused by a stronger cold eddy circulation system at 2.5 1.45 kyr BP in the MSWCI.

The influence of elevation on soil properties and forest litter in the Siliceous Moncayo Massif,SW Europe

Understanding the effects of elevation and related factors(climate,vegetation) on the physical and chemical soil properties can help to predict changes in response to future climate or afforestation forcings.This work aims to contribute to the knowledge of soil evolution and the classification of forest soils in relation to elevation in the montane stage,with special attention to podzolization and humus forms.The northern flank of the Moncayo Massif(Iberian Range,SW Europe) provides a unique opportunity to study a forest soils catena within a consistent quartzitic parent material over a relatively steep elevation gradient.With increasing elevation,pH,base saturation,exchangeable potassium,and fine silt-sized particles decrease significantly,while organic matter,the C/N ratio,soil aggregate stability,water repellency and coarse sand-sized particles increase significantly.The soil profiles shared a set of properties in all horizons:loamy-skeletal particle-size,extreme acidity(pH-H_2O<5.6) and low base saturation(<50%).The most prevalent soil forming processes in the catena include topsoil organic matter accumulation and even podzolization,which increases with elevation.From the upper to lower landscape positions of wooded montane stage of the Moncayo Massif,mull-moder-mor humus and an UmbrisolCambisol-Podzol soil unit sequences were found.

Primary Host Tree Species of the Gypsy Moth Lymantria dispar （Lepidoptera： Lymantriidae）in Hyrcanian Forests

Invasions by exotic insects and diseases are one of the most important threats to the stability and productivity of forest ecosystems around the world. Lymantria dispar （Lepidoptera： Lymantriidae） in Iran was observed for the first time in 1937 by Jalal Afshar in oak forests of the Guilan state region. Since its introduction, gypsy moth has spread to the northern, western and south-western regions of Iran. The largest outbreaks of gypsy moth occurred in the Talesh Oak forests of the Hyrcanian zone in 1975. The gypsy moth is a highly polyphagous folivore species that feeds on over 300 species of woody plants. Among its most preferred hosts are oaks and aspens. Some trees are resistant to the gypsy moth including honey locust, black locust, silver maple, green ash, dogwood, sycamore, horse chestnut, firs, and tulip trees. Defoliation during severe outbreaks alters the appearance of forest habitats and leads to tree mortality and changes in stand composition. This study was conducted during 2008 and 2009 in an effort to determine the primary host tree species that the gypsy moth infests in the Hyrcanian forests of lran. For that purpose all egg masses in the area were counted and conclusively significant differences in defoliation levels among tree species were found. The primary host tree species of gypsy moth in Iran was Persian ironweed, Parrotia persica.

Oldest Peach Fossil Found in Yunnan

Prunus persica（peach）is an economically important deciduous tree in the Rosaceae family that produces20 million tons of fruit per year.China has a long history of peach cultivation known from both historical and archaeological evidences.So far.

Litter Decomposition of Emergent Plants along an Elevation Gradient in Wetlands of Yunnan Plateau,China

The decomposition of plant litter is a key process of litter decomposition to global climate warming in plateau in the flows of energy and nutrients in ecosystems. However, the response wetlands remains largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a one-year litter decomposition experiment along an elevation gradient from 1891 m to 3260 m on the Yurman Plateau of Southwest China, using different litter types to determine the influences of climate change, litter quality and microenvironment on the decomposition rate. The results showed that the average decomposition rate （K） increased from 0.608 to 1.152, and the temperature sensitivity of litter mass losses was approximately 4.98%/℃ along the declining elevation gradient. Based on a correlation analysis, N concentrations and C ： N ratios in the litter were the best predictors of the decomposition rate, with significantly positive and negative correlations, respectively. Additionally, the cumulative effects of decomposition were clearly observed in the mixtures of Scirpus tabernaemontani and Zizania caduciflora. Moreover, the litter decomposition rate in the water was higher than that in the sediment, especially in high-elevation areas where the microenvironment was significantly affected by temperature. These results suggest that future climate warming will have significant impacts on plateau wetlands, which have important fimctions in biogeochemical cycling in cold highland ecosystems.

Seasonal Variability of Phytoplankton Community Structure in Relation to Different Nitrogen-Phosphorus Ratios in the Southern Coastal Waters of Zhejiang, China

With the rapid development of economy and increase of population in the drainage areas, the nutrient loading has increased dramatically in the Changjiang estuary and adjacent coastal waters. To properly assess the impact of nutrient enrichment on phytoplankton community, seasonal microcosm experiments were conducted during August 2010-July 2011 in the coastal waters of Zhejiang Province. The results of the present study indicated that the chl a concentration, cell abundance, diversity indices, species composition and community succession of the phytoplankton varied significantly with different N/P ratios and seasons. Higher growth was observed in the 64：1 （spring）, 32：1 （summer）, 16：1 （autumn） and 128：1,256：1 （winter） treatments, respectively. The values of Shannon-Wiener index （H） and Pielou evenness index （J） were lower in the 8：1 and 16：1 treatments in autumn test, while H value was higher in the 128：1 and 8：1 treatments in winter test. A definite community succession order from diatoms to dinoflagel lares was observed in the autumn and winter tests, while the diatoms dominated the community throughout the culture in the spring and summer tests.

Impacts of reforestation on woody species composition,species diversity and community structure in dry-hot valley of the Jinsha River,southwestern China

To understand the impacts of reforestation on woody species composition,species diversity and community structure,seven plantation forests in dryhot valley of the Jinsha River in Southwest China were investigated,with adjacent wastelands,natural shrub grassland and a natural forest as references.Species importance value,species richness,species heterogeneity and Sorenson similarity index between plantations and the natural forest were analyzed.Results indicated that compared to wastelands and natural shrub grassland,reforestation improved species diversity and community structure,and more forest woody species found suitable habitats in plantations.Species diversity in understory of plantations and Sorenson similarity index were significantly negatively correlated with stem density in mature plantations(26-31 years old).Higher species diversity and Sorenson similarity index existed in mature sparse plantations due to lower stem density and more tree species planted initially.In contrast,reference natural forest,with species heterogeneity of 2.28 for shrub layer,showed the highest species diversity.It would take a long time for species composition and diversity to recover through reforestation in a dry-hot valley.Therefore,it was essential to protect remnant natural forests strictly and reforest with suitable management such as lower stem density and increasing genetic diversity of trees planted.