Monodominance of Parashorea chinensis on fertile soils in a Chinese tropical rain forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 311-322 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nic van der Velden ◽  
J. W. Ferry Slik ◽  
Yue-Hua Hu ◽  
Guoyu Lan ◽  
Luxian Lin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Tropical Rain Forests ◽  
Forest Diversity ◽  
Soil Variables ◽  
Edaphic Conditions ◽  
Unusual Phenomenon ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract:Monodominance in the tropics is often seen as an unusual phenomenon due to the normally high diversity in tropical rain forests. Here we studied Parashorea chinensis H. Wang (Dipterocarpaceae) in a seasonal tropical forest in south-west China, to elucidate the mechanisms behind its monodominance. Twenty-eight 20 × 20-m plots were established in monodominant and mixed forest in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province. All individuals ≥1 cm stem diameter and 16 soil variables were measured. Parashorea chinensis forest had a significantly higher mean tree dbh compared with mixed forest. Diversity did not differ significantly between the two forest types. However, within monodominant patches, all diversity indices decreased with an increase in P. chinensis dominance. Floristic composition of P. chinensis forest did differ significantly from the mixed forest. These differences were associated with more fertile soils (significantly higher pH, Mn, K and lower carbon pools and C:N ratio) in the P. chinensis forest than the mixed forest. In contrast to current paradigms, this monodominant species is not associated with infertile, but with fertile soils. Parashorea chinensis seems to be especially associated with high manganese concentrations which it can tolerate, and with edaphic conditions (water, K) that allow this tall and exposed emergent species to maintain its water balance. This is in contrast with most previous studies on monodominance in the tropics that found either no effect of soil properties, or predict associations with nutrient-poor soils.

scholarly journals Vegetation of the Witbank Nature Reserve and its importance for conservation of threatened Rocky Highveld Grassland

Koedoe ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.M. Smit ◽  
G.J. Bredenkamp ◽  
N. Van Rooyen ◽  
A.E. Van Wyk ◽  
J.M. Combrinck
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Moisture Gradient ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Soil Moisture Gradient ◽  
Great Escarpment

A vegetation survey of the Witbank Nature Reserve, comprising 847 hectares, was conducted. Phytosociological data were used to identify plant communities, as well as to determine alpha and beta diversities. Eleven plant communities were recognised, two of these are subdivided into sub- communities, resulting in 14 vegetation units. These communities represent four main vegetation types, namely grassland, woodland, wetland and disturbed vegetation. Grassland communities have the highest plant diversity and wetland vegetation the lowest. Floristic composition indicates that the vegetation of the Rocky Highveld Grassland has affinities to the grassland and savanna biomes and also to the Afromontane vegetation of the Great Escarpment. An ordination scatter diagram shows the distribution of the 14 plant communities or sub-communities along a soil moisture gradient, as well as along a soil depth/surface rock gradient. The sequence of communities along the soil moisture gradient is used for calculating beta-diversity indices. It is concluded that the relatively small size of the Witbank Nature Reserve is unlikely to have significant negative effects on the phytodiversity of the various plant communities. This nature reserve is therefore of considerable importance in conserving a representative sample of the Rocky Highveld Grassland.

scholarly journals Abundance, diversity and distribution of macrophyte communities in neighboring lakes of different trophic states and morphology in north-central Greece

2011 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 763-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrisoula Pirini ◽  
Vasiliki Karagiannakidou ◽  
Savvas Charitonidis
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Aquatic Vegetation ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
North Central ◽  
Wetland Ecosystems ◽  
Central Greece ◽  
Clear Differentiation ◽  
Evenness Indices

The role of aquatic vegetation in wetland ecosystems is closely related with their abundance, diversity and distribution, which in turn represents synergy of various environmental factors. The floristic composition of the aquatic vegetation in two neighboring lakes (Vegoritida and Petron) in north-central Greece was investigated by means of 160 relev?s, which were recorded using the Braun-Blanquet method. The analysis of relev?s based on TWINSPAN clustering showed the existence of 10 plant communities from the Lemnetea, Potametea, Phragmito-Magnocaricetea and Juncetea maritimi classes. The most important environmental factors for the vegetation differentiation in the study area, according to the ordination diagram, are light intensity and water depth of the habitats. The plant species diversity was quantified with species richness, Shannon Diversity and evenness indices at a scale of each relev?, with a sampling size of 20 m2. There was a clear differentiation between the relev?s at the more eutrophic Petron Lake and those at Vegoritida Lake. The mean plot diversity was also calculated for each plant community, to enable comparison of the diversity indices among the communities at the plot level.

scholarly journals Floristic composition and phytodiversity status of Sitakunda Ecopark, Chittagong, Bangladesh

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Anwarul Islam ◽  
Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman ◽  
Gazi Mosharof Hossain
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Vascular Plant Species ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Plant Families

The present study dealt with the exploration and documentation of the floristic composition and phyto-diversity of Sitakunda Eco-park, Chittagong, Bangladesh. A total of 412 vascular plant species under 315 genera belonging to 94 plant families have been recorded from the study area during February, 2013 to April, 2015. Out of these recorded taxa, 330 were dicotyledons, 62 were monocotyledons, 5 were gymnosperms and 15 were pteridophytes. Among those, the maximum 144 species belonged to herbs followed by 138, 75 and 55 species as trees, shrubs and climbers, respectively. The species composition among the plant families varied in plant groups. In dicotyledonous group, Euphorbiaceae appeared to be the largest family with 35 species, whereas Poaceae showed the largest family containing 30 species among monocotyledonous group. The highest values of both Shannon-Weiner and Simpson diversity indices have been observed as 3.82 and 0.98, respectively to site D during monsoon season, whereas the lowest values 3.19 and 0.95, respectively of these indices were recorded in site A during summer season.Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 5(1): 29-45, 2016 (June)

The effects of silvicultural disturbances on cryptogam diversity in the boreal-mixedwood forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven G Newmaster ◽  
F Wayne Bell
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Aerial Application ◽  
Forest Diversity ◽  
Four Blocks ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Species Richness And Abundance ◽  
And Function

In northern forests, cryptogams (spore producing plants) occupy a key position in forest ecosystem diversity and function. Forest harvesting and silvicultural practices have the potential to reduce cryptogam diversity. This project uses four blocks that were mechanically site prepared, planted with a single conifer species, and subsequently subjected to five conifer release treatments: (1) motor-manual cleaning, (2) mechanical brush cutting, (3) aerial application of triclopyr, (4) aerial application of glyphosate, and (5) control (untreated clearcut). Five 10 × 10 m subplots were installed in each of the five treatment plots and the uncut forest on the four blocks. Botanical surveys were conducted before and 1–5 years after treatments. Species richness and abundance, Shannon's and Heip's indices, and rank abundance diagrams clearly show that richness and abundance were affected by silvicultural treatments. Vegetation management treatments resulted in significant reductions in cryptogam diversity, to the point that only a few colonists and drought-tolerant species remained. Cryptogam diversity was ranked in the following order: forest > clearcut > mechanical clearing > herbicide treatment. Herbicide treatments had the greatest initial effect on species richness, species abundance, and diversity indices. Cryptogam diversity showed signs of recovery 5 years after treatments. Missed strips (untreated areas) within a clearcut provided a refuge for remnant communities of forest cryptogams that could play a key role in the rehabilitation forest diversity.

scholarly journals Effect of Plant Diversity on the Occurrence of Diplodia Tip Blight in Natural Secondary Japanese Red Pine Forests

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 1083
Author(s):  
Yuan Cheng ◽  
Jun Liang ◽  
Xian Xie ◽  
Xingyao Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vertical Structure ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Disease Index ◽  
Red Pine ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Japanese Red Pine ◽  
Blight Disease

Diplodia tip blight caused by Sphaeropsis sapinea (Fr.) Dyko and B. Sutton is a serious threat to the health of natural secondary Japanese red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.) forests. To explore the effect of plant diversity on Diplodia tip blight disease occurrence, the correlation between Diplodia tip blight in P. densiflora and plant diversity in various stand types and vertical structure layers were analyzed by Pearson correlation coefficients and generalized linear model while keeping environmental factors relatively consistent. Disease index of Diplodia tip blight in P. densiflora was positively correlated with the plant diversity indices in the tree layers of P. densiflora–conifer mixed forest. In contrast, it was negatively correlated with the plant diversity indices in the tree layers of P. densiflora–hardwood mixed forest and P. densiflora pure forest. In shrub–herb layers of all stands except the P. densiflora pure forest herb layer, the disease index was positively correlated with the plant diversity indices. The prediction models for the disease index of Diplodia tip blight in the P. densiflora–hardwood mixed forest, P. densiflora–conifer mixed forest, and P. densiflora pure forest were also established. The foregoing results suggest that in the Kunyu Mountains of China, the differences in plant diversity among various stand types and vertical structure layers have different effects on the occurrence of Diplodia tip blight in P. densiflora. Plant diversity largely reflects the occurrence of Diplodia tip blight disease. However, if the effect of plant diversity on Diplodia tip blight is fully reflected, the plant species characteristics, especially tree genetic relationships, should be considered. In this way, plant species diversity structure in natural secondary Japanese red pine forests may be modified through forest management to lower the incidence of Diplodia tip blight.

scholarly journals Floral Distribution of a Sub-Bituminous Coal Dumpsite in Enugu, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Imade Y. Nsa ◽  
Oyetola O. Oyebanji ◽  
Eric E. Igbinigie ◽  
Ayodeji A. Odunsi
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Distribution Analysis ◽  
Ageratum Conyzoides ◽  
Control Zone ◽  
Floral Diversity ◽  
Species Diversity Indices

The remnant floral diversity of a naturally reclaimed area proximal to an abandoned mine was assessed. The coal mine site, the Incident zone (IZ) and an unsullied site, the Control zone (CZ), were sampled. Using a 5 m2 quadrat, the floristic composition was determined by the occurrence, distribution analysis, and species diversity indices. The study revealed a degraded vegetation type and recorded a total of 60 species, 53 genera and 27 families. Both the IZ and CZ shared 26.67% species similarity, while 36.67% are were unique to each zone. Five species were dominant (Ageratum conyzoides, Panicum maximum, Calopogonium mucunoides, Chromolaena odorata). While the dominant genera vary between IZ (Borreria, Dioscorea, Ipomoea, and Phyllanthus) and CZ (Desmodium, Euphorbia, and Ipomoea), Asteraceae and Poaceae were the dominant families in both zones. Forbs were the most dominant life forms in both zones; Cyclosorus sp. and Adiantum sp. were only found on the IZ, whereas, Kyllinga erecta and Mariscus alternifolius were exclusive to the CZ. Our results reflect that species composition and vegetation paradigm in the study area could be influenced by coal mining, farming, infrastructural installations and climate. Hence, we suggest future studies to investigate how the species adapt to the environment. Although most of the species encountered belonged to lower-risk conservation, the conservation of the species to this area is imperative.

scholarly journals Structure and composition of trees in Mount Tilu Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tri Cahyanto ◽  
Muhammad Efendi ◽  
DIAN MUHAMAD RAMDAN
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Species Structure ◽  
West Java ◽  
Conservation Area ◽  
Regeneration Status

Abstract. Cahyanto T, Efendi M, Ramdan DM. 2020. Structure and composition of trees in Mount Tilu Nature Reserve, West Java, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 2674-2680. An understanding of the structure and composition of stands in a conservation area is needed to support sustainable management strategy. However, this information in the Mount Tilu Nature Reserve, Bandung District, West Java area is still lacking. This research was aimed to analyze the structure and composition of tree species in the block of Malagembol forest, Mt. Tilu NR. Data collection was carried out through vegetation analysis using sampling plot method with size of 10x100 m2 at three-level altitudes of 1530 m, 1745 m, and 1950 m asl. Observation parameters included species names, number of individuals, and diameter at breast height (dbh). Data were analyzed to determine the floristic composition, species structure based on their diameter class, relative basal area, diversity indices, and analysis of the importance of the main components of trees species through Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A total of 32 tree species from 23 families was found in the observation plots which was dominated by Fagaceae, Lauraceae, and Myrtaceae families. Some pioneer plants covered the gap in vegetation due to minor disturbance and residual damage in the past. Nonetheless, the dominance of stands with small diameters indicated good regeneration status following such disturbance. Based on these findings, we recommend protecting the vegetation in Mt. Tilu NR by limiting community activities that can disturb the forest.

scholarly journals Effects of Tropical Deforestation on Global Hydroclimate: A Multimodel Ensemble Analysis

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 1124-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Hasler ◽  
David Werth ◽  
Roni Avissar
Keyword(s):  
Bootstrap Method ◽  
Tropical Deforestation ◽  
Tropical Rain Forests ◽  
Rain Forests ◽  
Climate System Model ◽  
Precipitation Response ◽  
Tropical Areas ◽  
Multimodel Ensembles ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Tropics

Abstract Two multimodel ensembles (MME) were produced with the GISS Model II (GM II), the GISS Atmosphere Model (AM), and the NCAR Community Climate System Model (CCSM) to evaluate the effects of tropical deforestation on the global hydroclimate. Each MME used the same 48-yr period but the two were differentiated by their land-cover types. In the “control” case, current vegetation was used, and in the “deforested” case, all tropical rain forests were converted to a mixture of shrubs and grassland. Globally, the control simulations produced with the three GCMs compared well to observations, both in the time mean and in the temporal variability, although various biases exist in the different tropical rain forests. The local precipitation response to deforestation is very strong. The remote effect in the tropics (away from the deforested tropical areas) is strong as well, but the effects at midlatitudes are weaker. In the MME, the impacts tend to be attenuated relative to the individual models. The significance of the geopotential and precipitation responses was evaluated with a bootstrap method, and results varied during the year. Tropical deforestation also produced anomalous fluxes in potential energy that were a direct response to the deforestation. These different analyses confirmed the existence of a teleconnection mechanism due to deforestation.

scholarly journals Pollination in a degraded tropical landscape: a Hong Kong case study

2001 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD T. CORLETT
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Pollination Biology ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Secondary Forests ◽  
Yakushima Island ◽  
Northern Margin ◽  
Broad Leaved Forest ◽  
The Tropics

Although the pollination biology of many individual plant species has been investigated in the Oriental region, there have been very few community-level studies. The two most comprehensive of these were in the primary mixed dipterocarp forest of Lambir Hills National Park, Sarawak (4°20′N: Momose et al. 1998, Sakai et al. 1999) and in the warm temperate evergreen broad-leaved forest and cool temperate mixed forest on Yakushima Island (30°N: Yumoto 1987, 1988). Hong Kong (22°17′N) lies midway between these sites, at the northern margin of the tropics, where winter temperatures fall below 10 °C at sea-level for a few days every year and there are occasional frosts above 400 m (Dudgeon & Corlett 1994). Latitudinal effects, however, are compounded in comparisons with other well-studied East Asian sites, by centuries of massive human impact, leaving a degraded landscape of steep, eroded hillsides, covered in fire-maintained grassland, secondary shrublands and, locally, secondary forests (Zhuang & Corlett 1997). This history has left a relatively impoverished fauna but a surprisingly diverse flora, including 400 native tree species (Corlett & Turner 1997). In these circumstances, failures of pollination and dispersal mutualisms might be expected to accelerate the loss of plant species from the landscape (Bond 1994, Kearns & Inouye 1997). Previous studies have shown that most woody vegetation in Hong Kong is dominated by species whose seeds can be dispersed by the commonest avian frugivores, the light-vented and red-whiskered bulbuls (Pycnonotus sinensis (Gmelin) and P. jocosus (Linn.)) and the Japanese white-eye (Zosterops japonicus Swinhoe) (Corlett 1996, 1998), but there is no equivalent information available on pollination biology.

scholarly journals Soil respiration in seven types of temperate forests exhibits similar temperature sensitivity

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 338-345
Author(s):  
Beata Klimek ◽  
Marcin Chodak ◽  
Maria Niklińska
Keyword(s):  
Soil Respiration ◽  
Respiration Rate ◽  
Soil Ph ◽  
Temperature Sensitivity ◽  
Linear Models ◽  
Temperate Forests ◽  
C:N Ratio ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Soil Respiration Rate

Abstract Purpose The aim of the study was to compare the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration rate in two soil horizons of seven types of temperate forests. Materials and methods Soil samples were collected in O and A horizons in seven types of temperate forests, each one represented by five independent stands distributed throughout Poland. Soil respiration rates were measured at standard moisture in five temperatures (4 °C, 10 °C, 16 °C, 22 °C and 28 °C), and the first-order Q10 values were calculated for each stand. General linear models (GLM) were fitted for respiration rate and for Q10 values separately using selected soil physical-chemical properties: C:N ratio, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content and soil pH. Results and discussion The soil respiration rate increased with temperature was the highest in O horizon of fresh mixed forest dominated by hornbeam and increased with C:N ratio, DOC content and soil pH (model p < 0.0001). In turn, model for Q10 was not significant meaning none of tested variables affected soil temperature sensitivity (p = 0.2886). Conclusions Despite studied forest types exhibit substantial distinctness in many soil properties including respiration rate, they showed similar susceptibility to temperature increase (roughly to climate warming).

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