scholarly journals A systematic survey of regional multitaxon biodiversity: evaluating strategies and coverage

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ane Kirstine Brunbjerg ◽  
Hans Henrik Bruun ◽  
Lars Brøndum ◽  
Aimée T. Classen ◽  
Lars Dalby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Taxonomic Group ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Soil Dna ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

AbstractBackgroundIn light of the biodiversity crisis and our limited ability to explain variation in biodiversity, tools to quantify spatial and temporal variation in biodiversity and its underlying drivers are critically needed. Inspired by the recently published ecospace framework, we developed and tested a sampling design for environmental and biotic mapping. We selected 130 study sites (40 × 40 m) across Denmark using stratified random sampling along the major environmental gradients underlying biotic variation. Using standardized methods, we collected site species data on vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, gastropods and arthropods. To evaluate sampling efficiency, we calculated regional coverage (relative to the known species number per taxonomic group), and site scale coverage (i.e., sample completeness per taxonomic group at each site). To extend taxonomic coverage to organisms that are difficult to sample by classical inventories (e.g., nematodes and non-fruiting fungi), we collected soil for metabarcoding. Finally, to assess site conditions, we mapped abiotic conditions, biotic resources and habitat continuity.ResultsDespite the 130 study sites only covering a minute fraction (0.0005 %) of the total Danish terrestrial area, we found 1774 species of macrofungi (54 % of the Danish fungal species pool), 663 vascular plant species (42 %), 254 bryophyte species (41 %) and 200 lichen species (19 %). For arthropods, we observed 330 spider species (58 %), 123 carabid beetle species (37 %) and 99 hoverfly species (33 %). Correlations among species richness for taxonomic groups were predominantly positive. Overall, sample coverage was remarkably high across taxonomic groups and sufficient to capture substantial spatial variation in biodiversity across Denmark. This inventory is nationally unprecedented in detail and resulted in the discovery of 143 species with no previous record for Denmark. Comparison between plant OTUs detected in soil DNA and observed plant species confirmed the usefulness of carefully curated environmental DNA-data. Species richness did not correlate well among taxa suggesting differential and complex biotic responses to environmental variation.ConclusionsWe successfully and adequately sampled a wide range of diverse taxa along key environmental gradients across Denmark using an approach that includes multi-taxon biodiversity assessment and ecospace mapping. Our approach is applicable to assessments of biodiversity in other regions and biomes where species are structured along environmental gradient.

scholarly journals A systematic survey of regional multi-taxon biodiversity: evaluating strategies and coverage

BMC Ecology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ane Kirstine Brunbjerg ◽  
Hans Henrik Bruun ◽  
Lars Brøndum ◽  
Aimée T. Classen ◽  
Lars Dalby ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Environmental Gradients ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Taxonomic Group ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽  
Species Number ◽  
Soil Dna ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Taxonomic Groups

Abstract Background In light of the biodiversity crisis and our limited ability to explain variation in biodiversity, tools to quantify spatial and temporal variation in biodiversity and its underlying drivers are critically needed. Inspired by the recently published ecospace framework, we developed and tested a sampling design for environmental and biotic mapping. We selected 130 study sites (40 × 40 m) across Denmark using stratified random sampling along the major environmental gradients underlying biotic variation. Using standardized methods, we collected site species data on vascular plants, bryophytes, macrofungi, lichens, gastropods and arthropods. To evaluate sampling efficiency, we calculated regional coverage (relative to the known species number per taxonomic group), and site scale coverage (i.e., sample completeness per taxonomic group at each site). To extend taxonomic coverage to organisms that are difficult to sample by classical inventories (e.g., nematodes and non-fruiting fungi), we collected soil for metabarcoding. Finally, to assess site conditions, we mapped abiotic conditions, biotic resources and habitat continuity. Results Despite the 130 study sites only covering a minute fraction (0.0005%) of the total Danish terrestrial area, we found 1774 species of macrofungi (54% of the Danish fungal species pool), 663 vascular plant species (42%), 254 bryophyte species (41%) and 200 lichen species (19%). For arthropods, we observed 330 spider species (58%), 123 carabid beetle species (37%) and 99 hoverfly species (33%). Overall, sample coverage was remarkably high across taxonomic groups and sufficient to capture substantial spatial variation in biodiversity across Denmark. This inventory is nationally unprecedented in detail and resulted in the discovery of 143 species with no previous record for Denmark. Comparison between plant OTUs detected in soil DNA and observed plant species confirmed the usefulness of carefully curated environmental DNA-data. Correlations among species richness for taxonomic groups were predominantly positive, but did not correlate well among all taxa suggesting differential and complex biotic responses to environmental variation. Conclusions We successfully and adequately sampled a wide range of diverse taxa along key environmental gradients across Denmark using an approach that includes multi-taxon biodiversity assessment and ecospace mapping. Our approach is applicable to assessments of biodiversity in other regions and biomes where species are structured along environmental gradient.

scholarly journals The pitfalls of biodiversity proxies: Differences in richness patterns of birds, trees and understudied diversity across Amazonia

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Camila D. Ritter ◽  
Søren Faurby ◽  
Dominic J. Bennett ◽  
Luciano N. Naka ◽  
Hans ter Steege ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Taxonomic Group ◽  
Diversity Gradients ◽  
Richness Patterns ◽  
Taxonomic Groups ◽  
Micro Organisms

AbstractMost knowledge on biodiversity derives from the study of charismatic macro-organisms, such as birds and trees. However, the diversity of micro-organisms constitutes the majority of all life forms on Earth. Here, we ask if the patterns of richness inferred for macro-organisms are similar for micro-organisms. For this, we barcoded samples of soil, litter and insects from four localities on a west-to-east transect across Amazonia. We quantified richness as Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs) in those samples using three molecular markers. We then compared OTU richness with species richness of two relatively well-studied organism groups in Amazonia: trees and birds. We find that OTU richness shows a declining west-to-east diversity gradient that is in agreement with the species richness patterns documented here and previously for birds and trees. These results suggest that most taxonomic groups respond to the same overall diversity gradients at large spatial scales. However, our results show a different pattern of richness in relation to habitat types, suggesting that the idiosyncrasies of each taxonomic group and peculiarities of the local environment frequently override large-scale diversity gradients. Our findings caution against using the diversity distribution of one taxonomic group as an indication of patterns of richness across all groups.

Plant diversity of Ghorkhod Protected Area, NE Iran

Phytotaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 249 (1) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
FARSHID MEMARIANI ◽  
MOHAMMAD REZA JOHARCHI ◽  
HOSSEIN AKHANI
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Protected Area ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
Plant Groups ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Plant Families ◽  
Ne Iran

Ghorkhod Protected Area (GPA) is located in a transitional zone among different biogeographical units in North Khorassan Province, NE Iran. The study area is mainly a mountainous region in western extensions of Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province. We investigated the floristic composition, life form spectrum and phytogeography of the study area through several random collection efforts and 200 vegetation samples (reléves) in selected vegetation types during 2007–2012. A total of 663 vascular plant species belonging to 367 genera and 81 families are recorded as native and naturalized in GPA. Angiosperms and Dicots are among the most diverse plant groups. The richest plant families are Asteraceae (88 species), Poaceae (78), Lamiaceae (45), Brassicaceae (43), Fabaceae (38), and Caryophyllaceae (32). The genera Allium L. (17 species), Astragalus L. (15) and Cousinia Cass. (12) are the richest ones, however, the majority of the species belongs to oligotypic and monotypic genera. Life form spectrum of the study area is dominated by hemicryptophytes (38.9%) and therophytes (23.4%). Allium transvestiens Vved., Agropyron desertorum Schult., Helictotrichon turcomanicum Czopanov and Piptatherum latifolium (Roshev.) Nevski are recorded as new to Iran. The core flora of the area has the Irano-Turanian origin. However, the wide-range and widespread elements are also well represented in the study area. GPA is inhabited by several endemic, rare and narrow-range plant species, indicating the biodiversity importance of the study area in NE Iran.

scholarly journals Relationship between moth (night active Lepidoptera) diversity and vegetation characteristics in southern Sweden

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 1005-1015
Author(s):  
Torbjörn Tyler
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Vegetation Composition ◽  
Vascular Plant Diversity ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract The diversity and community composition of moths (both macro- and micromoths) at 32 sites, representing a wide range of habitat types (forests, grasslands, wetlands, agricultural and urban areas) within a restricted region in central Scania, southern-most Sweden, was investigated by use of light moth traps and compared with vascular plant species richness and habitat characteristics. The results revealed a highly significant general association between vegetation composition and the composition of the moth community and multivariate (CCA) analyses indicated light availability and soil fertility parameters (pH and macronutrients) to be the habitat characteristics that best correlated with moth community composition. Less strong, but still significant, positive relationships between moth abundance and local vascular plant diversity were also revealed. Moth species richness was positively correlated with diversity of woody plant genera in the neighborhood, but not with local vascular plant diversity in general. As for more general site characteristics, there were tendencies for higher moth richness and abundance at sites with more productive soils (well-drained, high pH, high nutrient availability), while shading/tree canopy cover, management, soil disturbance regimes and nectar production appeared unrelated to moth community parameters. It is concluded that local moth assemblages are strongly influenced by site characteristics and vegetation composition. Implications for insect conservation: The results show that obtaining moth data on a local scale is useful for conservation planning and does not need to be very cumbersome. Local moth assemblages monitored are indeed related to local site characteristics of conservation relevance.

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