Species and genetic diversity patterns show different responses to land use intensity in central European grasslands

Land-use intensity (LUI) is assumed to impact the genetic structure of organisms. While effects of landscape structure on the genetics of local populations have frequently been analysed, potential effects of variation in LUI on the genetic diversity of local populations have mostly been neglected. In this study, we used six polymorphic microsatellites to analyse the genetic effects of variation in land use in the highly abundant grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus . We sampled a total of 610 individuals at 22 heterogeneous grassland sites in the Hainich-Dün region of Central Germany. For each of these grassland sites we assessed habitat size, LUI (combined index of mowing, grazing and fertilization), and the proportion of grassland adjoining the sampling site and the landscape heterogeneity (the latter two factors within a 500 m buffer zone surrounding each focal site). We found only marginal genetic differentiation among all local populations and no correlation between geographical and genetic distance. Habitat size, LUI and landscape characteristics had only weak effects on most of the parameters of genetic diversity of C. parallelus ; only expected heterozygosity and the grasshopper abundances were affected by interacting effects of LUI, habitat size and landscape characteristics. The lack of any strong relationships between LUI, abundance and the genetic structure might be due to large local populations of the species in the landscape, counteracting local differentiation and potential genetic drift effects.

Download Full-text

Enriching plant diversity in grasslands by large-scale experimental sward disturbance and seed addition along gradients of land-use intensity

Journal of Plant Ecology ◽

10.1093/jpe/rtw062 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. rtw062 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Valentin H. Klaus ◽

Deborah Schäfer ◽

Till Kleinebecker ◽

Markus Fischer ◽

Daniel Prati ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Large Scale ◽

Land Use Intensity ◽

Seed Addition

Download Full-text

Variation in regrowth ability in relation to land-use intensity in three common grassland herbs

Journal of Plant Ecology ◽

10.1093/jpe/rtab001 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Kirschbaum ◽

Oliver Bossdorf ◽

J F Scheepens

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Phenotypic Plasticity ◽

Temporal Variation ◽

Temporal Stability ◽

Common Garden ◽

Grassland Management ◽

Land Use Intensity ◽

Evolutionary Changes ◽

Biomass Removal ◽

Reproductive Biomass

Abstract Aims Plant populations in managed grasslands are subject to strong selection exerted by grazing, mowing and fertilization. Many previous studies showed that this can cause evolutionary changes in mean trait values, but little is known about the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in response to land use. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the relationships between phenotypic plasticity – specifically, regrowth ability after biomass removal – and the intensity of grassland management and levels of temporal variation therein. Methods We conducted an outdoor common garden experiment to test if plants from more intensively mown and grazed sites showed an increased ability to regrow after biomass removal. We used three common plant species from temperate European grasslands, with seed material from 58 – 68 populations along gradients of land-use intensity, ranging from extensive (only light grazing) to very intensive management (up to four cuts per year). Important findings In two out of three species, we found significant population differentiation in regrowth ability after clipping. While variation in regrowth ability was unrelated to the mean land-use intensity of populations of origin, we found a relationship with its temporal variation in P. lanceolata, where plants experiencing less variable environmental conditions over the last 11 years showed stronger regrowth in reproductive biomass after clipping. Therefore, while mean grazing and mowing intensity may not select for regrowth ability, the temporal stability of the environmental heterogeneity created by land use may have caused its evolution in some species.

Download Full-text

Genetic Similarity of Avena sativa L. Varieties as an Example of a Narrow Genetic Pool of Contemporary Cereal Species

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants10071424 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 1424

Author(s):

Magdalena Cieplak ◽

Sylwia Okoń ◽

Krystyna Werwińska

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Avena Sativa ◽

Genetic Similarity ◽

Breeding Programs ◽

Central European ◽

Cereal Species ◽

Genetic Pool ◽

Selection Of ◽

High Genetic Similarity

The assessment of the genetic diversity of cultivated varieties is a very important element of breeding programs. This allows the determination of the level of genetic differentiation of cultivated varieties, their genetic distinctiveness, and is also of great importance in the selection of parental components for crossbreeding. The aim of the present study was to determine the level of genetic diversity of oat varieties currently grown in Central Europe based on two marker systems: ISSR and SCoT. The research conducted showed that both these types of markers were suitable for conducting analyses relating to the assessment of genetic diversity. The calculated coefficients showed that the analyzed cultivars were characterized by a high genetic similarity. However, the UPGMA and PCoA analyses clearly indicated the distinctiveness of the breeding programs conducted in Central European countries. The high genetic similarity of the analyzed forms allow us to conclude that it is necessary to expand the genetic pool of oat varieties. Numerous studies show that landraces may be the donor of genetic variation.

Download Full-text

Understanding Completeness and Diversity Patterns of OSM-Based Land-Use and Land-Cover Dataset in China

ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information ◽

10.3390/ijgi9090531 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (9) ◽

pp. 531

Author(s):

ShuZhu Wang ◽

Qi Zhou ◽

YuanJian Tian

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Quality Assessment ◽

Socioeconomic Factors ◽

Reference Dataset ◽

Diversity Pattern ◽

Diversity Patterns ◽

Intrinsic Quality ◽

Accuracy Measures

OpenStreetMap (OSM) data are considered essential for land-use and land-cover (LULC) mapping despite their lack of quality. Most relevant studies have employed an LULC reference dataset for quality assessment, but such a reference dataset is not freely available for most countries and regions. Thus, this study conducts an intrinsic quality assessment of the OSM-based LULC dataset (i.e., without using a reference LULC dataset) by examining the patterns of both its completeness and diversity. With China chosen as the study area, an OSM-based LULC dataset of the country was first generated and validated by using various accuracy measures. Both its completeness and diversity patterns were then mapped and analyzed in terms of each prefecture-level division of the country. The results showed the following: (1) While the overall accuracy was as high as 82.2%, most complete regions of China were not mapped well owing to a lack of diverse LULC classes. (2) In terms of socioeconomic factors and the number of contributors, higher correlations were noted for diversity patterns than completeness patterns; thus, the diversity pattern is a better reflection of socioeconomic factors and the spatial patterns of contributors. (3) Both the completeness and the diversity patterns can be combined to better understand an OSM-based LULC dataset. These results indicate that it is useful to consider diversity as a supplement for intrinsically assessing the quality of an OSM-based LULC dataset. This analytical method can also be applied to other countries and regions.

Download Full-text