scholarly journals Influence of soil physical and chemical variables on species composition and richness of plants in the arid region of Tabuk, Saudi Arabia

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 112-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Awadh Al-Mutairi
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Sodium Sulphate ◽  
Northwestern Part ◽  
Physical And Chemical Variables ◽  
Physical And Chemical

Abstract The present study aims to investigate the effect of soil physical and chemical variables on the species richness and the floristic composition in four sites (Alwaz, Alqan, Sharma and Zetah) of Tabuk region in the Northwestern part of Arabian Peninsula. Only organic matter (OM), pH and calcium (Ca) showed significant differences (P < 0.05) amongst the four studied sites. Only magnesium and sodium were selected in the forward regression model and showed to be strong drivers of species richness of plants in Tabuk region (Adj-R2 = 0.438, F2,13 = 6.85, P = 0.009). The multivariate analysis of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA ) was applied to reveal the effect of the physical and chemical variables on the species composition of the plants. The CCA classifies the plant species into three groups based on their preference to the environmental variables. The first group of plant species (Group 1) is characterised by positive preference to the chloride (Cl) and negative relationship with OM and pH. The second group (Group 2) is positively correlated with most of the soil variables such as OM, calcium (Ca), potassium (K), bicarbonate (HCO3), electrical conductivity (EC), sulphate (SO4) and sodium (Na). The third group (Group 3) has positive relationship with carbonate (CO3) and negative relationship with EC and magnesium (Mg). The chloride, sodium, sulphate, EC and carbonate are the main environmental factors influencing the plant species composition in Tabuk region. The cluster analysis based on the Euclidian measure shows that Alqan and Zetah have closer species composition compared to Sharma.

scholarly journals Environmental and Management Control over the Submontane Grassland Plant Communities in Central Slovakia

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Andrea Diviaková ◽  
Slavomír Stašiov ◽  
Radovan Pondelík ◽  
Vladimír Pätoprstý ◽  
Milan Novikmec
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Diversity Management ◽  
Grassland Management ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Management Control ◽  
Grassland Species

In Central Europe, submontane grassland plant biodiversity is currently threatened by management intensification as well as by the cessation and abandonment of management activities (extensive grazing and mowing). Although the vegetation of Central European grasslands has been well described by phytosociological papers, there is still a need to improve our understanding of the effect of both management and environment on species richness and community composition. We studied submontane grassland communities in Central Slovakia. Our study showed that both environmental variables and management were important for shaping the submontane grassland species richness and floristic composition. Plant species richness showed a weak negative relationship with soil pH. When grassland management types were analyzed individually, the amount of phosphorus, nitrogen, pH, and altitude were all found to be significantly correlated with plant species richness or diversity. Management type and local environmental factors (i.e., incoming solar radiation) both determined community composition.

scholarly journals The impacts of anthropogenic disturbance on plant species richness in the freshwater lakes of Algonquin Provincial Park

SURG Journal ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-13
Author(s):  
Adrian Helmers ◽  
Alexis Platek ◽  
Melissa Ponte ◽  
Natalie Secen ◽  
Karl Cottenie
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Anthropogenic Disturbance ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Access Point ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Provincial Park

This study quantified the impact of human activity on aquatic and shoreline plant species richness. We hypothesized that human activity at the shoreline would negatively impact plant species richness and that the extent of the impact would depend on the intensity of human activity. To test this, we sampled 11 lakes in Algonquin Provincial Park, of which five permitted motorboat access, and five permitted canoe access and prohibited motorboat access. The remaining lake, which had no designated access point for boats and was only accessible to researchers, acted as a control. To assess the impact of anthropogenic disturbance at each lake, we measured plant species richness in three 10 m by 2 m plots: a first plot at the access point, assumed to be the site of highest disturbance; a second at the site of intermediate disturbance, 30 m down shore from the access point; and a third at the site of lowest disturbance, 60 m down shore from the access point. We found a significant negative relationship between the level of disturbance and plant species richness, both in the motorboat-accessible and canoe access-only lakes. The control lake exhibited no correlation between disturbance level and plant species richness. However, there was no significant difference between motorboat-accessible and canoe access-only lakes in the relationship between disturbance level and plant species richness. Overall, this study highlights the consequences of anthropogenic disturbance on freshwater aquatic and shoreline plant communities, and provides a framework for future management and rehabilitation strategies.

scholarly journals How do campsites, forest fires, and entry point distance affect earthworm abundance in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd A Wellnitz ◽  
Jenna L Barlow ◽  
Cory M Dick ◽  
Terrance R Shaurette ◽  
Brian M Johnson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Forest Fires ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Entry Point ◽  
Invasive Earthworms ◽  
Earthworm Biomass ◽  
Point Distance ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Properties Of Soil

Factors controlling the spread of invasive earthworms in Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness are poorly known. Believed to have been introduced by anglers who use them as bait, invasive earthworms can alter the physical and chemical properties of soil and modify forest plant communities. To examine factors influencing earthworm distribution and abundance, we sampled 38 islands across five lakes to assess the effects of campsites, fire, and entry point distance on earthworm density, biomass and species richness. We hypothesized that all three parameters would be greater on islands with campsites, lower on burned islands, and would decrease with distance from the wilderness entry point. In addition to sampling earthworms, we collected soil cores to examine soil organic matter and recorded ground and vegetation cover. Campsite presence was the single most important factor affecting sampled earthworm communities; density, biomass and species richness were all higher on islands having campsites. Fire was associated with reduced earthworm density, but had no direct effects on earthworm biomass or species richness. Fire influenced earthworm biomass primarily through its negative relationship to groundcover and through an interaction with entry point distance. Distance affected density but no other factor. For islands with campsites, however, distance from the entry point had a counterintuitive effect in that earthworm biomass, which increased with entry point distance.

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)

Recovery of shrubland communities on abandoned farmland in southwestern Australia: soils, plants, birds and arthropods

1999 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 163 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. W. Arnold ◽  
M. Abensperg-Traun ◽  
R. J. Hobbs ◽  
D. E. Steven ◽  
L. Atkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Sandy Soils ◽  
Residual Effects ◽  
Ecosystem Recovery ◽  
Farming History ◽  
Passive Recovery ◽  
Composition And Structure

Passive recovery of land formerly used for agricultural production may be an inexpensive and rapid method of ecosystem recovery, and may provide an alternative method to active revegetation. Passive recovery may also contribute to sustainable agriculture (soil salinity). For undisturbed and disturbed areas of the central wheatbelt of Western Australia, this paper reports the effects of farming history (clearing only, cultivation, duration of farming, and time since farming ceased) on the soil nutrient content, plant floristics (richness and composition) and structure, and the abundance, species richness and species composition of birds and arthropods. Only one site was cultivated for >6 years. We summarize as follows: (1) Previous clearing and cultivation has left no residual effects on the nitrogen or phosphorus content in the sandy soils. (2) There were no significant differences in terms of plant species richness but some differences in cover of woody plants, grass cover and plant species composition for farming history or time since farming ceased. (3) There were no significant differences in bird species richness but differences in species composition for time since farming ceased. (4) Arthropods showed few (and low) significant differences in their abundance, richness or species composition across different farming histories and time periods since farming ceased. Farming of these shrublands has left only minor changes in the composition and structure of the vegetation, and in the abundance, species richness and species composition of the passerine bird and arthropod assemblages. Abandoned parcels of land on the sandy soils which support shrubland may yield useful conservation benefits with relatively little input.

Organisation de la richesse et de la composition floristiques d'îles de la Méditerranée occidentale (sud-est de la France)

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 321-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frédéric Médail ◽  
Éric Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Habitat Diversity ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
Plant Dispersal ◽  
Number Of Species ◽  
Continental Islands ◽  
Species Area ◽  
Species Area Relationship

The effects of physiographic variables (area, isolation, elevation, and substrate) and habitat diversity on plant species richness and composition have been investigated on some Mediterranean islands (southeastern France). The number of species - area relationship is significant but there are more diverse vegetation patterns on smallest islands (area smaller than 3.5 ha and, ultimately, 0.2 ha). Although the species composition is positively correlated to the distance from the continent, the effect of isolation is not so obvious because of the small distance of these continental islands from the continent. Some islands nearest to shore show very different plant species composition, suggesting a nonselective plant dispersal through some narrow stretches of sea. Habitat diversity represents one of the major explanatory factors of the species richness; nevertheless, it is not possible to settle between the two hypotheses effect of habitat diversity versus effect of area per se because of the correlation between the two factors. Key words: Mediterranean islands, insular biogeography, number of species - area relationship, isolation, habitat diversity, islets.

scholarly journals Plant community diversity and composition provide little resistance to Juniperus encroachment

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (12) ◽  
pp. 1416-1426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy C. Ganguli ◽  
David M. Engle ◽  
Paul M. Mayer ◽  
Eric C. Hellgren
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Diversity ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Oak Forest ◽  
Old Field

Widespread encroachment of the fire-intolerant species Juniperus virginiana  L. into North American grasslands and savannahs where fire has largely been removed has prompted the need to identify mechanisms driving J. virginiana encroachment. We tested whether encroachment success of J. virginiana is related to plant species diversity and composition across three plant communities. We predicted J. virginiana encroachment success would (i) decrease with increasing diversity, and (ii) J. virginiana encroachment success would be unrelated to species composition. We simulated encroachment by planting J. virginiana seedlings in tallgrass prairie, old-field grassland, and upland oak forest. We used J. virginiana survival and growth as an index of encroachment success and evaluated success as a function of plant community traits (i.e., species richness, species diversity, and species composition). Our results indicated that J. virginiana encroachment success increased with increasing plant richness and diversity. Moreover, growth and survival of J. virginiana seedlings was associated with plant species composition only in the old-field grassland and upland oak forest. These results suggest that greater plant species richness and diversity provide little resistance to J. virginiana encroachment, and the results suggest resource availability and other biotic or abiotic factors are determinants of J. virginiana encroachment success.

scholarly journals The influence of environmental factors on the distribution and composition of plant species in Oued Charef dam, northeast of Algeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
NAOUEL MOUALKI ◽  
Nadhra Sirine
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Terrestrial Species ◽  
North East ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
Ecological Species Groups

Abstract. Moualki N, Boukrouma N. 2021. The influence of environmental factors on the distribution and composition of plant species in Oued Charef dam, North East of Algeria. Biodiversitas 22: 346-353. Identification of the primary factors that influence the ecological distribution of species groups is important to managers of Oued Charef dam in northern Algeria. This study aimed to identify main ecological species groups, describe the site conditions associated with these species groups, and the relationships between environmental factors and the distribution of ecological species groups using Ward’s cluster analysis for classification and principal component analysis (PCA). For this purpose, 50 plots (200 m2 each) were sampled using the Braun- Blanquet method. Soil samples were collected and analyzed to study soil properties. Multivariate analysis methods were used to classify and determine the relationship between species composition and environmental factors and to recognize ecological species groups. The R i386 (version 4.0.3) software was used for data analyzing. Ward's cluster analysis when applied on terrestrial species data gives three groups distinctly distributed on ordination plan. In cluster groups of terrestrial species Group (1) is dominated by Daisies chrysanthemum, Group (2) by Cynodon dactylon L, and Group (3) dominated by Fumana thymifolia. The groups of terrestrial species are readily superimposed on PCA ordination plane. The most important environmental factors associated with terrestrial species composition in Oued Charef dam communities were conductivity (EC), FSA, FSI, clay, salinity, phosphorus (PO4), TN (nitrogen), nitrates (NO3), and nitrites (NO2). While among the edaphic factors only pH showed a negative correlation to plant species this may due to the anthropogenic disturbances however further studies are needed to explore the rest of parts of the said regions. This study gives important insights on ecological relationships between plant biodiversity and soil chemical in a primary wetland ecosystem in northeast of Algeria.

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