scholarly journals Conservation of the group Piperia (Orchidaceae) and associated plant communities

Lankesteriana ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (1-2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Lauri
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Human Activity ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Mediterranean

The conservation and protection of California native orchids has not been a large focus recently. All California native orchids are terrestrial and many are associated with forest and woodland plant com- munities. However, a number are associated with the Mediterranean Climate plant community known as Chaparral; this includes at least three Piperia Rydb. species. Many Piperia populations and associated Chaparral plant communities have been impacted by human activity over the past several decades, howev- er, there is very little documentation regarding the size, and overall impact to the populations. 

scholarly journals Characterizing Precipitation Variability and Trends in the World’s Mediterranean-Climate Areas

Water ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Deitch ◽  
Michele Sapundjieff ◽  
Shane Feirer
Keyword(s):  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Quality Criteria ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
Northern Italy ◽  
Dry Season ◽  
Annual Precipitation ◽  
Climate Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

The Mediterranean climate is principally characterized by warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters. However, there are large variations in precipitation dynamics in regions with this climate type. We examined the variability of precipitation within and among Mediterranean-climate areas, and classified the Mediterranean climate as wet, moderate, or dry based on annual precipitation; and strongly, moderately, or weakly seasonal based on percentage of precipitation during summer. Mediterranean biomes are mostly dry (<700 mm annually) but some areas are wet (>1300 mm annually); and many areas are weakly seasonal (>12% of annual precipitation during summer). We also used NOAA NCDC climate records to characterize interannual variability of annual and dry-season precipitation, as well as trends in annual, winter, and dry-season precipitation for 337 sites that met the data quality criteria from 1975 to 2015. Most significantly, sites in many Mediterranean-climate regions show downward trends in annual precipitation (southern California, Spain, Australia, Chile, and Northern Italy); and most of North America, the Mediterranean basin, and Chile showed downward trends in summer precipitation. Variations in annual and summer precipitation likely contribute to the high biodiversity and endemism characteristic of Mediterranean-climate biomes; the data indicate trends toward harsher conditions over the past 40 years.

scholarly journals Wet Meadow Plant Communities of the Alliance Trifolion pallidi on the Southeastern Margin of the Pannonian Plain

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 381
Author(s):  
Andraž Čarni ◽  
Mirjana Ćuk ◽  
Igor Zelnik ◽  
Jozo Franjić ◽  
Ružica Igić ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Vegetation Type ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Wet Meadow ◽  
Northern Border ◽  
Pannonian Plain ◽  
The Mediterranean

The article deals with wet meadow plant communities of the alliance Trifolion pallidi that appear on the periodically inundated or waterlogged sites on the riverside terraces or gentle slopes along watercourses. These plant communities are often endangered by inappropriate hydrological interventions or management practices. All available vegetation plots representing this vegetation type were collected, organized in a database, and numerically elaborated. This vegetation type appears in the southeastern part of the Pannonian Plain, which is still under the influence of the Mediterranean climate; its southern border is formed by southern outcrops of the Pannonian Plain and its northern border coincides with the influence of the Mediterranean climate (line Slavonsko Gorje-Fruška Gora-Vršačke Planine). Numerical analysis established four plant associations—Trifolio pallidi–Alopecuretum pratensis, Ventenato dubii–Trifolietum pallidi, Ranunculo strigulosi–Alopecuretum pratensis, and Ornithogalo pyramidale–Trifolietum pallidi. Each association was elaborated in detail: diagnostic plant species, nomenclature, geographical distribution, climatic and ecological conditions, and possible division into subassociations. Results are presented in a distribution map, figures resulting from numerical analysis, and a synoptic table. The hydrological gradient was found as the most important factor shaping the studied plant communities. The article also brings new field data on this vegetation type, which has not been sampled for decades and is in process of evaluation to be included as a special habitat type in the Habitat Directive.

Temporal dynamics of mycorrhizal fungal communities and co-associations with grassland plant communities following experimental manipulation of rainfall

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Coline Deveautour ◽  
Sally Power ◽  
Kirk Barnett ◽  
Raul Ochoa-Hueso ◽  
Suzanne Donn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Fungal Community ◽  
Mycorrhizal Fungi ◽  
Temporal Dynamics ◽  
Arbuscular Mycorrhizal ◽  
Fungal Communities ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Rainfall Regimes

Climate models project overall a reduction in rainfall amounts and shifts in the timing of rainfall events in mid-latitudes and sub-tropical dry regions, which threatens the productivity and diversity of grasslands. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi may help plants to cope with expected changes but may also be impacted by changing rainfall, either via the direct effects of low soil moisture on survival and function or indirectly via changes in the plant community. In an Australian mesic grassland (former pasture) system, we characterised plant and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities every six months for nearly four years to two altered rainfall regimes: i) ambient, ii) rainfall reduced by 50% relative to ambient over the entire year and iii) total summer rainfall exclusion. Using Illumina sequencing, we assessed the response of AM fungal communities sampled from contrasting rainfall treatments and evaluated whether variation in AM fungal communities was associated with variation in plant community richness and composition. We found that rainfall reduction influenced the fungal communities, with the nature of the response depending on the type of manipulation, but that consistent results were only observed after more than two years of rainfall manipulation. We observed significant co-associations between plant and AM fungal communities on multiple dates. Predictive co-correspondence analyses indicated more support for the hypothesis that fungal community composition influenced plant community composition than vice versa. However, we found no evidence that altered rainfall regimes were leading to distinct co-associations between plants and AM fungi. Overall, our results provide evidence that grassland plant communities are intricately tied to variation in AM fungal communities. However, in this system, plant responses to climate change may not be directly related to impacts of altered rainfall regimes on AM fungal communities. Our study shows that AM fungal communities respond to changes in rainfall but that this effect was not immediate. The AM fungal community may influence the composition of the plant community. However, our results suggest that plant responses to altered rainfall regimes at our site may not be resulting via changes in the AM fungal communities.

Second international scientific conference «Present fundamental problems of vegetation classification» (Yalta, 15–20 September 2019)

2019 ◽  
pp. 135-142
Author(s):  
K. V. Ivanova ◽  
A. M. Lapina ◽  
V. V. Neshataev
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
National Archive ◽  
Botanical Garden ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Scientific Conference ◽  
Scientific Journals ◽  
Time Dynamics ◽  
The Past ◽  
Research Organizations

The 2nd international scientific conference «Fundamental problems of vegetation classification» took place at the Nikitskiy Botanical Garden (Yalta, Republic of Crimea, Russia) on 15–20 September 2019. There were 56 participants from 33 cities and 43 research organizations in Russia. The conference was mostly focused on reviewing the success in classification of the vegetation done by Russian scientists in the past three years. The reports covered various topics such as classification, description of new syntaxonomical units, geobotanical mapping for different territories and types of vegetation, studies of space-time dynamics of plant communities. The final discussion on the last day covered problems yet to be solved: establishment of the Russian Prodromus and the National archive of vegetation, complications of higher education in the profile of geobotany, and the issue of the data leakage to foreign scientific journals. In conclusion, it was announced that the 3rd conference in Nikitskiy Botanical Garden will be held in 2022.

Classification of woody-shrub vegetation of the forest-steppe complex of Privolzhskaya Upland

2009 ◽  
pp. 27-53
Author(s):  
A. Yu. Kudryavtsev
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Dominant Species ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Nature Reserve ◽  
Vegetation Mapping ◽  
Vegetation Classification ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Mapping Data

Diversity of plant communities in the nature reserve “Privolzhskaya Forest-Steppe”, Ostrovtsovsky area, is analyzed on the basis of the large-scale vegetation mapping data from 2000. The plant community classi­fication based on the Russian ecologic-phytocoenotic approach is carried out. 12 plant formations and 21 associations are distinguished according to dominant species and a combination of ecologic-phytocoenotic groups of species. A list of vegetation classification units as well as the characteristics of theshrub and woody communities are given in this paper.

scholarly journals Effects and Economic Sustainability of Biochar Application on Corn Production in a Mediterranean Climate

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 3313
Author(s):  
Juan Luis Aguirre ◽  
María Teresa Martín ◽  
Sergio González ◽  
Manuel Peinado
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Mediterranean Climate ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Economic Sustainability ◽  
Corn Production ◽  
Enhanced Production ◽  
Wet Weight ◽  
The Mediterranean

The effects of two types of biochar on corn production in the Mediterranean climate during the growing season were analyzed. The two types of biochar were obtained from pyrolysis of Pinus pinaster. B1 was fully pyrolyzed with 55.90% organic carbon, and B2 was medium pyrolyzed with 23.50% organic carbon. B1 and B2 were supplemented in the soil of 20 plots (1 m2) at a dose of 4 kg/m2. C1 and C2 (10 plots each) served as control plots. The plots were automatically irrigated and fertilizer was not applied. The B1-supplemented plots exhibited a significant 84.58% increase in dry corn production per square meter and a 93.16% increase in corn wet weight (p << 0.001). Corn production was no different between B2-supplemented, C1, and C2 plots (p > 0.01). The weight of cobs from B1-supplemented plots was 62.3%, which was significantly higher than that of cobs from C1 and C2 plots (p < 0.01). The grain weight increased significantly by 23% in B1-supplemented plots (p < 0.01) and there were no differences between B2-supplemented, C1, and C2 plots. At the end of the treatment, the soil of the B1-supplemented plots exhibited increased levels of sulfate, nitrate, magnesium, conductivity, and saturation percentage. Based on these results, the economic sustainability of this application in agriculture was studied at a standard price of €190 per ton of biochar. Amortization of this investment can be achieved in 5.52 years according to this cost. Considering the fertilizer cost savings of 50% and the water cost savings of 25%, the amortization can be achieved in 4.15 years. If the price of biochar could be reduced through the CO2 emission market at €30 per ton of non-emitted CO2, the amortization can be achieved in 2.80 years. Biochar markedly improves corn production in the Mediterranean climate. However, the amortization time must be further reduced, and enhanced production must be guaranteed over the years with long term field trials so that the product is marketable or other high value-added crops must be identified.

scholarly journals Responses and Indicators of Composition, Diversity, and Productivity of Plant Communities at Different Levels of Disturbance in a Wetland Ecosystem

Diversity ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 252
Author(s):  
Tingting Duan ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Zhengjun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Leisure Activity ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Soil Parameters ◽  
Grazing Tolerance ◽  
Organic Matter Concentration ◽  
Drought Tolerant ◽  
Different Levels

Grassland tourism is a very popular leisure activity in many parts of the world. However, the presence of people in these areas causes disturbance to the local environment and grassland resources. This study analyzes the composition, diversity, and productivity under different levels of disturbance of the plant communities in the Kangxi Grassland Tourist Area and the Yeyahu Wetland Nature Reserve of Beijing, China. It aims to identify indicators of plant communities and their responses to different levels of disturbance. Our analysis shows that the plant community density and coverage have a certain compensatory increase under disturbed conditions. With the increase in disturbances, more drought-tolerant species have appeared (increased by 5.7%), some of which have become the grazing-tolerance indicator species in the trampled grazed area (TGA). For plant community productivity, biomass and height are good indicators for distinguishing different disturbances (p < 0.05). In addition, several diversity indices reveal the change of plant communities from different perspectives (three of the four indices were significant at the p < 0.05 level). For soil parameters, soil water content and organic matter concentration help to indicate different disturbance levels (the former has a 64% change). Moreover, the standard deviation of the plant community and soil parameters is also a good indicator of their spatial variability and disturbance levels, especially for the TGA. Our analysis confirms that the indicators of productivity, diversity, and soil parameters can indicate the disturbance level in each subarea from different perspectives. However, under disturbed conditions, a comprehensive analysis of these indicators is needed before we can accurately understand the state of health of the plant community.

scholarly journals Extensive introgression and mosaic genomes of Mediterranean endemic lizards

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weizhao Yang ◽  
Nathalie Feiner ◽  
Catarina Pinho ◽  
Geoffrey M. While ◽  
Antigoni Kaliontzopoulou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Mediterranean Islands ◽  
The Past ◽  
Island Endemics ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
Mediterranean Island ◽  
History Of ◽  
Entire History ◽  
The Mediterranean ◽  
The Mediterranean Basin

AbstractThe Mediterranean basin is a hotspot of biodiversity, fuelled by climatic oscillation and geological change over the past 20 million years. Wall lizards of the genus Podarcis are among the most abundant, diverse, and conspicuous Mediterranean fauna. Here, we unravel the remarkably entangled evolutionary history of wall lizards by sequencing genomes of 34 major lineages covering 26 species. We demonstrate an early (>11 MYA) separation into two clades centred on the Iberian and Balkan Peninsulas, and two clades of Mediterranean island endemics. Diversification within these clades was pronounced between 6.5–4.0 MYA, a period spanning the Messinian Salinity Crisis, during which the Mediterranean Sea nearly dried up before rapidly refilling. However, genetic exchange between lineages has been a pervasive feature throughout the entire history of wall lizards. This has resulted in a highly reticulated pattern of evolution across the group, characterised by mosaic genomes with major contributions from two or more parental taxa. These hybrid lineages gave rise to several of the extant species that are endemic to Mediterranean islands. The mosaic genomes of island endemics may have promoted their extraordinary adaptability and striking diversity in body size, shape and colouration, which have puzzled biologists for centuries.

scholarly journals Shifts in soil and plant functional diversity along an altitudinal gradient in the French Alps

2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexia Stokes ◽  
Guillermo Angeles ◽  
Fabien Anthelme ◽  
Eduardo Aranda-Delgado ◽  
Isabelle Barois ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Water Infiltration ◽  
Temperate Climate ◽  
Biophysical Properties ◽  
Tropical Zone ◽  
Soil Microbial

Abstract Objectives Altitude integrates changes in environmental conditions that determine shifts in vegetation, including temperature, precipitation, solar radiation and edaphogenetic processes. In turn, vegetation alters soil biophysical properties through litter input, root growth, microbial and macrofaunal interactions. The belowground traits of plant communities modify soil processes in different ways, but it is not known how root traits influence soil biota at the community level. We collected data to investigate how elevation affects belowground community traits and soil microbial and faunal communities. This dataset comprises data from a temperate climate in France and a twin study was performed in a tropical zone in Mexico. Data description The paper describes soil physical and chemical properties, climatic variables, plant community composition and species abundance, plant community traits, soil microbial functional diversity and macrofaunal abundance and diversity. Data are provided for six elevations (1400–2400 m) ranging from montane forest to alpine prairie. We focused on soil biophysical properties beneath three dominant plant species that structure local vegetation. These data are useful for understanding how shifts in vegetation communities affect belowground processes, such as water infiltration, soil aggregation and carbon storage. Data will also help researchers understand how plant communities adjust to a changing climate/environment.

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