scholarly journals Floristic composition and similarity of 15 hectares in Central Amazon, Brazil

2018 ◽  
pp. 1927-1938
Author(s):  
Kátia Emidio da Silva ◽  
Sebastião Venancio Martins ◽  
Carlos Antonio Alvares Soares Ribeiro ◽  
Nerilson Terra Santos ◽  
Celso Paulo De Azevedo ◽  
...  

The Amazon region is one of the most diverse areas in the world. Research on high tropical forest diversity brings up relevant contributions to understand the mechanisms that result and support such diversity. In the present study we describe the species composition and diversity of 15 one-ha plots in the Amazonian terra firme dense forest in Brazil, and compare the floristic similarity of these plots with other nine one-ha plots. The 15 plots studied were randomly selected from permanent plots at the Embrapa Experimental site, Amazonas State in 2005. The diversity was analysed by using species richness and Shannon’s index, and by applying the Sorensen’s index for similarity and unweighted pair-group average (UPGMA) as clustering method. Mantel test was performed to study whether the differences in species composition between sites could be explained by the geographic distance between them. Overall, we identified 8 771 individuals, 264 species and 51 plant families. Most of the species were concentrated in few families and few had large number of individuals. Families presenting the highest species richness were Fabaceae (Faboideae: 22spp., Mimosoideae: 22spp.), Sapotaceae: 22spp., Lecythidaceae: 15 and Lauraceae: 13. Burseraceae had the largest number of individuals with 11.8% of the total. The ten most abundant species were: Protium hebetatum (1 037 individuals), Eschweilera coriacea (471), Licania oblongifolia (310), Pouteria minima (293), Ocotea cernua (258), Scleronema micranthum (197), Eschweilera collina (176), Licania apelata (172), Naucleopsis caloneura (170) and Psidium araca (152), which represented 36.5% of all individuals. Approximately 49% of species had up to ten individuals and 13% appeared only once in all sampled plots, showing a large occurrence of rare species. Our study area is on a forest presenting a high tree species diversity with Shannon’s diversity index of 4.49. The dendrogram showed two groups of plots with low similarity between them (less than 0.25), and the closer the plots were one to another, more similar in species composition (Mantel R=0.3627, p<0.01). The 15 plots in our study area share more than 50% of their species composition and represent the group of plots that have the shortest distance between each other. Overall, our results highlight the high local and regional heterogeneity of environments in terra firme forests, and the high occurrence of rare species, which should be considered in management and conservation programs in the Amazon rainforest, in order to maintain its structure on the long run.

Author(s):  
Wilson Quizhpe ◽  
Angel Benítez ◽  
Jesus Muñoz ◽  
Klever Cuenca ◽  
Hernán Uvidia ◽  
...  

1) Background: We analyzed the size structure, richness and diversity in eight permanent forest plots in the upper limit of the great Amazon basin located in the Ecuadorian parts of Cordilleras del C&oacute;ndor and Cutuc&uacute;. Our hypothesis was that not all the forests of the eastern mountain ranges are homogeneous in characteristics, but rather present differences in their structure, richness and floristic diversity. In order to test this, our main objective was to classify the types of forests based on characteristics in diametric structure and species composition of the Amazonian forests of the eastern cordilleras in southern Ecuador, and also to determine the influence of critical edaphic-environmental and geomorphological factors. 2) Methods: Eight one-hectare permanent plots were installed in homogeneous and well-conserved forest stands. Four plots were located in the province of Zamora Chinchipe and four in the province of Morona Santiago. We identified and measured all trees&gt; 10 cm at diameter breast height. For each plot, soil samples were taken, along with environmental and slope data. The multidimensional non-metric adjusted scaling (NMDS) was used to evaluate changes in climatic and geomorphological gradients. The relationship between the composition of the species at the plot level and the edaphoclimatic variables was tested using a canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Finally, we modeled the change in species diversity (Fisher's alpha) in relation to the climatic gradients, altitudinal and geomorphological using a GLMM. 3) Results: Overall, we identified 517 species belonging to 76 families. We determined the existence of two different types of forest, the first one named Terra Firme, characterized by the presence of a larger number of species and individuals per plot, compared to the second type of forest, called Tepuy or Sandstones forest. Species richness was negatively correlated with soil phosphorus content and pH, mean annual temperature, annual precipitation and altitude. The CCA analysis showed differences in the species composition between the Terra Firme and Sandstone forests. The climatic seasonality and the concentration of cations in the soil influence the diversity of the Amazon forest communities of the southeastern cordilleras. The forests of Terra Firme, which are settled in more stable and nutrient-rich climatic areas, were more diverse. Sandstone forests are poor in nutrients and develop in areas with stronger seasonality


2016 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 603-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katia Emidio da Silva ◽  
Sebastião Venâncio Martins ◽  
Carlos Antônio Alvares Soares Ribeiro ◽  
Nerilson Terra Santos ◽  
Celso Paulo de Azevedo

ABSTRACT Terra Firme dense forest occurs in 65% of the Amazonian region and is characterized by the high diversity of plant species and high occurrence of rare plant species. The objective of this work was to analyze the horizontal structure of 15 hectares of plots, randomly chosen from a set of 400 ha of permanent plots situated at the Experimental Site of Embrapa, Manaus, Amazonas State, Brazil. All individuals with DBH ≥ 10 cm were identified at the level of species in 2005. The VI values (Values of importance) were separated in classes of range with one (01) standard deviation and the individuals distributed according to DBH classes of 10 cm in amplitude. In total, 8771 individuals were identified, distributed into 264 species and 53 families. A larger number of individuals is concentrated in a few number of species, such as Protium hebetatum D.C. Daly, Eschweilera coriacea (DC.) S.A. Mori and Licania oblongifolia Standl, which sum up 21% of the total number of individuals and 12% of the VI. There is a high occurrence of rare species (36%). The families Sapotaceae, Lecythidaceae and Burseraceae together accounted for 39% of the total number of individuals. The diametric structure in an inverse-J shape shows that 80% of the individuals are concentrated in the DBH classes ranging from 10 to 30 cm. The results highlight the high occurrence of rare species and those with low density, and with distribution restricted to some plots, particularly those belonging to the lowest classes of VI, which deserve special attention in actions for biodiversity conservation and forest management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kátia da Cruz Vargas ◽  
Alfredo Raúl Abot ◽  
Victor Ribeiro Acosta ◽  
Marcos Henrique Frech Telles ◽  
José Nicácio Do Nascimento ◽  
...  

This study aimed to evaluate how the surrounding vegetation affects the assemblage of fruit flies. For this, flies were collected in guava orchards with distinct types of surrounding vegetation (exotic pasture, native forest and fruit tree intercropping). The experiment was conducted in Itaporã and Dourados, State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Weekly samples were collected from March to April 2015. McPhail traps were baited with 5% hydrolyzed corn protein. Species richness, diversity index and abundance were evaluated for each orchard, as well as the species composition of fruit fly between the environments surrounding the orchard and, finally, the sex ratio. A total of 579 individuals were collected of the species Anastrepha fraterculus, A. montei, A. obliqua, A. sororcula, A. striata, A. turpiniae and A. zenildae. The orchard surrounded by native forest had the highest species richness and Shannon diversity. The species composition differed between environments, with the formation of three distinct groups. The environment surrounding the guava orchard influences the richness, diversity, abundance and sex ratio of fruit flies, indicating that the native forest may provide more resources for the maintenance of these insects.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 605-612
Author(s):  
Alexander Kurniawan Sariyanto Putera ◽  
Yeni Aryati Mulyani ◽  
Dyah Perwitasari Farajallah ◽  
Stanislav Lhota ◽  
Tadeas Toulec

The Kariangau Industrial Zone extends industry from Balikpapan city in the Central Balikpapan to the coast in Western Balikpapan, forming a part of Balikpapan Bay. Our study aimed to estimate the diversity, species composition, and the abundance distribution of birds at the industrial zone of Balikpapan City. Our study contained six replicates each of boat transects on four rivers, the Somber, Getah, Paka Dua, and Wain rivers during the months of May and June 2017. We calculated the Margalef diversity and Bray–Curtis similarity indices to estimate diversity and species composition, whereas bird abundance distributions were analyzed using Paleontological Statistics (PAST) version 3.12. The Getah river had the highest diversity index (4.846), followed by the Somber (3.988), Wain (3.510), and Paka Dua (3.050) rivers. The Bray–Curtis index revealed high similarity in species composition between the Wain and Paka Dua. Our rarefaction analysis showed that the Wain and Paka Dua rivers were well sampled and had lower species richness, with low differences between the observed and expected species richness, than the Somber and Getah rivers. Fisher Log Series Model also showed abundance distribution being highest at Getah (11.170), and lowest at the Paka Dua Rivers (5.221). This observation may be due to heightened industrial activities and boat traffic on each river. Our study provides a useful baseline for future research on the bird assemblages on Balikpapan Bay.


Diversity ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wilson Quizhpe ◽  
Ángel Benítez ◽  
Klever Cuenca ◽  
Hernán Uvidia ◽  
Isau Huamantupa ◽  
...  

We analyze the structure of diameter, richness, and diversity of the forests in the upper limit of the great Amazon basin located in the Ecuadorian territory of the Cordilleras del Cóndor and Cutucú. Our hypothesis was that the forests of the eastern mountain ranges are not homogeneous, but rather present differences in their structure, richness, and floristic diversity. Our main objective was to classify the types of forests based on the characteristics of the diameter structure and the species composition of the Amazonian forests of the eastern mountain ranges in southern Ecuador, and we determined the influence of critical edaphic, environmental, and geomorphological factors, For this we installed eight permanent plots of one hectare in homogeneous and well preserved forest stands, four plots in the province of Zamora Chinchipe and four in the province of Morona Santiago. We identified and measured all trees >10 cm at chest height and for each plot, soil samples, as well as environmental and slope data were taken. We performed an non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis (NMDS) analysis to evaluate changes in climatic and geomorphological gradients, and used the CCA analysis to assess the relationship between the composition of the species at the plot level and the edapho-climatic variables. Finally, we modeled the change in diversity ad species (Fisher’s alpha) in relation to climatic, altitudinal, and geomorphological gradients using a GLM. We determined the existence of two different types of forest, the first called Terra Firme, characterized by the presence of a greater number of species and individuals per plot as compared to the second type of forest called Tepuy or Sandstone forest. Species richness was negatively correlated with the phosphorus content of the soil and the pH, annual average temperature, annual rainfall, and altitude. Terra Firme forests, settled in more stable and nutrient-rich climatic areas, were more diverse and Sandstone forests are poor in nutrients and develop in areas with greater seasonality.


2013 ◽  
Vol 82 (2) ◽  
pp. 99-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian Chmura ◽  
Paweł Adamski ◽  
Zygmunt Denisiuk

<p>The paper examines the relationships between the species composition of flower visitors and plants in the semi-natural xerothermic grasslands in southern and central Poland. Thirty 10 × 10 m permanent plots were laid out in total, mainly in nature reserves. The vegetation units studied were classified according to the Braun-Blanquet system; these were phytocoenoses of the <em>Festuco-Brometea</em> classes <em>Inuletum ensifoliae</em>, <em>Adonido-Brachypodietum pinnati</em> and the transitional plant community. Entomological research was performed using the Pollard method within the same plots. A particular site was visited only once and different sites were studied between April and August 2008. We applied, among others, co-correspondence-analysis Co-CA, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA) to investigate the co-occurrence patterns of plants and flower visitors and their biotopic requirements. We found that the species composition of flower visitors cannot be predicted by floristic composition when the duration of the study is restricted to one day (but under similar weather conditions); however, there is a positive relationship between the species richness of insects and plants and a positive relationship between the number of plant species and the abundance of flower visitors. The Ellenberg moisture index and the cover of meadow species significantly explained the species composition of insects. The three various vegetation units and five dominant xerothermic species, i.e. <em>Adonis vernalis</em>, <em>Anemone sylvestris</em>, <em>Inula ensifolia</em>, <em>Linum hirsutum</em> and <em>Carlina onopordifolia</em> that were studied across time differed in the species richness of insects. Our results demonstrate that possible patterns in the species composition and the assembly rules of flower visitors are not apparent when the Pollard method is applied. Based on the data obtained using this method, the flower visiting assemblages seem not to be driven by competition and they primarily show a tendency to co-occur which can be an artifact. A plant-focused method that included a rarefaction analysis yielded more insightful results and shed more light on the differences between the dominant plants that shape the physiognomy of plant communities in a possible pollination specialization.</p>


ZooKeys ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1044 ◽  
pp. 831-876
Author(s):  
Kathryn N. Riley Peterson ◽  
Robert A. Browne ◽  
Terry L. Erwin

Although tropical regions harbor the greatest arthropod diversity on Earth, the majority of species are taxonomically and scientifically unknown. Furthermore, how they are organized into functional communities and distributed among habitats is mostly unstudied. Here we examine species richness, diversity, and community composition of carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and compare them between flooded (FP) and non-flooded terra firme (TF) forests in the Yasuní area of Ecuador. The forest understory was sampled using flight intercept traps (FITs) and systematic hand collections at night in June and July 2011 and 2012, and FITs in October and November 2011. A total of 1,255 Carabidae representing 20 tribes, 54 genera, and 143 morphospecies was collected. Mean number of individuals and mean species richness did not differ significantly between FP and TF; however, numbers of Cicindelini (tiger beetles) and Pentagonicini were higher in TF forest while numbers of Lachnophorini and Scaritini were higher in FP forest. Overall, FP had significantly higher rarefied richness but extrapolation of rarefaction curves using the Chao1 nonparametric diversity estimator show that this difference may decrease with additional sampling. The inverse Simpson index was significantly higher for FP than TF forest. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination and dissimilarity coefficient values show that FP and TF forests maintain unique assemblages with minimal overlap in community composition. Given ongoing anthropogenic pressures, particularly petroleum extraction, and those resulting from climate change, a greater understanding of the richness, diversity and community assemblages of Yasuní rainforest are needed to better conserve the fauna of this megadiverse area of Amazonia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Ziyad Jemal ◽  
Zerihun Girma ◽  
Girma Mengesha

Background: Birds are one component of biodiversity. Ethiopia is rich in biodiversity resources. The avian diversity record is far from complete. There is no scientifically documented information on bird species composition and abundance at Nensebo forest. The objective of the study was to assess species composition, relative abundance and distribution of birds at Nensebo forest in southern Ethiopia. Methods: We employed a stratified random sampling technique with our study area stratified into two dominant habitat types: moist Afromontane forest and modified habitat. Within strata, we established 20 transect lines of 1km length and 0.25km width to sample 27.75% of the study area. We used line transect count methods aided by binoculars to estimate avian species diversity and distribution. We employed quantitative biodiversity indices, such as Shannon wiener diversity indexes to compare species diversity among habitat types and two way ANOVA to analyze the effect of season and habitat on bird species richness and abundance. Results: A total of 105 bird species consisting of 1 endemic, 8 near endemic, 1 globally threatened and 9 Palearctic migrants were recorded in Nensebo forest. Species richness and abundance varied between habitat types in Nensebo forest with mean species richness greater in modified habitat (mean= 4.70 ±1.65) as compared to moist Afromontane forest habitat (mean= 3.95 ±4.12, F=94.66 P<0.001). Additionally, modified habitat (Shannon diversity index= 4.131) harbored higher diversity of birds as opposed to Afromontane forest habitat (Shannon diversity index=3.79). Conclusion: The Nensebo forest has high avian species diversity including several endemic and endangered species revealing the importance of this site for bird conservation. Although we found that habitat heterogeneity favored bird species diversity, moist Afromontane habitat is critical for forest obligate species. Hence, sustainable bird conservation strategies including land use planning should be initiated for this area.


2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 521-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliana Stropp ◽  
Peter Van der Sleen ◽  
Paulo Apóstolo Assunção ◽  
Adeilson Lopes da Silva ◽  
Hans Ter Steege

The high tree diversity and vast extent of Amazonian forests challenge our understanding of how tree species abundance and composition varies across this region. Information about these parameters, usually obtained from tree inventories plots, is essential for revealing patterns of tree diversity. Numerous tree inventories plots have been established in Amazonia, yet, tree species composition and diversity of white-sand and terra-firme forests of the upper Rio Negro still remain poorly understood. Here, we present data from eight new one-hectare tree inventories plots established in the upper Rio Negro; four of which were located in white-sand forests and four in terra-firme forests. Overall, we registered 4703 trees > 10 cm of diameter at breast height. These trees belong to 49 families, 215 genera, and 603 species. We found that tree communities of terra-firme and white-sand forests in the upper Rio Negro significantly differ from each other in their species composition. Tree communities of white-sand forests show a higher floristic similarity and lower diversity than those of terra-firme forests. We argue that mechanisms driving differences between tree communities of white-sand and terra-firme forests are related to habitat size, which ultimately influences large-scale and long-term evolutionary processes.


1973 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 247 ◽  
Author(s):  
DC Lewin ◽  
WE Westman

Pattern diversity is a measure of the degree of spatial intermingling of species in a community of sessile organisms, combining the effects of species richness and equitability with those due to spatial patterning. The pattern diversity index was computed for an Australian Eucalyptus forest and the results interpreted in the light of an earlier analysis of the pattern of component species. The pattern diversity index was found to be sensitive to the number of individuals sampled at each point, reflecting a dependence of the index on the scale of species pattern, and hence on the scale of sampling. Limitations of the method in relation to low sample sizes and to particularly diverse samples are also discussed.


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