scholarly journals The spatial patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of seed plants with the climate factors across Ethiopia and Eritrea

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biyansa H. Boru ◽  
Shengwei Wang ◽  
Antony W. Njogu ◽  
Anne C. Ochola ◽  
Haiping Xin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Clustering Patterns ◽  
Evolutionary Perspectives

Abstract Back ground: Biodiversity is the basic units and measures of the health of ecosystems that provide diverse goods and services for the well-being of human societies and other life forms. However, in this era due to the threats from climatic change and other human-driven environmental changes the earth’s biodiversity is in a grave danger in the world wide. Here, we explored and mapped how the patterns of plant taxonomic diversity, phylogenetic diversity and structures vary across the geographical regions and with respect to environmental factors in Ethiopia and Eritrea in the horn of Africa by using different analyzing methods and diversity measuring indices for the same reasons.Results: Our analysis showed varied spatial distribution patterns of plant diversity across the region and with the gradients of climatic factors. While the central and southern highland parts of Ethiopia were found to be the primary centers of taxonomic diversity, the centers with higher phylogenetic diversity were found scattered in the region. The phylogenetic structures also vary greatly. About 70% of the floristic compositions in the region showed phylogenetically clustering patterns. Significant and different relationships were observed between the climatic variables and plant diversity and phylogenetic structures. Generally mean annual temperature were found to negatively and mean annual precipitation and elevational range have a positively impact the patterns of plant diversity in the region while variable patterns were observed among different plant growth forms. The phylogenetic structure patterns of woody and herbaceous plant groups in terms of NTI were found to be differently impacted by environmental factors.Conclusions: The patterns of plant diversity both from taxonomic and evolutionary perspectives vary greatly across the geographic and with climatic gradients in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Phylogenetic clustering patterns dominate the floristic compositions assembly in the region though considerable areas were found with floristics of phylogenetically overdispersing patterns. The patterns observed from evolutionary perspectives can provide more crucial information for conservation plans. It provide insights that enable the areas with high phylogenetic diversity and phylogenetically overdispersing assemblages to gain as much conservation attention as that of areas with high taxonomic diversity, given their species richness.

scholarly journals The spatial patterns of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity of seed plants with the climate factors across Ethiopia and Eritrea

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Biyansa H. Boru ◽  
Shengwei Wang ◽  
Anne C. Ochola ◽  
Antony W. Njogu ◽  
Haiping Xin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Clustering Patterns ◽  
Evolutionary Perspectives

Abstract Back ground Biodiversity is the basic units and measures of the health of ecosystems that provide diverse goods and services for the well-being of human societies and other life forms. However, in this era due to the threats from climatic change and other human-driven environmental changes the earth’s biodiversity is in a grave danger in the world wide. Here, we explored and mapped how the patterns of plant taxonomic diversity, phylogenetic diversity and structures vary across the geographical regions and with respect to climatic factors in Ethiopia and Eritrea in the horn of Africa by using different analyzing methods and diversity measuring indices for the same reasons. Results Our analysis showed varied spatial distribution patterns of plant diversity across the region and with the gradients of climatic factors. While the central and southern highland parts of Ethiopia were found to be the primary centres of taxonomic diversity, the centres with higher evolutionary diversity were found scattered in the region. The phylogenetic community structures also vary greatly. About 70% of the plant communities in the region showed phylogenetically clustering patterns. Significant and different relationships were observed between the climatic variables and plant diversity and phylogenetic structures. Generally mean annual temperature and precipitation were respectively found to negatively and positively impact the patterns of plant diversity in the region while variable patterns were observed among different plat life forms. The phylogenetic structure patterns of woody and herbaceous plant groups in terms of NRI were found to be differently impacted by climatic factors. Conclusions The patterns of plant diversity both from taxonomic and evolutionary perspectives vary greatly across the geographic and with climatic gradients in Ethiopia and Eritrea. Phylogenetic clustering patterns dominate the plant community assembly in the region though considerable areas were found with communities of phylogenetically overdispersing patterns. The patterns observed from evolutionary perspectives can provide more crucial information for conservation plans. It provide insights that enable the areas with high evolutionary diversity and phylogenetically overdispersing community assemblages to gain as much conservation attention as that of areas with high taxonomic diversity, given their species richness.

scholarly journals Plant diversity in sedimentary DNA obtained from high-latitude (Siberia) and high-elevation lakes (China)

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring ◽  
Sisi Liu ◽  
Weihan Jia ◽  
Kai Li ◽  
Luidmila Pestryakova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lake Sediments ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Reference Database ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Diversity Assessment ◽  
Recent Climate

Plant diversity in the Arctic and at high altitudes strongly depends on and rebounds to climatic and environmental variability and is nowadays tremendously impacted by recent climate warming. Therefore, past changes in plant diversity in the high Arctic and high-altitude regions are used to infer climatic and environmental changes through time and allow future predictions. Sedimentary DNA (sedDNA) is an established proxy for the detection of local plant diversity in lake sediments, but still relationships between environmental conditions and preservation of the plant sedDNA proxy are far from being fully understood. Studying modern relationships between environmental conditions and plant sedDNA will improve our understanding under which conditions sedDNA is well-preserved helping to a.) evaluate suitable localities for sedDNA approaches, b.) provide analogues for preservation conditions and c.) conduct reconstruction of plant diversity and climate change. This study investigates modern plant diversity applying a plant-specific metabarcoding approach on sedimentary DNA of surface sediment samples from 262 lake localities covering a large geographical, climatic and ecological gradient. Latitude ranges between 25°N and 73°N and longitude between 81°E and 161°E, including lowland lakes and elevated lakes up to 5168 m a.s.l. Further, our sampling localities cover a climatic gradient ranging in mean annual temperature between -15°C and +18°C and in mean annual precipitation between 36­ and 935 mm. The localities in Siberia span over a large vegetational gradient including tundra, open woodland and boreal forest. Lake localities in China include alpine meadow, shrub, forest and steppe and also cultivated areas. The assessment of plant diversity in the underlying dataset was conducted by a specific plant metabarcoding approach. We provide a large dataset of genetic plant diversity retrieved from surface sedimentary DNA from lakes in Siberia and China spanning over a large environmental gradient. Our dataset encompasses sedDNA sequence data of 259 surface lake sediments and three soil samples originating from Siberian and Chinese lakes. We used the established chloroplastidal P6 loop trnL marker for plant diversity assessment. The merged, filtered and assigned dataset includes 15,692,944 read counts resulting in 623 unique plant DNA sequence types which have a 100% match to either the EMBL or to the specific Arctic plant reference database. The underlying dataset includes a taxonomic list of identified plants and results from PCR replicates, as well as extraction blanks (BLANKs) and PCR negative controls (NTCs), which were run along with the investigated lake samples. This collection of plant metabarcoding data from modern lake sediments is still ongoing and additional data will be released in the future.

scholarly journals A new multi-variable benchmark for Last Glacial Maximum climate simulations

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sean F. Cleator ◽  
Sandy P. Harrison ◽  
Nancy K, Nichols ◽  
Iain Colin Prentice ◽  
Ian Roulstone
Keyword(s):  
Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentration ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Glacial Maximum ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
Geographical Regions

Abstract. We present a new global reconstruction of seasonal climates at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21,000 yr BP) made using 3-D variational data assimilation with pollen-based site reconstructions of six climate variables and the ensemble average of the PMIP3/CMIP5 simulations as a prior. We assume that the correlation matrix of the errors of the prior both spatially and temporally is Gaussian, in order to produce a climate reconstruction that is smoothed both from month to month and from grid cell to grid cell. The pollen-based reconstructions include mean annual temperature (MAT), mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCO), mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWA), growing season warmth as measured by growing degree days above a baseline of 5 °C (GDD5), mean annual precipitation (MAP) and a moisture index (MI), which is the ratio of MAP to mean annual potential evapotranspiration. Different variables are reconstructed at different sites, but our approach both preserves seasonal relationships and allows a more complete set of seasonal climate variables to be derived at each location. We further account for the ecophysiological effects of low atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on vegetation in making reconstructions of MAP and MI. This adjustment results in the reconstruction of wetter climates than might otherwise be inferred by the vegetation composition. Finally, by comparing the error contribution to the final reconstruction, we provide confidence intervals on these reconstructions and delimit geographical regions for which the palaeodata provide no information to constrain the climate reconstructions. The new reconstructions will provide a robust benchmark for evaluation of the PMIP4/CMIP6 entry-card LGM simulations.

scholarly journals Effects of management outweigh effects of plant diversity on restored animal communities in tallgrass prairies

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (5) ◽  
pp. e2015421118
Author(s):  
Peter W. Guiden ◽  
Nicholas A. Barber ◽  
Ryan Blackburn ◽  
Anna Farrell ◽  
Jessica Fliginger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Tallgrass Prairie ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Restoration Ecology ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Tallgrass Prairies ◽  
Degraded Ecosystems ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Animal Communities

A primary goal of ecological restoration is to increase biodiversity in degraded ecosystems. However, the success of restoration ecology is often assessed by measuring the response of a single functional group or trophic level to restoration, without considering how restoration affects multitrophic interactions that shape biodiversity. An ecosystem-wide approach to restoration is therefore necessary to understand whether animal responses to restoration, such as changes in biodiversity, are facilitated by changes in plant communities (plant-driven effects) or disturbance and succession resulting from restoration activities (management-driven effects). Furthermore, most restoration ecology studies focus on how restoration alters taxonomic diversity, while less attention is paid to the response of functional and phylogenetic diversity in restored ecosystems. Here, we compared the strength of plant-driven and management-driven effects of restoration on four animal communities (ground beetles, dung beetles, snakes, and small mammals) in a chronosequence of restored tallgrass prairie, where sites varied in management history (prescribed fire and bison reintroduction). Our analyses indicate that management-driven effects on animal communities were six-times stronger than effects mediated through changes in plant biodiversity. Additionally, we demonstrate that restoration can simultaneously have positive and negative effects on biodiversity through different pathways, which may help reconcile variation in restoration outcomes. Furthermore, animal taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity responded differently to restoration, suggesting that restoration plans might benefit from considering multiple dimensions of animal biodiversity. We conclude that metrics of plant diversity alone may not be adequate to assess the success of restoration in reassembling functional ecosystems.

scholarly journals Global patterns of leaf nutrient resorption in herbaceous plants

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhiqiang Wang ◽  
Zhexuan Fan ◽  
Qi Zhao ◽  
Jinzhi Ran ◽  
Karl J. Niklas
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Plant Ecology ◽  
Nutrient Resorption ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Herbaceous Species ◽  
Resorption Efficiency

Abstract. Nutrient resorption plays an important role in plant ecology because it plays a key role in nutrient conservation strategies of plants. However, our current knowledge about the patterns of nutrient resorption among herbaceous species at a global scale is still inadequate. Here, we present a meta-analysis using a global dataset of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption efficiency spanning 521 observations and 248 herbaceous species. This analysis shows that the N resorption efficiency (NRE) and P resorption efficiency (PRE) across all herbaceous plant groups are 54.7 % and 64.5 %, respectively. Across all species, NRE, PRE and N : P resorption ratios (NRE : PRE) vary statistically significantly at a global scale, i.e., NRE, PRE and NRE : PRE increase with increasing latitude but decrease with increasing mean annual temperature (MAT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP). For different functional groups, similar patterns of NRE, PRE and NRE : PRE with respect to latitude, MAT and MAP are observed. Our study are very important complementary to global-scale studies of nutrient resorption and also can inform attempts to model biogeochemical cycling at a global scale.

Continuous forest has greater taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity than an adjacent naturally fragmented forest

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel A. Munguía-Rosas ◽  
Selmy G. Jurado-Dzib ◽  
Candy R. Mezeta-Cob ◽  
Salvador Montiel ◽  
Armando Rojas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Forest Fragmentation ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Taxonomic Diversity ◽  
Evergreen Forest ◽  
Forest Fragments ◽  
Fragmented Forest ◽  
Continuous Forest ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity

Abstract:Several studies have evaluated the short-term effects of tropical forest fragmentation on plant taxonomic diversity, while only a few have evaluated its effects on functional or phylogenetic diversity. To our knowledge no study has looked at the long-term consequences of tropical forest fragmentation on the three main components of plant diversity simultaneously: taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity. We sampled the vascular flora using belt transects (50 × 4 m) in a continuous tropical semi-evergreen forest (16 transects) and in an adjacent naturally fragmented forest (fragments of 1.7-My-old semi-evergreen forest immersed in a mangrove/sedge matrix) (18 transects), and compared their taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic plant diversity. There were 36 species in the continuous forest and 28 in the fragmented forest. Continuous forest was taxonomically more diverse (25%) than the fragmented forest. All functional diversity metrics were greater (6–33%) in the continuous than in the fragmented forest. Phylogenetic diversity was 19% greater and phylogenetically more overdispersed in the continuous forest than in the fragmented forest. The results suggest that in the fragmented forest not only is taxonomic plant diversity lower, but functional and phylogenetic diversity are as well. The negative effects of forest fragmentation on plant diversity seem to be chronic.

scholarly journals Elevational Patterns of Plant Richness in the Taibai Mountain, China

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Tang ◽  
Tanbao Li ◽  
Dengwu Li ◽  
Xiaxia Meng
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Climatic Factors ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Published Data ◽  
Seed Plants ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Taibai Mountain

The elevational distribution of plant diversity is a popular issue in ecology and biogeography, and several studies have examined the determinants behind plant diversity patterns. In this study, using published data of the local flora of Taibai Mountain, we explored the effects of spatial and climatic factors on plant species richness. We also evaluated Rapoport’s elevational rule by examining the relationship between elevational range size and midpoint. Species richness patterns were regressed against area, middle domain effect (MDE), mean annual temperature (MAT), and mean annual precipitation (MAP). The results showed that richness of overall plants, seed plants, bryophytes, and ferns all showed hump-shaped patterns along the elevational gradient, although the absolute elevation of richness peaks differed in different plant groups. Species richness of each plant group was all associated strongly with MAT and MAP. In addition to climatic factors, overall plants and seed plants were more related to area in linear regression models, while MDE was a powerful explanatory variable for bryophytes. Rapoport’s elevational rule on species richness was not supported. Our study suggests that a combined interaction of spatial and climatic factors influences the elevational patterns of plant species richness on Taibai Mountain, China.

scholarly journals A new multivariable benchmark for Last Glacial Maximum climate simulations

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 699-712
Author(s):  
Sean F. Cleator ◽  
Sandy P. Harrison ◽  
Nancy K. Nichols ◽  
I. Colin Prentice ◽  
Ian Roulstone
Keyword(s):  
Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Concentration ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Glacial Maximum ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Climate Variables ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
Mean Temperature ◽  
Geographical Regions

Abstract. We present a new global reconstruction of seasonal climates at the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM, 21 000 years BP) made using 3-D variational data assimilation with pollen-based site reconstructions of six climate variables and the ensemble average of the PMIP3—CMIP5 simulations as a prior (initial estimate of LGM climate). We assume that the correlation matrix of the uncertainties in the prior is both spatially and temporally Gaussian, in order to produce a climate reconstruction that is smoothed both from month to month and from grid cell to grid cell. The pollen-based reconstructions include mean annual temperature (MAT), mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCO), mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWA), growing season warmth as measured by growing degree days above a baseline of 5 ∘C (GDD5), mean annual precipitation (MAP), and a moisture index (MI), which is the ratio of MAP to mean annual potential evapotranspiration. Different variables are reconstructed at different sites, but our approach both preserves seasonal relationships and allows a more complete set of seasonal climate variables to be derived at each location. We further account for the ecophysiological effects of low atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration on vegetation in making reconstructions of MAP and MI. This adjustment results in the reconstruction of wetter climates than might otherwise be inferred from the vegetation composition. Finally, by comparing the uncertainty contribution to the final reconstruction, we provide confidence intervals on these reconstructions and delimit geographical regions for which the palaeodata provide no information to constrain the climate reconstructions. The new reconstructions will provide a benchmark created using clear and defined mathematical procedures that can be used for evaluation of the PMIP4–CMIP6 entry-card LGM simulations and are available at https://doi.org/10.17864/1947.244 (Cleator et al., 2020b).

scholarly journals Biological and extrinsic correlates of extinction risk in Chinese lizards

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuxi Zhong ◽  
Chuanwu Chen ◽  
Yanping Wang
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Extinction Risk ◽  
Species Traits ◽  
Geographic Range ◽  
Range Size ◽  
Habitat Specialization ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Extrinsic Factors

Abstract China is a country with one of the most species rich reptile faunas in the world. However, nearly a quarter of Chinese lizard species assessed by the China Biodiversity Red List are threatened. Nevertheless, to date, no study has explicitly examined the pattern and processes of extinction and threat in Chinese lizards. In this study, we conducted the first comparative phylogenetic analysis of extinction risk in Chinese lizards. We addressed the following three questions: 1) What is the pattern of extinction and threat in Chinese lizards? 2) Which species traits and extrinsic factors are related to their extinction risk? 3) How can we protect Chinese lizards based on our results? We collected data on ten species traits (body size, clutch size, geographic range size, activity time, reproductive mode, habitat specialization, habitat use, leg development, maximum elevation, and elevation range) and seven extrinsic factors (mean annual precipitation, mean annual temperature, mean annual solar insolation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), human footprint, human population density, and human exploitation). After phylogenetic correction, these variables were used separately and in combination to assess their associations with extinction risk. We found that Chinese lizards with small geographic range, large body size, high habitat specialization, and living in high precipitation areas were vulnerable to extinction. Conservation priority should thus be given to species with the above extinction-prone traits so as to effectively protect Chinese lizards. Preventing future habitat destruction should also be a primary focus of management efforts because species with small range size and high habitat specialization are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss.

Spatial Patterns and Drivers of Soil Chemical Properties in a Typical Hickory Plantation

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mengjiao Sun ◽  
Enqing Hou ◽  
Jiasen Wu ◽  
Jianqin Huang ◽  
Xingzhao Huang
Keyword(s):  
Random Forest ◽  
Soil Nutrients ◽  
Spatial Patterns ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Parent Material ◽  
Mean Annual Precipitation ◽  
Nutrient Concentrations ◽  
Available Phosphorus ◽  
Mean Annual Temperature

Abstract Background: Soil nutrients play critical roles in regulating and improving the sustainable development of economic forests. Consequently, an elucidation of the spatial patterns and drivers of soil nutrients in these forests is fundamental to their management. For this study, we collected 314 composite soils at a 0-30 cm depth from a typical hickory plantation in Lin 'an, Zhejiang Province, China. We determined the concentrations of macronutrients (i.e., soil organic carbon, hydrolyzed nitrogen, available phosphorus, and available potassium) and micronutrients (i.e., iron, manganese, zinc, and copper.) of the soils. We employed random forest analysis to quantify the relative importance of soil-forming factors to predict the soil nutrient concentrations, which could then be extrapolated to the entire hickory region. Results: Random forest models explained 61%–88% of the variations in soil nutrient concentrations. The mean annual temperature and mean annual precipitation were the most important predictor of soil macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations. Moreover, parent material was another key predictor of soil available phosphorus and micronutrient concentrations. Mapping results demonstrated the importance of climate in controlling the spatial distribution of soil nutrient concentrations at finer scales, as well as the effect of parent material, topography, stand structure, and management measures of hickory plantations. Conclusions: Our study highlights the biotic factors, abiotic factors, and management factors control over soil macronutrient and micronutrient concentrations, which have significant implications for the sustainability of soil nutrients in forest plantations.

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