Diversity of the Western Carpathian flysch grasslands: Do extremely species-rich plant communities coincide with a high diversity of snails?

Biologia ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jana Dvořáková ◽  
Kristina Merunková ◽  
Zdenka Preislerová ◽  
Michal Horsák ◽  
Milan Chytrý
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Local Environment ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Snail Species ◽  
Local Species ◽  
White Carpathians

AbstractUpland fringes of the White Carpathians (Czech Republic) are known to support grasslands with the world’s highest local plant species richness. We investigated whether this unusually high plant richness has a parallel in snail communities, whether patterns of species composition of snail and plant communities in grasslands co-vary and how they are affected by local environment and landscape history. We compared plant and snail communities of dry to mesic grasslands in three neigh bouring regions: (1) hilly lowland of the Central Moravian Carpathians, (2) upland fringes and (3) upland of the White Carpathians. Both snail and plant communities exhibited a strong gradient in species composition associated with altitude, annual temperature and precipitation, soil calcium and pH. However, there was no correlation between local species richness of plants and snails in individual plots. The upland fringes of the White Carpathians were richest in snail species, probably due to intermediate environmental conditions, supporting the occurrence of species with contrasting environmental requirements. The highest local numbers of plant species were also recorded there, although differences among regions were not significant. The regional species richness of plants was also highest in the upland fringes, whereas that of snails was highest in the hilly lowland. Similarities in the diversity patterns of plants and snails among regions suggest the importance of regional factors for local richness, although local abiotic factors, which are partly correlated with the three regions, also influence local species composition and richness.

Native plant species richness on Eastern Polynesia’s remote atolls

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 112-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sébastien Larrue ◽  
Jean-François Butaud ◽  
Pascal Dumas ◽  
Stéphane Ballet
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Native Plant ◽  
Volcanic Island ◽  
Native Plant Species ◽  
Native Species Richness

Which abiotic factors influence the number of native plant species on remote atolls is an important question to understand better the spatial pattern of the species observed on these low and vulnerable coral islands. However, this issue is still very poorly documented, often due to human degradation, partial botanical surveys or the difficult geographic access of remote atolls for researchers. The remote atolls of Eastern Polynesia, which are among the most isolated in the world, are of great interest for studies of native species’ distribution due to their isolation, low human density and urbanisation. In this study, we selected 49 remote atolls of Eastern Polynesia with complete botanical surveys to test the relative influence of eight abiotic factors on native plant species richness (i.e. indigenous and endemic species). Abiotic factors used as potential predictors included atoll area (km2), shoreline length (km), atoll elevation (m) and index of isolation (UNEP), but also the coastal index of the atoll ( Ic), the distance to the nearest similar atoll (km), the distance to the nearest large volcanic island ≥ 1000 km2 (here, Tahiti as a potential stepping-stone island) and the distance to the nearest raised atoll ≥ 15 m a.s.l. (here, Makatea or Henderson as a potential refugium during sea-level highstands). Spearman’s rank correlation, linear regression analysis and frequency diagrams were used to assess the relative influence of these factors on native species richness. No relationship was found between the species richness and the index of isolation or the distance to the nearest similar atoll. Atoll area and distance to the nearest raised atoll of Makatea explained 47.1% and 40%, respectively, of the native species richness variation observed on the remote atolls. The distance to the volcanic island of Tahiti and the coastal index explained 36.9% and 27.3% of the variation, while elevation and shoreline length explained 23.3% and 18.4% of the variation, respectively. Native species richness on the atolls surveyed increased with the increasing atoll area, elevation and shoreline length, but decreased with the increasing distance to the nearest raised atoll of Makatea and the large volcanic island of Tahiti. This supports the view that the spatial pattern of native species richness observed on the remote atolls was strongly influenced by (i) atoll area but also by (ii) the distance to the raised atoll of Makatea, and (iii) the distance to the volcanic island of Tahiti. This finding suggests that the raised atoll may be viewed as a refugium during sea-level highstands while the large volcanic island played the role of stepping-stone island, both islands influencing the dispersal of native species on remote atolls and attenuating the isolation effect in the study area.

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 Importance of Soil Organic Matter and the Species Pool for Local Species Richness in Montane Ecosystems

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (19) ◽  
pp. 10634
Author(s):  
Xiang Li ◽  
Wenhao Hu ◽  
Zhenrong Yu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Species Pool ◽  
Multi Scale ◽  
Local Species Richness ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Regional Species Pool ◽  
Urban Rural ◽  
Local Species

Understanding the response of plant species richness to environmental filters is critical for conservation management as there is an increasing emphasis on plant restoration in urban/rural planning. However, empirical studies on the effects that the regional species pool has on plant species richness often overlook small spatial scales, therefore requiring more comprehensive approaches. As mountains can act as barriers to plant dispersal, the impact on the species pool, particularly, should be a priority. This study aimed to investigate how the regional species pool affects the local plant species richness in a multivariate context. We sampled vascular plant communities along three transects located in three valleys across the Chongli District, China, where four common habitat types were selected for sampling: grassland, shrubbery, pure forest, and mixed forest. We compared the differences in the multi-scale species richness and species composition between habitats and regions and used piecewise structural equation modeling to analyze the relative importance of the regional species pool, habitat species pool, soil resource availability, and exposure for local plant richness. The β-diversity had the highest contribution to the total species richness between valleys and habitats. The species composition between regions and habitats showed a significant difference and the local species richness was most strongly affected by the soil characteristics, but effects from the regional species pool still played an important role. Conservation efforts and urban/rural planning should use a multi-level and multi-scale approach based on a detailed structural investigation.

scholarly journals The invasive herb Lupinus polyphyllus can reduce plant species richness independently of local invasion age

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marju Prass ◽  
Satu Ramula ◽  
Miia Jauni ◽  
Heikki Setälä ◽  
D. Johan Kotze
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Plant Community Composition ◽  
Lupinus Polyphyllus ◽  
Local Invasion

AbstractThe ecological impacts of invasive species may change or accumulate with time since local invasion, potentially inducing further changes in communities and the abiotic environment. Yet, time since invasion is rarely considered when investigating the ecological impacts of invasive non-native species. To examine the effect of time since invasion on the ecological impacts of Lupinus polyphyllus, a perennial nitrogen-fixing herb, we surveyed vascular plant communities in the presence and absence of L. polyphyllus in young, intermediate, and old semi-natural grassland sites (ca. 5, 10, 15 years representing both time since lupine invasion and plant community age). We analyzed vascular plant community composition, vascular plant species richness, and the cover of various ecological plant groups and L. polyphyllus. In contrast to our hypotheses, we found no change in the mean cover of L. polyphyllus (about 35%) with time since local invasion, and an ordination did not suggest marked changes in plant community composition. L. polyphyllus was associated with lower species richness in invaded plant communities but this effect did not change with time since invasion. Invaded plant communities were also associated with lower occurrence of generalist, oligotrophic (low-nutrient-adapted) and copiotrophic (nutrient-demanding) species but no temporal dynamics were detected. We conclude that even the intermediate cover of L. polyphyllus can reduce plant species richness, but the ecological impact caused by this invader might not dramatically change or accumulate with time since invasion.

Plant species richness is not consistently associated with productivity in experimental subalpine meadow plant communities

2015 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ziqiang Yuan ◽  
Kailiang Yu ◽  
Howard Epstein ◽  
Katia Stefanova ◽  
Rong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Subalpine Meadow

scholarly journals Effects of plant species diversity on nematode community composition and diversity in a long-term biodiversity experiment

Oecologia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Dietrich ◽  
Simone Cesarz ◽  
Tao Liu ◽  
Christiane Roscher ◽  
Nico Eisenhauer
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Community Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Resource Quality ◽  
Plant Feeding ◽  
Shoot Mass

AbstractDiversity loss has been shown to change the soil community; however, little is known about long-term consequences and underlying mechanisms. Here, we investigated how nematode communities are affected by plant species richness and whether this is driven by resource quantity or quality in 15-year-old plant communities of a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment. We extracted nematodes from 93 experimental plots differing in plant species richness, and measured above- and belowground plant biomass production and soil organic carbon concentrations (Corg) as proxies for resource quantity, as well as C/Nleaf ratio and specific root length (SRL) as proxies for resource quality. We found that nematode community composition and diversity significantly differed among plant species richness levels. This was mostly due to positive plant diversity effects on the abundance and genus richness of bacterial-feeding, omnivorous, and predatory nematodes, which benefited from higher shoot mass and soil Corg in species-rich plant communities, suggesting control via resource quantity. In contrast, plant-feeding nematodes were negatively influenced by shoot mass, probably due to higher top–down control by predators, and were positively related to SRL and C/Nleaf, indicating control via resource quality. The decrease of the grazing pressure ratio (plant feeders per root mass) with plant species richness indicated a higher accumulation of plant-feeding nematodes in species-poor plant communities. Our results, therefore, support the hypothesis that soil-borne pathogens accumulate in low-diversity communities over time, while soil mutualists (bacterial-feeding, omnivorous, predatory nematodes) increase in abundance and richness in high-diversity plant communities, which may contribute to the widely-observed positive plant diversity–productivity relationship.

scholarly journals Thermo-erosion gullies boost the transition from wet to mesic tundra vegetation

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1237-1253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naïm Perreault ◽  
Esther Lévesque ◽  
Daniel Fortier ◽  
Laurent J. Lamarque
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Stable State ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Arctic Ecosystems ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Ice Wedge

Abstract. Continuous permafrost zones with well-developed polygonal ice-wedge networks are particularly vulnerable to climate change. Thermo-mechanical erosion can initiate the development of gullies that lead to substantial drainage of adjacent wet habitats. How vegetation responds to this particular disturbance is currently unknown but has the potential to significantly disrupt function and structure of Arctic ecosystems. Focusing on three major gullies of Bylot Island, Nunavut, we estimated the impacts of thermo-erosion processes on plant community changes. We explored over 2 years the influence of environmental factors on plant species richness, abundance and biomass in 62 low-centered wet polygons, 87 low-centered disturbed polygons and 48 mesic environment sites. Gullying decreased soil moisture by 40 % and thaw-front depth by 10 cm in the center of breached polygons within less than 5 years after the inception of ice wedge degradation, entailing a gradual yet marked vegetation shift from wet to mesic plant communities within 5 to 10 years. This transition was accompanied by a five times decrease in graminoid above-ground biomass. Soil moisture and thaw-front depth changed almost immediately following gullying initiation as they were of similar magnitude between older (> 5 years) and recently (< 5 years) disturbed polygons. In contrast, there was a lag-time in vegetation response to the altered physical environment with plant species richness and biomass differing between the two types of disturbed polygons. To date (10 years after disturbance), the stable state of the mesic environment cover has not been fully reached yet. Our results illustrate that wetlands are highly vulnerable to thermo-erosion processes, which drive landscape transformation on a relative short period of time for High Arctic perennial plant communities (5 to 10 years). Such succession towards mesic plant communities can have substantial consequences on the food availability for herbivores and carbon emissions of Arctic ecosystems.

scholarly journals Less is more! Rapid increase in plant species richness after reduced mowing of urban grasslands

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Sehrt ◽  
Oliver Bossdorf ◽  
Martin Freitag ◽  
Anna Bucharova
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Less Is More ◽  
Urban Lawns ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Management Changes ◽  
Meadow Species ◽  
Number Of Plant Species

AbstractUrban lawns provide space for recreation in cities, and they are an important part of urban green infrastructures. However, most lawns are intensively managed. As only few plant species can survive the frequent mowing, urban lawns typically harbor only a limited number of plant species. To improve the biodiversity of urban lawns, it is often suggested to reduce the mowing frequency. Here, we studied the plant diversity of urban grasslands that have recently undergone management changes from mowing every few weeks to mowing only once or twice per season and compared them to intensively managed lawns. Within six years after the management changes, the grasslands with reduced mowing frequency indeed hosted 30% more plant species than intensively managed lawns, and they were more heterogeneous both within and between grasslands. Additionally, the species composition of less frequently mown grasslands shifted from common mowing-tolerant lawn species to typical meadow species. Our study thus shows that the reduction of mowing is a simple and effective tool for increasing the biodiversity in urban grasslands.

Leaf litter effect on plant species composition of deciduous forest treefall pits

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 553-559 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan W. Beatty ◽  
Owen D. V. Sholes
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Species Richness ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Leaf Litter ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Litter Accumulation ◽  
Litter Removal

In deciduous forests of central New York, treefall pits have rich soil, but low plant species richness. To test whether leaf litter limited species distributions, we removed litter in 10 randomly chosen pits in 1983 and compared them with controls over 3 years. Wire cages prevented litter accumulation in experimental plots. By year 1 (1984) litterless pits were significantly warmer and less moist than controls. From years 1 to 3 the average Coefficient of Community (CC) index between experimental mounds and pits increased 10-fold. No changes occurred in controls. Species composition of experimental pits became different from the controls. Species richness increased in litterless pits, with no change in other plots. Experimental and control mounds were similar in species composition all years, indicating no effect of the cage. Species responses to litter removal included: (i) enhanced germination, (ii) establishment, and (or) (iii) no change. All herbs showing increased germination or establishment were species previously restricted to mounds. The species that did not change were those already inhabiting pits. No species declined after litter removal. Litter removal in pits allowed several species to expand their distributions from mounds into litterless pits, without affecting existing pit species. The spatial heterogeneity accentuated by leaf litter accumulation does not facilitate coexistence of species in the forest community, but only limits species population sizes and spatial distributions.

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