scholarly journals Reasons for an outstanding plant diversity in the tropical Andes of Southern Ecuador

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 1-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Richter ◽  
Karl-Heinz Diertl ◽  
Paul Emck ◽  
Thorsten Peters ◽  
Erwin Beck
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Tropical Andes ◽  
Constant Input ◽  
General Role ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
The Impact

Long-term field studies in the scope of a multidisciplinary project in southern Ecuador revealed extraordinary high species numbers of many organismic groups. This article discusses reasons for the outstanding vascular plant diversity using a hierarchical scale-oriented top-down approach (Grüninger 2005), from the global scale to the local microscale. The global scale explains general (paleo-) ecological factors valid for most parts of the humid tropics, addressing various hypotheses and theories, such as the "greater effective evolutionary time", constant input of "accidentals", the "seasonal variability hypothesis", the "intermediate disturbance hypothesis", and the impact of soil fertility. The macroscale focuses on the Andes in northwestern South America. The tropical Andes are characterised by many taxa of restricted range which is particularly true for the Amotape-Huancabamba region, i.e. the so called Andean Depression, which is effective as discrete phytogeographic transition as well as barrier zone. Interdigitation of northern and southern flora elements, habitat fragmentation, geological and landscape history, and a high speciation rate due to rapid genetic radiation of some taxa contribute to a high degree of diversification. The mesoscale deals with the special environmental features of the eastern mountain range, the Cordillera Real and surrounding areas in southern Ecuador. Various climatic characteristics, the orographic heterogeneity, the geologic and edaphic conditions as well as human impact are the most prominent factors augmenting plant species diversity. On microscale, prevailing regimes of disturbance and environmental stresses, the orographic basement, as well as the general role on the various mountain chains are considered. Here, micro-habitats e.g. niches for epiphytes, effects of micro-relief patterns, and successions after small-sized disturbance events are screened. Direct effects of human impact are addressed and a perspective of possible effects of climate change on plant diversity is presented.

scholarly journals Changes in plant diversity in a water-limited and isolated high-mountain range (Sierra Nevada, Spain)

Alpine Botany ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Lamprecht ◽  
Harald Pauli ◽  
Maria Rosa Fernández Calzado ◽  
Juan Lorite ◽  
Joaquín Molero Mesa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Snow Cover ◽  
Sierra Nevada ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Endemic Species ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
High Mountain ◽  
Mountain Range

AbstractClimate change impacts are of a particular concern in small mountain ranges, where cold-adapted plant species have their optimum zone in the upper bioclimatic belts. This is commonly the case in Mediterranean mountains, which often harbour high numbers of endemic species, enhancing the risk of biodiversity losses. This study deals with shifts in vascular plant diversity in the upper zones of the Sierra Nevada, Spain, in relation with climatic parameters during the past two decades. We used vegetation data from permanent plots of three surveys of two GLORIA study regions, spanning a period of 18 years (2001–2019); ERA5 temperature and precipitation data; and snow cover durations, derived from on-site soil temperature data. Relationships between diversity patterns and climate factors were analysed using GLMMs. Species richness showed a decline between 2001 and 2008, and increased thereafter. Species cover increased slightly but significantly, although not for endemic species. While endemics underwent cover losses proportional to non-endemics, more widespread shrub species increased. Precipitation tended to increase during the last decade, after a downward trend since 1960. Precipitation was positively related to species richness, colonisation events, and cover, and negatively to disappearance events. Longer snow cover duration and rising temperatures were also related to increasing species numbers, but not to cover changes. The rapid biotic responses of Mediterranean alpine plants indicate a tight synchronisation with climate fluctuations, especially with water availability. Thus, it rather confirms concerns about biodiversity losses, if projections of increasing temperature in combination with decreasing precipitation hold true.

scholarly journals To what extent do natural disturbances contribute to Andean plant diversity? A theoretical outline from the wettest and driest parts of the tropical Andes

2009 ◽  
Vol 22 ◽  
pp. 95-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Richter
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Small Dimension ◽  
Natural Disturbances ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Tropical Andes ◽  
First Case ◽  
Nitrogen Inputs

Abstract. This paper deals with natural disturbances and their impact on vascular plant enrichment at two climatically contrasting Andean ranges, i.e. the perhumid Cordillera Real in southern Ecuador and the arid Cordillera de Atacama in northern Chile. In the first case, main triggers for an additional input of pioneer species during succession stages initiated by perturbations are landslides, mudflows, and, to a lesser extent, cohort mortality, floods, and wildlife damages. Droughts and wind are stressors, which reduce plant growth but hardly plant diversity, in contrast to enhanced UV radiation with its mutagen effect. Though stress effects are similar in the Atacama, disturbance regimes differ considerably in this dry mountain environment. Here, most perturbations are of small dimension such as nitrogen inputs by feces of Lamoids and burrow activities of tuco-tuco mice, both of them fostering nitrophilous plant communities. Flooding, gelifluction, and other denudation processes such as sheet wash occur too, however, do not charge species enrichment in the dry Andes. Although the perhumid study site represents one of the world's plant diversity "hotspots" and, by contrast, the arid one a comparatively "coldspot", pioneer species during successive stages after natural disturbances contribute in a similar percentage to the total plant inventories (appr. 10% of the species numbers). Relatively seen, natural disturbances are most important for species enrichment in the Atacama (200–500 species per 10 000 km2), while most other ecological factors delimit plant survival. Instead, plant life at the Ecuadorian study area benefits from many climatic and edaphic site conditions, and consequently, disturbances are considered only one of many driving forces for its hotspot status (>5000 species per 10 000 km2).

Plant diversity of the Heydari Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Iran, with a checklist of vascular plants

Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 340 (2) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
ZOHREH ATASHGAHI ◽  
HAMID EJTEHADI ◽  
MANSOOR MESDAGHI ◽  
FERESHTEH GHASSEMZADEH
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Life Form ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Floristic Composition ◽  
Transitional Zone ◽  
Mountain Range ◽  
Dissimilarity Index ◽  
Wildlife Refuge ◽  
Kopet Dagh

Heydari Wildlife Refuge (HWR) is located in Binalood mountain range of the Razavi Khorassan Province in Northeastern Iran. The area belongs to the central part of Khorassan-Kopet Dagh floristic province, which is a transitional zone between different phytogeographical units in the Irano-Turanian region. We investigated the floristic composition, life-form spectrum and the phytogeography of the area during 2014–2017 by collecting vascular plants and establishing 443 random-quadrats in representative stands of different vegetation types. A total of 588 vascular plant taxa (species and subspecies) belonging to 304 genera and 65 families are recorded as native and naturalized in the study area. The richest plant families are Asteraceae (40 genera/87 species), Fabaceae (15/72), Poaceae (33/60), Brassicaceae (33/49), Lamiaceae (19/32), and Apiaceae (18/27). The genera Astragalus (44 species), Cousinia (17), and Allium (10) are the richest ones. However, the dominant canopy cover belongs to Acantholimon, Astragalus, Artemisia, and Acanthophyllum species. Raunkiaer’s plant life-form spectrum in the area is dominated by hemicryptophytes (41.50%) and therophytes (28.06%). The core flora of HWR has the Irano-Turanian origin; the widespread elements are also well represented in the study area. Based on the Sørensen dissimilarity index, the HWR has about 50% dissimilarity to the adjacent areas. The study area is inhabited by several Iranian and/or Khorassan-Kopet Dagh endemic (19%), threatened (16%), and narrow-range plant species. The results indicate the importance of the HWR in the plant diversity of NE Iran.

scholarly journals Vascular Plant Diversity in Natural and Anthropogenic Ecosystems in the Andes of Southern Ecuador

2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thorsten Peters ◽  
Karl-Heinz Diertl ◽  
Julia Gawlik ◽  
Melanie Rankl ◽  
Michael Richter
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
The Andes ◽  
Vascular Plant Diversity ◽  
Southern Ecuador ◽  
Anthropogenic Ecosystems

Vascular Plant Diversity of Forested Wetlands in Southern New England

Rhodora ◽  
10.3119/19-21 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (990) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Green ◽  
Marlyse Duguid
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Forested Wetlands ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Vascular Plant Diversity

Vegetation and vascular plant diversity of islands surrounding Port Shelter, Hong Kong, China

2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 605-609
Author(s):  
Hu Puwei ◽  
Xing Fuwu ◽  
Chen Lin ◽  
Wang Meina ◽  
Wang Faguo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Vascular Plant Diversity

scholarly journals Long-term changes in the plant ecology of an African savanna landscape and the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation management

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Western ◽  
Victor N. Mose ◽  
David Maitumo ◽  
Caroline Mburu
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
National Parks ◽  
Conservation Management ◽  
Plant Ecology ◽  
Ecological Resilience ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Ecosystem Theory ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Studies of the African savannas have used national parks to test ecological theories of natural ecosystems, including equilibrium, non-equilibrium, complex adaptive systems, and the role of top-down and bottom-up physical and biotic forces. Most such studies have excluded the impact of pastoralists in shaping grassland ecosystems and, over the last half century, the growing human impact on the world’s rangelands. The mounting human impact calls for selecting indicators and integrated monitoring methods able to track ecosystem changes and the role of natural and human agencies. Our study draws on five decades of monitoring the Amboseli landscape in southern Kenya to document the declining role of natural agencies in shaping plant ecology with rising human impact. Results We show that plant diversity and productivity have declined, biomass turnover has increased in response to a downsizing of mean plant size, and that ecological resilience has declined with the rising probability of extreme shortfalls in pasture production. The signature of rainfall and physical agencies in driving ecosystem properties has decreased sharply with growing human impact. We compare the Amboseli findings to the long-term studies of Kruger and Serengeti national parks to show that the human influence, whether by design or default, is increasingly shaping the ecology of savanna ecosystems. We look at the findings in the larger perspective of human impact on African grasslands and the world rangelands, in general, and discuss the implications for ecosystem theory and conservation policy and management. Conclusions The Amboseli study shows the value of using long-term integrated ecological monitoring to track the spatial and temporal changes in the species composition, structure, and function of rangeland ecosystems and the role of natural and human agencies in the process of change. The study echoes the widespread changes underway across African savannas and world’s rangelands, concluding that some level of ecosystem management is needed to prevent land degradation and the erosion of ecological function, services, and resilience. Despite the weak application of ecological theory to conservation management, a plant trait-based approach is shown to be useful in explaining the macroecological changes underway.

scholarly journals Applying Google Trends’ Search Popularity Indicator to Professional Cycling

2021 ◽  
pp. 152700252098832
Author(s):  
Alexander Genoe ◽  
Ronald Rousseau ◽  
Sandra Rousseau
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Google Trends ◽  
Panel Model ◽  
Tour De France ◽  
Country Preference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Professional Cycling

This study uses Google Trends data to analyze the impact of the main events in the Tour de France 2019 on cyclists’ online popularity in 12 countries and at a global scale. A fixed effects panel model revealed a strong own-country preference. While online popularity increased with the duration of the Tour, race incidents strongly influenced online popularity. Besides the yellow jersey, winning a stage was more important than wearing the green, white or polka dot jersey for most regions. Still, on a global scale, young cyclists’ online popularity benefited more from wearing the white jersey than from winning a Tour stage.

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