scholarly journals Taxonomic, Phylogenetic, and Functional Diversity of Ferns at Three Differently Disturbed Sites in Longnan County, China

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Xiaohua Dai ◽  
Chunfa Chen ◽  
Zhongyang Li ◽  
Xuexiong Wang

Human disturbances are greatly threatening to the biodiversity of vascular plants. Compared to seed plants, the diversity patterns of ferns have been poorly studied along disturbance gradients, including aspects of their taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity. Longnan County, a biodiversity hotspot in the subtropical zone in South China, was selected to obtain a more thorough picture of the fern–disturbance relationship, in particular, the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity of ferns at different levels of disturbance. In 90 sample plots of 5 × 5 m2 along roadsides at three sites, we recorded a total of 20 families, 50 genera, and 99 species of ferns, as well as 9759 individual ferns. The sample coverage curve indicated that the sampling effort was sufficient for biodiversity analysis. In general, the taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional diversity measured by Hill numbers of order q = 0–3 indicated that the fern diversity in Longnan County was largely influenced by the level of human disturbance, which supports the ‘increasing disturbance hypothesis’. Many functional traits of ferns at the most disturbed site were adaptive to the disturbance. There were also some indicators of fern species responding to the different disturbance levels. Hence, ferns may be considered as a good indicator group for environmental stress.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia G. Acinas ◽  
Pablo Sánchez ◽  
Guillem Salazar ◽  
Francisco M. Cornejo-Castillo ◽  
Marta Sebastián ◽  
...  

AbstractThe deep sea, the largest compartment of the ocean, is an essential component of the Earth system, but the functional exploration of its microbial communities lags far behind that of other marine realms. Here we analyze 58 bathypelagic microbial metagenomes from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans in an unprecedented sampling effort from the Malaspina Global Expedition, to resolve the metabolic architecture of the deep ocean microbiome. The Malaspina Deep-Sea Gene Collection, 71% of which consists of novel genes, reveals a strong dichotomy between the functional traits of free-living and particle-attached microorganisms, and shows relatively patchy composition challenging the paradigm of a uniform dark ocean ecosystem. Metagenome Assembled Genomes uncovered 11 potential new phyla, establishing references for deep ocean microbial taxa, and revealed mixotrophy to be a widespread trophic strategy in the deep ocean. These results expand our understanding of the functional diversity, metabolic versatility, and carbon cycling in the largest ecosystem on Earth.One Sentence SummaryA whole community genomic survey of the deep microbiome sheds light on the microbial and functional diversity of the dark ocean.


Check List ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 1647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Ruiz-Esparza ◽  
Caroline Silva dos Santos ◽  
Mônica Alves da Cunha ◽  
Daniela Pinheiro Bitencurti Ruiz-Esparza ◽  
Patrício A. da Rocha ◽  
...  

This study presents an inventory of the bird fauna of the Mata do Junco State Wildlife Refuge in Capela, in the northeastern Brazilian state of Sergipe. Monthly samples were collected between January 2011 and May 2012. Each 3-day sample was based on mist-netting (100 m) in two areas and the compilation of MacKinnon lists of 10 species. During the 17 months of the study period, the occurrence of 129 bird species belonging to 41 families was confirmed for the study area. In the mist-nets, a total of 469 individuals representing 58 species were captured in 3400 net-hours of sampling effort. A total of 100 MacKinnon lists were compiled, resulting in an inventory of 119 bird species. Eight of the species are endemic to Brazil, of which, five are restricted to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Three of the species are included in the IUCN Red List, at different levels of concern. Overall, the results of the study indicate that the Mata do Junco represents an important area for the protection of the region’s avian fauna and the habitats they rely on.


2009 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-58
Author(s):  
Y. Mincheva ◽  
S. Lazarova ◽  
V. Peneva

AbstractThe structural and functional diversity of nematode communities from Pinus mugo sites in Pirin Mountain was assessed. The sampling plots represent different levels of disturbance — next to and outside ski runs. Nematode assemblages from this habitat can be characterised with high diversity (in total, 104 taxa and richness ranging from 41 to 65 genera per site). In general, the trophic structure was dominated by omnivorous and bacterial feeders coupled with low proportion of plant feeding nematodes. The high values of Maturity indices and the results from faunal analysis indicate relatively stable environment and undisturbed conditions for all sites. No clear correlation between the nematode assemblages’ characteristics and the level of disturbance (position of the site in relation to ski runs) was revealed.


2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (2) ◽  
pp. 296-302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc J Mazerolle ◽  
Bruno Drolet ◽  
André Desrochers

Bogs, or ombrotrophic peatlands, are well represented in parts of southeastern Canada but are subjected to increasing pressure from the peat industry. We assessed the impact of peat mining on small mammals inhabiting unexploited bog fragments on the periphery of mined bogs. We conducted two separate studies in bogs mined to different levels (0-83%) in southeastern Québec and New Brunswick. The first study used a low sampling effort over 1 month in 26 bogs, while the second used a high sampling effort of 6 months spread across 2 years in 12 bogs. Of the 15 small-mammal species encountered, only 2 were bog specialists. Abundance and species richness of small mammals in bog fragments increased significantly with percentage of area mined and, in some cases, increased with bog area. Both studies suggest that disturbances resulting from peat mining facilitate the invasion of more generalized small-mammal species. Furthermore, small mammals were more abundant near forest or mined edges than at bog centers, and some species responded strongly to vegetation cover. The response of small mammals to peat mining contrasts with the one documented for birds, amphibians, and plants.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolina R. Szymañski ◽  
Solana Tabeni ◽  
Juan A. Alvarez ◽  
Claudia M. Campos

Abstract Background The ecological indicators are useful tools to determine the effects of human disturbances on woodland biodiversity. Nevertheless, ecological indicators not always responded in the same way to disturbances, and the responses can differ among taxa. In arid and semiarid woodlands, the use of deadwood associated with cattle raising can affect biodiversity and Nature’s contributions to people. Methods Our study aimed to assess changes in taxonomic and functional diversity of two assemblages, plants and mammals, in Prosopis woodlands under different land management types: grazed woodlands and a protected area. For plants, changes in structural diversity were also analyzed. Prosopis trees under different land management types were selected and their deadwood characteristics were registered. Through live traps and camera traps, we obtained data on the presence-absence of mammals per tree to estimate diversity indices. For plants, we measured the abundance of vegetation by species and by cover type through the Line-Intercept Method to estimated diversity. Finally, we built generalized linear models to assess the responses of diversity of each assemblage to covariables concerning deadwood and different land management types. Results We found that all diversity indeces for plants were either negatively affected by the presence of deadwood on the ground, or favored by its extraction. For mammals, removal of deadwood increased taxonomic diversity, while functional diversity increased with deadwood on the trees. Both structural diversity of plants and functional diversity of mammals were greater in grazed woodlands. Conclusions The sustainable use of woodland resources is essential for the activities of rural communities. Our study results indicated that land management of grazed woodlands promoted the structural diversity of plant assemblages and the functional diversity of mammals. The presence of deadwood negatively affected plant diversity but it increased mammal functional diversity. It is advisable to maintain trees that preserve their wooden structure within the managed areas to promote the functional diversity of mammals, while trees with extraction from standing wood will favor the functional diversity of the plant assemblage. Understanding the effects of human disturbances can contribute to management for the conservation of woodlands diversity and Nature’s contributions to people.


2016 ◽  
Vol 177 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Klepsch ◽  
A. Lange ◽  
G. Angeles ◽  
K. Mehltreter ◽  
S. Jansen

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document