Vascular plant colonisation of Surtsey Island (1965-1990) - a dataset

The process of ecosystem development over time that takes place on a new substrate devoid of biological activity (such as, for example, lava) is called primary succession. Research on primary succession is not easy, as it is limited to rare occasions when a piece of land totally lacking in any pre-existing life occurs. The emergence of volcanic islands is such an occasion; it is a unique event that allows a natural experiment in the study of colonisation processes and primary succession. Surtsey (located in the Vestmannaeyar archipelago off the southern coast of Iceland) is an iconic example of a place where primary succession has been studied for decades and where human disturbance has been minimised due to significant geographic isolation and early protection efforts. Here, we present a georeferenced dataset of vacular plant occurrences collected during the field studies carried out on Surtsey Island during the first three decades of its existence. To date, no dataset containing plant distribution data documenting the process of early stages of colonisation of Surtsey has been published. What is more, to our knowledge, there is no other dataset that can be compared with our Surtsey data that is readily available for researchers working on plant colonisation dynamics and primary succession processes. Here, we present a complete, geo-referenced dataset of all plant occurrences (10,094 in total) collected on Surtsey between 1965 and 1990.

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Vascular plants occurrences in Dokdo Islands, Korea, based on herbarium collections and legacy botanical literature

Biodiversity Data Journal ◽

10.3897/bdj.9.e77695 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

Author(s):

Chin-Sung Chang ◽

Shin Young Kwon ◽

Hyun Tak Shin ◽

Su-Young Jung ◽

Hui Kim

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Native Species ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Field Studies ◽

Invasive Grass ◽

The Past ◽

Vascular Plant Species ◽

Volcanic Islands ◽

Herbarium Collections ◽

Made In

The vascular flora of the Dokdo Islands has been reported, based on primary collections made in 2012 and 2013 and legacy botanical literature. The Dokdo Islands are the remotest islands of Korea, located in the East Sea approximately 87 km from Ulleungdo Islands. They comprise two main volcanic islands, Dongdo (east islands) and Seodo (west islands) and minor islets surrounding the two main islands. This research was conducted to document vascular plant species inhabiting Korea's most inaccessible islands. We present a georeferenced dataset of vascular plant species collected during field studies on the Dokdo Islands over the past seven decades. In the present inventory of the flora of Dokdo, there are listed 108 species belonging to 78 genera and 39 families, including 93 native species and 15 newly human-induced naturalised species for these Islands' flora. The Poaceae and Asteraceae families are the most diverse, with 22 and 15 taxa, respectively. Some of the previously-listed taxa were not found on Dokdo probably because they are rare and the limited time did not allow collectors to find rare species. The spread of introduced species, especially the invasive grass Bromus catharticus Vahl., affects several native species of Dokdo flora.

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Return of the megaherbs: plant colonisation of derelict ANARE station buildings on sub-Antarctic Heard Island

Polar Record ◽

10.1017/s0032247404003614 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 235-243 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

J. Whinam ◽

P.M. Selkirk ◽

A.J. Downing ◽

Bruce Hull

Keyword(s):

Plant Species ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Water Tank ◽

Moss Species ◽

Left Behind ◽

Plant Colonisation ◽

Vascular Plant Species ◽

Heard Island ◽

Antarctic Research

Buildings were constructed and artefacts left behind on sub-Antarctic Heard Island, associated with Antarctic research expeditions since 1926. Both bryophytes and vascular plants are colonising many parts of the now derelict buildings. On these structures and artefacts, the authors recorded four species of vascular plants out of the 11 that occur on Heard Island and nine species of mosses out of the 37 recorded from Heard Island. The vascular plant species most frequently recorded colonising structures and artefacts was Pringlea antiscorbutica (288 occurrences), with the area colonised varying from 0.3 cm2 to 430.0 cm2. Muelleriella crassifolia was the moss species that was most frequently recorded (14 occurrences), colonising areas from 2.1 cm2 to 12.9 cm2. The highest number of bryophyte species (seven) was recorded on the stone and cement of the ‘water tank.’ Pringlea antiscorbutica, Poa cookii, Azorella selago, Muelleriella crassifolia, Bryum dichotomum, Dicranoweisia brevipes and Schistidium apocarpum are all expected to continue to colonise the ANARE ruins, as well as areas that have become available since building removal and also possibly areas bared by further deglaciation.

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Diversity and distribution of Phanaeini (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in Mexico

Zootaxa ◽

10.11646/zootaxa.4358.2.3 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 4358 (2) ◽

pp. 271 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

VIRIDIANA LIZARDO ◽

FEDERICO ESCOBAR ◽

OCTAVIO ROJAS-SOTO

Keyword(s):

Relevant Literature ◽

Volcanic Belt ◽

Field Studies ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Biological Databases ◽

Distribution Models ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

Distribution Ranges ◽

Starting Point ◽

Sierra Madre

In this study, we systematized available distribution data, obtained from biological databases and relevant literature, for Mexican species belonging to the tribe Phanaeini. The main objectives were to provide an overall description of the distribution records in biological collections, to detect potential sampling biases, to describe the seasonality of collections and to obtain species distribution models using the Desktop GARP algorithm. A total of 5,562 records, corresponding to 32 species in Mexico, were compiled, including the recently described Phanaeus zoque Moctezuma & Halffter, 2017. This compilation includes 784 unique collection records at 325 localities. These records were mainly distributed along the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, the Sierra Madre Oriental and Sierra Madre Occidental mountain ranges and throughout the states of Chiapas and Veracruz. The Mexican High Plateau, the state of Tlaxcala and the Yucatan Peninsula are lacking in records. Distribution maps were created for species of three genera (Phanaeus MacLeay, 1819, Coprophanaeus Olsoufieff, 1924, and Sulcophanaeus Olsoufieff, 1924) and for 29 species present in Mexico. These species distributions are largely delimited by geomorphological features and vegetation types and coincide with expert descriptions of this tribe; some species show expanded distribution ranges. These maps provide a starting point for further analyses, the planning of future field studies, and the verification of possible new species in the Mexican territory.

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Distribution patterns and conservation status of Crocus species in Iran, one of the diversity centers of Crocus in the Middle East

Folia Oecologica ◽

10.2478/foecol-2021-0016 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 156-168

Author(s):

Melika Tabasi ◽

Ahmadreza Mehrabian ◽

Sadaf Sayadi

Keyword(s):

Middle East ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Field Studies ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Herbarium Specimens ◽

Distribution Centers ◽

Boundary Area ◽

Universal Transverse Mercator ◽

Western Asia

Abstract Assessing distribution patterns of valuable taxa plays an important role in the biodiversity conservation of these taxa. The genus Crocus L. (Iridaceae) comprises about 100 species that are distributed mainly in the Mediterranean region and western Asia. The present study purposed to assess the distribution patterns of Iranian Crocus species (including C. sativus L. and 8 wild species) and their conservation status in Iran as one of diversity centers of Crocus in the Middle East. A set of geographic distribution data was compiled through field studies, and reviews of herbarium specimens, iNaturalist, and various Flora. Localities were marked on geo-referenced maps (1/106) of Iran using ArcView version 3.2 (Esri, 2000). The distribution patterns of the taxa were mapped per 0.25° × 0.25° universal transverse Mercator grid cells (25 km2 with the exception of boundary area). Based on the species distribution (SDI) (33%) and species specialization (SSI) (44%) indices, those Iranian Crocus species that are threatened are mainly distributed in Irano-Turanian region. The mountainous ecosystems of Almeh and Western Alborz are important distribution centers of these taxa. Iranian Crocus species with SSI < 0.5 (C. almehensis, C. gilanicus, C. michelsonii, and C. caspius) have the highest conservation value.

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Takhtajan's floristic regions and foliicolous lichen biogeography: a compatibility analysis

The Lichenologist ◽

10.1006/lich.2002.0430 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 35 (1) ◽

pp. 33-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Robert Lücking

Keyword(s):

Large Scale ◽

New Caledonia ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Plant Distribution ◽

Sufficient Information ◽

East African ◽

Foliicolous Lichens ◽

North East ◽

Compatibility Analysis

AbstractTakhtajan's floristic regions of the world, based on vascular plant distribution, were used for a comparative analysis of foliicolous lichen biogeography. Of the 35 regions distinguished by that author, 23 feature foliicolous lichens. The South-East African, Fijian, Polynesian and Hawaiian regions lack sufficient information and were excluded from further analysis. Using multi-dimensional scaling and cluster and cladistic analyses, the remaining 19 regions were grouped into six lichenogeographical regions: (1) Neotropics, (2) African Paleotropics (including Madagascar, Réunion and Seychelles), (3) Eastern Paleotropics (including North-East Australia and New Caledonia), (4) Valdivian region (temperate rainforest in southern South America), (5) Tethyan region (subtropical areas of Macaronesia, Mediterranean, and Western Irano-Turanian) and (6) Neozealandic-Tasmanian region (temperate rainforests of New Zealand and Tasmania). Affinities between these six large scale regions, with 57–77% shared species, are still stronger than those between the 35 smaller scale regions denned by Takhtajan [(20−)40–60(−75)% shared species]. Based on presence/absence within each of the six regions, 22 potential distribution patterns were defined for foliicolous lichens. Many species are widely distributed; 21% are cosmopolitan or pantropical, while 19% are disjunct on at least two continents, and only 60% are restricted to one of the three major tropical areas (nearly 100% in vascular plants). Most of the latter are found in the Neotropics, while the African Paleotropics are poor in endemics. Most genera deviate significantly from overall distribution patterns; for example, Strigula and Calopadia have higher proportions of widely distributed species, while Porina displays a concentration of Eastern Paleotropical endemics. Species diversity and composition of the six regions indicate that the three extra-tropical foliicolous lichen biotas (Valdivian, Tethyan, Neozealandic-Tasmanian) are the result of partly separate evolutionary histories. On the other hand, there is a strong affinity between the Neotropics and the African Paleotropics, suggesting a shared Western Gondwanan element in the foliicolous lichen biotas of these two regions.

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Host specificity of insect herbivores in tropical forests

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2004.3023 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 272 (1568) ◽

pp. 1083-1090 ◽

Cited By ~ 208

Author(s):

Vojtech Novotny ◽

Yves Basset

Keyword(s):

Host Specificity ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Plant Species ◽

Field Studies ◽

Tropical Species ◽

Distribution Data ◽

Insect Herbivores ◽

Leaf Miners ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Plant Phylogeny

Studies of host specificity in tropical insect herbivores are evolving from a focus on insect distribution data obtained by canopy fogging and other mass collecting methods, to a focus on obtaining data on insect rearing and experimentally verified feeding patterns. We review this transition and identify persisting methodological problems. Replicated quantitative surveys of plant–herbivore food webs, based on sampling efforts of an order of magnitude greater than is customary at present, may be cost-effectively achieved by small research teams supported by local assistants. Survey designs that separate historical and ecological determinants of host specificity by studying herbivores feeding on the same plant species exposed to different environmental or experimental conditions are rare. Further, we advocate the use of host‐specificity measures based on plant phylogeny. Existing data suggest that a minority of species in herbivore communities feed on a single plant species when alternative congeneric hosts are available. Thus, host plant range limits tend to coincide with those of plant genera, rather than species or suprageneric taxa. Host specificity among tropical herbivore guilds decreases in the sequence: granivores>leaf-miners>fructivores>leaf-chewers=sap-suckers>xylophages>root-feeders, thus paralleling patterns observed in temperate forests. Differences in host specificity between temperate and tropical forests are difficult to assess since data on tropical herbivores originate from recent field studies, whereas their temperate counterparts derive from regional host species lists, assembled over many years. No major increase in host specificity from temperate to tropical communities is evident. This conclusion, together with the recent downward revisions of extremely high estimates of tropical species richness, suggest that tropical ecosystems may not be as biodiverse as previously thought.

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Vascular plant distribution patterns at the low temperature limits of plant life - the alpine-nival ecotone of Mount Schrankogel (Tyrol, Austria)

Phytocoenologia ◽

10.1127/phyto/29/1999/297 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 297-325 ◽

Cited By ~ 49

Author(s):

Harald Pauli ◽

Michael Gottfried ◽

Georg Grabherr

Keyword(s):

Low Temperature ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Plant Distribution ◽

Plant Life ◽

Plant Distribution Patterns

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Microscale pattern of vascular plant distribution in two high arctic plant communities

Canadian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1139/b84-277 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 62 (10) ◽

pp. 2033-2042 ◽

Cited By ~ 39

Author(s):

E. H. Sohlberg ◽

L. C. Bliss

Keyword(s):

Distribution Pattern ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Vascular Plant ◽

Extreme Environments ◽

Niche Differentiation ◽

Bare Soil ◽

High Arctic ◽

Plant Distribution ◽

Wind Speeds ◽

Point Quadrat

Microscale pattern is of crucial importance in determining the distribution of vascular plants in the extreme environments of the High Arctic. Point-quadrat analysis of the distribution of the vascular plants in a mesic cryptogam–herb meadow and a xeric Puccinellia barren found a nonrandom distribution of vascular species. Most species were found growing in moss turfs versus crustose lichen or bare soil surfaces in the meadow and in desiccation cracks in the barren. Two species showed an opposite distribution pattern in the meadow indicating that incipient niche differentiation occurs in the High Arctic. Quadrat sampling showed that seed distribution was random in the meadow and only slightly skewed toward cracks in the barren. Microsites appeared to be crucial to the seedling establishment and adult distribution pattern for Papaver radicatum but less important for Ranunculus sabinei. Microclimate analyses showed that soil temperatures were higher, wind speeds were lower, soil moisture content was greater, and nitrate levels were higher in the microsites usually preferred by plants.

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