Influence of soil, tree cover and large herbivores on field layer vegetation along a savanna landscape gradient in northern Botswana

The response of the field layer vegetation to co-varying resource availability (soil nutrients, light) and resource loss (herbivory pressure) was investigated along a landscape gradient highly influenced by elephants and smaller ungulates at the Chobe River front in Botswana. TWINSPAN classification was used to identify plant communities. Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were used to explore the vegetation-environment relationships. Four plant communities were described: Panicum maximum woodland, Tribulus terrestris woodland/shrubland, Chloris virgata shrubland and Cynodon dactylon floodplain. Plant height, species richness and diversity decreased with increasing resource availability and resource loss. The species composition was mainly explained by differences in soil resources, followed by variables related to light availability (woody cover) and herbivory, and by interactions between these variables. The vegetation structure and species richness, on the other hand, followed the general theories of vegetation responses to herbivory more closely than resource related theories. The results suggest a strong interaction between resource availability and herbivory in their influence on the composition, species richness and structure of the plant communities.     

Riparian plant species richness along lateral and longitudinal gradients of water stress and flood disturbance, San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

Diversity theory predicts that species numbers should be highest at intermediate levels of both disturbance and environmental stress. We examined woody and herbaceous plant species richness and cover in the San Pedro River flood plain, along lateral gradients of water availability (ground-water depth), flood disturbance (inundation frequency), and distance from and elevation above the channel, and along longitudinal gradients of water availability (ground-water depth, surface flow permanence, and rainfall) and flood disturbance (total stream power). Herbaceous species were recorded during four sampling periods, and spatial patterns for this group were time-dependent, reflecting temporal variation in limiting factors. During the summer dry season of a dry year, when overall richness was low, richness and cover of herbaceous species declined laterally from the stream channel with increasing ground-water depth, consistent with the idea that low resource levels can limit species richness. Following the summer monsoon rains and floods, when water was less limiting and annuals were seasonally abundant, lateral patterns shifted such that herbaceous species richness and cover increased with increasing plot location above or from the channel. The relationship of herbaceous species richness with tree canopy cover also varied seasonally, shifting from positive (greater richness under canopy) in dry seasons to negative (lesser richness under canopy) in wet seasons. Longitudinally, herbaceous species richness and cover were limited primarily by stream flow and/or ground-water availability during the summer dry season of a dry year. Following the summer monsoon rains and floods, patterns were weighted by the seasonally abundant annuals, and richness increased among sites primarily with distance upstream (and related rainfall gradients). Richness and cover patterns also varied between years with different flood conditions. During the two sampling seasons in the year following a large flood, herbaceous species richness increased with flood disturbance intensity but declined at the few most intensely disturbed sites, consistent with intermediate disturbance theory.For woody species, richness within plant functional groups varied in opposing ways along the lateral gradients: hydromesic pioneer species decreased and hydromesic and xeric competitors increased with distance from or above the channel, with no overall change in species richness. Among sites, woody species richness patterns were related to water availability, but not to flood disturbance. However, richness of woody hydromesic pioneer species increased with both increasing site moisture and flood disturbance. Woody and herbaceous species richness both increased among sites as a function of increasing flood-plain width, likely due to species–area effects. Overall, results indicate that flood disturbance and water availability both influence species richness of riparian plants in the flood plain of this semi-arid region river, with the relative influence of each factor varying among plant groups and over time.     

Components of woody plant diversity in semi-arid Chaco forests with heterogeneous land use and disturbance histories

We assessed components of woody plant diversity within and between 16 sites dispersed across the nearly 200,000 ha of the Semi-arid Chaco vegetation of the Copo Conservation Unit, northern Argentina. Argentina's Semi-arid Chaco is an object of international conservation concern, as it is under pressure from conversion to agroindustry supplanting long-standing practices of logging and livestock grazing. We recorded from 16 (shrubby grassland following forest fire) to 27 (selectively logged forest) woody plant species per site and 37 species in total (gamma diversity). Additive partitioning showed that alpha diversity contributed 59% to gamma diversity and beta diversity only 41%. A separate additive partitioning of gamma diversity of the 13 forested sites alone showed that beta diversity attributable to logging history was considerably lower than remaining beta diversity and alpha diversity. Ordination analyses confirmed this finding: species composition of unlogged, selectively logged and intensively logged forest sites was quite similar. Results suggest that (1) woody vegetation, at least, of the Semi-arid Chaco is quite tolerant to traditional modes of land use and that (2) conservation of this vegetation as a whole must include not only “pristine” sites varying in edaphic conditions but also sites varying in land use and management histories.     

C4 plant species and geographical distribution in relation to climate in the desert vegetation of China

Water use efficiency of C₄ plants is higher than that of C₃ plants, and CAM (Crassulaceae Acid Metabolism) plants have the highest water use efficiency. In the desert regions of China, CAM plants are scarce, and C₄ plants, especially C₄ woody plants, have an important position and role in the desert ecosystem. There are 45 species of C₄ woody plants in the desert regions of China, including semi-woody plants, accounting for 6% of the total desert plant species in China, and most of them are concentrated in the families of Chenopodiaceae and Polygonaceae, which are 19 species and 26 species, respectively. The number of C₄ herbaceous plants is 107 species, including 48 monocot species and 59 dicot species. C₄ woody plants mainly inhabit the northwestern arid desert regions of China west of the Helan Mountains. The drought-resistance and drought-tolerance of C₄ herbaceous plants are worse than C₄ woody plants, and C₄ herbaceous plants mainly inhabit areas with shallow groundwater depth and better water conditions in the desert regions, and are widely distributed along the margins of oases. The abundance of C₄ woody plants is closely correlated with drought, but the abundance of C₄ herbaceous plants increases with wet conditions.     

我国荒漠植被中的C4植物种类分布及其与气候的关系

C4植物水分利用效率高于C3植物,CAM植物具有最高的水分利用效率。在我国荒漠地区,CAM植物稀少,C4植物,特别是C4木本植物在荒漠生态系统中具有重要地位和作用。我国荒漠地区有C4木本植物45种,包括半木本植物,占我国荒漠植物总种数的6%,集中在藜科和蓼科,分别为19种和26种。C4草本植物共计107种,其中单子叶植物48种,双子叶植物59种。C4木本植物主要分布在贺兰山以西的西北干旱荒漠区。C4草本植物的耐旱性和抗旱能力不如C4木本植物,主要分布在荒漠地区潜水埋深较浅,水分条件较好的区域,在绿洲边缘广泛分布。C4木本植物丰度与干旱紧密相关,C4草本植物丰度随湿润条件而增加。     

Forage resource use by cattle or goats at an Indian protected area: Differences and implications for conservation

In India, increasing livestock populations exert pressure on protected areas (PAs) and surrounding rangelands. Differences in resource use by cattle and goats kept in local communities close to the Bandhavgarh National Park were assessed to conclude on expected environmental damage and to provide management implications. Within 5 months of dry period (subdivided into cool and hot dry season), 2 × 25 dairy goats and cattle were continuously observed during daylight. The time spent for various feeding-related activities and plant species and biomass ingested were recorded. This was accompanied by surveying and recording herders’ activities. Cattle and goats largely relied on woody plants. Goats spent time equally on browsing and grazing, increased leaf litter intake with time but rarely consumed crop residues. Goat herders often offered cut leaf-bearing branches. Cattle preferentially grazed, but also increasingly ingested leaf litter. Crop residues were offered instead of cut woody plants. Cattle herds were much less efficiently using the scarce forage resources for milk production than goat herds. However, as woody plants are important for PAs, particularly goat pasturing practices were detrimental to conservation. Desertification in PA surroundings may be prevented by combining improvements in general livestock management and specific feeding procedures, tree protection, and afforestation measures.     

Floristic uniformity across abrupt boundaries between Triodia hummock grassland and Acacia shrubland on an Australian desert sandplain

The tension between pyrophytic hummock grasslands and fire-sensitive mulga shrubland is a major ecological theme in central Australia. On a sandplain on the edge of the Tanami Desert, grassland and shrubland are juxtaposed with abrupt boundaries that cut across a subtle environmental gradient. We compare woody plant diversity among vegetation types and explore correlates of the distribution of woody plant species. Alpha diversity in grassland and shrubland was almost identical, but plot-level species richness was greater in grassland. Gamma (landscape) diversity was scarcely greater than alpha diversity. Few long-lived plants, and not even the dominant hummock grass and shrub, were exclusively associated with one vegetation type, but most common species were aligned with elements - soil texture, fire frequency and the extent of physical soil crusting - that characterise the environmental gradient between vegetation types. Most species were resprouters and there was no tendency for obligate seeders or facultative resprouters to be associated with the less fire-prone shrubland. Our data are consistent with the suggestion that hummock grasslands and mulga shrubland are alternative stable states maintained by fire-soil feedback loops and possibly also by competitive exclusion of pyrophytic species by Acacia aneura.     

A Review of “War,Violence, and Population: Making the Body Count”

An understanding of the contemporary biogeography of a region must be predicated not only on the current environmental conditions that influence species distributions but also on historical factors including anthropogenic disturbance regimes. Increasingly, researchers are using historical data, such as the Public Land Survey System (PLSS) records, to create baselines from which subsequent biogeographic changes can be gauged. The present-day state of Oklahoma is unique in that two separate PLSS surveys were conducted in the state during a relatively short time span. We compare these two historical data sets, from the 1870s and 1890s, respectively, to quantify changes in landscape structure and woody plant assemblages corresponding to rapid demographic changes occurring within the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma. During this period, the PLSS data show a landscape that became increasingly fragmented, as well as differences in stand composition and density. The documentation of these important historical anthropogenic changes occurring on the western fringes of the eastern deciduous forest could serve as a valuable guide for conservation and restoration initiatives.     

Environmental Resources, Population and Sustainability: Evidence From Zimbabwe

This paper examines four issues central to the relationships between environmental resources, population and sustainability in Zimbabwe. First, the conceptualisation of population-resource interrelationships and sustainability. Second, the legal basis of land use practices and origins of land use conflict within and between Zimbabwe's main population groups. Third, the demographic threats to sustainable resource development and the impact of the Structural Adjustment Programmes (SAPs) on rural and urban communities. Fourth, the dynamics of population change and environmental resource use constraints including resettlement and land redistribution or reform programmes. It is concluded that the relationships between environmental degradation and population pressure are complex. Sustainable environmental resource use to supply basic livelihoods can be achieved if appropriate technical expertise or backup is provided to the population. Developing and implementing sustainable resource development strategies in Zimbabwe requires attention to socio-economic and political challenges.     

Effects of artificial vegetation arrangement and structure on the colonization and development of biological soil crusts

The colonization and development of biological soil crusts (BSCs) are rarely discussed when investigating vegetation restoration with difference arrangement and structure of anthropogenically damaged areas in semi-arid regions. The present study analyzes the relationships among coverage, height and density of woody vegetation and coverage and thickness of BSCs on the surface mine dumpsite in Heidaigou, China. Results showed that PR (Prunus sibirica L.), PT (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) and PPr (P. tabulaeformis Carr., P. sibirica L.) types had the highest coverage of total BSCs, which were 76.8%, 75.9% and 78.9%, respectively and PR showed the thickest BSCs of 4.41 mm. There was a significant correlation between coverage and thickness of BSCs and coverage and height of woody vegetation as a unimodal curve. Our findings suggest that a single woody plant species and low level coverage and height (no more than 30% and 300 cm, respectively) of woody plants may be able to create suitable conditions for facilitating BSCs restoration on the surface of mine dumpsites. The effects of vegetation arrangement and structure on BSCs colonization and development should be considered in reconstructing and managing woody vegetation in disturbed environments, such as surface mine dumpsites in semi-arid areas.     

Effects of fire on rangeland vegetation in south-western Mendoza plains (Argentina): composition,frequency, biomass,productivity and carrying capacity

The effect of both a non-prescribed summer fire and grazing at high stocking rate following fire on plant community composition, the frequency of occurrence of bare soil, grasses and shrubs, species diversity and biomass of herbaceous forage were evaluated for three growing seasons after fire. Changes in community composition occurred as a consequence of both fire and grazing. Communities were dominated by unpalatable shrubs and grasses in unburned sites as a result of a long history of overgrazing. Fire contributed to a conversion of those shrublands to communities with a more favourable balance between woody and herbaceous species. The frequency of palatable grasses and herbaceous forage biomass increased by a factor ofc. 3 at the expense of woody vegetation. Grazing after fire had significant positive (i.e. decrease in undesirable grasses) and negative (i.e. increase in bare soil) effects.     

Traditional horticultural knowledge change in a rural population of the Patagonian steppe

We investigated traditional horticultural knowledge related to plant species cultivated in homegardens in an arid rural population of North-western Patagonia, Argentina. By means of semi-structured interviews and field visits to the cultivated areas we analyzed floristic composition and structure of: vegetable-gardens, greenhouses and gardens. We evaluated species richness, cover and biogeographical origin in each cultivated area and analyzed the influence of socio-cultural factors, such as age and gender, on informants’ cultivation practice. A total of 124 species was found: 75 species in vegetable-gardens, 63 in greenhouses and 68 in gardens. In all cultivated areas, most plant species (91%) were exotic and mainly used for edible purposes. Plant richness in homegardens increased with informants’ age and both men and women play a relevant role in the maintenance of cultivated areas. Traditional knowledge in this community has been suffering an erosion process, which is in part influenced by the intervention of extension agents. However, their presence creates the possibility of integrating new and ancestral practices, favoring development of knowledge of a hybrid, syncretic nature. Alongside these changes, Pilcaniyeu inhabitants still maintain traditional homegardens cultivation, through which we can appreciate the intricate relationship between people and their physical, historical, cultural and spiritual contexts.     

Exploring urban commuting imbalance by jobs and gender

Previous findings support that distance matters for job access. Typically, long distances act negatively on job access either due to the lack of information about the opportunities or the cost (time, transportation, etc.). Disparities in job access are explained with the workers’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and their spatial condition. Nevertheless, job access was not fully explored in multi-dimensional ways because of data and computational limitations. Recently, the wealth of commuting data, combined with the growing capacity of computation and methodological development, enables us to examine more commuting pattern details than what existing data provide at an aggregate level. This study uses a disaggregate journey-to-work model on 2000 Census Transportation Planning Package (CTPP) commuting data to investigate access to job by gender and occupation, in a more localized context. To explore this varying degree of job access and associated explanation, we analyzed disaggregate commuting flows and ran a regression model on them. This study has three main objectives: (1) to disaggregate journey-to-work flows by gender and occupation to estimate the number of commute trips between census tracts, (2) to explore the variations in job access by gender and occupation, and (3) to draw relationships between job access and various worker’s situations. The results show the details of commuting patterns, suggesting that some occupations have more gender imbalance than others. Further, the findings indicate that the same demographic, socioeconomic and spatial conditions have different effects on workers, and the effect is related to the workers’ demographic-socioeconomic status in complex ways. Unlike conventional research in which a particular worker group is compared to a control group of opposite characteristics, our methodology makes it possible to examine an overview of all the job and gender groups, providing advantages in 2-way comparisons between gender and occupation groups beyond a conventional comparison between two groups. Therefore, our study adds an additional dimension to the conventional comparison.     

The impact of African elephants on Acacia tortilis woodland in northern Gonarezhou National Park, Zimbabwe

We investigated the impact of African elephants (Loxodonta africana) on the structure and composition of Acacia tortilis woodland in northern Gonarezhou National Park, southeast Zimbabwe. A. tortilis woodland was stratified into high, medium and low elephant utilisation categories based on evidence of elephant habitat use as determined through dung-count surveys in relation to distance of woodland patches from perennial and natural surface water sources. The following variables were recorded in each study plot: tree height, species name, number of species, plant damage, basal circumference and number of stems per plant. A total of 824 woody plants and 26 woody species were recorded from the sampled A. tortilis woodland patches. Mean tree densities, basal areas, tree heights and species diversity were lower in areas with medium and high elephant utilisation as compared to low elephant utilisation areas. Plants damaged by elephants increased with increasing elephant utilisation. The study findings suggest that A. tortilis woodland is gradually being transformed into an open woodland. We recommended that protected area management in arid and semi-arid areas should consider (i) formulating clear thresholds of potential concern to allow for the conservation of sensitive woodlands such as A. tortilis woodlands and (ii) establishing long-term vegetation monitoring programmes.     

Are women reservoirs of traditional plant knowledge? Gender,ethnobotany and globalization in northeast Brazil

This study examines the degree to which knowledge of traditional plant medicine is gendered among communities settled near Chapada Diamantina National Park in eastern Bahia state, northeast Brazil. Employing a quantitative analysis of a sample plant pharmacopoeia, I focus on the relationship between gender, age and the socioeconomic impacts of globalization in this tropical region. Results indicate that women are more familiar with both the field identities and the medicinal values of the local flora than are men. This division is pronounced among older participants (30–80 years) who represent a reservoir of medicinal plant knowledge that is in danger of disappearing. I suggest that this heightened understanding among women is due to historical gender divisions of space and labour; the inherently high potential for medicinal plant identification and collection in anthropogenic habitats; and the role of women as primary healthcare givers for the family.     

浙江开化山区森林区系的地理成分研究

开化山区面积占总面积的８８％．是浙江植物种类最丰富的地区，有野生木本植物８３２种，隶属于９５科２７２属．在对森林区系统计和分析的基础上，着重研究了地理成分，认为它们具有下列特征：１．木本植物种类非常丰富；２．古老、孑造和珍稀濒危植物较多；３．区系地理成分复杂，与世界各地植物区系有广泛联系；４．２７０个属可划分为１４个类型（包含１２个变型）；５．温带成分占优势．     

Analyzing the distribution of human activity space from mobile phone usage: an individual and urban-oriented study

Travel activities are embodied as people’s needs to be physically present at certain locations. The development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs, such as mobile phones) has introduced new data sources for modeling human activities. Based on the scattered spatiotemporal points provided in mobile phone datasets, it is feasible to study the patterns (e.g., the scale, shape, and regularity) of human activities. In this paper, we propose methods for analyzing the distribution of human activity space from both individual and urban perspectives based on mobile phone data. The Weibull distribution is utilized to model three predefined measurements of activity space (radius, shape index, and entropy). The correlation between demographic factors (age and gender) and the usage of urban space is also tested to reveal underlying patterns. The results of this research will enhance the understanding of human activities in different urban systems and demographic groups, as well as providing novel methods to expand the important and widely applicable area of geographic knowledge discovery in the age of instant access.     

云南石林喀斯特小生境木本植物多样性特征

喀斯特生境与生物多样性的关系及对人为干扰的响应是喀斯特生态恢复的重要内容。以石林世界地质公园为例对此进行研究。从喀斯特溶痕与植物生长发育关系角度看,石林的小生境可分出节理溶沟、裂隙溶沟、楔状槽沟、深溶蚀坑、溶蚀石堆、浅溶蚀盘、溶蚀穿洞、溶蚀井或圆形溶槽和溶蚀廊道等9种。这些小生境的长度在31~340 cm,宽度在10~261 cm。在原生林、次生林、灌丛和灌丛草地等四个群落中调查了各个小生境的木本植物,共记录40科92种,个体数11420株,其中以溶蚀廊道的木本植物总数最多,溶蚀穿洞最少。物种和数量保持最稳定的小生境是溶蚀石堆和裂隙溶沟。各小生境群落间的物种相似性指数很低。裂隙溶沟、深溶蚀坑、楔状槽沟、溶蚀石堆等小生境在人为强烈干扰后,仍保留有部分乡土植物繁殖体,其他小生境缺乏,这些繁殖体对生态严重退化区的喀斯特植被恢复具有重要意义。喀斯特生境的尺度影响森林植被的自然恢复。保护喀斯特地质遗迹可以促进生物多样性恢复和保护,石林世界地质公园提供了例证。     

Perceptions of Local People toward Wild Edible Plant Gathering and Consumption: Insights from the Q-method in Hani Terraces

Wild edible plants (WEPs) can provide a variety of provisioning services and cultural services but they are currently under-utilized. Understanding farmers’ perceptions of the collection and consumption of wild edible plant resources is essential for promoting local socio-ecological system resilience and local wild plant resource use. This paper uses the Q-method to investigate the main perspectives of farmers toward collecting and consuming wild edible plants in the Honghe Hani Terraces region of Yunnan Province. This analysis identified four main perspective types among the farmers, including market-driven, household user-driven, cultural service seekers, and tradition followers. It revealed the main factors that limit and facilitate farmers’ WEP collection and consumption, including limitations due to loss of traditional knowledge, and changes in socioeconomic conditions that negatively affect WEP collection and consumption; while, on the other hand, the demand for WEP-related cultural services and the presence of a strong culture slowed down changes in dietary structure, which in turn have maintained WEP collection and consumption. The Q-method can help in identifying the relationship between community residents and local wild plant resource use in rapidly transitioning areas and in identifying the barriers that affect the resilience of local socio-ecological systems.     

Summer and winter drought in a cold desert ecosystem (Colorado Plateau) part I: effects on soil water and plant water uptake

We investigated the effects of winter and summer drought on plants of the Colorado Plateau in western North America. This winter-cold, summer-hot desert region receives both winter and summer precipitation. Droughts were imposed for two consecutive years using rainout shelters. Here, we examine drought effects on the hydrologic interactions between plants and soil. We chose three perennial species for this study, representing different rooting patterns and responsiveness to precipitation pulses: Oryzopsis hymenoides, a perennial bunch grass with shallow roots; Gutierrezia sarothrae, a subshrub with dimorphic roots; and Ceratoides lanata, a predominantly deep-rooted woody shrub. Drought effects on plant water status were qualitatively similar among species, despite morphological differences. Summer drought affected the water status of all species more negatively than winter drought. Isotopic analysis of stem water revealed that all three species took up deeper soil water under drought conditions and shallow soil water after a large rainfall event in summer. Thus all three species appeared to use the same water sources most of the time. However, after a particularly dry summer, only the deepest-rooted species continued to take up soil water, while the more shallow-rooted species were either dead or dormant. Our study suggests therefore that increased occurrence of summer drought could favor the most deep-rooted species in ecosystem.