Differences in tree species diversity and soil nutrient status in a tropical sacred forest ecosystem on Niyamgiri hill range, Eastern Ghats, India

We have quantitatively analyzed the tree species diversity with respect to soil nutrient status in three sites of a sacred forest ecosystem of Niyamgiri hill range,Eastern Ghats,India.Extensive field surveys and sampling were conducted in 3 sites of the hill range:Site 1 Pterocarpus dominated forest(PTF)(19°40’02.2" N and 83°21’23.1" E),Site 2 Mangifera dominated forest(MAF)(19°40’02.8" N and 83°21’40.8" E) and Site 3 Mixed forest(MIF)(19°36’47.1" N and 83°21’02.7" E).A total of 28 families,42 genera,46 tree species,and 286 individual trees were recorded on an area of 0.6 ha.Tree density varied between 470 and 490 individuals ha-1 and average basal area between 3.16 and 10.04 m2 ha-1.Shannon Index(H’) ranged from 2.34 to 4.53,Simpson’s Index ranged from 0.07 to 0.09,and equitability Index ranged from 0.7 to 1.34.The number of individuals was highest in the girth at breast height(GBH) class of 50-70 cm.The soil nutrient status of the three forest types was related to tree species diversity.The soil pH value of the three sites reflected the slightly acidic nature of the area.Species diversity was positively correlated with organic carbon and phosphorus and negatively with nitrogen,EC and pH.The results of the current study may be helpful to further develop a conservation planfor tree species in tropical sacred forest ecosystems.     

Composition,diversity and distribution of tree species in response to changing soil properties with increasing distance from water source – a case study of Gobind Sagar Reservoir in India

Construction of big dams on rivers develops artificial lakes or water reservoirs which conceive alterations in soil properties of the upstream catchment area. An undulating topography and freckly soil properties cause ups and downs in tree diversity, composition and distribution. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of Gobind Sagar reservoir on soil properties relative to the distance from it and assess its effect on tree diversity, evenness and their distribution in tropical and subtropical forests. Based on data analysis it was found that the soil moisture and organic carbon decreased along with increasing distance from the reservoir. It played a significant role in varying tree diversity. The sites distributed within0-2 km showed significantly higher α and β-diversity indices. Tree species richness and diversity indices showed a strong correlation(p 0.05) with soil moisture and organic carbon content. Simpson's and Mc Intosh evenness indices showed a strong negative correlation with soil bulk density. Indirect Detrended Correspondence Analysis(DCA) identified soil moisture and soil organic carbon as two major environmental gradients that influenced tree diversity and their distribution in five tropical and four subtropical forests in an upstream catchment of the reservoir. Mixed forests inhabited moist sites andAcacia-Pinus forests showed an inclination to dry areas. Canonical Correspondence Analysis(CCA)revealed that the tree species in tropical forests were mainly affected by driving forces such as soil moisture,organic carbon and bulk density whereas, in subtropical forest tree species were influenced by elevation, soil p H, EC and clay content.     

Plant diversity as a good indicator of vegetation stability in a typical plateau wetland

Biotic indicators have been widely used to monitor wetland health. However, few studies have explicitly evaluated if plant diversity could serve as a useful community-level indicator of wetland stability, especially when wetlands are confronted with anthropogenic perturbations. Based on three-year record of wetland plant species abundance in Napahai plateau wetland, Shangri-la under the influence of varying anthropogenic perturbation types, our study tests the impact of such perturbations on plant richness and the relationship between ecosystem temporal stability and plant richness, and further assesses the effectiveness of using plant diversity indicator to probe ecosystem temporal stability of Napahai plateau wetland and the potential mechanisms. The results showed that anthropogenic perturbations could have contributed significantly to realistic variation in plant diversity, and further demonstrated that ecosystem temporal stability was positively related to realistic variation in plant diversity. In particular, communities with high levels of diversity might have better capacity to dampen perturbation impacts than communities with low levels of diversity, and statistical averaging could have played an important role in causing greater stability in more diverse communities. Also, asynchrony might have a stabilizing effect on community stability, and diversity could have stabilized communities through both species asynchrony and population stability propagation. Therefore, our results suggest that plant diversity could be used as a useful indicator of the stability conditions of plateau wetland ecosystems confronted with anthropogenic perturbations, and the preservation of plant communities at sufficient abundance and diversity is necessary for maintaining healthy plateau wetlands and for sustaining their essential ecosystem functions and services.     

Biodiversity and invasibility: Distribution patterns of invasive plant species in the Himalayas,Nepal

Invasive plant species are exerting a serious threat to biological diversity in many regions of the world. To understand plant invasions this study aims to test which of the two plant invasiveness hypotheses; ‘low native diversity' vs. ‘high native diversity', is supported by the regional distribution patterns of invasive plant species in the Himalayas,Nepal. This study is based on data retrieved from published literatures and herbarium specimens. The relationship between invasive plant species distribution patterns and that of native plant species is elucidated by scatter plots, as well as by generalized linear models. The native plant species and invasive plant species have similar distribution patterns and the maximum number of invasive plant species is found in the same altitudinal range where the highest richness for native tree species is found. There is a clear trend of higher invasive plant richness in regions where native tree species richness is relatively high.Consequently, the native plant richness is highest in the central phytogeographic region, followed by the eastern and the western regions, respectively. The invasive plant species also follows a similar trend.Additionally, the invasive plant species richness was positively correlated with anthropogenic factors such as human population density and the number of visiting tourists. This study supports the hypothesis that ‘high native diversity' supports or facilitates invasive plant species. Further, it indicates that nativeand invasive plant species may require similar natural conditions, but that the invasive plant species seem more dependent and influenced by anthropogenic disturbance factors.     

Plant species diversity along an altitudinal gradient of Bhabha Valley in western Himalaya

The present study highlights the rich species diversity of higher plants in the Bhabha Valley of western Himalaya in India. The analysis of species diversity revealed that a total of 313 species of higher plants inhabit the valley with a characteristic of moist alpine shrub vegetation. The herbaceous life forms dominate and increase with increasing altitude. The major representations are from the families Asteraceae, Rosaceae, Lamiaceae and Poaceae, suggesting thereby the alpine meadow nature of the study area. The effect of altitude on species diversity displays a hump-shaped curve which may be attributed to increase in habitat diversity at the median ranges and relatively less habitat diversity at higher altitudes. The anthropogenic pressure at lower altitudes results in low plant diversity towards the bottom of the valley with most of the species being exotic in nature. Though the plant diversity is less at higher altitudinal ranges, the uniqueness is relatively high with high species replacement rates. More than 90 % of variability in the species diversity could be explained using appropriate quantitative and statistical analysis along the altitudinal gradient. The valley harbours 18 threatened and 41 endemic species, most of which occur at higher altitudinal gradients due to habitat specificity.     

Contrasting patterns of free-living bacterioplankton diversity in macrophyte-dominated versus phytoplankton blooming regimes in Dianchi Lake,a shallow lake in China

Freshwater shallow lakes typically exhibit two alternative stable states under certain nutrient loadings:macrophyte-dominated and phytoplankton-dominated water regimes.An ecosystem regime shift from macrophytes to phytoplankton blooming typically reduces the number of species of invertebrates and fishes and results in the homogenization of communities in freshwater lakes.We investigated how microbial biodiversity has responded to a shift of the ecosystem regime in Dianchi Lake,which was previously fully covered with submerged macrophytes but currently harbors both ecological states.We observed marked divergence in the diversity and community composition of bacterioplankton between the two regimes.Although species richness,estimated as the number of operational taxonomic units and phylogenetic diversity(PD),was higher in the phytoplankton dominated ecosystem after this shift,the dissimilarity of bacterioplankton community across space decreased.This decrease in beta diversity was accompanied by loss of planktonic bacteria unique to the macrophyte-dominated ecosystem.Mantel tests between bacterioplankton community distances and Euclidian distance of environmental parameters indicated that this reduced bacterial community differentiation primarily reflected the loss of environmental niches,particularly in the macrophyte regime.The loss of this small-scale heterogeneity in bacterial communities should be considered when assessing long-term biodiversity changes in response to ecosystem regime conversions in freshwater lakes.     

Assessing Conservation Values of Forest Communities in Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve: Plant Diversity,Species Distribution and Endemicity

Present study has been conducted in a biodiversity rich Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve between 2000-3800 m in two different forest physiognomy holding sites to analyze the structure and composition of the forest communities including richness of native, non native and endemic species,and suggest conservation values at community and reserve level.A total of 60 sites were sampled and grouped in 11 and 8 communities for two representative sites Pindari-Sunderdhunga-Kafni(PSK) and Lata-Tolma-Phagti(LTP) respectively.From the sampled sites, 451 species(11.8%, 53 trees;17.71%, 80 shrubs; and 70.51%, 318 herbs) have been recorded.In general, PSK site represented 73.6% and LTP site represented only 54.9% of the total plant species recorded in the study area.Out of total species in PSK site, native species contributed 59.6%(198spp.) and 24.7% species were endemic and near endemic.In LTP site, 66.5% species were Himalayan natives and 33.5% were endemic and near endemic.The species richness ranged from 4-23 ind ha-1(tree),3-18 ind ha-1(sapling), 5-19 ind ha-1(seedling) in PSK site and 4-18 ind ha-1(tree), 4-11 ind ha-1(sapling), 4-16 ind ha-1(seedling) in LTP site.The density ranged from 260-535 ind ha-1(tree), 145-633 ind ha-1(sapling), 1450-8170 ind ha-1(seedling) in PSK site and 599-1211 ind ha-1(tree), 70-951 ind ha-1(sapling),470-1665 ind ha-1(seedling) in LTP site.Species diversity for trees ranged from 0.73-3.37, saplings,0.64-2.67, seedlings, 0.70-2.51, shrubs, 1-2.34 and herbs, 2.02-3.21 in PSK site and 0.63-1.61, saplings,0.76-1.36, seedlings, 0.35-1.79, shrubs, 0.98-2.73 and herbs, 2.48-3.61 in LTP site.These recorded values were almost comparable with the studies conducted in sub-tropical, temperate and sub-alpine regions of the west Himalaya.In some cases the values were slightly higher than the reported values.The important communities with high conservation values have been identified based on different ecological parameters and species distribution.Among all the prioritized communities, Mixed Silver firRhododendron-Maple community in PSK site and Taxus wallichana- A.pindrow mixed community in LTP site supports maximum richness and density of native and endemic species.This study calls for development of adequate strategy and action plan for the conservation and management of habitats, species,and communities under changing climate and socioeconomic scenarios, so that sustainable utilization of the species could be ensured.     

Impact of anthropogenic disturbance on species diversity and vegetation structure of a lowland tropical rainforest of eastern Himalaya,India

Impact of anthropogenic disturbance on species diversity and vegetation structure of a lowland tropical rainforest was studied in the foothills of Eastern Himalaya, India. Tree species richness, density, basal area and the diversity indices were found significantly (P<0.05) decreased with the increasing level of disturbances whereas, shrub density, basal area and herb density significantly increased with increasing disturbance level. In case of shrubs, Simpson’s dominance index significantly (P<0.007) increased along the disturbance gradient, whereas Pielou’s evenness index significantly (P<0.005) decreased with an increasing level of disturbance. Shannon-Weiner diversity index for herbs significantly (P<0.016) increased with increasing disturbance whereas, Simpson’s dominance index was significantly (P<0.013) declined along the disturbance gradient. Results revealed that 10–50 cm dbh classes constituted the highest stem density, and highest basal area was recorded in the >100 cm dbh class in all three sites. Density of the matured trees decreased with increasing DBH whereas, tree basal area tended to increase with increasing DBH in all three sites. Tree species richness was highest in the lower DBH classes. 62.07% of the total tree species regenerated in the largely undisturbed site followed by 50% in the mildly disturbed and 26.32% in the highly disturbed site. The overall regeneration condition was found to be good in the largely undisturbed site. Mildly disturbed site exhibited fair regeneration and so was in the highly disturbed site. Discernable variations in species composition, diversity, regeneration and tree population structure revealed the impact of anthropogenic disturbances on rainforest vegetation dynamics. Higher degree of disturbance was furtherly found not only affecting species diversity but also promoting the growth of invasive weed species. Dominance of Hydnocarpus kurzii and Crypteronia paniculata in the highly disturbed site also indicated that these less-valued timber species may benefit from the vegetation mosaic produced by the disturbance; so differences in abundance of these species may be useful for bio-indication. Furthermore, present study suggests the need of adequate biodiversity conservation measures and adaptation of sustainable forest management approaches in disturbed areas of lowland tropical rainforest in the foothills of eastern Himalaya, India.     

Effects of patch size,disturbances on diversity and structural traits of tropical semi-evergreen forest in the lowland Indo Burma hotspot: implication on conservation of the threatened tree species

Information on geographic distribution, population and threat status of most globally red listed species in the Indo Burma zone are inadequate. Given the increase in the prevalence of isolated forest patches in the part of this hotspot, evaluation is necessary on how size of the remnant forest patches and on-going disturbances affects structure and diversity of remaining habitats including the population of some globally threatened tree species. Quantitative vegetation inventory by 500 m long and 10 m wide (0.5 ha) line transects were randomly set in nine fragmented tropical semi-evergreen forest patches in Tripura, Northeast India. The studied forests patches grouped into small, medium and large based on their respected sizes. Spatial variability was analysed in woody species diversity and structure along the patch size gradients and their response to both patch size and anthropogenic disturbances. Out of 167 species, 13 identified as red-listed species by IUCN under the present inventory. Most of the diversity and structural parameters showed statistically significant positive response with the forest patch size, except for stand dominance, disturbance, sapling density and number of aggregated distribution pattern decreased when patch size increased. In addition, most of the diversity and structural attributes showed negative response with disturbances. Present baseline data would serve as an effective tool for management and protection of this important forest type. Future habitat restoration programme and strategies for relocation of additional population and re-introduction of those globally threatened trees are recommended.     

Anthropogenic impacts on hyperbenthos in the coastal waters of Sishili Bay, Yellow Sea

A survey on the hyperbenthic communities was carried out in the coastal waters of Sishili Bay in the Yellow Sea in July 2009, to investigate the impact of putative anthropogenic activities related to the presence of a sewage outfall, a harbor and an aquaculture site on the benthic ecosystem. An Agassiz net trawl was used to collect hyperbenthos at 10 sampling stations. Species, diversity, abundance, and biomass were analyzed against water sample data and historical data obtained from records from nearby Yantai City. Fifty-two species were identified in the region, of which Crustacea were the most abundant taxon, followed by Echinodermata. Dominant species included five crustaceans, two echinoderms, one mollusk and one fish species. The results of a BIOENV analysis show that the concentrations of NO3-N and Chl-a were slightly positively correlated with hyperbenthic community structure, while other factors were negatively correlated, including sediment grain size and the percentage of TN and TOC in sediment. Abundance- Biomass Comparison （ABC method） curves indicate that the hyperbenthos in Sishili Bay had been disturbed by putative sources of human activities. Eight out of 10 stations were classified as ＂moderately perturbed＂ to ＂perturbed＂.     

基于NDVI的三峡大坝岸边植被时空特征分析

三峡工程建设对生态系统中植被的破坏很明显,尤其是岸边带附近。本文基于多时相遥感图像,采用NDVI序列计算植被覆盖度,通过比较三峡大坝蓄水前后1978、1999、2006年3个时期坝区9月份岸边3km缓冲区的植被覆盖度特征、动态变化,描述了研究区各年份植被覆盖分布以及近30年的植被覆盖变化特征;同时,从面积角度定量,采用分级分析了变化大小,并应用统计学的非参数Wilcoxon秩和检验方法对不同时期、不同土地利用类型的覆盖度样本进行了检验,得到如下结论:近30年间,三峡大坝岸边带植被覆盖变化显著,1978～1999年时间段,由于大坝工程建设植被破坏程度较高,有植被覆盖的区域面积下降了3.31km²;1999年至2006年时间段,在有8km²的淹没区情况下,有植被覆盖的区域仅下降1.57km²,说明植被恢复较明显。近30年间,三峡大坝植被覆盖度整体上有增加的趋势。     

Effect of traditional management practices on woody species composition and structure in montane subtropical forests of Meghalaya,Northeast India

In Meghalaya, northeast India, the local people have the tradition of managing forest resources since early ages. The management practice varies and there are forests with high degree of protection, where no extraction (sacred forests) is allowed. There are also forests with moderate- level of protection and -extraction (reserved forests) as well as forests with low level of protection and open extraction (village forests). The present study was conducted to understand the impact of this traditional management system on the level of human disturbance, and on community composition and structure of the forests in Khasi hills of Meghalaya. The result revealed that disturbance index was low, whereas species richness, density and basal cover were significantly high in forests with high degree of protection (sacred forest) than those with low protection (reserved and village forest). Majority of endemic and threatened plant species were restricted to sacred forests as compared to the other forest types. Though these practices have ensured the sustainable use of forest resources by the local people but due to increased human- pressure and -disturbances, more effective conservation strategies need to be undertaken. Therefore, providing alternatives for fuel Received: 28 July 2016 Revised: 1 October 2016 Accepted: 15 December 2016 wood to local people, environmental education, encouraging afforestation and developmental activities involving local communities are recommended.     

Regeneration and tree species diversity of Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park,Chittagong, Bangladesh

Anthropogenic disturbances influence plant regeneration and species diversity, which impact the conservation status of protected areas. A study was conducted in the Sitakund Botanical Garden and Eco-park （SBGE）, Chittagong, Bangladesh to analyze the natural regeneration and tree species diversity in disturbed and less disturbed zones. Stratified and systematic random sampling was used to select 50 sample plots from each of the two zones. A total number of 109 plant species from 43 families were recorded in the study; of which 93 species were of natural origin while the rest were planted. From the species with natural origin 66 were tree species, 9 were shrub species and 28 were climbers. Species richness, density of regeneration and disturbance index in the height classes （0- 0.5 m） and {dbh 〉 6 cm） indicated significant differences between the zones. The study analyzed how disturbances affect species diversity in the area. It was found that species richness and basal area are negatively related with disturbances. Moreover, density （N/ha） of trees was more likely to decrease with increasing tree height that reflects the huge demand of local people to harvest large trees as part of their income generating activities. The study findings have implications for future managementdecisions of the SGBE. To restore these ecosystems, management should focus on both biodiversity eonservation and providing benefits to local people without hampering forest ecosystems.     

Effects of stand characteristics on tree species richness in and around a conservation area of northeast Bangladesh

We investigated the effect of tree cover, forest patch and disturbances on tree species richness in a highly diverse conservation area of northeast Bangladesh. A systematic sampling protocol was adopted and 80 sub-plots from twenty five 1 ha plots were used for the vegetation survey. Linear regression analysis was performed to understand the effect of patch area, disturbances and tree cover on tree species richness. Ordination using Redundancy analysis (RDA) and Non-metric Multi Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) were also performed to explore the tree species compositional similarities along the stand characteristics gradient and locations of the sample plots. Our study revealed that, forest patch size has greater influence on species richness. Areas with medium level of disturbances have shown greater species richness. In constrained ordination the selected explanatory variables regulated the richness of common species. Our findings can be useful for better forest management and restoration of landscapes of conservation needs using ecologically important species.     

A potential engineering solution to facilitate upstream movement of fish in mountain rivers with weirs: Southern Carpathians,the Azuga River

An important aspect in the restoration of longitudinal connectivity in rivers and streams is the implementation of fish migration systems at the upstream of the functional hydraulic structures(weirs,drop structures or river sills). The diversity of these existing structures as well as the different locations of these weirs within the river, watershed and riparian zone challenge the design engineers to find new holistic solutions for fish migration systems. The Azuga River study area requires a new synergistic fish migration design system. Being a mountain area,rapid increase in water level is quite frequent,especially after heavy or prolonged rainfalls and during spring snow melt. Therefore, it is necessary to design a specific system for fish migration to meet this location's requirements. Due to the characteristics in this location of the Azuga river, the classic fish migration systems would not be functional. The indigenous/mountain trout is considered as the target species in this paper. Although this is a good swimming species, the use of classical systems could,due to exhaustion, prevent and/or reduce the movement of fish upstream of the two weirs(also known as river sills). This new, comprehensive solution, presented in this paper includes:(i) the restoration and stabilization works of the right bank in the weir study area by using biotechnical measures and(ii) the upstream migration system itself-for supporting the migration of fish on the Azuga River.     

Changes in vegetation and soil properties during recovery of a subtropical forest in South China

Secondary forests account for a large amount of subtropical forest due to persistent anthropogenic disturbance in China. The interaction between vegetation and soil during recovery process is rather complex and dependent on forest conditions. Understanding how vegetation and soil properties changes and how their relationship develops in secondary forests is key to effective forest restoration and management. Here we explored the patterns of vegetation and soil properties as well as their correlations during forest recovery process in a subtropical forest in south China. Plots of three forest types, i.e., broadleaf-conifer mixed forest, broadleaved forest and old growth stand, were established to represent the recovery stages. The results showed that diversity patterns in the tree, shrub and herb layers were different: in the tree layer the species diversity peaked at the intermediate stage, while in the understory layers it decreased chronologically. Most of the soil factors showed an increasing trend, and different effects of soil factors were found for the three layers as well as for the two spatial scales. Together, our results suggested that vegetation and soil might be interdependent during the recovery course. Further studies are needed on exploring how vegetation interplays with soil at different scales and how nutrient limitations affects the vegetation development in a chronosequence.     

Diversity,composition and host-species relationships of epiphytic orchids and ferns in two forests in Nepal

Epiphytic plant species are an important part of biological diversity. It is therefore essential to understand the distribution pattern and the factors influencing such patterns. The present study is aimed at observing the patterns of species richness, abundances and species composition of epiphytic orchids and ferns in two subtropical forests in Nepal. We also studied the relationship of host plants (Schima wallichii and Quercus lanata) and epiphyte species. Data were collected in Naudhara community forest (CF) and the national forest (NF) in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park. The data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate tests. In total, we recorded 41 species of epiphytes (33 orchid and 8 fern species). Orchid species abundance is significantly higher in CF compared to NF. Orchid species richness and abundance increased with increasing southern aspect whereas it decreased with increasing canopy cover, and fern species richness increased with host bark roughness. Orchid abundance was positively correlated with increasing bark pH, stem size, tree age and tree height and negatively correlated with increasing steepness of the area. Likewise, fern abundances were high in places with high canopy cover, trees that were tall and big, but decreased with increasing altitude and southern aspect. The composition of the orchid and fern species was affected by altitude, aspect, canopy cover, DBH, number of forks and forest management types. We showed that the diversity of orchid and fern epiphytes is influenced by host characteristics as well as host types. The most important pre-requisite for a high epiphyte biodiversity is the presence of old respectively tall trees, independent of the recent protection status. This means: (i) for protection, e.g. in the frame of the national park declaration, such areas should be used which host such old tall trees; and (ii) also in managed forests and even in intensively used landscapes epiphytes can be protected by letting a certain number of trees be and by giving them space to grow old and tall.     

Anthropogenic disturbances and their impact on vegetation in Western Himalaya,India

The present study assesses anthropogenic disturbances and their impacts on the vegetation in Western Himalaya, India on the basis of various disturbance parameters such as density, Total Basal Cover (TBC) of cut stumps, lopping percentage and grazing intensities. On the basis of canopy cover and frequency of disturbances (%), the studied forests were divided into highly disturbed (HD), moderately disturbed (MD) and least disturbed (LD) categories. The HD forests had the lowest canopy cover, lowest density and lowest TBC and the LD had the highest canopy cover, highest density and highest TBC. The MD forests occupied the intermediate position with respect to these parameters. Species richness was least in HD forests, highest in one of the MD forests while LD forest occupied an intermediate position. The percentage of regenerating species was lowest (54%) in HD and highest (72%) in MD. The density of seedlings and saplings was higher in one of the MD forests as compared to HD and LD. We concluded that the moderate disturbances do not affect the vegetation adversely; however the increased degree of disturbance causes loss in plant diversity; affects regeneration and changes community characteristics. Construction of hydroelectric projects at various places in the study area was found to be one of the most important sources of anthropogenic disturbances in addition to the routine anthropogenic disturbances like grazing, fuelwood collection and fodder extraction. If all proposed dams in the Indian Himalaya are constructed combined with weak national environmental impact assessment and implementation, it will result in a significant loss of species. Therefore, various agents of disturbances should be evaluated in cumulative manner and any developmental activities such as hydropower projects, which trigger various natural and anthropogenic disturbances, should be combined with proper cumulative environmental impact assessment and effective implementation to minimise the anticipated loss of vegetation.     

Spatial distribution pattern in mammal and bird richness and their relationship with ecosystem services in Sanjiangyuan National Park,China

Species diversity exhibit a close relationship with ecosystem services, and making clear the relationship can help us understand the service value and functional mechanism of ecosystems and take measures to promote human well-being. Here, we used species survey data and multi-source habitat factors to simulate the spatial distribution of species richness and four types of ecosystem services(water production, net primary productivity, carbon storage, and habitat quality) in Sanjiangyuan National Park located in Qinghai Province, China. We also analyzed the spatial distribution pattern and explored the spatial relationship between species richness and ecosystem services through Geo Detector analyses. We found that high species richness in Sanjiangyuan National Park was shown to be mainly distributed in areas with high vegetation growth on both sides of rivers. The effect of climate on the spatial distribution of species richness in the park is the highest among all the selected environmental variables. For the relationship between species diversity and ecosystem services, the relative correlation strength of single ecosystem service varied among the three main ecosystems(grassland, meadow, and wetland) and all relations are positive.     

Integrated Analysis of the Trees and Associated UnderCanopy Species in a Subalpine Forest of Western Himalaya,Uttarakhand, India

Subalpine forests are known as outstanding habitats due to co-existence of both temperate and alpine vegetation and are classic example of ecotonal zones. Limited but diverse physiognomy of trees inhabiting in subalpine forest results in variability within under-canopy habitat conditions. Studies were undertaken to assess population status, habitat preference and interferences to the trees and associated undercanopy herbs in a subalpine forest of western Himalaya. A total of 10 woody and 23 under-canopy herbs were recorded in the selected subalpine forest area. At each stand, the number of tree species and under-canopy herbs ranged from 2 to 4 and 8 to 10 respectively. Abies spectabilis, Acer caesium, Quercus floribunda, Q. semecarpifolia and Rhododendron arboreum were key tree species in this area. The density of main woody species was 280 to 1190 individuals ha-1 at different stands. Herbaceous plants with rosette and clump growth habits were observed to have higher values for total basal cover and importance value index. Presence of some undercanopy herbs like; Dactylorhiza hatagirea, Malaxis muscifera, Picrorhiza kurrooa, Polygonatumcirrhifolium and Skimmia laureola in the specific habitats also showed that they are habitat specific.However, the presence of Frageria nubicola and Viola sp. was common in the selected stands. Felling of trees for timber, construction of temporary huts,fuel wood and lopping for fodder were main interferences for trees. On the other hand, trampling driven damage due to grazing, habitats degradation and overexploitation were observed key threats for under-canopy herbs. Integrated analysis including population studies, habitats preference and interferences to the trees and under-canopy herbs in this sensitive and important ecosystem will be useful for determining the conservation plans and ecosystem management.