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.     

荒漠河岸植被的受损过程与受损机理分析

以塔里木河多年平均地下水位数据为依据,将地下水位划分为6个环境梯度,各梯度上6次重复采集植被样地数据。从物种多样性、植被盖度与群落类型等几方面分析了植被的受损过程,以及导致此过程的受损机理。结果表明：(1) 草本植物丰富度受损发生在地下水埋深大于4 m,而木本植物丰富度受损发生在地下水埋深大于8 m。(2) 植被盖度减少始于草本植物盖度受损,与群落多样性受损的临界地下水位相同,发生在地下水埋深大于4 m;在地下水埋深大于6 m之后,植被盖度不断减少则是由木本植物盖度的减少所引起。(3) 群落类型受损体现在芦苇群落和胡杨林群落的结构与类型变化上,芦苇群落的衰退演变出现了优势种的更替,而胡杨林群落中优势种的优势地位没有变化。(4) 此受损过程是由荒漠河岸生态系统脆弱的生态基质和外界干扰共同作用的结果,起因于人口的增加、需求的增长。植被退化是人类干扰作用于植被赖以生存的环境主导因子所致。在生态受损过程中,植物功能型差异与所承受的干扰强度差异对植被退化的程度有一定影响。     

土地覆被变化与管理对土壤动物群落演变的耦合效应

以黑河中游人工绿洲边缘天然草地及其转变的人工梭梭灌木林（21 a）、人工杨树林（28 a）、人工樟子松林（33 a）和农田（开垦27 a和100 a）为研究对象,基于6种研究样地中小型土壤动物群落的调查数据,采用多变量排序和通径分析等方法,研究了土地利用/覆被变化与管理措施对中小型土壤动物群落及其主要类群演变的耦合效应。主要结果是:①将天然草地转变为未实施管理措施的人工梭梭灌木林后并未引起土壤动物群落组成、数量和物种多样性的显著变化,而转变为实施管理措施的杨树和樟子松人工林及农田后,导致了土壤动物群落组成、数量和物种多样性的变异,证实了土地覆被变化对中小型土壤动物群落的作用及其效应受管理措施的强烈调控。②土壤动物群落的演变过程受土地覆被变化与灌溉和施肥管理的共同影响,其中灌溉的贡献率最大,是关键驱动因子。③不同土壤动物类群对土地覆被变化和管理耦合作用的响应不同。灌溉对跳虫、甲螨和革螨的个体数量和物种丰富度的直接影响和总效应最大;施肥对辐螨的个体数量和物种丰富度的直接影响和总效应最大;灌溉和施肥对稀有类群的个体数量和物种丰富度的直接影响和总效应均较大,具同等重要的作用。结论是,土地覆被变化与管理耦合作用通过改变土壤水文和生态环境条件驱动了中小型土壤动物群落的演变过程。     

科尔沁沙地草地植被对围封和放牧的响应

研究了科尔沁沙地疏林草地、针茅草原和草甸植被盖度、地上和地下生物量、物种多样性对围封和放牧的响应。结果表明：（1）围封与放牧草地的优势植物不同,围封草地植物群落优势植物为多年生禾本科植物,放牧草地中一年生植物和小半灌木优势明显。（2）围封和放牧草地的植物盖度、凋落物量、地上生物量和物种丰富度存在明显差异（P<0.05）;围封显著提高了植被盖度和地上生物量,由疏林草地、针茅草原到草甸,植物盖度和地上生物量逐渐增加,而3种草地植被凋落物量大小顺序为针茅草原> 疏林草地> 草甸;放牧条件下植物盖度、凋落物量和物种丰富度差异不显著（P>0.05）。（3）3种草地之间的地下生物量无显著差异（P>0.05）,但围封与放牧之间、不同土壤层次之间地下生物量存在明显差异（P<0.05）;围封显著提高草地的地下生物量（P<0.05）;草地地下生物量随着土壤深度表现出下降趋势（P<0.05）。长期放牧增加了草地一年生植物和小半灌木植物的优势,消除了不同草地之间植被盖度和物种丰富度的差异;而围封能提高草地多年生禾本科植物的优势、增加其物种丰富度,对于草地质量和植物多样性的恢复和保育具有积极作用。     

Acacia communities and species responses to soil and climate gradients in the Sudano-Sahelian zone of West Africa

Abiotic environmental factors have a major impact on the distribution and performance of plant species. In order to assess two major species–environmental relations in Sudano-Sahelian Acacia woodlands, we tested the relationship of soil and climate variables on plant diversity as well as on species responses.The indicator species values clustered in five vegetation units characterized by three to ten diagnostic species with woody species richness means varying from three to seven species per 0.09 ha. The NMS ordination explained 65% of the variation in species composition and revealed that soil properties, annual precipitations and temperature range structured the diversity of Acacia communities. Along the annual precipitations gradient, the response of Acacia polyacantha and Acacia hockii showed maxima in the wettest zone of our study area (more than 850 mm/year) whilst Acacia laeta showed a maximum response in the driest zone (below 500 mm/year). The unimodal response of A. hockii, Acacia gourmaensis and Acacia seyal to the soil available water gradient spanned their central borders, respectively from 13 to 18% (optimum 16%), 11–20% (optimum 15%) and 4–12% (optimum 7.5%).The response of Acacia communities and species to soil and climate gradients, makes them performant afforestation species in specific habitats of the Sudano-Sahelian zone.     

科尔沁沙质草地不同恢复年限草本层群落结构及其与土壤理化性质的关系

草本植物在沙地植被恢复过程中具有重要作用,研究自然恢复沙质草地草本层植物群落组成变化规律及其与土壤因子之间的关系,对植被与土壤恢复具有重要的意义.本研究对科尔沁严重退化沙地封育12、17年和20年的自然恢复沙质草地植物组成和土壤理化性质进行研究,同时分析了植物组成与土壤因子的相关关系.结果表明:随着恢复年限的增加,土壤...     

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.     

科尔沁沙质草地植物群落的放牧退化及其自然恢复过程

 为了了解不同放牧强度对我国北方沙质草地的影响及其封禁停牧后草地植被的自然恢复过程,我们于1992—2006年在科尔沁沙地开展了草地放牧和封育试验,分析研究了人类放牧活动对草地植被的影响,比较了不同程度退化草地恢复速度及其所受气候变化影响。研究结果表明:①在科尔沁沙地,随着放牧强度的增加,草地植被受放牧影响的程度会加重,但只有持续重牧才会导致植被的严重退化,而且持续重牧对植被盖度、高度和草地生产力的危害程度要大于对物种丰富度和多样性的危害程度;中度放牧可以导致植被盖度、高度、生物量的轻度下降,但对物种丰富度、多样性没有不良影响;对于退化草地而言,持续轻牧可促进植被的有效恢复;②封禁停牧以后,草地原受干扰程度不同,其恢复的相对速度也不同,表现为原草地退化越严重,其恢复速度相对越快,而且是植被高度、盖度、生物量的恢复速度要大于物种丰富度、多样性和频度的恢复速度;③草地植被的恢复演替明显受到气候变化的影响,暖湿气候有利于植被的恢复,暖干气候对于植被的恢复不利。     

Vegetation Pattern in Northern Tibet in Relation to Environmental and Geo-spatial Factors

Environmental and Geo-spatial factors have long been considered as crucial determinants of species composition and distributions. However, quantifying the relative contributions of these factors for the alpine ecosystems is lacking. The Tibetan Plateau has a unique ecological environment and vegetation types. Our objectives are to quantify the spatial distributions of plant communities on the Northern Tibetan Alpine grasslands and to explore the relationships between vegetation composition, Geo-spatial factors and environmental factors. We established 63 field plots along a 1200-km gradient on the Northern Tibetan Plateau Alpine Grassland and employed the two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and the detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA). Fourteen communities of alpine grassland were identifiable along the transect and consisted of three vegetation types: Alpine meadow, Alpine steppe, and desert steppe. Vegetation composition and spatial distribution appeared to be largely determined by mean annual precipitation and less influenced by temperature. A large fraction (73.5%) of the variation in vegetation distribution was explained by environmental variables along this transect, somewhat less by Geo-spatial factors (56.3%). The environmental and Geo-spatial factors explained 29.6% and 12.3% of the total variation, respectively, while their interaction explained 43.9%. Our findings provide strong empirical evidence for explaining biological and environmental synergetic relationships in Northern Tibet.     

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.     

Seasonal changes in the relationship between species richness and community biomass in grassland under grazing and exclosure, Horqin Sandy Land, northern China

How species diversity–productivity relationships respond to temporal dynamics and land use is still not clear in semi-arid grassland ecosystems. We analyzed seasonal changes of the relationships between vegetation cover, plant density, species richness, and aboveground biomass in grasslands under grazing and exclosure in the Horqin Sandy Land of northern China. Our results showed that in grazed and fenced grassland, vegetation cover, richness, and biomass were lower in April than in August, whereas plant density showed a reverse trend. Vegetation cover during the growing season and biomass in June and August were higher in fenced grassland than in grazed grassland, whereas plant density in April and June was lower in fenced grassland than in grazed grassland. A negative relationship between species richness and biomass was found in August in fenced grassland, and in grazed grassland the relationship between plant density and biomass changed from positive in April to negative in August. The relationship between the density of the dominant plant species and the total biomass also varied with seasonal changes and land use (grazing and exclosure). These results suggest that long-term grazing, seasonal changes, and their interaction significantly influence vegetation cover, plant density, and biomass in grasslands. Plant species competition in fenced grassland results in seasonal changes of the relationship between species richness and biomass. Long-term grazing also affects seasonal changes of the density and biomass of dominant plant species, which further affects the seasonal relationship between plant density and biomass in grasslands. Our study demonstrates the importance of temporal dynamics and land use in understanding the relationship between species richness and ecosystem function.     

Responses of interrill runoff and erosion rates to vegetation change in southern Arizona

Vegetation change, fi-om grassland to shrubland, has occurred over much of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts during the past century. The effect of this vegetation change on interrill runoff and erosion was examined by conducting rainfall-simulation experiments on large runoff plots on contemporary grassland and shrubland hillslopes. These experiments show that, compared to the grassland, the interrill portions of shrubland hillslopes (1) have higher runoff rates, (2) experience equilibrium runoff conditions much more frequently, (3) exhibit higher overland flow velocities, and (4) are subject to greater rates of erosion. The environmental change that has led to the vegetation change has been relatively minor, but its geomorphic impact has been substantial.     

塔里木河中游天然植被的数量分类与排序研究

通过塔里木河中下游天然植被带的调查研究，应用数量分类(TWINSPAN)和排序(CCA)方法，对塔里木河中下游地区天然植被类型进行了划分，并探讨了决定该地区天然植物群落类型的主要环境因子。该地区天然植被可分为4个植被型组，4个植被型，6种植被亚型，9个群系，15个群丛。通过对8个环境因子的CCA排序分析，结果表明制约塔里木河中下游天然植被组成和结构的主导环境因子为地下水位、地下水矿化度、地下水酸碱度。通过CCA二维排序图将16种植物对干旱、盐碱的适应性划分5类型。21个样地在CCA二维排序图上可聚集成9个植物群落类群，即胡杨(Populus euphratica)群落、铃铛刺(Halimodendron halodendron)群落、库尔勒沙拐枣(Calligonum Kuerlese)群落、多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)群落、黑果枸杞(Lycium ruthenicum)群落、盐穗木(Halostashys caspica)群落、花花柴(Karelinia caspica)群落、疏叶骆驼剂(Alhagi sparsifolia)群落、罗布麻(Apocynum venetum)群落，与TWINSPAN结果中的群系分类单位一致。CCA连续排序与TWINSPAN分类结果吻合较好。9种植物群落类型中，能耐受最大盐胁迫的为盐穗木群落，能耐受最大干旱胁迫的为铃铛刺群落，能耐受最大地下水碱胁迫的为黑果枸杞群落。     

石羊河上游干旱草原星毛委陵菜群落土壤种子库

星毛委陵菜(Potentilla aclaulis)被认为是阻止草原进一步退化的一道"绿色屏障",其群落土壤种子库的退化机制能够为草地生态恢复提供依据.通过大面积调查,研究了石羊河上游干旱草原退化演替过程中星毛委陵菜群落的土壤种子库,结果表明,土壤种子库共有19个物种,分属14个科;随着星毛委陵菜种群分盖度的增加,种子库种类及密度呈递减趋势,禾本科的密度减少,不食草种类减少,但是密度增大;在垂直方向上,种子库的种类逐层减少,密度出现0～5 cm>10～15 cm>5～10 cm的变化趋势;星毛委陵菜种子库很小,只占2.93%,其再生途径倾向于无性繁殖;种子库和地上植被的相似性指数平均为0.392,土壤种子库中没有发现原生地带性植被优势种群的种子,反映了草地群落退化的不可逆转性.     

高寒退化草地中垫状点地梅的生态系统工程师作用

垫状植物是高寒地区广泛分布的一类具有特殊形态的植物,被称为高寒生态系统工程师,其在高寒退化草地中的作用如何?本研究以位于西藏当雄念青唐古拉山脉南坡4500m的一处高寒退化草地为例,调查了垫状点地梅覆盖区域内外的物种多样性、土壤养分以及水分的差异。结果表明:垫状点地梅可以显著改善土壤养分,提高幅度大约为16%-48%,其中有机质和总氮(N)分别增加了16.2%和18.9%;局部土壤含水量提高约12%;样方内的物种丰富度(S)、Shannon-Wiener指数(H)和Simpson指数(D)都随着垫状点地梅盖度的增加而呈增加的趋势。垫状点地梅在退化草地中具有显著的改善土壤微环境和提高群落物种多样性的作用,应加强保育以促进高寒退化草地的恢复。     

Disentangling Fabiana imbricata (Solanaceae) regeneration: The importance of disturbance and rainfall

In Mediterranean ecosystems, fire influences plant population dynamics and changes plant community structure by affecting germination and establishment of seeder shrubs. Fabiana imbricata is a long-lived seeder shrub with a broad distribution in South America. In Northwestern Patagonia grasslands there are many records of F. imbricata recruitment after fires. We hypothesized that recruitment is promoted by: 1) soil erosion that exposes deeply buried seeds; 2) direct fire effects such as heat that could break seed dormancy; 3) indirect fire effects (i.e. increase of light availability and elimination of allelopathic substances) and 4) water availability in spring. In field conditions, we tested the effects of shading and soil disturbance on F. imbricata recruitment and seed availability and distribution in the soil profile. Under controlled conditions, we investigated the influence of leaf leachate, light, heat and water on seed germination and seedling emergence. Seed germination was inhibited by leachate, and seedling emergence was inhibited by seed heated to 80 °C and 120° for 5 min. F. imbricata seedlings only emerged in germination treatments that simulated wet and very wet spring conditions. Fire and postfire wind that favor seed exposure, combined with high precipitation early in the growing season, would be necessary for successful shrub recruitment. When F. imbricata shrubland colonizes the grassland, it strongly modifies local vegetation structure, reduces species richness and increases fuel loads. F. imbricata is a key species in the ecosystem specially related to fire regime. Information on the postfire regeneration of this species would provide valuable knowledge of the changes in biomass accumulation in a fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystem.     

古尔班通古特沙漠纵向沙垄植被空间异质性

在古尔班通古特沙漠南部纵向沙垄上按5 m×10 m的网格测度植被样方100个,采集浅层风沙土样品184件。调查发现,乔灌木层片和草本层片的分布及相互关系明显受沙垄地形影响,并且在干旱环境下种群间的竞争和空间上的互补使两层片生态优势度具有显著的相关性。地统计分析结果显示,纵向沙垄上植被空间异质性表现为木本层片的物种多样性呈斑块状分布,草本层片物种多样性呈现平行沙垄的带状结构和斑块结构叠加的特点,而植被盖度则在垂直沙垄走向的方向上具有强烈的梯度性变化。和沙垄土壤理化性质空间格局特征相对比,植被盖度及物种多样性与风沙土浅层含水量在自相关空间（变程）及空间异质性程度上比较接近。这是纵向沙垄小生态系统中草本植物和浅层土壤水分耦合关系在空间上的反映,也是木本植物对水分和土壤资源在小尺度（m）上竞争及中小尺度（10～100 m）上互补的结果。     

Speciation in gall-inducing thrips on Acacia in arid and non-arid areas of Australia

Habitat modification mediated by abiotic processes imposes consequences for the diversification of plants and plant specialists. Host plant diversification is expected to be dependent on environmental and ecological constraints that are fundamentally connected to physiography (physical geography). A phylogenetic approach is used to reconstruct ancestral host plant affiliation of gall-inducing thrips that specialize on Australian Acacia. Diversification rate models are applied to gall-thrips clades that are affiliated with different Acacia host lineages. Gall-thrips diversification is reconciled with contemporary patterns of species diversity relating to the different host lineages. Results indicate that diversification on host lineages that are mostly distributed in non-arid areas are best explained by a rate-constant model. However, this model disguised additive effects of rate-variable lineage accumulation that indicated diversification decreases in sub-clades within this larger group. Gall-thrips affiliated with hosts distributed mostly in arid areas were best characterized by rate-variable decreasing net diversification. The work infers parent gall-thrips lineages are less species diverse compared to daughter lineages that tend to be distributed away from the arid interior of Australia. Contrasting ecological and environmental interactions unique to parent and daughter lineages are suggested to influence the mode of speciation and phenotypic diversity represented by each.     

科尔沁沙地植物多样性对生产力的影响及分布格局

采用种丰富度和以Shannon-Wiener指数为计算方法的功能多样性和组成多样性为指标,探讨了植物多样性对科尔沁沙地草场生产力的影响以及其分布格局特征。结果表明,科尔沁沙地植被不同的物种多样性指数对系统生产力的影响以组成多样性最大,功能多样性次之,植物种丰富度最小。在小尺度上,组成多样性只存在一种格局且具有分形结构,其格局对干扰过程反应不明显;功能多样性有多种格局存在,对多种干扰过程反应敏感。从提高沙地草场生产力和增强系统的稳定性角度出发,草场改良的依据应建立在种的引进和引进种所产生的组成多样性上。     

Carbon pools in an arid shrubland in Chile under natural and afforested conditions

The pattern of carbon (C) allocation among the different pools is an important ecosystem structural feature, which can be modified as a result of changes in environmental conditions that can occur gradually (e.g., climatic change) or abruptly (e.g., management practices). This study quantified the C pools of plant biomass, litter and soil in an arid shrubland in Chile, comparing the natural condition (moderately disturbed by grazing) vs. the afforested condition (two-year-old plantation with Acacia saligna (Labill.) H.L. Wendl.), each represented by a 60 ha plot. To estimate plant biomass, allometric functions were constructed for the four dominant woody species, based on the volume according to their shape, which showed high correlation (R² > 0.73). The soil was the largest C pool in both natural and afforested conditions (89% and 94%, respectively) and was significantly lower in the afforested than natural condition at all five soil depths. The natural condition had in total 36.5 ton (t) C ha⁻¹ compared to 21.1 t C ha⁻¹ in the afforested condition, mainly due to C loss during soil preparation, prior to plantation of A. saligna. These measurements serve as an important baseline to assess long-term effects of afforestation on ecosystem C pools.