Diversity patterns and phylogenetic structure of vascular plants along elevational gradients in a mountain ecosystem,South Korea

Recently, a phylogenetic diversity and community structure analysis as complementary to species-centric approaches in biodiversity studies provides new insights into the processes of community assembly. In this study, we analyzed species and phylogenetic diversity and community structures for woody and herbaceous plants along two elevational transects on Mt. Baekhwa, South Korea. The species richness and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants showed monotonic declining patterns with increasing elevation along all transects, whereas herbaceous plants showed different patterns, such as no relationship and a reversed unimodal pattern, between the study transects. The main drivers of these patterns were climate and habitat variables for woody and herbaceous plants, respectively. In addition, the phylogenetic community structure primarily showed phylogenetic clustering regulated by deterministic processes, especially environmental filtering, such as climate or habitat factors, along the two transects, although herbaceous plants along a transect depicted phylogenetic randomness as a result of a neutral process. Our findings suggest that deterministic and neutral processes may simultaneously control the community structures along small-scale elevational gradients such as local transects, although the deterministic process may be the predominant type.     

Diversity and Assemblage Structure of Marine Fish Species Collected by Set Net in Korean Peninsula During 2009–2013

Ocean Science Journal - Assemblage structure analysis was conducted based on seasonal fish species composition data collected four times a year during 2009–2013 from 10 stations around Korea...     

Biomagnification of persistent chlorinated and brominated contaminants in food web components of the Yellow Sea

Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) were measured in 32 species inhabiting the Yellow Sea to assess their bioaccumulation potentials. The concentrations in these samples were lower than those reported for other countries or locations. Relatively high levels of BDE 209 in biota suggest an ongoing source of deca-BDE technical mixing within the Yellow Sea. The accumulation profiles of PCBs were uniform between species, but the concentrations of OCPs and PBDEs varied widely. Pelagic and benthic food-chain components were separated by their δ¹³C values. Significant positive correlations between δ¹⁵N and PCB 153, PCB 138, p,p′-DDE, oxy-chlordane, and trans-nonachlordane were found only for pelagic consumers, indicating that the pelagic food chain is an important bioaccumulation pathway for selected PCB and OCP compounds. The other compounds did not show any biomagnification through benthic and pelagic food chains, suggesting the lower bioaccumulation potentials of these contaminants.