Abstract

Multi-taxon surveys were conducted in species-rich, lowland palaeotropical and neotropical forested landscapes in Sumatra, Indonesia and Mato Grosso, Brazil. Gradient-directed transects (gradsects) were sampled across a range of forested land use mosaics, using a uniform protocol to simultaneously record vegetation (vascular plant species, plant functional types (PFTs) and vegetation structure), vertebrates (birds, mammals) and invertebrates (termites), in addition to measuring site and soil properties, including carbon stocks. At both sites similar correlations were detected between major components of structure (mean canopy height, woody basal area and litter depth) and the diversities of plant species and PFTs. A plant species to PFT ratio [spp.:PFTs] was the best overall predictor of animal diversity, especially termite species richness in Sumatra. To a notable extent vegetation structure also correlated with animal diversity. These surrogates demonstrate generic links between habitat structural elements, carbon stocks and biodiversity. They may also offer practical low-cost indicators for rapid assessment in tropical forest landscapes.

Highlights

  • Tropical forests contain much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and significant carbon stocks (Bunker et al 2005)

  • The work described in the present paper examines pristine and modified forest systems, testing the hypothesis that vegetation structure and traits are predictive of plant and animal species diversity and abundance, and demonstrates that plant functional type (PFT) diversity, mean canopy height, woody basal area and litter depth have potential as indicators of biological diversity

  • Some features of vegetation structure, including PFT and plant species diversity, the ratio of plant species diversity to PFT diversity, plant litter depth, mean canopy height, woody basal area, canopy cover, percentage of woody plants and cover-abundance of bryophytes predicted animal species richness, though somewhat less strongly, with the exception of woody basal area in Sumatra, which was strongly correlated with termite species richness (P = 0.001)

Read more

Summary

Introduction

Tropical forests contain much of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity and significant carbon stocks (Bunker et al 2005). Particular interest centres on assessing the biodiversity value of modified and disturbed forest ecosystems and the ability of such systems to buffer biodiversity losses expected with the degradation or conversion of more pristine habitats (Wright and Muller-Landau 2006; Chazdon et al 2009). D. Sheil School of Environmental Sciences and Management, Southern Cross University, P.O. Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia. Sheil Institute of Tropical Forest Conservation (ITFC) at Ruhija, Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, P.O. Box 44 Kabale, Uganda

Methods
Results
Conclusion
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call