Management Of Plant Diversity Research Articles

Overview of Ecological Studies on Conservation and Management of Plant Diversity in Indian Botanic Garden, Howrah

Ecological factors of Edapho-Microbial Nature, Bio-aquatic nature, Chemical nature of Hooghly river waters and their impact on the eco-pedon system of IBG have been analysed and are presented here with the objective to aid in scientific management of this unique Botanic Garden. Emphasis is laid on the seasonal variations in the factors governing the ecology of the garden. The paper is concluded with some suggestions for upkeep of the balanced ecology of Indian Botanic Garden (IBG).

Distribution Pattern of Species Richness of Endemic Genera in Mountainous Areas of Southwest China and Its Influencing Factors

China’s southwest mountainous region is one of the hotspots of biodiversity in the world. However, the study on the pattern of species richness distribution of endemic plants in this region and its influencing factors is still in the exploration stage. A clear regional spatial distribution pattern of plants and its influencing factors are very important for the protection and management of plant diversity in southwest China. In this study, 511 county-level regions in the southwest mountainous region were taken as examples to establish a plant species resource bank in the southwest mountainous region, and the distribution pattern of the proportion and abundance of endemic plant families and genera was analyzed based on 19 climate and environmental factors and 8 human disturbance factors in the southwest mountainous region. The geographical weighted regression model (GWR) was used to reveal the main factors affecting the spatial distribution of species. The results showed that: (1) A total of 4688 species investigated in the southwest mountain belong to 19 families and 32 genera. (2) The endemic species richness in the southwest mountainous region showed a significant uneven spatial pattern, mainly concentrated in the Heng Duan Mountain area, southwest Sichuan and northern Yunnan area, and the Ruoergai-Hongyuan area of West Sichuan Plateau. (3) The results of the GWR model showed that the diurnal mean temperature range, precipitation seasonality and distance from the main road had significant effects on species richness. The study on the distribution of endemic genera and their influencing factors in the southwest mountainous region has important implications for the exploration of the evolutionary history and species conservation of the mountain flora.

Effects of Forest Management Approach on Carbon Stock and Plant Diversity: A Case Study from Karnali Province, Nepal

The mitigation of global warming and conservation of biodiversity are two significant environmental challenges today. Estimating and comparing forest carbon stock and plant diversity under different management approaches provide insight into the choice of management approaches for carbon and plant diversity management. We investigated the variation in carbon stock and diversity of plant species in two forest managements under different approaches: the Kakrebihar protection forest (PF) and Sano Surkhet community forest (CF) in Karnali Province, Surkhet, Nepal. In total, 63 sample plots (30 plots in PF and 33 plots in CF) were laid out systematically across the forests. Dendrometric measurements were carried out for trees, poles, and saplings, and representative leaf litter and herb samples were collected. Soil samples were taken at 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm depths using a soil auger. The existing tree volume equations of tree species of interest were used to estimate tree volume, and species-specific wood density and conversion factors were used to obtain total biomass and carbon content. Soil samples were analyzed using the Walkley-Black method to determine soil organic carbon. PF had higher carbon stock, plant species richness, and abundance at the landscape level than CF; however, the scenario differed at the plot level. At the plot level, PF had significantly higher total carbon stock and biomass carbon stock than CF. However, PF and CF were statistically indistinguishable in term of soil carbon stock. At the plot level, PF and CF were statistically indistinguishable regarding richness, Simpson diversity, and Shannon diversity, but PF had significantly higher plant abundance than CF. In conclusion, the value of PF for carbon stock and plant diversity surpassed those of CF. This study suggests that PF might be a better strategy to enhance carbon stock in forests and maintain habitat for various plant species.

Plant diversity decreases potential nitrous oxide emissions from restored agricultural soil

Plant diversity has been shown to mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from soil in some ecosystems. We tested the generality of this diversity effect on ecosystem functioning, as an application of ecological theory by quantifying potential nitrous oxide emissions in grasslands restored from agriculture containing high and low diversity. We performed an initial plant survey to develop the study design from quadrat analyses (used to determine sampling frame size that maximizes variance in plant community structure), semivariogram analyses of plant community PCA scores (used to determine minimum distance between sampling frames), and upper and lower quartiles of plant diversity (Shannon’s diversity). We sampled high (per field n = 6, total n = 60) and low (per field n = 6, total n = 60) diversity (high diversity: mean Shannon diversity index = 1.69; low diversity: mean Shannon diversity index = 0.73) plant communities within 10 to 12 y old restorations co-located at Nachusa Grasslands (Franklin Grove, IL, USA). We found potential N2O emissions were nearly seven times greater in low diversity compared to high diversity communities. Inorganic N availability, relative amounts of nitrification and denitrification, and water extractable C did not explain difference in potential N2O emission from soil with contrasting plant diversity. Although the mechanism for large variation in this ecosystem function corresponding with biodiversity remains undetermined, this work shows that management for plant diversity may reduce N2O emissions from soil.

Congruence between arthropod and plant diversity in a biodiversity hotspot largely driven by underlying abiotic factors.

Plants often form the basis of conservation planning and management. The effectiveness of plant diversity as a surrogate for arthropod diversity was assessed in natural areas in the Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve, a floral endemism hotspot in the Cape Floristic Region (CFR), South Africa. Arthropods and plants were sampled across 30 topographically heterogeneous sites in a spatially nested design. The relationship between plants and arthropods were quantified in terms of species richness, assemblage variation, and assemblage turnover. The influence of arthropod trophic groups, habitat association, and spatial scale were also explored. Generalized dissimilarity modelling was used to investigate differential influence of explanatory groups (geology, disturbance, local site characteristics, refuge, mesoclimate, terrain) on arthropod and plant turnover. Congruence in assemblage variation was restricted to local scales, and only present between plants and those arthropods associated with the foliar component of the habitat. Weak congruence in species turnover was due to differences in the relative importance of explanatory groups, with different variables within each explanatory group being important, and similar variables predicting different turnover patterns. For both groups, variables related to geology and fire history were important for assemblage turnover. These variables are already incorporated in conservation planning and management for plant diversity across the CFR. Overall plant diversity was a weak surrogate for the arthropod groups included in this study, suggesting that as an alternative, environmental surrogates for arthropod diversity perform better.

A simulation study on the effects of plot size and shape on sampling plant species composition for biodiversity management

ABSTRACTSustainable management of plant diversity in a forest requires adequate information that is often derived from samples. With limited resources, the plot design has to be efficient. Most studies focused on evaluating effects of plot designs on sample estimates of species richness at landscape scale. This study aims at filling a knowledge gap by investigating how plot size and shape affect sample estimates of species composition at a local scale. Two census datasets with distinct forest ecosystems were used. Fifteen combinations of plot size and shape were simulated. Species compositional similarity between two combinations of plot design at a sample point was estimated by Jaccard and Sørensen indices, and their abundance-adjusted counterparts. Similarity in species composition decreased with increasing difference between two plot sizes. Plots with varying shapes were found to have different local species composition but could be similar in the number of observed species, which has not been explicitly reported elsewhere. For less species-rich forests, a 0.025–0.05 ha circular plot is recommended. For species-rich forests, a 0.05–0.1 ha rectangular plot with aspect ratio of at least 1:20 is recommended. The results should be of interest to stakeholders managing small area forests for conservation of plant diversity.

El huerto familiar y la cultura. El espacio destinado a las plantas medicinales en Xochipala, Guerrero

El huerto familiar, que refleja el manejo y conocimiento sobre el medio ambiente que rodea a un grupo humano, es el espacio o el área aledaña a la casa habitación. Para Álvarez-Buylla y Lazos (1983) en él se cultivan y protegen plantas perennes y anuales con diferentes usos, ya sea para autoconsumo, ya para excedentes. Respecto a este punto, Gispert (1993) agrega que en dicho sitio se practican además actividades sociales, biológicas y agronómicas, lo cual constituye una unidad económica de autoconsumo a la puerta del hogar. Este artículo tiene por objetivo valorar al huerto familiar como herencia social. Si bien para Gutiérrez (2003), el huerto familiar muestra la relación entre los grupos sociales y las plantas, la cual persiste a pesar de la irrupción del desarrollo de las civilizaciones o la proximidad a las grandes urbes, Gispert (1993) expresa un aspecto de la identidad cultural de un grupo humano en relación con la naturaleza. Para Gispert (2005), esta relación sociedad-planta es siempre dinámica; por parte de la sociedad, intervienen fenómenos culturales, ideológicos, políticos y económicos, y por parte de la planta, el ambiente con sus biomas y sus floras. Para afirmar que el huerto familiar es parte de la identidad cultural de un grupo social, es necesario documentar y estudiar las funciones de dicho sistema y el manejo de la diversidad vegetal, para entender la relación que existe entre un grupo social y el medio ambiente que lo rodea, y finalmente comprender que todo lo anterior es parte de la cultura e identidad de una comunidad.
 
 

Microorganisms and their residues under restored perennial grassland communities of varying diversity

Rising atmospheric CO2 concentration and global mean temperatures have stimulated interest in managing terrestrial systems to sequester more carbon and mitigate climate change. In a restored prairie experiment, we compared high diversity (HD, 25 species) with low diversity (LD, 6 species) prairies to investigate the effect of plant diversity on soil microbial communities and their residues with soil depth. We assayed lipid and amino sugar biomarkers for soil samples, taken after 9 years following the establishment of the prairie treatment, at 5 depth increment layers: 0–2 cm, 12–15 cm, 25–27 cm, 50–52 cm, and 98–100 cm. We found that the microbial biomass and residues decreased considerably with depth in both diversity treatments. Ordination analysis of lipid profiles indicated soil microbial communities were consistently distinct between the deeper and the upper layers, regardless of treatment, and also differed between the LD and HD treatments. Plant diversity effects on soil microbial communities strongly correlated with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), as indicated by the lipid marker 16:1ω5c. Soil microbial residues in deeper horizons were relatively more enriched in HD than LD treatments, suggesting that greater plant diversity might sustain higher soil carbon storage through relatively recalcitrant necromass inputs in the long term. Decreasing glucosamine/muramic acid (GluN/MurA) ratio in LD and increasing in HD with depth suggested that the new microbially-accumulated carbon was positively contributed by fungal-derived residues. Our results indicate that plant diversity drives soil microbial carbon sequestration through changes in AMF abundance in restored native tallgrass ecosystems. These findings have implications for understanding how the management of plant diversity can improve soil quality and sustainability in grasslands, and how efforts to conserve and restore diverse grasslands could mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

Indigenous Knowledge of Dayaks Bakumpai in Barito Kuala District on the Management of Plant Diversity Growing at Streams and Swamps

Research aimed at describing profile of indigenous knowldge owned by the Dayaks Bakumpai in Batola district on managing the diversity of herbs growing at the river flow and swamp. Data on herb used by the tribe were grouped based on the etnobotanic study, covering study botany, etnofarmacology, etnoantrophology, etnolinguistik and etnoekologi. We also observed how the Dayaks Bakumpai in Batola district preserve the diversity of plant in around them, and how their efforts in bequeathing or teaching the traditional knowledge of an old breed generation to his young daam in managing diversity of herbs around them. The study was carried out at three vellages, namely Simpang Arja, Pengulu and Ulu Benteng. The results showed that 52 plant species living along the river and 67 species that live in the marsh. Based on the interview we found that (1) the profile of indigenous knowldge dayaks bakumpai district batola in making use of the diversity of plant in surrounding shown through etno-linguistic, etno-economy, etno-anthropology, etno-farmacology and etno-ecology against 44 tufted herbs of 67 of herbs found, (2) Dayaks Bakumpai in Batola district, to preserve the diversity of plant surrounding them, have done without planting, but by making use of herbs without a certain rule, making use of herbs by a certain rule, making use of herbs let plant grown in nature, and destroy plants that exist or cultivated, and (3) efforts for the inheriting the indigenous knowldge to its young generation have been done by women and quite alarming that many young ages of Dayaks Bakumpai do not know the name of herbs around them.

Plant diversity management in cocoa agroforestry systems in West and Central Africa—effects of markets and household needs

Cocoa production in humid forest landscapes has been one of the main cash providers of West and Central African economies. Along with the liberalization of the perennial tree sector, there are increased fluctuations of cocoa income. At the same time, the demand and interest for timber production and non-wood forest products have also been increasing. With the continuous disappearance of natural forests, the production of these commodities is being shifted into cocoa agroforests and plantations. In view of helping research and development institutions in promoting sustainable tree crop systems, this paper attempts, for the main cocoa producing countries of West Africa (Cameroon, Nigeria, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire), to: (1) document the temporal evolution of the market demand for forests and non-wood forest products both at the local and international levels; (2) explore the set of tree species that can be produced in cocoa agroforests of WCA to satisfy this demand. Deforestation resulting partly from the expansion of perennial orchards and slash and burn agriculture is: (i) leading to a shortage of suitable forest land necessary to stabilize or increase national cocoa production and (ii) increasing the gap between the demand and availability/supply of non-wood forest products (NWFP) and timber by reducing the main source of these products—the forest. Demand of these products is increasing with the growth of urban and peri-urban centers. At the same time, perennial agroforestry systems such as cocoa agroforest are increasingly perceived as assets for Payment for Environmental Services (PES) such as carbon storage and biodiversity conservation, because of the potential of the resources that they can generate. These demands of products and payment for ecosystem services that can be provided by sustainable cocoa agroforestry systems depends upon the appropriate combination of cocoa, timber and non-timber forest trees on the same land. Such demands is still to be properly exploited in the region. Cocoa agroforests in West Africa are characterized by fewer species than those of Central Africa. The level of market access influences the types of species that are managed inside cocoa agroforests. Among the species potentially associable with cocoa, those demanded by the local, regional and international markets are not necessarily the ones that are more frequent in the cocoa fields. The gradual reduction of natural forest, from which timber and non-timber products are gathered, aroused the need to integrate the growing of such species in cocoa agroforestry systems.

Modelling above-ground herbage mass for a wide range of grassland community types

Whereas it is recognized that management of plant diversity can be the key to reconciling production and environmental aims, most grassland models are tailored for high-value grass species. We proposed to adapt a mono-specific grass model to take into account specific features of species-rich permanent grasslands, especially over the reproductive phase. To this end, we used the concept of plant functional type (PFT), i.e. the grouping of plant species according to plant traits determined by the response of plant species to different management practices (land use and fertilization) and characterizing of agronomic properties of the corresponding species. In the model, weather and nutrient availability act upon rates of biophysical processes (radiation capture and use, plant senescence). These rates are modified over times due to PFT-specific parameters determined experimentally which represent the different strategies of plant species regarding growth. The integration of these parameters into the model made it possible to predict herbage biomass accumulation rate under different management practices for a wide range of plant communities differing in their PFT composition. The model was evaluated in two steps, first by analyzing separately the effects of PFT and an indicator of nutrient availability on herbage accumulation and then by conducting a sensitivity analysis. It was validated using two independent datasets; a cutting experiment running over the whole growing season to examine the consistency of the model outputs under different cutting regimes, and a monitoring of meadows and pastures in spring over a whole growth cycle to assess the model’s ability to reproduce growth curves. Although a good fit was observed between the simulated and observed data, the few discrepancies noticed between field data and predicted values were attributed mainly to the potential presence of non-grass species. More specifically, we noticed that nutrient (mainly nitrogen) availability is the main driver of plant growth rate, and that PFT determines the times at which this rate changes in relation to the phenological characteristics of species present. We concluded that integration of the PFT concept into the initial mono-specific growth model is especially suited to evaluating the consequences of management practices on species-rich permanent grasslands to meet feed production targets.

An Ethnomedicinal Survey and Documentation of Important Medicinal Folklore Food Phytonims of Flora of Samahni Valley, (Azad Kashmir) Pakistan

Ethnobotanical knowledge is one of the precious cultural heritage parts of an area that involves the interaction between plants and people and foremost among these are the management of plant diversity by indigenous communities and the traditional use of medicinal plants. An ethnobotanical analysis was conducted in order to document the traditional medicinal uses of plants, particularly medicinally important folklore food phytonims of flora of Samahni valley, Azad Kashmir (Pakistan). In the valley, inhabitants use different taxa of flora in two different ways; herbal medicines and food (vegetable and fruits) medicines. The distinctive geographic position and historic demological background of the area keep folk phytotherapy potential of medicinal herbs hitherto alive, which are used in various forms; as regular herbal medicines prescribed by Hakeems (herbal practitioners) and as food (medicines) recepies suggested by elder people. Among these, some herbs are used as single remedy while others depict better curative effects in synergistic mode against various ailments. Some interesting and uncommon findings are as; Sisymbrium irio is used for treatment of measles, asthma; Solanum miniatum to cure urinary calculi, heart pain, rheumatism, Momordica balsamina leaves as wound healer; Allium sativum bulb juice as anti cancer, contraceptive, blood pressure; Boerhavia diffusa roots as anti jaundice, anemia, edema; Capsicum annuum fruit as omen against evil eye and giant, yellow fever; Corriandrum sativum seeds as diuretic, anti spermatogenesis; Raphanus sativus seeds against syphilis; Solanum miniatum fruit for treatment of enlarged spleen and liver; seed's oil of Pisum sativum as anti spermatogenesis; Bauhinia variegata for skin diseases, ulcers; Malva sylvestris for cough, bladder ulcer; Phoenix sylvestris kernel as anti-aging tonic; Phyllanthus emblica for diuretic, anemia, biliousness; Terminalia chebula to cure chronic ulcers, carious teeth pain, heart problems; Veronica anthelmintica for bandage of broken bones and Withania coagulans is used to treat small pox. Many wild plants are eaten green and raw as salad, or in boiled form of soup as blood and intestine cleansing tonics. Moreover, some plants are spiritually recorded as sacred and used as ritual plant for good omens or against the evil eye and removal of giant. About 95 species of 38 families were recorded to be important part of phyto heritage of folk pharmacopoeia of Samahni valley. Among most frequent used families are Papilionaceae 9.47%, Solanaceae and Poaceae 8.42% each, Cucurbitaceae 7.36% and Brassicaceae and Rosaceae 6.31% each. Among the surveyed families used to treat various diseases, Solanaceae is at first rank with 9.74%, Brassicaceae 8.23% and Cucurbitaceae 7.39% subsequently. Most commonly used families with highest percentage of plants used as food medicines are Solanaceae (11.37%), Brassicaceae (8.38%) and Papilionaceae (7.18%) respectively. Most frequent plant parts used are; roots, leaves, seeds and flowers while popular forms of plants uses are decoction, poultice, infusions, soups and raw form as salad. Importance of ethnobotanical inventory constructed from ethnomedicinal uses and folklore phytonims of flora in perspectives of initiative for future phytochemical and pharmacological research on these taxa to develop and discover of new drugs is present and discussed.

A Suitable Site for in situ (On-farm) Management of Plant Diversity in Traditional Agroecosystems of Western Himalaya in Uttaranchal State: A Case Study

There is a growing realisation world over that the introduction of modern agriculture has to be supplemented with measures to conserve biodiversity in situ if yield gains are to be stabilized. Hence, there is a growing interest from agricultural development specialists and conservation biologists for understanding the socioeconomic factors determining the conservation of biodiversity in situ. The present study was conducted with the objective of understanding the in situ (on-farm) conservation of agrobiodiversity in traditional agroecosystems taking the Urgam valley in north-western Himalaya of India, as a case study. An inventory was made of traditional crops and wild economic species for subsistence, and the structure of forest resource base, traditional knowledge related to resource management and use. Institutional and scientific challenges for in situ (on-farm) management of crop diversity were studied and are discussed in this paper. Complementarity of in situ (on-farm) conservation with ex situ conservation together with crop improvement in such marginal areas are suggested.