Census Of Plants Research Articles

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2016

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2016

Elevated CO2 and warming effects on grassland plant mortality are determined by the timing of rainfall.

Global warming is expected to increase the mortality rate of established plants in water-limited systems because of its effect on evapotranspiration. The rising CO 2 concentration ([CO 2 ]), however, should have the opposite effect because it reduces plant transpiration, delaying the onset of drought. This potential for elevated [CO 2 ] (eCO 2 ) to modify the warming effect on mortality should be related to prevailing moisture conditions. This study aimed to determine the impacts of warming by 2 °C and eCO 2 (550 μmol mol -1 ) on plant mortality in an Australian temperate grassland over a 6-year period and to test how interannual variation in rainfall influenced treatment effects. Analyses were based on results from a field experiment, TasFACE, in which grassland plots were exposed to a combination of eCO 2 by free air CO 2 enrichment (FACE) and warming by infrared heaters. Using an annual census of established plants and detailed estimates of recruitment, annual mortality of all established plants was calculated. The influence of rainfall amount and timing on the relative impact of treatments on mortality in each year was analysed using multiple regression techniques. Warming and eCO 2 effects had an interactive influence on mortality which varied strongly from year to year and this variation was determined by temporal rainfall patterns. Warming tended to increase density-adjusted mortality and eCO 2 moderated that effect, but to a greater extent in years with fewer dry periods. These results show that eCO 2 reduced the negative effect of warming but this influence varied strongly with rainfall timing. Importantly, indices involving the amount of rainfall were not required to explain interannual variation in mortality or treatment effects on mortality. Therefore, predictions of global warming effects on plant mortality will be reliant not only on other climate change factors, but also on the temporal distribution of rainfall.

Determining light requirements of groundcover plants from subtropical natural forest using hemispherical photography

In order to determine light requirements of indigenous groundcover plants for potential use in urban landscaping, we conducted a plant census in Yinpingshan Nature Reserve, Dongguan, China, and measured canopy structure and understory light regimes using hemispherical photography. We found that canopy openness, transmitted direct solar radiation, and transmitted diffuse solar radiation exhibited highly significant spatial heterogeneity. Species composition and diversity of groundcover plants were highly dependent on canopy structure and understory light condition. Greater diversity and more stems of groundcover plants were associated with greater canopy openness and understory radiation in most cases. Highly significant differences in species composition were detected along canopy openness, transmitted direct solar radiation, and transmitted diffuse solar radiation gradients, respectively. We also detected indicator species for specific understory light regimes, which will provide useful information when applying such species in urban greening under various light environments.

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2015

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2015

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2014

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2014

Plant census and floristic analysis of selected serpentine outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt, Mpumalanga, South Africa

This paper aims to characterise and describe the species composition of serpentine sites of the Barberton Greenstone Belt as compared to surrounding non-serpentine areas. A floristic analysis of seven serpentine (serpentinite) outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt, in the eastern part of South Africa, recorded 744species and subspecies, 319genera and 94families. 18taxa remain undescribed. The Barberton Greenstone Belt flora includes 32taxa endemic to serpentine soils and six taxa considered to be hyperaccumulators of nickel. The taxa considered to be endemic to serpentine outcrops make up 39% of the number of endemics found within the Barberton Centre of Endemism. The serpentine vegetation is characterised by fewer trees than the surrounding vegetation and the dominance of grass species such as Themeda triandra, Heteropogon contortus and Loudetia simplex. The species composition of each outcrop is relatively unique with only about 30% of species shared between any pair of outcrops. The flora of the serpentine outcrops of the Barberton Greenstone Belt is found to be different to the surrounding non-serpentine vegetation in terms of number of species per family, the ratios of dicotyledons to monocotyledons and familial composition.

The Case Against the Transfer ofDryandratoBanksia(Proteaceae)1

The transfer of Dryandra R. Br. to Banksia L. f. was based on the use of holophyly (monophyly s. str.) as an essential criterion for recognition of taxa. The transfer was significant in scope and focuses on two iconic genera of plants in Western Australia. It has been accepted by some and rejected by others. It is one of many examples in a debate that pits recent genetic analysis against centuries of field and herbarium studies, and cladists against classical taxonomists. I argue that: (1) there are sound morphological characters distinguishing Dryandra from Banksia and they should be maintained as genera; (2) paraphyly should be accepted in biological classification; (3) scientifically, and for a morphologically complex genus of 137 specific and infraspecific taxa, the use of 11 taxa for the molecular analysis of Dryandra was insufficient; (4) some morphological data, mapped onto the cladogram a posteriori, were incorrect; (5) molecular cladistic approaches should complement rather than override pre-existing and extensive classifications based on phenotypic traits; (6) the acceptance of the transfer for the Australian Plant Census was premature according to guidelines published by Australian herbaria.

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2013

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2013

不同植被恢复类型的土壤肥力质量评价

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 不同植被恢复类型的土壤肥力质量评价 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201306111672 作者: 作者单位: 华南农业大学林学院,华南农业大学林学院,华南农业大学林学院,华南农业大学林学院,华南农业大学林学院 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: S714.8 基金项目: 广东省林业科技创新专项（2010KJCX012-02，2011KJCX031-02） Soil fertility quality assessment under different vegetation restoration patterns Author: Affiliation: College of Forestry, South China Agricultural University,College of Forestry, South China Agricultural University,College of Forestry, South China Agricultural University,, Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:科学确定森林土壤肥力指标并进行肥力质量的评价，对立地生产力和多目标森林经营的研究有着重要意义。以采伐（径级12 cm择伐）迹地上发育来的稀树灌丛、针叶林、针阔混交林和常绿阔叶林为研究对象，进行每木调查与群落分析，并比较各群落土壤因子间的差异，用典范对应分析（CCA）和因子分析对土壤肥力质量进行定量评价。结果表明，CCA可以有效地筛选土壤肥力质量指标，有助于质量指标的科学确定；土壤肥力质量综合评价分值为稀树灌丛（0.438） > 常绿阔叶林（0.414） > 针阔混交林（-0.170） > 针叶林（-0.331）；演替初期（19 a）的植被恢复并未使土壤结构发生明显变化，土壤肥力质量是下降的；无人为干扰的3种群落类型，针叶林表现为更高的生物量积累，而天然更新的常绿阔叶林则更有利于生物多样性的增加与土壤养分的保蓄。 Abstract:Soil fertility quality assessment based on scientifically determined indicators has significant implications for the study of stand productivity and multi-objective forest management. We carried out plant census and community analysis, and compared soil physicochemical properties among forest communities in Kanghe Nature Reserve. The four community types, i.e., scrub, evergreen broadleaved forest, coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest, and coniferous forest, represented different vegetation restoration patterns originating from a selective-logging (at 12 cm diameter) event on the subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest. The main soil factors influencing tree composition and distribution were screened by Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), which were subsequently used to build the minimum data set (MDS). Soil fertility quality was quantitatively assessed with Factor Analysis on MDS.The results showed that distribution of tree species was unevened. With the lowest species richness, the coniferous forest was exclusively dominated by Cunninghamia lanceolata, whereas in the most species rich evergreen broadleaved forest, codominant tree species existed. Average tree DBH (diameter at breast height) decreased successively among coniferous forest, coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest and evergreen broadleaved forest.Soils were highly acidic (pH < 5.0) and the content of AvK, ExMg, AvMn, AvZn and AvFe had no significant difference(P > 0.05)across the four forest communities. A lower canopy density due to less canopy trees resulted in the lower soil moisture content in the scrub community, which had a higher mineral element content than other vegetation patterns as a whole. Distribution of trees was closely related to soil environmental factors, but the results of CCA indicated that there was no significant correlation (Monte Carlo Test,P > 0.05) between composition and distribution of tree species and the seven soil factors, i.e., AN, ExCa, AvK, TP, ST, AP and NCP, which should be excluded when building the MDS. Therefore, the findings revealed that CCA was an effective tool for screening soil fertility quality indicators and establishing MDS by demonstrating the effect of soil fertility on plant patterns.Factor analysis was applied on MDS to assess the fertility quality and the cumulative variance explained by five principal components was 84.67%, indicating this evaluation method was reliable. The integrated soil fertility quality assessment scores for scrub, evergreen broadleaved forest, coniferous-broadleaved mixed forest, and coniferous forest were, in a descending order, 0.438, 0.414, -0.170, and -0.331, respectively. Vegetation restoration did not obviously change soil structural parameters, such as soil texture, capillary porosity, non-capillary porosity, and bulk porosity, however, soil fertility quality declined in the early succession stage (19 a). In the three community types without human disturbance, coniferous forest had the highest biomass accumulation, whereas evergreen broadleaved forest from natural regeneration was more conducive to the increase of biodiversity and soil nutrient accumulation. Site-specific indicators, including soil physicochemical factors and biological factors, should be selected in future assessment of soil fertility quality. The appropriate quantitative ecological methods could make the determination of evaluation index more scientific. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2012

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2012

Removal of Gunniopsis sp. Fortescue (M.E. Trudgen 11019) from Western Australia’s plant census

Removal of <i>Gunniopsis</i> sp. Fortescue (M.E. Trudgen 11019) from Western Australia’s plant census

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2011

Updates to Western Australia’s vascular plant census for 2011

Curonian Spit Biodiversity Plots

The Curonian Spit Biodiversity Plots database (GIVD ID EU-RU-009) was established in 2001 at the Ecology Centre of Kiel University in co-operation with the University of Kaliningrad. The database consists of 130 biodiversity plot series of nested plots from 0.0001m2 to 900m2 for 14 different vegetation types of the Curonian Spit Nationalpark. The focus was the census of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens, including epiphytes for the analysis of species richness of different plant communities. Geobotanical releves are available for the 900 m2 plots.

A comparison of methods to assess long-term changes in Sonoran Desert vegetation

Knowledge about the condition of vegetation cover and composition is critical for assessing the structure and function of ecosystems. To effectively quantify the impacts of a rapidly changing environment, methods to track long-term trends of vegetation must be precise, repeatable, and time- and cost-efficient. Measuring vegetation cover and composition in arid and semiarid regions is especially challenging because vegetation is typically sparse, discontinuous, and individual plants are widely spaced. To meet the goal of long-term vegetation monitoring in the Sonoran Desert and other arid and semiarid regions, we determined how estimates of plant species, total vegetation, and soil cover obtained using a widely-implemented monitoring protocol compared to a more time- and resource-intensive plant census. We also assessed how well this protocol tracked changes in cover through 82 years compared to the plant census. Results from the monitoring protocol were comparable to those from the plant census, despite low and variable plant species cover. Importantly, this monitoring protocol could be used as a rapid, “off-the shelf” tool for assessing land degradation (or desertification) in arid and semiarid ecosystems.

Plagiometriona emarcida (Boheman, 1855) and Plagiometriona forcipata (Boheman, 1855) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Cassidinae), a single species differing in larval performance and adult phenotype

Matings frequently observed between the tortoise beetles Plagiometriona forcipata (Boheman, 1855) and Plagiometriona emarcida (Boheman, 1855), in the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, led us to compare the ecology, life history and genetics of these two morphologically distinct species. Host plant censuses revealed P. emarcida was about five times more abundant, while populations of both species responded in parallel to climate. Laboratory-reared immature P. forcipata took 2 days longer to complete development and showed higher mortality rates. No differences were detected in ovipositional behaviour, genitalia morphology or in sex ratio of offspring. The adult offspring of field-caught females of both species contained individuals with both species' elytral patterns. Finally, nearly identical cytochrome oxidase I sequences obtained from individuals of each species suggest that they are a single polymorphic species. Based on these observations and the examination of type material we propose the new synonymy: Plagiometriona forcipata = P. emarcida, syn. nov.

Distichlis distichophylla (Labill.) Fassett., a new coastal record for a saltmarsh grass in New South Wales

Several grasses are found in the saltmarsh and saltmarsh fringe vegetation in New South Wales. The most widespread and abundant in Sporobolus virginicus, (nomenclature follows Hnatiuk, 1990) which often forms monospecific swards in the north of the state (Adam, Wilson and Huntley, 1988). Other grasses commonly found in NSW saltmarshes include Agrostis avenacea, Agrostis billardieri, Cynodon dactylon, Paspalum vaginatum, Phragmites Australia, Polypogon monspeliensis, Parapholis incurve, Stipa stipoides and Zoysia macrantha. At higher latitudes S. virginicus is replaced by Distichlis disyichophylla, which is found on saltmarshes in South Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, and very rarely, in Western Australia. Until now it has not been collected from coastal New South Wales although there is a small population on a disturbed site at Lake Cargelligo in the central west which might represent an introduction (Adam and Smith-White, pers. Comm.). Curiously enough, Maiden (1897) reports “salt grass” Distichlis maritima Rafin. As occurring in “All the colonies except Western Australia and Queensland”. This distributional amount may come from Ferdinand von Mueller’s Australian plant census of 1882 which lists Distichlis maritima for NSW.

Australian Plant Census: August 2009 Update

Australian Plant Census: August 2009 Update

A 10‐year decrease in plant species richness on a neotropical inselberg: detrimental effects of global warming?

AbstractThe census of vascular plants across a 10‐year interval (1995–2005) at the fringe of a neotropical rainforest (Nouragues inselberg, French Guiana, South America) revealed that species richness decreased, both at quadrat scale (2 m2) and at the scale of the inselberg (three transects, embracing the whole variation in community composition). Juvenile stages of all tree and shrub species were most severely affected, without any discrimination between life and growth forms, fruit and dispersion types, or seed sizes. Species turnover in time resulted in a net loss of biodiversity, which was inversely related to species occurrence. The most probable cause of the observed species disappearance is global warming, which severely affected northern South America during the last 50 years (+2 °C), with a concomitant increase in the occurrence of aridity.

Could we obtain better estimates of plot species richness from multiple‐observer plant censuses?

AbstractQuestion: Could we better estimate plot species richness by asking several botanists to survey the same plots and using non‐parametric estimators of richness?Location: Two French deciduous forests.Methods: Using replicated, independent censuses made by 11 professional botanists on the same eight 100‐m2 forest plots, the relative performance of different richness estimators (Lincoln‐Petersen, Jackknife 1&amp;2, Chao 1&amp;2, Bootstrap, Chao Mth, Darroch) and the variation in their performance with the number of botanists involved (teams with two to eight botanists) were investigated. The sensitivity of these estimators to the presence of misidentifications in the data was also assessed.Results: When misidentifications are removed, Chao Mth estimators converged fastest to true richness, but none of the tested estimators correctly accounted for differences in exhaustiveness between the teams. Finally, all estimators were highly sensitive to misidentifications.Conclusions: Richness estimators are of little help in the presence of misidentifications and are ineffective at removing between‐team discrepancies, thus strongly limiting their usefulness in practice. Methods are presented to show how surveys can be designed to remove misidentifications and limit between‐team discrepancies. A sensible sampling design for 100‐m2 plots in temperate forests would involve triplets of botanists and correcting data with the Chao N1. Pairs of botanists would already significantly improve the richness estimates, but such estimates would still be biased low. However, further research is needed to design new richness estimators that are more robust to observer effects.

Can we reliably estimate species richness with large plots? an assessment through calibration training

The number of species (species richness) is certainly the most widely used descriptor of plant diversity. However, estimating richness is a difficult task because plant censuses are prone to overlooking and identification errors that may lead to spurious interpretations. We used calibration data from the French ICP-level II plots (RENECOFOR) to assess the magnitude of the two kinds of errors in large forest plots. Eleven teams of professional botanists recorded all plants on the same eight 100-m² plots in 2004 (four plots, eights teams) and 2005 (four plots, nine teams including six from 2004), first independently and then consensually. On average, 15.5% of the shrubs and trees above 2 m were overlooked and 2.3% not identified at the species level or misidentified. On average, 19.2% of the plant species below 2 m in height were overlooked and 5.3% were misidentified and 1.3% were misidentified at the genus level (especially bryophytes). The overlooking rate also varied with plant species, morphological type, plot and team. It was higher when only one botanist made the census. It rapidly decreased with species cover and increased with plot species richness, the recording time of the census in the tree layer and the number of the censuses carried out during the day in the ground layer. Familiarity of the team with the local flora reduced the risk of overlooking and identification errors, whereas training had little impact. Differences in species richness (over space or time) in large plots should be cautiously interpreted, especially when several botanists participate in the survey. In particular, the quality of the data needs to be evaluated using calibration training and, if necessary, may be improved by involving more experienced botanists working in teams and by fixing a minimum recording time.