Plant Diversity Research Articles

Plant Diversity Reduces the Risk of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in Agroecosystems.

Despite advances in dispersal mechanisms and risk assessment of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), how plants influence ARG contamination in agricultural soils remains underexplored. Here, the impacts of plant species and diversity on ARGs and mobile genetic elements (MGEs) in three agricultural soils are comprehensively investigated in a pot experiment. The results indicate that increased plant diversity reduces ARGs and MGEs abundance by 19.2%-51.2%, whereas plant species exhibit inconsistent and soil-dependent effects. Potential bacterial hosts harboring abundant ARGs have greater relative abundance than nonhosts, and both their richness and cumulative relative abundance are reduced by plant diversity. Notably, hosts inhibited by plant diversity present a greater relative abundance than the other hosts. The enriched compounds in root exudates due to plant diversity play a more important role in the metabolic network and contribute to rebalancing of the abundance of potential hosts and nonhosts. An independent test using pure organics reveals that higher resource diversity, resulting from increased plant diversity, reduces the relative abundance and mobility of abundant and high-risk ARGs. This study highlights the resource-mediated mitigation of the risks posed by ARG contamination and indicates that ensuring plant and resource diversity is a promising strategy for controlling ARGs in agroecosystems.

Cool topoclimates promote cold-adapted plant diversity in temperate mountain forests

Cool topoclimates promote cold-adapted plant diversity in temperate mountain forests

Floristic Composition and Diversity of Plants Across Three Vegetation Zones of Gashaka Gumti National Park, Northeastern Nigeria

Floristic Composition and Diversity of Plants Across Three Vegetation Zones of Gashaka Gumti National Park, Northeastern Nigeria

Effect of intra- and inter-specific plant interactions on the rhizosphere microbiome of a single target plant at different densities.

Root and rhizosphere studies often focus on analyzing single-plant microbiomes, with the literature containing minimum empirical information about the shared rhizosphere microbiome of multiple plants. Here, the rhizosphere of individual plants was analyzed in a microcosm study containing different combinations and densities (1-3 plants, 24 plants, and 48 plants) of cover crops: Medicago sativa, Brassica sp., and Fescue sp. Rhizobacterial beta diversity was reduced by increasing plant density for all plant mixtures. Interestingly, plant density had a significant influence over beta diversity while plant diversity was found to be a less important factor since it did not have a significant change. Regardless of plant neighbor identity or density, a low number of rhizobacteria were strongly associated with each target species. Nonetheless, a few bacterial taxa were shown to have conditional associations such as being enriched within only high plant densities, which may alleviate plant competition between these species. Also, we found evidence of bacterial sharing of nitrogen fixers from alfalfa to fescue. Although rhizosphere bacterial networks had overlapping bacterial modules, the modules showing the largest percentage of the network changed depending on plant neighbor. In summary, this study found that for the most part plants maintained their rhizosphere microbiome despite escalating plant-plant competition.

The proportion of low abundance species is a key predictor of plant β‐diversity across the latitudinal gradient

Abstract The diversity of life displays very strong patterns of disparity across the Earth. Beta (β)‐diversity (species compositional differences among sites) of woody plants, for instance, has usually been documented to decline with increasing latitude. Understanding these patterns, however, remains a grand challenge in ecology and evolution. We develop a mathematical model to explain patterns of β‐diversity across multiple landscapes. The model effectively predicts β‐diversity in simulated and natural communities, regardless of the types of species abundance distributions. Our model provides the novel insight that the proportion of species in the lowest abundance category (PL), which represents the share of relatively rare species in the regional species pool, is the key predictor of plant β‐diversity. By applying the model to global forest inventories sampled from 40.7° S to 60.7° N, we find that PL explains nearly 85% of the variation in plant β‐diversity along the global latitudinal gradient. Through a series of numerical simulations, we further show that the predictive power of PL on plant β‐diversity on a global scale is largely determined by the variation of intraspecific aggregation among different communities. Synthesis: We develop a new sampling model to predict patterns of β‐diversity and find that the PL explains the majority of the variation in plant β‐diversity along the latitudinal gradient. Our work provides a new tool in analysing β‐diversity and advances the theoretical understanding of large‐scale β‐diversity patterns across environmental gradients.

Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon) invasion in subarctic Iceland: evidence from a long-term study

The North American lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) has been widely introduced globally and is now considered invasive in several countries. It was first planted in subarctic Iceland in the 1950s. Recently, the forestry sector has strongly promoted it as an attractive means of carbon capture to mitigate global climate change. It is now the most extensively planted tree species in Iceland. We describe the expansion of the lodgepole pine from a mid-20th-century plantation in Steinadalur, southeast Iceland, and decadal changes between 2010 and 2021. The extent of occurrence expanded nearly tenfold, with tree number and population density reflecting exponential growth patterns. The lodgepole pine colonised diverse habitats, including native birch woodlands and heathland, and was associated with significant reductions in vascular plant species richness and diversity. We conclude that lodgepole pine has the characteristics of an invasive species in Steinadalur and that this will also apply to many native ecosystems across most lowland regions of Iceland. Our study highlights the urgent need for management strategies to mitigate the long-term ecological impacts of lodgepole pine invasion in subarctic environments.

Roles of Spatial Distance, Habitat Difference, and Community Age on Plant Diversity Patterns of Fragmented Castanopsis orthacantha Franch. Forests in Central Yunnan, Southwest China

The semi-humid evergreen broadleaved forest (SEBF) is the zonal vegetation type of western subtropical regions in China. Under human and natural disturbance, the area of SEBFs is severely shrinking, with remaining fragments scattered across mountains of the Central Yunnan Plateau. To explore the mechanisms of community assembly and species maintenance in the severely fragmented SEBFs, we selected three sites—Jinguangsi Provincial Nature Reserve, Huafoshan Scenic Area, and Qiongzhusi Forest Park—across the range of this vegetation type, and sampled a total of 42 plots of forest dominated by Castanopsis orthacantha Franch., the most widely distributed community type of SEBFs. We compared the species richness and composition of the communities of different age classes, employed the net relatedness index to characterize the phylogenetic structure of communities, and used Mantel tests and partial Mantel tests to quantify the impacts of spatial distance, age class, and habitat factors (including climate, topography, and soil) on species turnover across different spatial scales (i.e., intra- and inter-site) for trees, shrubs, and herbs, respectively. The results indicated the following: (1) In the young stage, the C. orthacantha communities exhibited a species richness statistically lower than those in middle-aged and mature communities. Notably, the difference in species richness among age classes was merely significant for shrub and herb species. Moreover, the phylogenetic structure changed towards over-dispersion with increasing community age. (2) The age class of the community played a pivotal role in determining taxonomic β diversity in the tree layer, while climate and soil factors significantly influenced β diversity in the shrub and herb layers of the communities. (3) Environmental filtering emerged as the predominant force shaping community assembly at the intra-site scale, whereas spatial distance was the primary determinant at the inter-site scale. Meanwhile, dispersal limitation versus biological interaction seemed to dominate the community dynamics of the C. orthacantha communities in the early versus middle and old ages, respectively. Our results highlight the variability in community assembly processes across different spatial and temporal scales, providing insights into the priority of the conservation and restoration of severely degraded zonal SEBFs. Expanding research to broader scales and other SEBF types, as well as considering the impacts of climate change and human activities, would provide further insights into understanding the mechanisms of community assembly and effective conservation strategies.

Multiple mechanisms associated with loss of seed bank diversity under nitrogen enrichment

Abstract The soil seed bank is a hidden community below‐ground and a crucial component of plant biodiversity. Nitrogen (N) enrichment can reduce plant species diversity both in above‐ground plant communities and seed banks. However, the mechanisms by which N enrichment affects soil seed banks are not clear. We investigated the direct and indirect mechanisms of N enrichment in soil seed banks in an N addition experiment in an alpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. We combined above‐ground plant community and litter data, fungal diversity, seed bank surveys and seed rain monitoring, and conducted a seed burial experiment to explore seed viability. We found that the rate of loss of species diversity was slower in seed banks than in above‐ground plant communities. N enrichment directly affected seed banks by decreasing seed viability and enhancing seed germination. Furthermore, small seeds were more prone to loss of viability and increased seed germination under N enrichment than large seeds. At the same time, N enrichment also indirectly decreased seed bank species richness and number of seeds by altering the composition of the plant community and by increasing the amount of litter and fungal diversity. N enrichment also indirectly decreased number of seeds in seed banks through decreasing number of seeds of seed rain, with increasing negative effects due to higher levels of N enrichment. Synthesis. Our results provide novel insights into multiple direct and indirect mechanisms that can lead to loss of plant diversity in seed banks under N enrichment, with important ramifications on the maintenance of plant biodiversity, ecosystem resilience and restoration in N‐enriched systems.

Shifting Herbal Knowledge: The Ecological and Cultural Dynamics Behind Plant Use Changes in the Southern Occitan Alps

This study examines changes in medicinal and wild food plant knowledge in the Alpine Southern Occitan area, focusing on temporal and cultural shifts. Drawing from ethnobotanical data from the Maira Valley (1970, 2022), Stura Valley (2004), and Grana Valley (2011), we explore dynamics in plant use and how they may have been generated by ecological, socio-economic, and cultural changes. A total of 308 plant taxa were recorded, with notable declines in Asteraceae and Lamiaceae utilizations by 2022, suggesting a remarkable erosion of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK). Conversely, the use of families like Brassicaceae and Amaranthaceae increased, possibly due to socio-economic factors. This study also found in recent years a decrease in medicinal plant uses and a greater reliance on food system-related plants. Logistic regression models highlighted altitude (600–1600 masl) as a key factor in plant diversity use, with older participants showing more diverse ethnobotanical knowledge. This study underscores the resilience and transformation of plant knowledge in response to socio-economic and environmental changes in the Alpine area.

Indian Cryogenebank Conserving Diverse Plant Genetic Resources for the Last Three Decades: Achievements and Way Forward.

Ex situ conservation of plant genetic resources (PGR) plays a crucial role in sustainable growth and development, as highlighted by the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC). Seed genebanks, a key component of ex situ conservation, have been instrumental in preserving plant diversity. However, challenges arise with the conservation of non-orthodox (recalcitrant and intermediate) seeds and vegetative tissues, which are not amenable to storage in traditional genebanks at temperatures of -20°C. Cryopreservation, the storage of biological materials at ultra-low temperatures in liquid nitrogen, has emerged as a viable solution for conserving such non-orthodox seeds, pollen, and dormant buds. This review presents insights into the National Cryogenebank Facility at ICAR-NBPGR, India, a pioneer in developing cryopreservation techniques and cryobanking of PGR. Established in 1987, the facility focuses on conserving difficult-to-conserve species of various agri-horticultural crops, including recalcitrant and intermediate species. With a capacity to hold a quarter of a million samples, the facility employs species-specific protocols to conserve rare, threatened, and endangered plant species, wild and weedy crop relatives, and genetic stocks. Over the past 3 decades, cryopreservation protocols have been developed at this facility using a diverse range of explants, including seeds, excised embryos, embryonic axes, pollen grains, and dormant buds. Successful cryopreservation protocols have been developed for temperate and tropical plant species important for horticultural, plantation, agro-forestry, and industrial use. Priority is given to conserving indigenous crop species and capturing the genetic diversity of indigenous tropical and temperate major and minor fruits. Additionally, the facility has successfully conserved pollen grains and dormant buds of tropical and temperate fruit crops, ensuring their viability and survival over extended periods of cryostorage. Furthermore, the cryobank regularly retests cryostored germplasm to assess viability and regrowth, with promising results indicating retention of seed viability even after 25-30 years of cryostorage. This highlights the potential of cryobanking as a long-term solution for conserving plant genetic resources. The National Cryogenebank Facility at ICAR-NBPGR exemplifies advancements in cryopreservation techniques applicable to plant genetic resource conservation, contributing significantly to national, regional and global efforts towards ex situ conservation of difficult-to-store plant species and overall sustainable agricultural development.

Changes in the association between soil characteristics and woody plant diversity following the transformation of Karst mountainous forests into urban parks

Changes in the association between soil characteristics and woody plant diversity following the transformation of Karst mountainous forests into urban parks

Plant diversity across dimensions: Coupling biodiversity measures from the ground and the sky.

Tracking biodiversity across biomes over space and time has emerged as an imperative in unified global efforts to manage our living planet for a sustainable future for humanity. We harness the National Ecological Observatory Network to develop routines using airborne spectroscopic imagery to predict multiple dimensions of plant biodiversity at continental scale across biomes in the US. Our findings show strong and positive associations between diversity metrics based on spectral species and ground-based plant species richness and other dimensions of plant diversity, whereas metrics based on distance matrices did not. We found that spectral diversity consistently predicts analogous metrics of plant taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic dimensions of biodiversity across biomes. The approach demonstrates promise for monitoring dimensions of biodiversity globally by integrating ground-based measures of biodiversity with imaging spectroscopy and advances capacity toward a Global Biodiversity Observing System.

Local food plant diversity and cultural significance in the Atlantic Forest: a comprehensive ethnobiological synthesis for a humanly disturbed but mega-diverse region

Local food plant diversity and cultural significance in the Atlantic Forest: a comprehensive ethnobiological synthesis for a humanly disturbed but mega-diverse region

Sown Diversity Effects on the C and N Cycle and Interactions with Fertilization

A better understanding of the role of plant composition and N cycle on agroecosystems is necessary, as these will be affected by future developments in agriculture intensification. To explore the effect of plant diversity on yield and carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) balances in forage mixtures, identifying potential co-benefits between functions. We analyzed results from a field experiment where plants of three forage species (a grass, a legume, and a non-legume forb) were cultivated in monocultures and mixtures. Three years after sward establishment, dry matter yield, together with δ15N, δ13C, and C and N content in plant and soil material were measured. In addition, we analyzed a second scenario to investigate the effect of fertigation with pig slurry (δ15N = +8.4‰) on the C and N balances of forage species. Results support the hypothesis that C and N allocation is affected by plant diversity. Plant composition affected N source (% N derived from air, % N derived from soil, and % N transferred in mixtures). In addition, sown diversity increased yield and modulated C and N balances. The δ15N of samples was affected by both plant composition and fertigation. These results are consistent with previous work showing strong plant composition effects on N-balances, and the potential role that legumes play in enhancing nitrogen sources (derived from the atmosphere) into forage mixture systems. This study contributes to the prediction of suitable sown plant community composition and N management for the optimum agriculture with increased productivity and at the same time reduced environmental impact.

Study on Plant Diversity and Soil Properties of Different Forest Types in Pisha Sandstone Area and Their Correlation

Study on Plant Diversity and Soil Properties of Different Forest Types in Pisha Sandstone Area and Their Correlation

Reconstructing the long-term ecological history of Long Island, Furneaux Group (Bass Strait), Lutruwita/Tasmania

The Bass Strait islands are the elevated remnants of a now-submerged continental land bridge that connected the mainland of Australia to Lutruwita/Tasmania during low sea level phases of the Quaternery period. The Furneaux Group is made up of around 100 islands, harbouring a rich diversity of plants derived from glacial refugia and stepping-stone dispersal as millennial-scale climate change altered the land and seascape configuration of the land bridge. Despite the region’s significance, long-term ecological and environmental dynamics of most of these islands remain poorly known. We present the first palaeoecological study of Long Island, a small granite island of the Furneaux group, currently covered by extensive grasslands in the west and patches of forest and woodland in the east and north of the island. We use decadal to centennial-scale resolution palaeoecological evidence for vegetation, animal and fire dynamics, alongside historical accounts of vegetation changes inferred from aerial photo analysis, to develop a comprehensive record of the island’s long-term ecology. Results show that grasslands have been an important feature of the island for at least the last 1000 years, and are reminiscent of Last Glacial Maximum grasslands of the now-submerged Bassian Plain. Both aerial photo analysis and the palaeoecological record show increases in forest cover on the island’s eastern corner over the past four decades. We discuss these ecological dynamics in the context of environmental and climatic shifts. This study emphasises the importance of palaeoecological studies, specifically their value in understanding modern ecosystems in their historic context. This data is critical in understanding the island’s current landscape and how this might change into the future.

Unveiling Cannabinoids and Terpenes Diversity in Cannabis sativa L. from Northern India for Future Breeding Strategies.

Cannabis sativa L. is an important medicinal plant with high commercial value. In recent years, the research interest in cannabidiol (CBD) and terpene-rich cannabis has been rapidly expanding due to their high therapeutic potential. The present study aims to explore the phytocannabinoids and terpenes diversity in Cannabis sativa collected from different parts of northern India. Our findings revealed that the cannabinoids and terpenes synthesize together in capitate stalked and capitate sessile glandular trichomes, whereas bulbous glands synthesize only terpenes. The North Indian C. sativa is mainly dominated by tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The CBD-rich plant diversity is nominal (1.11%) in studied north Indian C. sativa. The essential oil profiling reveals (E)-caryophyllene (10.30-36.80%) as the major constituent, followed by α-humulene (0.50-15.29%) and α-bisabolol (0.00-16.40%) in the North Indian population. The cannabinoids and terpenes content showed significant diversity among and within the five studied populations. The correlation analysis between cannabinoids and terpenes indicates that α-pinene, β-pinene, and limonene positively correlated with CBD content. Similarly, α- and β-selinene correlate positively with tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) content. This study could help to identify the key cultivars from India and establish a consistent chemotype for future breeding programs.

Plant diversity and microbial interaction on soil carbon stock in the tropical homegardens: a nature-based solution to climate change

Plant diversity and microbial interaction on soil carbon stock in the tropical homegardens: a nature-based solution to climate change

Diversity of wild edible plants, nutrition and phytochemical evaluation of certain plants with ethnobotanical importance from Tinsukia district, Assam, India

The present study was conducted in 2021-2023 and recorded a total of 96 species, out of which 56 % were used as vegetables, 30 % as edible fruits and 7 % as masticatory, spice and condiments. This study also aims to evaluate the nutritionally important minerals concentration and phytochemical constituents of 5 plant taxa, i.e., Sarcochlamys pulcherrima (Roxb.) Gaud., Zanthoxylum oxyphyllum Edgew., Smilax perfoliata Lour., Portulaca oleracea L. and Phlogacanthas thyrsiformis (Hardw.) Mabb. which are widely used in folk healing practices and folk medicine by the various ethnic communities of Tinsukia district. The concentration of 5 macro minerals Na, K, Ca, Mg and P is in the range of 12.5 -18.4, 90.4 -246.9, 140 -214.3, 84.9 - 112.2, 23.7 - 41.2 mg/100 g respectively. The ratio of K/Na (5.9:1 to13.4:1), Ca/P (4.1:1 to 9.1:1) and K/(Ca+Mg) (0.11:1 to 0.32:1) are found to be adequate ratios ranging from respectively. Microminerals like Fe, Zn, Cu, Mn and Ni are found in the range between 5.90 -16.17, 0.41-0.91, 0.13 -0.32, 0.07 -0.27 and 0.07 - 0.17 mg/100 g respectively. Some of the important phytochemicals are also found to be present in the analyzed plants. The study shows that consumption of these species may be beneficial for maintaining good mineral nutrition among the common people at a minimum cost.

Plant nutrient concentrations inform white-tailed deer diet limitations.

Management of large herbivores often involves increasing availability of forages sufficient in nutrient density to allow animals to meet dietary demands. Nutritional carrying capacity (NCC) models commonly are used to compare plant communities and management strategies, but failure to use the most limiting nutrient could result in overestimating NCC. Moreover, the relationship between limiting nutrients often is not considered, which may influence the utility of NCC models based on a single nutrient, especially when herbivores must simultaneously meet multiple constraints. We examined crude protein and phosphorus concentrations in 131 plant species commonly eaten by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to determine whether they would meet a minimum 14% crude protein and 0.3% phosphorus constraint for a lactating female. Crude protein and phosphorus demands were met in 43.9% and 18.8% of sampled forages, respectively. Concentrations of crude protein and phosphorus were greatest in young forb tissue, with an average of 18.6% crude protein and 0.28% phosphorus. Protein and phosphorus concentrations were positively correlated, but not all plants which met protein requirements simultaneously provided sufficient phosphorus. We created NCC models using crude protein and phosphorus and documented phosphorus tended to be more limiting, but variation existed among sites. Given that limiting nutrients may vary spatiotemporally, focusing conservation efforts on providing a diversity of plants, particularly to include forbs that simultaneously meet multiple nutritional demands, is likely the most practical management approach.