Species Composition Patterns Research Articles

The Pattern Recognition of Small-Scale Privately-Owned Forest in Ciamis Regency, West Java, Indonesia

Small-scale Privately-owned Forest (SSPF) has various patterns identification, based on the stand structure and species composition. The recognition and classification of the SSPF cropping patterns are required for further planning and policy development. Therefore, this study aims to classify the cropping pattern of SSPF in Ciamis Regency, West Java Province, Indonesia. The data were collected by observing the stand structure and species composition of 150 plots of land, encompassing three Sub-districts representing the central, northern, and southern regions of Ciamis Regency. The four categorical variables include tree species composition, age, spatial distribution, and intercropping pattern. While the two continuous variables were stand density and basal area. The patterns obtained were classified based on a Two-Step Cluster algorithm with log-likelihood distance measure, and auto clustering using Schwarz's Bayesian Information Criterion, validated by silhouette index. In addition, a multicollinearity test was conducted to reduce redundancy in using variable sets. The results showed that, the improvement of the cluster quality based on the silhouette index value, was achievable by excluding the tree spatial distribution variable, which exhibits multicollinearity. The cropping patterns were classified into three categories, namely tree crops, mixed-tree lots, and agrisilviculture for group-1, group-2, and group-3, respectively. Group-1 consisted of stands with one or two commercial tree species, and in several cases, were intercropped. Group-2 contained uneven-aged mixed-tree stands without any crops. While Group-3 consisted of an intercropping system of uneven-aged mixed-tree stands and crops. The results suggest further analysis, in order to relate the cropping patterns with the socio-economic characteristics of the landowners, as well as the strategies for the development of a sustainable SSPF.

Forest fires have long-term effects on the composition of vascular plants and bryophytes in Scots pine forests of hemiboreal Estonia

Since fire frequency is expected to increase globally due to climate change, it is important to understand its effects on forest ecosystems. We studied the long-term patterns in species diversity, cover and composition of vascular plants and bryophytes after forest fire and the site-related factors behind them. Research was carried out in northwestern Estonia, using a chronosequence of Scots pine ( L.) stands, located on nutrient poor sandy soils, where fires had occurred 12, 23, 38, 69, 80 and 183 years ago. In every stand three 100 m vegetation plots were established to collect floristic and environmental information. The effects on floristic characteristics of time since fire, light, and soil variables were evaluated with linear mixed models, followed by backward variable selection. Compositional variation was analysed with non-metric multidimensional scaling, Multi-response Permutation Procedures, and Indicator Species Analysis. Altogether, 31 vascular plant and 39 bryophyte species were found in vegetation plots. The cover of the vascular plant and bryophyte layers increased with a longer time since fire. Soil and light variables impacted the richness of several vascular plant and bryophyte groups, whereas only the richness of liverworts and dwarf-shrubs correlated with time since fire. Considerable compositional differences were observed in vascular plant and bryophyte assemblages between recently vs. long-time ago burned stands. To conclude, time since fire significantly impacted compositional patterns of vascular plants and bryophytes in pine forests on nutrient poor soils, although time-related trends in species richness were less evident.Pinus sylvestris2

A multi-tiered assessment of fish community responses to habitat restoration in a coastal lagoon

Essential fish habitat is critical for foraging, breeding, or as refugia. As such, restoration of these habitats has the potential to increase the diversity and abundance of fishes. Here, we explored how fish communities responded in the first 12-24 mo following oyster reef restoration. Study sites included 8 restored reefs plus 4 live and 4 dead reefs as controls. Oyster reef metrics (e.g. density, height, thickness) and fish abundance and diversity metrics were quantified, including species richness, Shannon diversity, Simpson’s diversity, and Pielou’s evenness. Species composition was explored further to identify indicator species and assess habitat preferences. Patterns of fish community diversity and species composition were compared to oyster reef metrics to discern what oyster reef characteristics best predict fish diversity. Results showed that intertidal oyster reefs were structurally restored and shifted from resembling negative control reefs to positive control reefs within 12-24 mo. Across all treatment types, oyster shell height and reef thickness were the best predictors of fish diversity. However, at the fish community level, assemblages at restored reefs were similar to those at positive and negative controls. Species-level analyses suggest treatment types have unique indicator species, including Chilomycterus schoepfi (striped burrfish) for dead reefs, Lutjanus synagris (lane snapper) for restored reefs, and Gobiosoma robustum (code goby) for live reefs. This work suggests fishes can be used as higher trophic level indicators of restoration success, and ecosystem-based approaches, such as habitat restoration, can restore essential fish habitat, thus benefiting fish communities while moving coastal ecosystems toward sustainability.

ICHTHYOPLANKTON COMMUNITY IN LAGOONS OF THE TAPAJÓS AND TROMBETAS RIVERS, EASTERN AMAZON

We evaluated the structure of the ichthyoplanktonic assemblage (taxonomic composition, abundance, developmental stages, and relationship with local environmental variables) in marginal lagoons located in the clearwater Tapajós and Trombetas rivers, Amazon Basin, Brazil during periods of high water (rising waters and flooding). Samples were collected by means of horizontal drags in the subsurface of the water with a plankton net (300 µm mesh). Sorting, counting, identification of biological material, and classification of embryonic and larval stages were performed under a stereoscopic microscope. A total of 122 eggs and 2,813 fish larvae were captured and distributed in nine orders, 18 families, 20 genera, and 26 species. Of these, more than 75% are considered sedentary or short-distance migrants and more than 50% are of commercial interest. The results revealed fluctuating patterns of abundance and species composition between the lagoons of the two rivers. The ichthyoplankton community in the lagoons consisted mainly of larvae of native pelagic fish belonging to the Engraulidae family and larvae of benthic fish such as Eleotridae, making up more than 85% of the individuals captured in the study area. In addition to these two groups, some larvae of piranha species (Pygocentrus nattereri) stood out due to their high densities in the Tapajós river lagoons and croaker larvae (Plagioscion spp.) in the Trombetas river lagoons. The highest larval densities were recorded during the night with significant variations recorded in species composition. The presence of all stages of larval development indicates that these biotopes enable growth and are essential for the biological recruitment of fish species in the region. The ichthyoplankton showed a low correlation with the limnological variables, however, the patterns of abundance and composition of fish larval assemblages in the lagoons of the Tapajós and Trombetas rivers were preliminarily elucidated, although additional work is needed to assess the effects on survival and recruitment

Effects of forest degradation on Amazonian ferns in a land‐bridge island system as revealed by non‐specialist inventories

Abstract Tropical forests have been rapidly deforested and degradation worldwide has outpaced biodiversity field sampling. No study to date has assessed the effects of insular habitats induced by hydroelectric dams on Amazonian understory plants. Fern community responses to anthropogenic effects on tropical forest islands can be revealed at a faster pace by using simple and cheap, yet informative, protocols that could be applied by non‐specialists. This study seeks to both understand the drivers of fern and lycophytes assemblages on forest islands and investigate the relative costs and effectiveness of a simplified sampling protocol that can be applied by non‐specialists. Fern species were sampled by a non‐specialist who photographed all ferns and lycophytes within seventeen 0.25‐ha plots on 10 forest islands at the lake of Balbina Hydroelectric dam, central Amazonia. Sampling was carried out opportunistically during a field expedition planned to conduct tree inventories. As predictors, we used locally measured or GIS‐derived descriptors of plot and landscape conditions. We used multivariate and linear models to further assess the influence of predictors on patterns of species richness and composition of ferns assemblages. A total of 286 photographed individual ferns or lycophytes represented at least 23 species and 14 genera. The average number of taxa per plot was 6.1 in the islands and 14.3 in the mainland. The species pool found on islands was a nested subset of the mainland fern community. Species richness was positively related to island size and negatively related to isolation and fire severity. Area, isolation and fire severity also significantly explained variation in community composition. The relative cost of the picture‐based fern protocol applied was very modest (only 4% of the total expedition budget), even compared to the typically low cost of alternative field campaigns. We conclude that fern community structure in this forest archipelago was primarily driven by island size, isolation and fire disturbance. Moreover, we show that a simple sampling protocol carried out by a non‐specialist can lead to inexpensive and highly reliable ecological data. This opens an avenue for crowdsourcing ecological fern data collections using a citizen science approach.

Species composition, diversity and coverage pattern of associated communities of mosses-lichens along a pedoenvironmental gradient in Maritime Antarctica.

Maritime Antarctica is one of the major terrestrial ecosystems dominated by lichens and mosses, which represent important ecological indicators. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the changes in associated communities of mosses-lichens diversity and coverage along a pedoenvironmental gradient on Half Moon Island, Maritime Antarctica. We focused on how patterns in associated communities of mosses-lichens species diversity (richness, species composition and beta diversity) and coverage are associated with soil properties using plant inventory data from 174 plots across 14 contrasting pedoenvironments. The results clearly show marked differences in soil properties along the pedoenvironmental gradient, which determine variations in species composition, richness and coverage. We presumed that these variations are common in Maritime Antarctica owing to varying periglacial processes, weathering degree, parent material and biological influence (especially by penguins and other birds). The community species richness and coverage along the pedoenvironmental gradient differ, nevertheless share common species present in most pedoenvironments, despite differences in coverage. We assume that most of the pedoenvironments are habitats to rare species that occur only under specific soil conditions, additionally promotes high β-diversity between pedoenvironments and low species similarity.

Diversity patterns in high‐latitude grasslands

AbstractAimGrasslands of varying land‐use intensity and history were studied to describe and test species richness and compositional patterns and their relationships with the physical environment, land cover of the surrounding landscape, patch geometry, and grazing.LocationThe mainland of Norway.MethodsWe utilized data from the Norwegian Monitoring Programme for Agricultural Landscapes, which recorded vascular plants from 569 plots, placed within 97 monitoring squares systematically distributed throughout agricultural land on the Norwegian mainland. We identified four grassland types: (i) moderately fertilized, moist meadows; (ii) overgrown agricultural land; (iii) cultivated pastures and disturbed ground; and (iv) natural/unfertilized and outfield pastures.ResultsSoil moisture and grazing measures were found to be important in explaining species compositional variation in all grassland types. Richness patterns were best explained by complex and differing combinations of environmental indicators. Nevertheless, negative (nitrogen and light level) or unimodal (pH) responses were similar across grassland types. Vegetation plots adjacent to areas historically and/or currently dominated by mires, forests, or pastures, as well as abandoned and overgrown grasslands, had a slightly higher species richness. Larger grasslands surrounding the vegetation plots had slightly less species than smaller grasslands.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates that data from a national monitoring programme on agricultural grasslands can be used for plant ecological research. The results indicate that climate‐change‐related shifts along moisture and nutrient gradients (increases) may alter both species composition and species richness in the studied grasslands. It is likely that large and contiguous managed (grass)land might affect areas perceived as remnants, probably caused by the transformation to homogeneous (agri)cultural landscapes reducing edge zones, which in turn may threaten the species pool and richness. The importance of land use and land‐cover composition should be considered when planning management actions in extensively used high‐latitude grasslands.

洮河国家湿地公园主要植物群落多样性对土壤环境因子的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 洮河国家湿地公园主要植物群落多样性对土壤环境因子的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb202101090098 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金（41461013和41861009） Response of main plant community diversity to soil environmental factors in Taohe national wetland park Author: Affiliation: 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:内陆河湿地原生植被群落多样性对土壤环境因子的响应分析，有助于深入理解河岸带原生植物群落的生态适应策略。采用双向指示种分析（two-way indicator species analysis，TWINSPAN）和典范对应分析（canonical correspondence analysis，CCA）方法对研究区27个样方的原生植物群落进行分析，研究河岸带植物群落多样性与土壤因子之间的关系。结果表明：研究区主要原生植物有8种生活型，群落类型可分为女贞（Ligustrum lucidum）+野蔷薇（Rosa multiflora）群落、杠柳（Periploca sepium）群落、艾蒿（Artemisia argyi）+狗娃花（Heteropappus hispidus）群落、旋覆花（Inula japonica）+败酱（Patrinia scabiosaefolia）群落、沙棘（Hippophae rhamnoides）+小檗（Berberis thunbergii）群落和沙棘+红花岩黄耆（Hedysarum multijugum）群落6类。群落的Shannon-Wiener多样性指数（H'）整体呈下降趋势，Pielou均匀度指数（J）呈现增减交替的趋势，Simpson优势度指数（C）整体呈增加趋势，土壤粉粒含量与Simpson优势度指数（C）呈显著正相关关系（P<0.05），其他土壤因子与多样性指数无显著相关关系（P>0.05），表明土壤中粉粒含量是影响河流湿地原生植物群落分布和多样性的关键因子之一。内陆河流湿地土壤质地类型的差异性一定程度上决定河岸带湿地生态系统原生植物群落的种类组成和分布格局。 Abstract:Analysis of the adaptability of the distribution and diversity of virginal vegetation in inland river wetland to soil environmental factors is helpful to understand the ecological adaptation strategies of the native plant communities in riparian zone. This study aims to examine the response of main plant community diversity to soil environmental factors in Taohe national wetland park. The two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) methods were used to analyze the native plant communities of 27 quadrats in the study area. The study site was located in the national wetland park conservation areas in Lintao County, Gansu Province, China (35°05'27″-35°15'58″ N, 103°45'43″-103°50'55″ E). Firstly, in the riparian zone on both sides of the middle section of Taohe National Wetland Park, a flat area with relatively intact native vegetation (vegetation formed by nature but not affected by obvious human activities), less disturbance from human activities, and no obvious topographic fluctuation was selected in the direction of vertical river. Secondly, the 27 representative sample plots, including shrub and herb communities were selected. A 5 m+5 m shrub quadrat was set in each shrub plot. The height, density and coverage of all species in the quadrat were recorded in the survey of shrub community. In the investigation of herb community, 3 plots (1 m+1 m) were randomly selected from the thicket quadrats, and the height, coverage, density, frequency and life type of all plants in each quadrat were recorded in detail. The results showed that there were 8 life types of the main native plants in the study area, and the community types could be divided into 6 types. They were Ligustrum lucidum+Rosa multiflora community, Periploca sepium community, Artemisia argyi+Heteropappus hispidus community, Inula japonica+Patrinia scabiosaefolia community, Hippophae rhamnoides+Berberis thunbergii community, and Hedysarum multijugum community. Besides, Shannon Wiener diversity index (H') showed a decreasing trend as a whole, while Simpson dominance index (C) displayed opposite changing trend, and Pielou evenness index (J) exhibited a trend of increase or decrease in alternate. Moreover, there was a significantly positive correlation (P<0.05) between the content of soil silt and C, and there was no significant correlation between other soil factors and the diversity index (P>0.05), indicated that the soil silt content of the soil was one of the key factors affecting the distribution and diversity of native plant communities in river wetland. The difference of soil texture type in inland river wetland determines the species composition and distribution pattern of native plant communities in riparian wetland ecosystem to some extent. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Struktur Komunitas dan Pola Sebaran Gastropoda pada Ekosistem Mangrove di Desa Bolihutuo, Kabupaten Boalemo, Gorontalo

This study aimed to investigate the community structure and distribution pattern of Gastropods in the mangrove ecosystem Bolihutuo village. The study was conducted in February and July 2021 in two different stations. Community structure analysis carried out includes species composition, density, diversity, evenness, dominance, and distribution patterns by Morisita dispersion index. The results showed that 13 species of gastropods were found from 8 families, namely Cassidula nucleus, Littoraria palescens, Chicoreus capucinus, Nasarius distortus and Phrontis polygonata, Nerita planospira, Faunus ater, Pirenella alata, Cerithidea obtuse, Telescopium Telescopium, Terebralia palustris, Terebralia sulcata and Monodonta labio. Gastropod diversity of each station in June was relatively higher than observations in February. The distribution of Gastropods has a clustered, random, and uniform pattern.Keywords: Bolihutuo, Community structure, distribution pattern, Gastropods, Mangrove

Community structure and distribution pattern of gastropods in the mangrove ecosystem in Bolihutuo Village, Boalemo, Gorontalo

This study aimed to investigate the community structure and distribution pattern of Gastropods in the mangrove ecosystem Bolihutuo village. The study was conducted in February and July 2021 in two different stations. Community structure analysis carried out includes species composition, density, diversity, evenness, dominance, and distribution patterns by Morisita dispersion index. The results showed that 13 species of gastropods were found from 8 families, namely Cassidula nucleus, Littoraria palescens, Chicoreus capucinus, Nasarius distortus and Phrontis polygonata, Nerita planospira, Faunus ater, Pirenella alata, Cerithidea obtuse, Telescopium Telescopium, Terebralia palustris, Terebralia sulcata and Monodonta labio. Gastropod diversity of each station in June was relatively higher than observations in February. The distribution of Gastropods has a clustered, random, and uniform pattern.Keywords: Community structure; distribution pattern; Gastropods; Mangrove; Bolihutuo

Aquatic vegetation dynamics in the Upper Mississippi River over 2 decades spanning vegetation recovery

Macrophytes have recovered in rivers across the world, but long-term data and studies are lacking regarding community assembly and diversity changes coincident with macrophyte recovery. We investigated patterns of aquatic vegetation species composition and diversity in thousands of sites in the Upper Mississippi River, USA, spanning 21 y of monitoring and a period of vegetation recovery. We analyzed site-level compositional dissimilarity and environmental associations using non-metric multidimensional scaling, compared stability of lake-level assemblages over time with convex hulls, and assessed shared trends in assemblage dissimilarity at the pool scale using dynamic factor analysis. Site-level differences in aquatic vegetation assemblage structure were associated with water depth and substrate, and a gradient of species abundance and diversity was apparent. A common trend in assemblage dissimilarity over time and across contiguous floodplain lakes indicate that assemblage composition changed and diversity increased with considerable synchrony within the past 21 y. Shared trends across the 400-km study reach are indicative of 1 or more widespread, common drivers; however, neither hydrologic extremes nor turbidity explained vegetation assemblage patterns. Following several years of strong changes in composition and increased diversity, the vegetation assemblage displayed signs of increasing stability in some pools but not others. Further research is needed to identify drivers and mechanisms of aquatic vegetation assemblage expansion, assembly, and resilience, all of which will be applicable to the recovery of aquatic vegetation in floodplain systems worldwide.

Does Huxley's Line Apply to Myxomycetes?

This paper considers whether Huxley's modification of the Wallace line represents a regional boundary affecting distribution in myxomycetes, using patterns of species composition from the territories of Borneo, Palawan, and the remainder of the Philippine archipelago. With a total of 30 species of myxomycetes belonging to 16 genera (taxonomic diversity index, TDI = 1.88), Borneo recorded the highest taxonomic diversity compared to Palawan with 56 species (TDI = 2.67) and the oceanic Philippines with 159 species (TDI = 4.18). Based on species composition, Borneo is more similar to Palawan (coefficient of community, CC = 0.395) than it is to the oceanic Philippines (0.254). However, Palawan is more similar to oceanic Philippines (0.502) than it is to Borneo. This suggests that Borneo and Palawan have a certain affinity in terms of species composition of myxomycetes, but Palawan still seems to have a higher community similarity to the remainder of the Philippine archipelago when compared to Borneo. Therefore, in terms of species composition alone, myxomycetes do not appear to concur with the biogeographic region delineated by Huxley's line.

Residential-type urban forest design in Buana Cicalengka Raya Estate, Cicalengka District, Bandung Regency

The existence of urban forests in the middle of residential areas will provide added value for beauty, comfort, and environmental health that could increase the value of land and buildings in the residential area. Residential-type urban forests need to be well designed so that they are compatible with the type of building and match the residential environment’s conditions. The purpose of this design is to create an appealing, multi-benefit urban forest design, which includes aspects of the urban forest theme concept, zoning arrangement, and vegetation arrangement, including species composition, density, and planting pattern. The outcome of the design resulted in a residential type, urban forest design by the theme of RINDU BCR Urban Forest (Relaxation, Inspiration, and Education for Buana Cicalengka Raya). The RINDU BCR Urban Forest functions as (1) a place of relaxation, (2) seeking positive inspiration, and (3) environmental education for the community. The planting pattern design consists of four types, namely: (1) opposite line pattern; (2) zigzag line pattern; (3) single line pattern, and (4) mixed pattern. The front-facing area of the RINDU BCR Urban Forest is designed by planting tree species that have the criteria of being ornamental, providing shade and safety, having a height of more than 300 cm, and a diameter of more than 10 cm.

Marine fish assemblages of Eastern Brazil: An update after the world's largest mining disaster and suggestions of functional groups for biomonitoring long-lasting effects

When the Fundão dam collapsed in Brazil, 50 million m3 of iron ore tailings were released into the Doce river, resulting in the world's largest mining disaster. The contaminated mud was transported 668 km downstream of the Doce river and reached the Atlantic Ocean 17 days after the collapse. Seven months later, there was evidence that the tailings had reached the largest and richest coral reef formation in the South Atlantic Ocean. This study provides the first description of species composition, abundance, and diversity patterns of fish assemblages in estuaries, coastal areas, and coral reefs affected by the rupture of the mining dam in the Doce river. A linear mixed model (GLMM) was used to evaluate the influence of salinity on fish abundance across estuarine and coastal ecosystems. In addition, based on functional traits related to habitat use and feeding habits, this study identified fish species suitable as bioindicators of the long-lasting effects of this major mining disaster. Bottom trawls were used to sample five estuaries and their respective coastal areas, and a visual census was employed to sample five reef areas, representing an impact gradient. A total of 269 species were recorded in all three habitats, but only seven were shared among them. The results showed lower similarity in assemblages among estuarine areas compared to the coastal and reef areas. Species composition among estuaries and reef ecosystems was more heterogeneous. In contrast, coastal habitats exhibited high homogeneity. Salinity had no statistically significant effect on fish abundance either in estuaries (p = 0.22) and along the coast (p = 0.14). Twelve fish species were identified as suitable bioindicators for evaluating the long-lasting effects of resuspension of contaminated sediments. These species are commonly found in the ecosystems under the influence of the disaster inhabiting potentially contaminated substrates and substrate-associated benthic preys.

The efficiency of retention measures in continuous-cover forestry for conserving epiphytic cryptogams: A case study on Abies alba

Lacking structural diversity in production forests has been evidenced to decrease epiphytic bryophytes and lichens. One approach to create structurally more diverse forests is retention forestry. Only a small number of studies focused on the effectiveness of retention measures in continuous-cover forestry. Most studies have been conducted in even-aged, clear-cut based management systems and applied different approaches, but they all have in common that the retained trees have been examined for epiphytes only after harvest. Thus, it remains unclear whether these trees or even a certain tree species could take the life-boat function for epiphytes on logged sites. Thus, prior to logging, we assessed epiphytic bryophytes and lichens on potential large living retention trees, here referred to as habitat trees (HT), of Abies alba and compared the diversity pattern to nearby average trees (AT; A. alba, Fagus sylvatica or Picea abies) of smaller sizes in selectively harvested continuous-cover forests. Selection of AT was based on the average stem diameter of all trees within the stand. We found that species richness and Simpson diversity of lichens were significantly higher on HT. For bryophytes, F. sylvatica AT showed significantly higher Simpson diversity. Mixed models revealed positive effects of F. sylvatica on bryophytes, whereas large stem diameters and elevation were the driving forces for lichens. Additionally, ordinations revealed clear patterns in species composition separating between conifers and broadleaved trees, and along increasing altitude and stem diameter. Concerning HT selection, we suggest to focus rather on the tree species diversity than on stem diameter, when aiming to protect epiphytic bryophytes and lichens.

Metacommunity structure reveals that temperature affects the landscape compositional patterns of avian malaria and related haemosporidian parasites across elevations

Metacommunity ecology studies how species compositional patterns and their distributions vary across local and regional scales and provides insights on processes driving the distribution of communities. Avian haemosporidians comprise a diverse and widely distributed parasite taxon; some studies have analyzed their alpha and beta diversity patterns. Yet, metacommunity structures of avian haemosporidians and thus relevant biotic and abiotic variables explaining such structures at the landscape scale (i.e., 10–200 km) have not been assessed. We studied the metacommunity structure of avian haemosporidian mtDNA cyt b lineages and the infected avian host assemblage across four different elevations in Central Veracruz, Mexico. We performed variation-partitioning analyses to evaluate the contribution of host-related traits and climatic variables to the metacommunity. We found a richness of 78 lineages within 38 infected species of birds. At the component community level, we observed that bird species infected with a lower number of parasite lineages (e.g., <3) represented a nested subset of those with a higher number of parasite lineages (e.g., >8) (i.e., nested structure). However, this nested pattern was due to the restricted spatiotemporal co-occurrence of hosts and parasites, given the high degree of turnover across elevations. Host-related traits (functional, transmission-associated, and phylogenetic relationships) only explained a small fraction of the variation (4.4%) in parasite lineage composition across avian hosts. At the habitat level, there was a group turnover by parasite genera across elevation (i.e., quasi-Clementsian structure), which was partly explained by climatic variables (mean annual temperature and annual diurnal range; 27.6%) that may constrain parasite reproduction and vector distribution across the environmental gradient. At the scale of our study, environmental conditions represented a more important driver of avian haemosporidian metacommunity structure than host-related traits, suggesting an important role of environmental filtering structuring parasite assemblages at the landscape level.

Impact of urbanization on functional diversity in macromycete communities along an urban ecosystem in Southwest Mexico.

Macromycetes are a group of fungi characterized by the production of fruit bodies and are highly relevant in most terrestrial ecosystems as pathogens, mutualists, and organic matter decomposers. Habitat transformation can drastically alter macromycete communities and diminish the contribution of these organisms to ecosystem functioning; however, knowledge on the effect of urbanization on macrofungal communities is scarce. Diversity metrics based on functional traits of macromycete species have shown to be valuable tools to predict how species contribute to ecosystem functionality since traits determine the performance of species in ecosystems. The aim of this study was to assess patterns of species richness, functional diversity, and composition of macrofungi in an urban ecosystem in Southwest Mexico, and to identify microclimatic, environmental, and urban factors related to these patterns in order to infer the effect of urbanization on macromycete communities. We selected four oak forests along an urbanization gradient and established a permanent sampling area of 0.1 ha at each site. Macromycete sampling was carried out every week from June to October 2017. The indices used to measure functional diversity were functional richness (FRic), functional divergence (FDig), and functional evenness (FEve). The metric used to assess variation of macrofungal ecological function along the study area was the functional value. We recorded a total of 134 macromycete species and 223 individuals. Our results indicated a decline of species richness with increased urbanization level related mainly to microclimatic variables, and a high turnover of species composition among study sites, which appears to be related to microclimatic and urbanization variables. FRic decreased with urbanization level, indicating that some of the available resources in the niche space within the most urbanized sites are not being utilized. FDig increased with urbanization, which suggests a high degree of niche differentiation among macromycete species within communities in urbanized areas. FEve did not show notable differences along the urbanization gradient, indicating few variations in the distribution of abundances within the occupied sections of the niche space. Similarly, the functional value was markedly higher in the less urbanized site, suggesting greater performance of functional guilds in that area. Our findings suggest that urbanization has led to a loss of macromycete species and a decrease in functional diversity, causing some sections of the niche space to be hardly occupied and available resources to be under-utilized, which could, to a certain extent, affect ecosystem functioning and stability.

Level of urbanization and habitat type, and not patch size, influence predacious arthropod diversity patterns of urban grasslands in South Africa

Abstract. Greyvenstein B, Botha M, van den Berg J, Siebert SJ. 2021. Level of urbanization and habitat type, and not patch size, influence predacious arthropod diversity patterns of urban grasslands in South Africa. Biodiversitas 22: 4078-4094. Predacious arthropods provide a valuable ecosystem service within urban environments by suppressing pest numbers. However, urban ecological studies largely ignore this functional group and its diversity and species composition patterns. Some studies have been published regarding these patterns, however they were mostly done in Australia, Europe and America, thus an African perspective is lacking. Our aim was to address the gap in African literature by quantify the differences in predacious arthropod species richness and diversity within urban green space in varying urbanization intensities, habitat types of grassland and patch sizes in South Africa. Various indices were considered to examine the effect of urbanization on the diversity patterns of Chrysopidae (Neuroptera), Mantodea, Araneae and Coccinellidae (Coleoptera). Study sites included three levels of urbanization represented by population density, two types of urban grasslands (i.e., ruderal and fragmented grassland) and a peri-urban rangeland grassland as control, and a wide range of patch sizes. Our results indicated that an increase in urbanization intensities was associated with increased abundance of predacious arthropod taxa. Also, that urban and peri-urban grasslands had similar predacious arthropod species richness and diversity, but differed in species composition. No relationship was found between patch size and arthropod diversity or composition. Thus, predacious arthropod abundances are influenced by the level of urbanization and their species composition is influenced by the type of urban grassland (ruderal or fragmented), which are important considerations for future urban planning/management and conservation strategies. This study gives a South African perspective and indicates that despite the lack of assigned function of urban green spaces, they sustain diverse and distinct predacious arthropod communities, which in turn fulfill various roles in a functioning ecosystem.

Response of avian communities to edges of tropical montane forests: Implications for the future of endemic habitat specialists

Tropical montane landscapes harbor diverse flora and fauna, and many species there are ecological specialists with narrow elevational distributions, limited geographic ranges, and small global populations. Along elevational gradients, environmental conditions and community composition change dramatically over small spatial scales. As forests are disturbed and edges formed with modified habitat, natural communities could be affected differently across elevations by the many physical and biotic changes at edges. We asked whether forest edges produced altered patterns of avian species composition along a cloud forest - dry forest gradient on the Pacific slope of the Tilarán mountains in Monteverde, Costa Rica. A strong moisture gradient produces cloud forests near the ridgetops, with a concentration of species endemic to the Costa Rica – Panama highlands that are habitat specialists. We conducted 552 point counts across 110 locations from 1100 to 1800 m elevation, yielding 6586 detections of 115 species in 10 km2 of montane forest. We analyzed differences in species composition and single-species abundances between interior and near-edge forest habitats for species grouped by geographic range size. Species composition changed markedly from forest edge to interior in cloud forest habitats, but not in drier forests downslope. Endemic species, especially in cloud forest, were detected less frequently in mature forest near edges than in mature forest interior, and this difference was more pronounced than for cosmopolitan species. On tropical mountainsides, we can expect habitat-specialist endemic species to be more sensitive to further habitat modification. This sensitivity could limit the resilience of tropical bird communities.

Species composition and turnover models provide robust approximations of biodiversity in marine conservation planning

Robust design of Marine Protected Areas in ocean environments is often challenging due to inadequate knowledge of biodiversity patterns, reflecting difficulties in the prediction of species distributions from sampling data that are often sparse or inadequate. Models that combine species and environmental data, such as Gradient Forests (GF), provide one analytical approach to this problem, efficiently combining available information to produce spatial models of species turnover throughout an area of interest. Spatial estimates of species turnover can then be classified to estimate spatial patterns in species composition; however, the performance of GF-based classifications within a conservation planning context has not previously been evaluated. Here we assess the utility for conservation planning (using the software Zonation) of a GF-based hierarchical classification that summarises spatial patterns in demersal fish composition in the oceans around New Zealand. Progressively more complex Zonation analyses assessed the effects of (i) varying the number of classification groups, (ii) adding information describing species turnover, and (iii) adding information describing spatial variation in demersal fish species richness. The best-performing GF-based conservation ranking used layers describing the distributions of 30 classification groups, demersal fish species turnover between these groups, and species richness. Conservation outcomes from this ranking were only marginally less efficient than those from a more conventional ranking that used 217 individual species distribution layers (7% less efficient). This indicates that GF-based classifications may provide a practical alternative for marine conservation planning. Additional advantages arise from the greater ease with which a single classification layer summarising complex biodiversity patterns can facilitate decision-making in participatory stakeholder processes.