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Sun W, Tang W, Wu Y, He S, Wu X. The Influences of Rainfall Intensity and Timing on the Assemblage of Dung Beetles and the Rate of Dung Removal in an Alpine Meadow. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1496. [PMID: 38132322 PMCID: PMC10741044 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 11/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Changes in precipitation patterns, including rainfall intensity and rainfall timing, have been extensively demonstrated to impact biological processes and associated ecosystem functions. However, less attention has been paid to the effects of rainfall intensity and rainfall timing on the assembly of detritivore communities and the decomposition rate of detritus such as animal dung. In a grazed alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, we conducted a manipulative experiment involving two levels of rainfall intensity (heavy rainfall, 1000 mL/5 min; light rainfall, 100 mL/5 min) and five levels of rainfall timing (0, 2, 4, 24, and 48 h after yak dung deposition). The aim was to determine the effects of rainfall intensity, timing, and their interaction on the assemblage of dung beetles and dung removal rate during the early stage (i.e., 96 h after yak dung deposition) of dung decomposition. Light rainfall significantly increased species richness in the treatment of 48 h after dung pats were deposited. Heavy rainfall significantly decreased beetle abundance in both the 0 h and 48 h treatments while light rainfall had no effect on beetle abundance. Dung mass loss was significant lower in the 2 h treatment compared to other treatments regardless of rainfall intensity. The structural equation model further revealed that the species richness of dung beetles and dung mass loss were significantly affected by rainfall timing but not by rainfall intensity. However, no significant relationships were observed between any variables examined. These findings suggest that changes in precipitation patterns can influence both the structure of dung beetles and the rate of dung decomposition but may also decouple their relationship under a certain circumstance. Therefore, it is crucial to pay greater attention to fully understand local variability between the biological processes and ecosystem functions within a global climate change scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Xinwei Wu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China; (W.S.); (W.T.); (Y.W.); (S.H.)
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2
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Lin L, Jiang XL, Guo KQ, Byrne A, Deng M. Climate change impacts the distribution of Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis (Fagaceae), a keystone lineage in East Asian evergreen broadleaved forests. PLANT DIVERSITY 2023; 45:552-568. [PMID: 37936812 PMCID: PMC10625921 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2023.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2022] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
East Asian evergreen broadleaved forests (EBFLs) harbor high species richness, but these ecosystems are severely impacted by global climate change and deforestation. Conserving and managing EBLFs requires understanding dominant tree distribution dynamics. In this study, we used 29 species in Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis-a keystone lineage in East Asian EBLFs-as proxies to predict EBLF distribution dynamics using species distribution models (SDMs). We examined climatic niche overlap, similarity, and equivalency among seven biogeographical regions' species using 'ecospat'. We also estimated the effectiveness of protected areas in the predicted range to elucidate priority conservation regions. Our results showed that the climatic niches of most geographical groups differ. The western species under the Indian summer monsoon regime were mainly impacted by temperature factors, whereas precipitation impacted the eastern species under the East Asian summer monsoon regime. Our simulation predicted a northward range expansion of section Cyclobalanopsis between 2081 and 2100, except for the ranges of the three Himalayan species analyzed, which might shrink significantly. The greatest shift of highly suitable areas was predicted for the species in the South Pacific, with a centroid shift of over 300 km. Remarkably, only 7.56% of suitable habitat is currently inside protected areas, and the percentage is predicted to continue declining in the future. To better conserve Asian EBLFs, establishing nature reserves in their northern distribution ranges, and transplanting the populations with predicted decreasing numbers and degraded habitats to their future highly suitable areas, should be high-priority objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Lin
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Institute of Biodiversity, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of BioResources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiao-Long Jiang
- College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China
| | - Kai-Qi Guo
- College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410004, Hunan, China
- Shanghai Chenshan Botanical Garden, Shanghai 201602, China
| | - Amy Byrne
- The Morton Arboretum, Lile, IL 60532-1293, USA
| | - Min Deng
- School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology and Institute of Biodiversity, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
- Laboratory of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of BioResources in Yunnan, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, Yunnan, China
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3
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Lolila NJ, Shirima DD, Mauya EW. Tree species composition along environmental and disturbance gradients in tropical sub-montane forests, Tanzania. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0282528. [PMID: 36888683 PMCID: PMC9994703 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0282528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the environmental and disturbance determinants of tree species dominance and community composition in an ecosystem, is important for informing management and conservation decisions, through maintaining or improving the existing forest composition and structure. This study was carried out to quantify the relationship between forest tree composition structure and environmental and disturbance gradients, in a tropical sub-montane forest of Eastern Usambara. Vegetation, environmental, and anthropogenic disturbance data for 58 plots across Amani and Nilo nature forest reserves were obtained. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) were used to identify plant communities and analyze the influence of environmental variables and anthropogenic disturbances on tree species and community composition respectively. Four communities were identified and CCA results showed that the variation was significantly related to elevation, pH, Annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, phosphorus nutrients and pressures from adjacent villages and roads. Likewise, environmental factors (climate, soil and topography) explained the most variation (14.5%) of tree and community composition in relation to disturbance pressure (2.5%). The large and significant variation in tree species and community patterns explained by environmental factors suggests a need for site-specific assessment of environmental properties for biodiversity conservation plans. Similarly, the intensification of human activities and associated impacts on natural environment should be minimized to maintain forest species composition patterns and communities. The findings are useful in guiding in policy interventions that focus on minimizing human disturbances in the forests and could aid in preserving and restoring the functional organization and tree species composition of the sub-tropical montane forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandera Juma Lolila
- Department of Forest Engineering and Wood Sciences, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- * E-mail:
| | - Deo D. Shirima
- Department of Ecosystems and Conservation, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
- National Carbon Monitoring Centre, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
| | - Ernest William Mauya
- Department of Forest Engineering and Wood Sciences, College of Forestry, Wildlife and Tourism, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Morogoro, Tanzania
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Sharma J, Singh R, Garai S, Rahaman SM, Khatun M, Ranjan A, Mishra SN, Tiwari S. Climate change and dispersion dynamics of the invasive plant species Chromolaena odorata and Lantana camara in parts of the central and eastern India. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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5
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Damaneh JM, Ahmadi J, Rahmanian S, Sadeghi SMM, Nasiri V, Borz SA. Prediction of wild pistachio ecological niche using machine learning models. ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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6
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García L, Veneros J, Chavez S, Oliva M, Rojas Briceño NB. World historical mapping and potential distribution of Cinchona spp. in Peru as a contribution for its restoration and conservation. J Nat Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Mkala EM, Jost M, Wanke S, Ngarega BK, Hughes A, Mutinda ES, Waswa EN, Mwanzia VM, Oulo MA, Wanga VO, Ngumbau VM, Mwachala G, Hu GW, Wang QF. How vulnerable are holoparasitic plants with obligate hosts to negative climate change impacts? ECOL INFORM 2022; 69:101636. [DOI: https:/doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2023]
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Mkala EM, Jost M, Wanke S, Ngarega BK, Hughes A, Mutinda ES, Waswa EN, Mwanzia VM, Oulo MA, Wanga VO, Ngumbau VM, Mwachala G, Hu GW, Wang QF. How vulnerable are holoparasitic plants with obligate hosts to negative climate change impacts? ECOL INFORM 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Manda L, Idohou R, Assogbadjo AE, Agbangla C. Climate Change Reveals Contractions and Expansions in the Distribution of Suitable Habitats for the Neglected Crop Wild Relatives of the Genus Vigna (Savi) in Benin. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.870041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustainable conservation of crop wild relatives is one of the pathways to securing global food security amid climate change threats to biodiversity. However, their conservation is partly limited by spatio-temporal distribution knowledge gaps mostly because they are not morphologically charismatic species to attract conservation attention. Therefore, to contribute to the conservation planning of crop wild relatives, this study assessed the present-day distribution and predicted the potential effect of climate change on the distribution of 15 Vigna crop wild relative taxa in Benin under two future climate change scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) at the 2055-time horizon. MaxEnt model, species occurrence records, and a combination of climate- and soil-related variables were used. The model performed well (AUC, mean = 0.957; TSS, mean = 0.774). The model showed that (i) precipitation of the driest quarter and isothermality were the dominant environmental variables influencing the distribution of the 15 wild Vigna species in Benin; (ii) about half of the total land area of Benin was potentially a suitable habitat of the studied species under the present climate; (iii) nearly one-third of the species may shift their potentially suitable habitat ranges northwards and about half of the species may lose their suitable habitats by 5 to 40% by 2055 due to climate change; and (iv) the existing protected area network in Benin was ineffective in conserving wild Vigna under the current or future climatic conditions, as it covered only about 10% of the total potentially suitable habitat of the studied species. The study concludes that climate change will have both negative and positive effects on the habitat suitability distribution of Vigna crop wild relatives in Benin such that the use of the existing protected areas alone may not be the only best option to conserve the wild Vigna diversity. Integrating multiple in situ and ex situ conservation approaches taking into account “other effective area-based conservation measures” is recommended. This study provides a crucial step towards the development of sustainable conservation strategies for Vigna crop wild relatives in Benin and West Africa.
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Effects of Climate Change on the Carbon Sequestration Potential of Forest Vegetation in Yunnan Province, Southwest China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13020306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Ongoing climate changes reportedly affect the potential distribution and carbon sequestration potential (CSP) of forest vegetation. The combined effects of increasing temperature and decreasing precipitation on these features of forest vegetation are poorly understood. In this study, classification and regression tree (CART) models were used to predict the potential distribution and estimate the CSP of forest vegetation in Yunnan Province, Southwest China, under different simulation scenarios. The minimum temperature of the coldest month (TMW) was the main factor limiting the suitable habitat of all forest vegetation types except for warm–temperate coniferous (WTC) forests. When the temperature increased by 1 °C and the precipitation decreased by 20%, the potential distribution area of the 7 forest vegetation types decreased by 12.41% overall. The potential distribution of WTC forests was the least sensitive to temperature increases and precipitation decreases. The CSP of vegetation was higher (1187.69 TgC) under the constant temperature and 10% precipitation decrease scenario than the CSP of vegetation under the 2 °C temperature increase and constant precipitation scenario (647.24 TgC). Specifically, the highest CSP (1337.88 TgC) was observed under the 1 °C temperature increase and 10% precipitation decrease scenario, and the lowest (617.91 TgC) occurred under the constant temperature and 20% precipitation decrease scenario. In summary, the forest vegetation in Yunnan Province has a high CSP under climate change, and the combined effect of increased temperature and decreased precipitation can increase the CSP of forest vegetation in Yunnan Province. This finding is important for improving scientific decision making and policy planning.
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11
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Temperature and soils predict the distribution of plant species along the Himalayan elevational gradient. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1017/s026646742100050x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTropical montane systems are characterized by a high plant species diversity and complex environmental gradients. Climate warming may force species to track suitable climatic conditions and shift their distribution upward, which may be particularly problematic for species with narrow elevational ranges. To better understand the fate of montane plant species in the face of climate change, we evaluated a) which environmental factors best predict the distribution of 277 plant species along the Himalayan elevational gradient in Nepal, and b) whether species elevational ranges increase with increasing elevation. To this end, we developed ecological niche models using MaxEnt by combining species survey and presence data with 19 environmental predictors. Key environmental factors that best predicted the distribution of Himalayan plant species were mean annual temperature (for 54.5% of the species) followed by soil clay content (10.2%) and slope (9.4%). Although temperature is the best predictor, it is associated with many other covariates that may explain species distribution, such as irradiance and potential evapotranspiration. Species at both ends of the Himalayan elevational gradient had narrower elevational ranges than species in the middle. Our results suggest that with further global warming, most Himalayan plant species have to migrate upward, which is especially critical for upland species with narrow distribution ranges.
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Tarnian F, Kumar S, Azarnivand H, Chahouki MAZ, Mossivand AM. Assessing the effects of climate change on the distribution of Daphne mucronata in Iran. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2021; 193:562. [PMID: 34379207 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-021-09311-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Zagros Mountains are like an island in the Middle East and they are subjected to changes in climate. Daphne mucronata Royle is an important medicinal plant species preserved in the high elevation regions in these mountains. Maxent species distribution model was used to integrate presence data (2413 points) and environmental variables to model the current and future potential distribution of D. mucronata in Iran. The most important variables were Bio19 with 50.5% contribution, followed by Bio8 and Bio2 with 30% and 11.4% contributions, respectively. The best Maxent model included seven variables, 4 feature types (linear, quadratic, product, and hinge), and had a test AUC value of 0.894. The current potential distribution indicated that 8% of Iran's drylands are suitable for growing D. mucronata and this area could decrease to 5.2% under representative concentration pathway (RCP) 4.5, and 3.1% under RCP 8.5 due to climate change. Our results suggest that D. mucronata may lose overall about 2.8% and 4.9% of its current distribution under RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, respectively, by 2050. There would be only 0.7 and 0.2% gains under RCP 4.5 and 8.5, respectively. The species would locally disappear between 1500- and 2000-m elevation under RCP 4.5 and 8.5, respectively. The establishment of some stations for monitoring the changes in transition zone or lost areas especially on the southeastern parts of Zagros Mountain can help in detecting changes in the future. Additionally, stable habitats may be good target areas for future conservation planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Farajollah Tarnian
- Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, P.O. Box 465, Khorramabad, Lorestan Province, Iran.
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1499, USA.
| | - Sunil Kumar
- Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1499, USA
| | - Hossein Azarnivand
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 4111, Karaj, Iran
| | | | - Amir Mirzaei Mossivand
- Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Lorestan University, P.O. Box 465, Khorramabad, Lorestan Province, Iran
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13
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Jiang R, Zhang G. Distribution patterns and influencing factors of different parasitic angiosperm types in China. Glob Ecol Conserv 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
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14
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Ren Z, Zagortchev L, Ma J, Yan M, Li J. Predicting the potential distribution of the parasitic Cuscuta chinensis under global warming. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:28. [PMID: 32386506 PMCID: PMC7210669 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00295-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The climate is the dominant factor that affects the distribution of plants. Cuscuta chinensis is a stem holoparasitic plant without leaves or roots, which develops a haustorium and sucks nutrients from host plants. The potential distribution of the parasitic plant C. chinensis has not been predicted to date. This study used Maxent modeling to predict the potential global distribution of C. chinensis, based on the following six main bioclimatic variables: annual mean temperature, isothermality, temperature seasonality, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and precipitation of the coldest quarter. Results The optimal annual average temperature and isothermality of C. chinensis ranged from 4 to 37 °C and less than 45, respectively, while the optimal temperature seasonality and precipitation seasonality ranged from 4000 to 25,000 and from 50 to 130, respectively. The optimal precipitation of the warmest season ranged from 300 to 1000 mm and from 2500 to 3500 mm, while that of the coldest season was less than 2000 mm. In Asia, C. chinensis is mainly distributed at latitudes ranging from 20° N to 50° N. During three specific historical periods (last glacial maximum, mid-Holocene, and 1960–1990) the habitats suitable for C. chinensis were concentrated in the central, northern, southern, and eastern parts of China. From the last glacial maximum to the mid-Holocene, the total area with suitability of 0.5–1 increased by 0.0875 million km2; however, from the mid-Holocene to 1960–1990, the total area with suitability of 0.5–1 decreased by 0.0759 million km2. The simulation results of habitat suitability in the two representative concentration pathways (RCP) 2.6 (i.e., the low greenhouse gas emissions pathway) and 8.5 (i.e., the high greenhouse gas emissions pathway) indicate that the habitat suitability of C. chinensis decreased in response to the warming climate. Compared with RCP2.6, areas with averaged suitability and high suitability for survival (RCP8.5) decreased by 0.18 million km2. Conclusion Suitable habitats of C. chinensis are situated in central, northern, southern, and eastern China. The habitat suitability of C. chinensis decreased in response to the warming climate. These results provide a reference for the management and control of C. chinensis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zichun Ren
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen, 041000, China.,Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China
| | - Lyuben Zagortchev
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology, Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", 8 Dragan Tsankovblvd., 1164, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Junxia Ma
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China
| | - Ming Yan
- School of Life Science, Shanxi Normal University, Linfen, 041000, China.
| | - Junmin Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China.
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Structure, composition and diversity of trees within the dry evergreen reserve forest of Kondapalli (Eastern Ghats, southern India). BIODIVERSITY: RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION 2019. [DOI: 10.2478/biorc-2019-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
The dry evergreen forest of Kondapalli (Andhra Pradesh state, India) is declared as a forest reserve, but, despite of this, it is subjected to degradation resulting in loss of biodiversity. Thus, the current study was carried out to investigate the tree diversity of Kondapalli forest. A total of 566 ±16 trees (≥10 cm) representing 46±8 species from 40 genera and 21 families were recorded from the 0.36 ha area of Kondapalli forest. Mimosaceae was the most species rich family, while Rutaceae was the most abundant family. Atalantia monophylla was most frequent and abundant species and, with respect to basal area, Melia azedarach and Syzygium cumini were the dominant taxa. The recorded stem density was 1572 stems ha−1 and the mean forest basal area was 47.17 m2 ha−1. The results of cluster analysis revealed that Atalantia monophylla, characterised by a high ecological amplitude, had a wide distribution and was associated with species forming different communities. The study showed that Kondapalli forest is characterised by a fairly high species richness, which provides the baseline data on the floristic structure and diversity of this forest for better management and conservation.
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Msalilwa UL, Munishi LK, Makule EE, Ndakidemi PA. Pinpointing baobab (
Adansonia digitata
[Linn. 1759]) population hotspots in the semi‐arid areas of Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Upendo L. Msalilwa
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Management The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
- Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES) in Food and Nutrition Security The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
| | - Linus K. Munishi
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Management The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
- Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES) in Food and Nutrition Security The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
| | - Edna E. Makule
- Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES) in Food and Nutrition Security The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
- Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
| | - Patrick A. Ndakidemi
- Department of Sustainable Agriculture, Biodiversity, and Ecosystem Management The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
- Centre for Research, Agricultural Advancement, Teaching Excellence and Sustainability (CREATES) in Food and Nutrition Security The Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology Arusha Tanzania
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Gao Z, Wang Q, Hu Z, Luo P, Duan G, Sharma RP, Ye Q, Gao W, Song X, Fu L. Comparing independent climate-sensitive models of aboveground biomass and diameter growth with their compatible simultaneous model system for three larch species in China. INT J BIOMATH 2019. [DOI: 10.1142/s1793524519500530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Accurate estimate of tree biomass is essential for forest management. In recent years, several climate-sensitive allometric biomass models with diameter at breast height [Formula: see text] as a predictor have been proposed for various tree species and climate zones to estimate tree aboveground biomass (AGB). But the allometric models only account for the potential effects of climate on tree biomass and do not simultaneously explain the influence of climate on [Formula: see text] growth. In this study, based on the AGB data from 256 destructively sampled trees of three larch species randomly distributed across the five secondary climate zones in northeastern and northern China, we first developed a climate-sensitive AGB base model and a climate-sensitive [Formula: see text] growth base model using a nonlinear least square regression separately. A compatible simultaneous model system was then developed with the climate-sensitive AGB and [Formula: see text] growth models using a nonlinear seemingly unrelated regression. The potential effects of several temperature and precipitation variables on AGB and [Formula: see text] growth were evaluated. The fitting results of climatic sensitive base models were compared against those of their compatible simultaneous model system. It was found that a decreased isothermality ([mean of monthly (maximum temperature-minimum temperature)]/(Maximum temperature of the warmest month-Minimum temperature of the coldest month)) and total growing season precipitation, and increased annual precipitation significantly increased the values of AGB; an increase of temperature seasonality (a standard deviation of the mean monthly temperature) and precipitation seasonality (a standard deviation of the mean monthly precipitation) could lead to the increase of [Formula: see text]. The differences of the model fitting results between the compatible simultaneous system with the consideration of climate effects on both AGB and [Formula: see text] growth and its corresponding climate-sensitive AGB and [Formula: see text] growth base models were very small and insignificant [Formula: see text]. Compared to the base models, the inherent correlation of AGB with [Formula: see text] was taken into account effectively by the proposed compatible model system developed with the climate-sensitive AGB and [Formula: see text] growth models. In addition, the compatible properties of the estimated AGB and [Formula: see text] were also addressed substantially in the proposed model system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhigang Gao
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities, Tongliao 028000, P. R. China
- Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
| | - Qiuyan Wang
- Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
| | - Zongda Hu
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, Sichuan province, P. R. China
| | - Peng Luo
- Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
| | - Guangshuang Duan
- Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
| | - Ram P. Sharma
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
| | - Qiaolin Ye
- College of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210037, P. R. China
| | - Wenqiang Gao
- Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
| | - Xinyu Song
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Prague 6-Suchdol, Czech Republic
- College of Computer and Information Techniques, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, Henan Province, P. R. China
| | - Liyong Fu
- Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, P. R. China
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18
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Amissah L, Mohren GMJ, Kyereh B, Agyeman VK, Poorter L. Rainfall seasonality and drought performance shape the distribution of tropical tree species in Ghana. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8582-8597. [PMID: 30250725 PMCID: PMC6144999 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Tree species distribution in lowland tropical forests is strongly associated with rainfall amount and distribution. Not only plant water availability, but also irradiance, soil fertility, and pest pressure covary along rainfall gradients. To assess the role of water availability in shaping species distribution, we carried out a reciprocal transplanting experiment in gaps in a dry and a wet forest site in Ghana, using 2,670 seedlings of 23 tree species belonging to three contrasting rainfall distributions groups (dry species, ubiquitous species, and wet species). We evaluated seasonal patterns in climatic conditions, seedling physiology and performance (survival and growth) over a 2-year period and related seedling performance to species distribution along Ghana's rainfall gradient. The dry forest site had, compared to the wet forest, higher irradiance, and soil nutrient availability and experienced stronger atmospheric drought (2.0 vs. 0.6 kPa vapor pressure deficit) and reduced soil water potential (-5.0 vs. -0.6 MPa soil water potential) during the dry season. In both forests, dry species showed significantly higher stomatal conductance and lower leaf water potential, than wet species, and in the dry forest, dry species also realized higher drought survival and growth rate than wet species. Dry species are therefore more drought tolerant, and unlike the wet forest species, they achieve a home advantage. Species drought performance in the dry forest relative to the wet forest significantly predicted species position on the rainfall gradient in Ghana, indicating that the ability to grow and survive better in dry forests and during dry seasons may allow species to occur in low rainfall areas. Drought is therefore an important environmental filter that influences forest composition and dynamics. Currently, many tropical forests experience increase in frequency and intensity of droughts, and our results suggest that this may lead to reduction in tree productivity and shifts in species distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Amissah
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research‐Forestry Research Institute of GhanaKumasiGhana
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Godefridus M. J. Mohren
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Boateng Kyereh
- College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesKwame Nkrumah University of Science and TechnologyKumasiGhana
| | - Victor K. Agyeman
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research‐Forestry Research Institute of GhanaKumasiGhana
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
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19
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Poggio L, Simonetti E, Gimona A. Enhancing the WorldClim data set for national and regional applications. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 625:1628-1643. [PMID: 29996459 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2017] [Revised: 12/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Climatic change in the last few decades has had a widespread impact on both natural and human systems, observable on all continents. Ecological and environmental models using climatic data often rely on gridded data, such as WorldClim. The main aim of this study was to devise and evaluate a computationally efficient approach to produce new high resolution (100m) estimates of current and future climatic variables to be used at the national and regional scale. The test area was Great Britain, where local data are available and of good quality. Present and future climate surfaces were produced. For the present, the approach involved the integration, via spatial interpolation, of local climate information and WorldClim to reduce bias. For future climate scenarios the approach involved spatially downscaling of WorldClim (1km) to a finer resolution of 100m. The main advantages of the proposed approach are: 1. finer resolution, 2. locally adapted to the study area with use of higher number of meteorological stations and improved accuracy and bias, and 3. computationally efficient while making use of the existing resources provided by WorldClim. Two applications were presented to illustrate the practical consequences of improvements obtained with this method. The first is a measure of rainfall intensity, i.e. the R-factor, widely applied in erosion and catchment-scale studies. The second is an application to species distribution modelling, involving a range of bioclimatic variables. The results highlighted the importance of considering the spatial variability and structure of the data integrated in the modelling, and using data adapted to the geographical extent of the analysis, whenever possible. The results of the applications showed the advantage of using enhanced climatic data in applications such as the estimation of soil erosion, species range shift, carbon stocks and the provision of ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Poggio
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB158QH Aberdeen, Scotland, UK.
| | - Enrico Simonetti
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB158QH Aberdeen, Scotland, UK; School of Biosciences and Veterinary Medicine, Plant Diversity and Ecosystems Management Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, MC, Italy
| | - Alessandro Gimona
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, AB158QH Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
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20
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Species Diversity, Stand Structure, and Species Distribution across a Precipitation Gradient in Tropical Forests in Myanmar. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f8080282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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21
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Sor R, Park YS, Boets P, Goethals PL, Lek S. Effects of species prevalence on the performance of predictive models. Ecol Modell 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Gaviria J, Turner BL, Engelbrecht BMJ. Drivers of tree species distribution across a tropical rainfall gradient. Ecosphere 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gaviria
- Department of Plant Ecology; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; 95447 Bayreuth Germany
| | - Benjamin L. Turner
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Panama
| | - Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht
- Department of Plant Ecology; Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER); University of Bayreuth; 95447 Bayreuth Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute; Apartado 0843-03092 Balboa Ancón Panama
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23
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Mundim FM, Bruna EM. Is There a Temperate Bias in Our Understanding of How Climate Change Will Alter Plant-Herbivore Interactions? A Meta-analysis of Experimental Studies. Am Nat 2016; 188 Suppl 1:S74-89. [DOI: 10.1086/687530] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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24
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Gaviria J, Engelbrecht BMJ. Effects of Drought, Pest Pressure and Light Availability on Seedling Establishment and Growth: Their Role for Distribution of Tree Species across a Tropical Rainfall Gradient. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0143955. [PMID: 26619138 PMCID: PMC4664389 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/11/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tree species distributions associated with rainfall are among the most prominent patterns in tropical forests. Understanding the mechanisms shaping these patterns is important to project impacts of global climate change on tree distributions and diversity in the tropics. Beside direct effects of water availability, additional factors co-varying with rainfall have been hypothesized to play an important role, including pest pressure and light availability. While low water availability is expected to exclude drought-intolerant wet forest species from drier forests (physiological tolerance hypothesis), high pest pressure or low light availability are hypothesized to exclude dry forest species from wetter forests (pest pressure gradient and light availability hypothesis, respectively). To test these hypotheses at the seed-to-seedling transition, the potentially most critical stage for species discrimination, we conducted a reciprocal transplant experiment combined with a pest exclosure treatment at a wet and a dry forest site in Panama with seeds of 26 species with contrasting origin. Establishment success after one year did not reflect species distribution patterns. However, in the wet forest, wet origin species had a home advantage over dry forest species through higher growth rates. At the same time, drought limited survival of wet origin species in the dry forest, supporting the physiological tolerance hypothesis. Together these processes sort species over longer time frames, and exclude species outside their respective home range. Although we found pronounced effects of pests and some effects of light availability on the seedlings, they did not corroborate the pest pressure nor light availability hypotheses at the seed-to-seedling transition. Our results underline that changes in water availability due to climate change will have direct consequences on tree regeneration and distributions along tropical rainfall gradients, while indirect effects of light and pests are less important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gaviria
- Department of Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Bettina M. J. Engelbrecht
- Department of Plant Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Panama
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25
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Amissah L, Mohren GMJ, Kyereh B, Poorter L. The effects of drought and shade on the performance, morphology and physiology of Ghanaian tree species. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0121004. [PMID: 25836337 PMCID: PMC4383566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0121004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
In tropical forests light and water availability are the most important factors for seedling growth and survival but an increasing frequency of drought may affect tree regeneration. One central question is whether drought and shade have interactive effects on seedling growth and survival. Here, we present results of a greenhouse experiment, in which seedlings of 10 Ghanaian tree species were exposed to combinations of strong seasonal drought (continuous watering versus withholding water for nine weeks) and shade (5% irradiance versus 20% irradiance). We evaluated the effects of drought and shade on seedling survival and growth and plasticity of 11 underlying traits related to biomass allocation, morphology and physiology. Seedling survival under dry conditions was higher in shade than in high light, thus providing support for the "facilitation hypothesis" that shade enhances plant performance through improved microclimatic conditions, and rejecting the trade-off hypothesis that drought should have stronger impact in shade because of reduced root investment. Shaded plants had low biomass fraction in roots, in line with the trade-off hypothesis, but they compensated for this with a higher specific root length (i.e., root length per unit root mass), resulting in a similar root length per plant mass and, hence, similar water uptake capacity as high-light plants. The majority (60%) of traits studied responded independently to drought and shade, indicating that within species shade- and drought tolerances are not in trade-off, but largely uncoupled. When individual species responses were analysed, then for most of the traits only one to three species showed significant interactive effects between drought and shade. The uncoupled response of most species to drought and shade should provide ample opportunity for niche differentiation and species coexistence under a range of water and light conditions. Overall our greenhouse results suggest that, in the absence of root competition shaded tropical forest tree seedlings may be able to survive prolonged drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Amissah
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research—Forestry Research Institute of Ghana, KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Godefridus M. J. Mohren
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Boateng Kyereh
- College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Lourens Poorter
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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