鄂尔多斯高原本氏针茅与油蒿群落过渡过程中的植被动态

灌木入侵对草原生态系统结构和功能产生了严重影响,了解其植被动态对草地灌丛化的控制和恢复具有重要意义.在鄂尔多斯高原选取本氏针茅向油蒿群落过渡过程中不同演替阶段的代表性群落类型,采用样方法、刈割法和根钻法,对不同群落的盖度、密度、生物量、凋落物、根系以及物种多样性进行调查和分析.结果表明:从本氏针茅向油蒿群落过渡的过程中,(1)演替阶段经历了本氏针茅群落、本氏针茅+糙隐子草群落、本氏针茅+油蒿群落、油蒿+糙隐子草群落、油蒿+达乌里胡枝子群落、油蒿群落6个群落类型.(2)群落盖度呈现先下降后上升,总密度先下降后升高再下降的趋势,地上、地下生物量及总生物量和凋落物干重在演替过程中总体呈上升趋势.(3)本氏针茅的盖度、密度、生物量和重要值逐渐下降,油蒿则相反.(4)随土层深度的增加,群落内植物根系干重总体上呈下降的趋势.根系干重在0-30 cm土层较为集中,整个演替阶段油蒿群落根系干重分布出现先升高后下降趋势,到第VI阶段根系分布深度可达80-90 cm.(5)物种丰富度指数、Simpson优势度指数、Shannon-Winner多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数均呈现先升高后下降的趋势.因此,鄂尔多斯高原草地灌丛化较为严重,尽管中度灌丛化阶段群落的盖度、生物量和生物多样性较高,但由于灌木入侵后整个演替阶段盖度、密度、物种多样性等明显下降,草原生态系统的可利用性降低,应将灌丛化草地恢复为本氏针茅为主的草地.     

藏东地区植物群落分布格局与环境因子的关系

认识山地植物群落分布及其与环境因子的关系,掌握物种多样性随环境因子的变化规律,能够为山地生物多样性保护和生态恢复提供科学依据.以藏东昌都地区植物群落为研究对象,在野外调查的基础上,通过层次聚类分析和冗余分析（RDA）对植物群落进行分类,分析群落分布与环境因子的关系,并通过线性回归分析物种多样性与环境因子的关系.结果显示,层次聚类将105个植物调查样方划分为7个群丛;RDA排序结果较好反映了藏东植物群落分布与环境因子之间的关系,决定区域植物群落分布的主要环境因子为海拔、坡向、坡度、土壤pH值和土壤速效磷含量（P <0.001）;海拔、坡向和坡度对群落物种多样性有显著影响（P <0.01）,而土壤pH值、土壤速效磷含量与植物群落物种多样性无显著相关关系（P> 0.05）.本研究表明藏东地区植物群落分布格局主要受地形和土壤因子的驱动,而影响物种多样性的关键因子是地形因子;上述研究成果有助于提高对区域生物多样性分布规律及驱动机制的认识,对藏东地区不同环境条件下生物多样性保护和受损植被的生态修复具有重要意义.（图4表1参55）     

坡面尺度上地貌对α生物多样性的影响

为了解地貌在坡面尺度上对α生物多样性的影响,采用主观采样法在陕北吴起县合家沟流域不同地貌部位进行了样地调查.利用SPSS16.0统计软件先后对各地貌部位物种组成及各物种的重要值、地形因子要素间、地形因子和群落α多样性之间分别做了聚类分析、相关分析和多元回归分析.结果表明:(1)地貌部位相似的群落聚类在一起,说明地形因子是影响物种组成、群落结构、生态系统等的重要因素.(2)海拔和坡位,坡向和坡度,地形指数和海拔、坡位、坡形之间的Pearson 相关系数均大于0.8,双尾显著性检验概率小于0.05.(3)影响α生物多样性指标香农-维纳指数的地形因子按重要性从大到小依次是:坡位、坡向、海拔、坡形、坡度、地形指数,进一步分析得出在黄土高原丘陵沟壑区,沟沿线、光照、土壤水分和养分在影响α生物多样性指标上依次递减.(4)通过多元线形回归检验,得出坡位、坡向、坡形、海拔这四个地形因子与群落α生物多样性关系密切,建立的回归模型显著性检验可信度大,与样本数据的拟合度高.各地形因子数据归一处理后的回归方程为:香农-维纳指数=2.417-0.581×坡形-1.333×坡位+1.449×海拔+0.631×坡向.地形地貌特征在黄土丘陵区表现明显,研究它对生物多样性的影响可为该区植被恢复提供参考,但由于调查样地尺度较小,在应用推广上尚待进一步研究.     

林窗大小对川西马尾松人工林林下物种多样性和生物量的影响

林窗是植被演替和森林循环的重要驱动力,研究林窗大小对物种多样性和生物量的影响有利于揭示林窗干扰在生态系统恢复中的作用.以川西莲花山马尾松人工林为研究对象,划分出5种不同面积(81-625 m~2)的林窗共计15个和3个非林窗(林下)作对照(CK),对其群落物种组成、物种多样性水平(丰富度指数D、Simpson优势度指数H’、Shannon-Wiener指数H、Pielou均匀度指数J_(sw))和林下生物量(灌木层生物量、草本层生物量)进行调查研究.结果表明:(1)在总面积为5 493 m~2的样地中,共记录到维管植物99种,隶属56科84属;草本层和灌木层物种数随林窗面积增加均呈单峰格局,前者的物种数变化较后者明显.(2)总的来看,林窗下的D、H、J_(sw)值较林下大,H’值较林下小,且400-450 m~2面积的林窗下灌木、草本各物种多样性指数值达到一个较高水平.(3)林窗内的生物量显著大于林下生物量,200-250 m~2林窗下的生物量最大.(4)群落各层次物种多样性指数与对应层次地上、地下、全株生物量的相关性均不显著.因此认为,大面积林窗(400-450 m~2)有利于增加马尾松人工林林下群落物种丰富度,提升林下群落物种多样性水平;而中等面积林窗(200-250 m~2)则有利于增加林下生物量.     

锡林河流域草原生物量对环境因子的响应

锡林河流域是内蒙古典型草原最具代表性的区域,了解植被群落生物量特征及其与环境因子的关系,对于合理利用草地资源,科学制定合理的放牧政策具有重要的指导意义。以锡林河流域草原为研究对象,基于样方调查和实验数据,运用相关分析、通径分析、决策系数分析研究了环境因子对地上生物量、地下生物量以及根冠比的直接与间接影响。结果表明,(1)流域地上生物量、地下生物量、根冠比均值分别为117.60 g?m~(-2)、1 548.69 g?m~(-2)、14.55;变异系数均在50%左右,属于中等变异程度。(2)影响草地地上生物量、地下生物量以及根冠比的环境因子不尽相同,相关分析表明,地上生物量与海拔、生长季降水、生长季平均气温具有显著相关关系(P0.05);地下生物量与海拔、生长季降水、生长季平均气温、年均温、0℃积温、有机碳含量、全氮含量、饱和含水率、田间持水率、干容重呈显著相关关系(P0.05);根冠比与土壤有机碳与全氮含量、0~10 cm层土壤饱和含水率和田间持水率均达到显著相关水平(P0.05)。(3)海拔和4—7月降水对地上生物量具有间接影响,而4—7月平均气温则对其具有直接影响,4—7月平均气温为主要决策变量。(4)4—7月降水量、年平均气温、土壤有机碳含量对地下生物量主要产生直接影响,是控制地下生物量的主要环境因子。     

不同轮作制度下施肥对冬小麦田间杂草群落及小麦生长的影响

为探讨不同轮作制度下长期施肥对冬小麦Triticum aestivum L.田间杂草及小麦生长的影响,我们在三个长期田间肥效试验定位点,研究3种轮作制度下(冬小麦-大豆Glycine max (L.) Merr.(WS)、冬小麦-夏玉米Zea Mays L.(WM)、冬小麦-中稻Oryza sativa(WR))长期不同施肥模式对冬小麦田间杂草群落及小麦生长的影响.研究表明,在3种轮作制度下,平衡施加N、P、K肥或者NPK肥配施有机肥均可以显著降低冬小麦田杂草密度、地上生物量和田间光照透过率,促进冬小麦生长,并提高冬小麦产量和地上生物量;而且在冬小麦-大豆轮作和冬小麦-中稻轮作的冬小麦田中平衡施加N、P和K肥可以在控制杂草密度的同时保持一个较均一的杂草群落.3种轮作制度下各指标相对值比较发现,3种轮作制度改变施肥对冬小麦田间光照透过率影响程度的顺序与3种轮作制度改变冬小麦田中施肥对杂草密度和地上生物量影响程度的顺序相同;另外,在冬小麦-大豆轮作和冬小麦-中稻轮作制度下杂草密度与冬小麦田间光照透过率之间的相关系数也很高(R≥0.7906),说明施肥对冬小麦田间光照透过率的改变可能是施肥影响冬小麦田间杂草群落的主要途径之一.轮作制度改变冬小麦田中施肥对优势杂草种类数和杂草生物多样性影响的程度差别不大,这可能是因为轮作改变施肥对田间杂草的影响并没有达到引起田间杂草物种消亡的程度.结果表明,在3种轮作制度中施肥对冬小麦田间杂草群落及小麦生长的影响虽有差异,但都显示出施肥在抑制田间杂草发生、维持杂草生物多样性和提高作物产量上的作用.     

围封和放牧对科尔沁沙地群落物种多样性与地上生物量的影响

以科尔沁沙地自由放牧和围封10年的沙质草地为研究对象,采用野外调查与室内分析的方法,分析了围封和放牧对科尔沁沙地群落物种多样性与地上生物量的影响,旨在为退化沙地恢复与重建提供科学依据。试验选择围封和自由放牧草地的典型地段,分别设置50个面积1m~2的草本样方,调查每个样方的种类组成及其特征值(盖度、高度和密度),采用针刺法测定样方总盖度和每种植物的分盖度;每种植物随机选5株,用直尺测量其伸长高度;对样方中出现的植物进行分类,记录同一种植物出现的个数;采用齐地面刈割法调查其地上生物量。主要结论如下,(1)经过围栏封育后,群落物种数提高了67%。方差分析表明,围封群落的盖度(F=90.536,n=50,P0.001)、高度(F=63.964,n=50,P0.001)、密度(F=10.274,n=50,P=0.001 8)以及地上生物量(F=83.64,n=50,P0.001)显著大于放牧群落,分别提高了178%、100%、67%和201%。围封和放牧群落均以一年生草本占绝对优势,分别为66%和73%,围封使群落多年生草本的优势度增加了52%。(2)围封群落物种丰富度显著高于放牧群落,但多样性指数没有显著性差异,均匀度指数显著低于放牧群落。(3)回归分析表明,放牧群落的物种多样性与地上生物量呈现显著负二次函数关系(P0.05),而围封围封群落物种多样性和地上生物量的关系不显著。     

极端干旱对荒漠草原群落物种多样性和地上生物量碳氮的影响

极端干旱及其对植物群落物种多样性的影响是气候变化及其影响评估的重要内容之一,而有关干旱荒漠草原区气候变化与植物群落多样性及其功能关系的研究鲜见报道。为明晰极端干旱对荒漠草原物种多样性和地上生物量的影响,利用野外极端干旱处理试验平台,研究了荒漠草原沙生针茅群落物种多样性和地上生物量及其碳、氮密度对极端干旱的响应特征。结果表明,极端干旱改变了荒漠草原沙生针茅(Stipa glareosa)群落的物种组成,进而使物种多样性发生变化。在8月份,生长季5-8月截雨66%和6-7月干旱60 d两种极端干旱处理都降低了群落的Shannon-Wiener指数和物种丰富度指数。两种极端干旱处理使地上现存生物量较对照降低了50%以上(P0.05)。生长季5-8月截雨66%干旱处理使凋落物生物量较对照降低了61%(P0.05),同时使凋落物生物量的碳氮密度显著低于对照。两种极端干旱处理使地上现存生物量的碳氮密度显著低于对照。因此,极端干旱不仅改变了荒漠草原群落的物种组成,而且改变了地上生物量,影响了植被碳氮密度,从而减弱荒漠草原植物群落地上部分的碳氮汇功能。     

地形因子对暖温带森林群落物种丰富度-地上生物量关系的影响

地形因子是森林群落物种丰富度与生产力的重要影响因素,可以修正物种丰富度-生产力两者之间的关系。为了厘清地形因子对物种丰富度-生产力关系的修正效应,以东灵山暖温带天然次生林为研究对象,基于20 hm2样地DEM地图,提取海拔、坡度、坡向、凹凸度等地形因子,用GLM模型探讨了地形因子对群落丰富度与地上生物量的影响。结果表明,群落地上生物量与物种丰富度分别受不同地形因子的影响,群落地上生物量受Ea、El2、El3、Co34个因子的显著影响（P〈0.05）,而物种丰富度则受Sl、El、El2、El34个因子的显著作用（P〈0.05）,两者受海拔相关因子的影响最大,分别解释了两者3.99%和11.09%的变异。地形因子修正了物种丰富度-地上生物量之间的单峰曲线关系,使其朝着单调与直线化趋势变化。以后在探讨森林群落物种丰富度-生产力关系时,地形因子的修正作用应该受到重视。     

金沙江干热河谷优势草本植物生物量与土壤物理性质的关系

测定金沙江干热河谷3种优势草本植物(扭黄茅、拟金茅和芸香草)的地上、地下生物量及土壤分层(0-5、5-10、10-20 cm)容重、含水率、持水量和孔隙度等物理性质,探讨3种植物地上、地下生物量、根冠比与各土层物理性质的相关性.结果显示:(1)扭黄茅地上生物量显著高于拟金茅和芸香草,但地下生物量和根冠比显著低于后两者.(2)除扭黄茅外,拟金茅和芸香草的地上、地下生物量之间均呈现异速生长关系.(3)芸香草0-5 cm的土壤物理性质优于5-20cm,拟金茅则相反;除含水率、非毛管孔隙度外,扭黄茅各土层物理性质无显著差异.(4)拟金茅地上生物量与0-5cm的含水率、5-10cm的毛管持水量、最小持水量、总孔隙度、毛管孔隙度呈显著正相关,其地下生物量与3个土层的含水率呈显著正相关;芸香草地下生物量与0-5 cm的含水率、5-10 cm的毛管持水量、最小持水量以及10-20 cm的最小持水量呈显著正相关,其地上生物量及扭黄茅地上、地下生物量与3个土层的物理性质均无显著相关性.拟金茅根冠比与容重呈显著正相关,与持水量、总孔隙度呈显著负正相关,芸香草根冠比与毛管持水量、最小持水量呈显著正相关.综上,含水率是影响拟金茅生长发育的重要因子,持水量、孔隙度对拟金茅地上生物量的影响更大;含水率、持水量对芸香草地下生物量的影响更为显著;扭黄茅生物量分配可能受到除土壤物理性质以外的因子影响更大.与拟金茅和芸香草地上、地下生物量的异速生长关系不同,扭黄茅通过分配较低地下生物量来适应干热河谷的特殊生境.(图4表5参46)     

围封6年对温带典型草原坡地物种多样性及其与地上生物量的关系的影响

以内蒙古太仆寺旗地区典型克氏针茅-羊草草原为研究对象,通过调查围封6年后围栏内外典型草原群落特征,分析围封、放牧处理下典型草原植物群落结构及地上生物量的动态变化,揭示围封放牧对植被群落结构、物种丰富度和地上生物量的影响。结果发现,在围封6年后,各功能群物种丰富度与盖度围栏内外的空间变化趋势基本一致。群落物种丰富度和地上生物量均随坡位下降而显著增加,初步显示了物种多样性与生态系统功能的空间变化的一致性。围栏内物种丰富度显著低于围栏外,而地上生物量却显著大于围栏外。围栏内多年生禾草、一年生植物物种丰富度显著低于围栏外,而半灌木盖度、生物量显著高于围栏外。围栏内外在禁牧和放牧不同处理下,表现出不同的草原退化方式：在禁牧条件下,尽管生物量有所恢复,但灌木和半灌木的增加却代表了草原的退化;放牧、刈割等人类活动增加了耐牧物种和不适口植物生长的可能,表现为草原退化指示物种增加,同样是草原退化的表现。围栏外一年生植物盖度和生物量显著高于围栏内,而一年生植物的频数也远远大于围栏内（围栏内外频数比13：71）,且独行菜、猪毛菜等仅出现于围栏外。同时,地上生物量随着物种丰富度的增加而增加,但只有围栏外的关系达到统计显著程度,说明围封调制了生物多样性与生态系统功能的关系。本研究表明,对于干旱半干旱典型草原的恢复,不能简单地采用长期完全禁牧措施,应当根据区域环境、植被以及社会经济情况,制定季节性放牧或者间歇性禁牧的恢复措施,从而保证草场的可持续性恢复利用。     

Modifying native and exotic species richness correlations: the influence of fire and seed addition.

An important goal in restoration is to increase the richness of native species while reducing exotic species. However, native species richness is often positively correlated with exotic species richness. In a grassland-savanna system in Michigan (USA), we show that management that focuses on changing the nature of the exotic-native richness relationship can be used to restore native communities. Native and exotic species richnesses were positively correlated, likely due to a shared coupling with aboveground live biomass (a surrogate for productivity). The addition of native seed shifted the exotic-native richness relationship from a linear positive to a monotonic relationship: in areas of intermediate levels of exotic species richness, seed addition increased native diversity without an associated effect on exotic diversity, but in areas of high or low exotic richness, it did not affect native species richness. Prescribed burning broke the correlation between native and exotic richness with no consistent effect on the richness of either group. However, when burning was combined with native-seed addition, the relationship between native and exotic richness was maintained and was shifted upwards, enhancing native recruitment. Although aboveground productivity was strongly related to species richness across the landscape, changes in productivity did not drive these shifts.     

Direct and indirect control of grassland community structure by litter, resources, and biomass

Multiple factors linked through complex networks of interaction including fertilization, aboveground biomass, and litter control the diversity of plant communities. The challenge of explaining plant diversity is to determine not only how each individual mechanism directly influences diversity, but how those mechanisms indirectly influence diversity through interactions with other mechanisms. This approach is well established in the study of plant species richness, but surprisingly little effort has been dedicated toward understanding the controls of community evenness, despite the recognition that this aspect of diversity can influence a variety of critical ecosystem functions. Similarly, studies of diversity have predominantly focused on the influence of shoot, rather than root, biomass, despite the fact that the majority of plant biomass is belowground in many natural communities. In this study, I examine the roles of belowground biomass, live aboveground biomass, litter, and light availability in controlling the species richness and evenness of a rough fescue grassland community using structural equation modeling. Litter was the primary mechanism structuring grassland diversity, with both richness and evenness declining with increasing litter cover. There were few relationships between shoot biomass, shading, and diversity, and more importantly, no relationship between root biomass and diversity. The lack of relationship between root biomass and species richness and evenness suggests that, even though root competition in grasslands is intense, belowground interactions may not play an important role in structuring community diversity or composition.     

Above- and belowground responses of Arctic tundra ecosystems to altered soil nutrients and mammalian herbivory

Theory and observation indicate that changes in the rate of primary production can alter the balance between the bottom-up influences of plants and resources and the top-down regulation of herbivores and predators on ecosystem structure and function. The exploitation ecosystem hypothesis (EEH) posited that as aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) increases, the additional biomass should support higher trophic levels. We developed an extension of EEH to include the impacts of increases in ANPP on belowground consumers in a similar manner as aboveground, but indirectly through changes in the allocation of photosynthate to roots. We tested our predictions for plants aboveground and for phytophagous nematodes and their predators belowground in two common arctic tundra plant communities subjected to 11 years of increased soil nutrient availability and/or exclusion of mammalian herbivores. The less productive dry heath (DH) community met the predictions of EEH aboveground, with the greatest ANPP and plant biomass in the fertilized plots protected from herbivory. A palatable grass increased in fertilized plots while dwarf evergreen shrubs and lichens declined. Belowground, phytophagous nematodes also responded as predicted, achieving greater biomass in the higher ANPP plots, whereas predator biomass tended to be lower in those same plots (although not significantly). In the higher productivity moist acidic tussock (MAT) community, aboveground responses were quite different. Herbivores stimulated ANPP and biomass in both ambient and enriched soil nutrient plots; maximum ANPP occurred in fertilized plots exposed to herbivory. Fertilized plots became dominated by dwarf birch (a deciduous shrub) and cloudberry (a perennial forb); under ambient conditions these two species coexist with sedges, evergreen dwarf shrubs, and Sphagnum mosses. Phytophagous nematodes did not respond significantly to changes in ANPP, although predator biomass was greatest in control plots. The contrasting results of these two arctic tundra plant communities suggest that the predictions of EEH may hold for very low ANPP communities, but that other factors, including competition and shifts in vegetation composition toward less palatable species, may confound predicted responses to changes in productivity in higher ANPP communities such as the MAT studied here.     

An evaluation of the ABC-method (abundance/biomass comparison) as applied to macrozoobenthic communities living on tidal flats in the Dutch Wadden Sea

The ABC-method proposed by Warwick (1986) for detecting pollution effects on marine zoobenthic communities, was tested on distribution patterns of numbers and biomass among species in macrozoobenthos samples taken annually for 13 yr in a uniform way at 15 tidal-flat stations in the western part of the Dutch Wadden Sea. Along the margins of the tidal-flat area studied, where exposition to either drainage or water movements is extreme, the k-dominance plots for numbers were generally situated above those for biomass. In these areas values for biomass and species richness were relatively low and a few small-sized species such asCorophium volutator andHydrobia ulvae were very numerous. In the central part of the area, where environmental conditions are less severe, values for biomass and species richness were higher. Biomass was dominated by large adults ofMya arenaria, Mytilus edulis and/orArenicola marina. However, in only a restricted part of this area were plots for numbers consistently below biomass plots. In most of the central area high numbers ofH. ulvae occasionally occurred, causing plots for numbers to be situated above those for biomass during such periods. There appears to be no reason to interprete a high abundance ofH. ulvae as a sign of pollution or any other kind of disturbance or stress. It is concluded that the ABC method cannot be applied to tidal flat communities without reference to long-term and spatial series of control samples. In areas where such smallsized and sometimes numerous species asH. ulvae occur in strongly fluctuating numbers, the method appears useless for assessing the pollution status of a benthic community.     

若尔盖西部草甸的基本类型、特点及近几十年来的变化

2000年8月对若尔盖西部草地的调查，确定了该地18个草丛类型（不包括典型的沼泽植被）。经群丛间Pearson最大相关系数配合生境作图，将该地区的草地群丛分成3大类，即沼生草地，中生性草甸和旱生性草地。各群丛的SW指数，物种丰富度，地上生物量，裸地面积按照生境序列作图，显示中性草甸具有最高的物种丰富度和地上生物量。群丛C和J分别是沼生和旱生植被与中生性草甸之间的拐点式过渡类型，其物种丰富度明显比周期的群丛低，生境转换关键种分别为鹅绒委陵菜和垂穗披碱草。在草地物种组成上，杂类草占81．3％，莎草类仅占6．8％；群丛建群种方面，杂类草占61％，莎草类占28％；在次优势种方面，杂类草和禾草所占比重都有所增加。草原成分出现在丛中生至旱生的群丛中，在有些群丛中甚至成为次优势种。沼泽消退，黄河河道附近沙化以及过牧的阳坡山地生长带刺的旱生化植被，说明当地正经历着干旱化的过程，原因不仅有自然的还有人为的，特别是草地的过度使用。最后对当地草场的管理及发展提出了一些建议。图3表2参20     

Relationships between species richness, evenness, and abundance in a southwestern savanna

Species richness and evenness are components of biological diversity that may or may not be correlated with one another and with patterns of species abundance. We compared these attributes among flowering plants, grasshoppers, butterflies, lizards, summer birds, winter birds, and rodents across 48 plots in the grasslands and mesquite-oak savannas of southeastern Arizona. Species richness and evenness were uncorrelated or weakly negatively correlated for each taxonomic group, supporting the conclusion that richness alone is an incomplete measure of diversity. In each case, richness was positively correlated with one or more measures of abundance. By contrast, evenness usually was negatively correlated with the abundance variables, reflecting the fact that plots with high evenness generally were those where all species present were about equally uncommon. Therefore richness, but not evenness, usually was a positive predictor of places of conservation value, if these are defined as places where species of interest are especially abundant. Species diversity was more positively correlated with evenness than with richness among grasshoppers and flowering plants, in contrast to the other taxonomic groups, and the positive correlations between richness and abundance were comparatively weak for grasshoppers and plants as well. Both of these differences can be attributed to the fact that assemblages of plants and grasshoppers were numerically dominated by small subsets of common species (grasses and certain spur-throated grasshoppers) whose abundances differed greatly among plots in ways unrelated to species richness of the groups as a whole.     

Interactions between Carbon Sequestration and Shade Tree Diversity in a Smallholder Coffee Cooperative in El Salvador

Agroforestry systems have substantial potential to conserve native biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. In particular, agroforestry systems have the potential to conserve native tree diversity and sequester carbon for climate change mitigation. However, little research has been conducted on the temporal stability of species diversity and aboveground carbon stocks in these systems or the relation between species diversity and aboveground carbon sequestration. We measured changes in shade‐tree diversity and shade‐tree carbon stocks in 14 plots of a 35‐ha coffee cooperative over 9 years and analyzed relations between species diversity and carbon sequestration. Carbon sequestration was positively correlated with initial species richness of shade trees. Species diversity of shade trees did not change significantly over the study period, but carbon stocks increased due to tree growth. Our results show a potential for carbon sequestration and long‐term biodiversity conservation in smallholder coffee agroforestry systems and illustrate the opportunity for synergies between biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Interacciones entre el Secuestro de Carbono y la Diversidad de Árboles de Sombra en una Cooperativa de Café de Pequeños Agricultores en El Salvador     

Long-term patterns in tropical reforestation: plant community composition and aboveground biomass accumulation.

Primary tropical forests are renowned for their high biodiversity and carbon storage, and considerable research has documented both species and carbon losses with deforestation and agricultural land uses. Economic drivers are now leading to the abandonment of agricultural lands, and the area in secondary forests is increasing. We know little about how long it takes for these ecosystems to achieve the structural and compositional characteristics of primary forests. In this study, we examine changes in plant species composition and aboveground biomass during eight decades of tropical secondary succession in Puerto Rico, and compare these patterns with primary forests. Using a well-replicated chronosequence approach, we sampled primary forests and secondary forests established 10, 20, 30, 60, and 80 years ago on abandoned pastures. Tree species composition in all secondary forests was different from that of primary forests and could be divided into early (10-, 20-, and 30-year) vs. late (60- and 80-year) successional phases. The highest rates of aboveground biomass accumulation occurred in the first 20 years, with rates of C sequestration peaking at 6.7 +/- 0.5 Mg C x ha(-1) x yr(-1). Reforestation of pastures resulted in an accumulation of 125 Mg C/ha in aboveground standing live biomass over 80 years. The 80 year-old secondary forests had greater biomass than the primary forests, due to the replacement of woody species by palms in the primary forests. Our results show that these new ecosystems have different species composition, but similar species richness, and significant potential for carbon sequestration, compared to remnant primary forests.