Use of ecoacoustics to determine biodiversity patterns across ecological gradients

The variety of local animal sounds characterizes a landscape. We used ecoacoustics to noninvasively assess the species richness of various biotopes typical of an ecofriendly forest plantation with diverse ecological gradients and both nonnative and indigenous vegetation. The reference area was an adjacent large World Heritage Site protected area (PA). All sites were in a global biodiversity hotspot. Our results showed how taxa segregated into various biotopes. We identified 65 singing species, including birds, frogs, crickets, and katydids. Large, natural, protected grassland sites in the PA had the highest mean acoustic diversity (14.1 species/site). Areas covered in nonnative timber or grass species were devoid of acoustic species. Sites grazed by native and domestic megaherbivores were fairly rich (5.1) in acoustic species but none were unique to this habitat type, where acoustic diversity was greater than in intensively managed grassland sites (0.04). Natural vegetation patches inside the plantation mosaic supported high mean acoustic diversity (indigenous forests 7.6, grasslands 8.0, wetlands 9.1), which increased as plant heterogeneity and patch size increased. Indigenous forest patches within the plantation mosaic contained a highly characteristic acoustic species assemblage, emphasizing their complementary contribution to local biodiversity. Overall, acoustic signals determined spatial biodiversity patterns and can be a useful tool for guiding conservation.     

The Value of Primary, Secondary, and Plantation Forests for a Neotropical Herpetofauna

Abstract:  Plantation forests and second-growth forests are becoming dominant components of many tropical forest landscapes. Yet there is little information available concerning the consequences of different forestry options for biodiversity conservation in the tropics. We sampled the leaf-litter herpetofauna of primary, secondary, and Eucalyptus plantation forests in the Jari River area of northeastern Brazilian Amazonia. We used four complementary sampling techniques, combined samples from 2 consecutive years, and collected 1739 leaf-litter amphibians (23 species) and 1937 lizards (30 species). We analyzed the data for differences among forest types regarding patterns of alpha and beta diversity, species-abundance distributions, and community structure. Primary rainforest harbored significantly more species, but supported a similar abundance of amphibians and lizards compared with adjacent areas of second-growth forest or plantations. Plantation forests were dominated by wide-ranging habitat generalists. Secondary forest faunas contained a number of species characteristic of primary forest habitat. Amphibian communities in secondary forests and Eucalyptus plantations formed a nested subset of primary forest species, whereas the species composition of the lizard community in plantations was distinct, and was dominated by open-area species. Although plantation forests are relatively impoverished, naturally regenerating forests can help mitigate some negative effects of deforestation for herpetofauna. Nevertheless, secondary forest does not provide a substitute for primary forest, and in the absence of further evidence from older successional stands, we caution against the optimistic claim that natural forest regeneration in abandoned lands will provide refuge for the many species that are currently threatened by deforestation .     

Threatened Status, Rarity, and Diversity as Alternative Selection Measures for Protected Areas: A Test Using Afrotropical Antelopes

A major aim of conservation today is the maintenance of biodiversity. Practically, this pursuit might involve protecting a representative sample of the current biotic diversity (where diversity can have a variety of different meanings as in Vane-Wright et al. 1991), safeguarding species with traits that may be correlated with susceptibility to extinction (see International Council for Bird Preservation 1992), or protecting those species that are currently categorized as under short-term threat of extinction. Priority areas for conservation may vary, however, depending on which of these three approaches is taken. We investigated the designation of priority areas using these different approaches for Afrotropical antelope. Sites were selected on the basis of (1) biotic diversity—simple species richness and taxonomic diversity; (2) uniqueness of the fauna relative to other sites—how geographically restricted the component species were; and (3) degree of endangerment of the fauna. When insufficient sites to represent all the species could be selected, there was little agreement between the priority sites selected using the different methods. Sites selected by each approach were also generally poor at representing the diversity components ranked highly by other approaches. Also, many of the species were represented in only one site in the selected network, which on its own probably does not represent a viable population for the species. Therefore, it is important that the precise aims and consequences of any selection procedure be understood. A combination of different approaches, emphasizing different aspects of biodiversity and implemented sequentially, may be the best compromise for preserving a full range of biotic diversity.     

Effects of Recent Land-Use Practices on Soil Nutrients and Succession under Tropical Wet Forest in Costa Rica

The effects of a variety of agricultural land uses were studied using soil nutrients, forest structure, and species assemblages as indicators. We compared soil properties and successional forests between abandoned cacao ( Theobroma cacao ) and abandoned palm ( Bactris gasipaes ) orchards, abandoned pasture, and mature forest. These sites co-occupy an alluvial terrace soil ( Andic Dystropept ) at La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica. The agricultural sites were originally cleared of most or all forest vegetation approximately 30 years ago and went into succession approximately 7 years ago. Forest structure, species composition, soil nitrogen and phosphorus pools, and nitrogen-mineralization and nitrification rates were measured for each site. The abandoned palm orchard had lower basal area and stem density than other secondary forests of the same age. It also had significantly smaller nitrate (NaOH-extractable) and organic phosphorus pools and significantly lower net rates of nitrogen-mineralization and nitrification. It is evident that preserving tree cover does not necessarily maintain soil fertility. We found species richness and diversity in the secondary forests to be positively correlated with basal area at the time of abandonment.     

两种人工林对工程建筑废弃地植被初始生态恢复的影响

以隔河岩水电工程建筑废弃地初始生态恢复中人工构建植被为研究对象,在样地调查的基础上,分析了废弃地退化生态系统植物多样性和植物群落组成与结构的恢复对种植植物种类的生态响应。通过与周围未治理废弃地及自然次生林群落组成与结构的比较,研究了该废弃地植被的生态恢复进程。结果显示,苗木种植促进了本地植物种类在废弃地的扩散和定居,初步形成了具一定组成与结构的群落类型,是一种及时有效的生态恢复技术。但不同的苗木种类对废弃地植被初始生态恢复的效果不同,通过比较圆柏(Sabinachinensis)和湿地松(Pinuselliottii)2种人工林的生物多样性及群落组成与结构,认为圆柏林的初始生态恢复效果比湿地松林好。     

不同林龄木麻黄人工林生物多样性与土壤养分状况研究

木麻黄（Casuarina equisetifolia）是我国东南沿海海岸防护林骨干树种。本文对广东省茂名市木麻黄防护林开展了不同林龄的种群结构、植物多样性、以及土壤养分特征的研究。结果表明,滨海沙地木麻黄群落在生长过程中有明显的自疏现象,18年林个体数（975株·hm-2）不足3年林个体数一半（2350株·hm-2）,3年至6年龄木麻黄生长最快。调查林地内共有植物27种,其中灌木8种,草本植物18种。随林龄的增长,林下植物种数显著增加,多样性指数、均匀度指数逐步增加,优势度指数下降。林地土壤有机碳、全氮与速效氮供应水平极低;土壤磷供应相对较好,表层有效磷一般高于3.5mg·kg-1。土壤有效养分与植物多样性显著相关,显示养分是植物定居的主要限制因素。结果表明,木麻黄林结构简单,生物多样性低,土壤养分贫乏。     

Effects of Forest Roads on Macroinvertebrate Soil Fauna of the Southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract: Many forested landscapes are fragmented by roads, but our understanding of the effects of these roads on the function and diversity of the surrounding forest is in its infancy. I investigated the effect of roads in otherwise continuous forests on the macroinvertebrate fauna of the soil. I took soil samples along transects leading away from the edges of unpaved roads in the Cherokee National Forest in the Southern Appalachian mountains of the United States. Roads significantly depressed both the abundance and the richness of the macroinvertebrate soil fauna. Roads also significantly reduced the depth of the leaf-litter layer. These effects persisted up to 100 m into the forest. Wider roads and roads with more open canopies tended to produce steeper declines in abundance, richness, and leaf-litter depth, but these effects were significant only for canopy cover and litter depth. The macroinvertebrate fauna of the leaf litter plays a pivotal role in the ability of the soil to process energy and nutrients. These macroinvertebrates also provide prey for vertebrate species such as salamanders and ground-foraging birds. The effect of roads on the surrounding forest is compounded by the sprawling nature of the road system in this and many other forests. My data suggest that even relatively narrow roads through forests can produce marked edge effects that may have negative consequences for the function and diversity of the forest ecosystem.     

Forest age influences oak insect herbivore community structure, richness, and density.

Plant succession is one of many factors that may affect the composition and structure of herbivorous insect communities. However, few studies have examined the effect of forest age on the diversity and abundance of insect communities. If forest age influences insect diversity, then the schedule of timber harvest rotation may have consequent effects on biodiversity. The insect herbivore community on Quercus alba (white oak) in the Missouri Ozarks was sampled in a chronoseries, from recently harvested (2 yr) to old-growth (approximately 313 yr) forests. A total of nine sites and 39 stands within those sites were sampled in May and August 2003. Unique communities of plants and insects were found in the oldest forests (122-313 yr). Density and species richness of herbivores were positively correlated with increasing forest age in August but not in May. August insect density was negatively correlated with heat load index; in addition, insect density and richness increased over the chronoseries, but not on the sunniest slopes. Forest structural diversity (number of size classes) was positively correlated with forest age, but woody plant species richness was not. In sum, richness, density, and community structure of white oak insect herbivores are influenced by variation in forest age, forest structure, relative abundance of plant species, and abiotic conditions. These results suggest that time between harvests of large, long-lived, tree species such as white oak should be longer than current practice in order to maintain insect community diversity.     

Current Near‐to‐Nature Forest Management Effects on Functional Trait Composition of Saproxylic Beetles in Beech Forests

With the aim of wood production with negligible negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem processes, a silvicultural practice of selective logging with natural regeneration has been implemented in European beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) during the last decades. Despite this near‐to‐nature strategy, species richness of various taxa is lower in these forests than in unmanaged forests. To develop guidelines to minimize the fundamental weaknesses in the current practice, we linked functional traits of saproxylic beetle species to ecosystem characteristics. We used continental‐scale data from 8 European countries and regional‐scale data from a large forest in southern Germany and forest‐stand variables that represented a gradient of intensity of forest use to evaluate the effect of current near‐to‐nature management strategies on the functional diversity of saproxylic beetles. Forest‐stand variables did not have a statistically significant effect on overall functional diversity, but they did significantly affect community mean and diversity of single functional traits. As the amount of dead wood increased the composition of assemblages shifted toward dominance of larger species and species preferring dead wood of large diameter and in advanced stages of decay. The mean amount of dead wood across plots in which most species occurred was from 20 to 60 m³/ha. Species occurring in plots with mean dead wood >60 m³/ha were consistently those inhabiting dead wood of large diameter and in advanced stages of decay. On the basis of our results, to make current wood‐production practices in beech forests throughout Europe more conservation oriented (i.e., promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning), we recommend increasing the amount of dead wood to >20 m³/ha; not removing dead wood of large diameter (50 cm) and allowing more dead wood in advanced stages of decomposition to develop; and designating strict forest reserves, with their exceptionally high amounts of dead wood, that would serve as refuges for and sources of saproxylic habitat specialists. Efectos Actuales del Manejo Casi Natural de Bosques sobre la Composición de Atributos Funcionales de Escarabajos Saproxílicos en Bosques de Haya     

Effects of Oil‐Palm Plantations on Diversity of Tropical Anurans

Agriculturally altered vegetation, especially oil‐palm plantations, is rapidly increasing in Southeast Asia. Low species diversity is associated with this commodity, but data on anuran diversity in oil‐palm plantations are lacking. We investigated how anuran biological diversity differs between forest and oil‐palm plantation, and whether observed differences in biological diversity of these areas is linked to specific environmental factors. We hypothesized that biological diversity is lower in plantations and that plantations support a larger proportion of disturbance‐tolerant species than forest. We compared species richness, abundance, and community composition between plantation and forest areas and between site types within plantation and forest (forest stream vs. plantation stream, forest riparian vs. plantation riparian, forest terrestrial vs. plantation terrestrial). Not all measures of biological diversity differed between oil‐palm plantations and secondary forest sites. Anuran community composition, however, differed greatly between forest and plantation, and communities of anurans in plantations contained species that prosper in disturbed areas. Although plantations supported large numbers of breeding anurans, we concluded the community consisted of common species that were of little conservation concern (commonly found species include Fejervarya limnocharis, Microhyla heymonsi, and Hylarana erythrea). We believe that with a number of management interventions, oil‐palm plantations can provide habitat for species that dwell in secondary forests. Efectos de las Plantaciones de Palma de Aceite sobre la Diversidad de Anuros Tropicales Faruk et al.     

The Potential for Species Conservation in Tropical Secondary Forests

Abstract: In the wake of widespread loss of old‐growth forests throughout the tropics, secondary forests will likely play a growing role in the conservation of forest biodiversity. We considered a complex hierarchy of factors that interact in space and time to determine the conservation potential of tropical secondary forests. Beyond the characteristics of local forest patches, spatial and temporal landscape dynamics influence the establishment, species composition, and persistence of secondary forests. Prospects for conservation of old‐growth species in secondary forests are maximized in regions where the ratio of secondary to old‐growth forest area is relatively low, older secondary forests have persisted, anthropogenic disturbance after abandonment is relatively low, seed‐dispersing fauna are present, and old‐growth forests are close to abandoned sites. The conservation value of a secondary forest is expected to increase over time, as species arriving from remaining old‐growth forest patches accumulate. Many studies are poorly replicated, which limits robust assessments of the number and abundance of old‐growth species present in secondary forests. Older secondary forests are not often studied and few long‐term studies are conducted in secondary forests. Available data indicate that both old‐growth and second‐growth forests are important to the persistence of forest species in tropical, human‐modified landscapes.     

农业生态系统中生物多样性的功能--兼论其保护途径与今后研究方向

重点论述了农业生态系统中生物多样性的功能 ,其功能主要表现在害虫控制、土壤侵蚀防治、退化环境恢复、消除污染和促进养分循环等方面。探讨了农业生态系统中生物多样性的保护途径及今后应开展的研究重点。     

Effects of Buffer-Strip Retention and Clearcutting on Land Snails in Boreal Riparian Forests

Abstract:  We investigated the short-term effects of forest clearcutting on land snails (terrestrial gastropods) in 15 forest stands along small streams in Sweden. Two different silvicultural treatments were applied at each site: clearcutting across the stream channel and buffer strips 10 m wide on each side of the stream. Additionally, we studied 10 reference sites in unlogged riparian forests along similar-sized streams. All sites were studied before logging and then 2.5 years after logging. After clearcutting the number of individuals in a 0.5-m² sample from each site decreased on average from 107 to 87, and the mean number of species per sample decreased from 9.9 to 7.7. Most species were negatively affected, but there were also clear differences in sensitivity. There were correlations between species survival and ground moisture. At the wettest clearcut sites with an almost intact bryophyte cover, the land snails were unaffected by clearcutting. This result suggests that wet or moist forest floors can serve as refugia even at very small spatial scales (e.g., shallow hollows, crevices). If this is an important mechanism, the spatial distribution of small habitats could be important for the long-term survival of the snail fauna or other small, dispersal-limited organisms at clearcut sites. In the buffer strips, the number of individuals decreased but not the number of species, indicating that buffer-strip retention is a good practice for protecting land snails in riparian forests. The varying effectiveness of the buffer strip could partly be explained by the proportion of the remaining basal area, emphasizing that buffer strips could be even more effective if efforts are made to avoid heavy damage by windthrows.     

Effects of Human Colonization on the Abundance and Diversity of Mammals in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia

Abstract: With its long history of colonization, eastern Amazonia has the highest population density in Brazilian Amazonia and represents the typical pattern of recent human occupation. Between 1991 and 1995, we surveyed the mammalian fauna at five sites, representing different degrees of human disturbance. We used line transects (1511 km surveyed) to describe differences in diversity and abundance at each site and to evaluate the effects of environmental factors. Twenty-two of the expected 44 species were recorded during surveys, but no more than 18 were recorded at any one site, and only 3 species were observed at all five sites. Despite a minimum transect length of 202 km, most species were recorded relatively infrequently at all sites, although overall sighting rates at different sites varied by more than 100%. Between-site differences were even more pronounced when we compared specific groups (e.g., arboreal, terrestrial, game, nongame), reflecting the differential effects of factors such as hunting, logging, and forest clearing. In general terms, species diversity, abundance, total biomass, and mean biomass all tended to decrease with increasing human disturbance. Two more specific patterns were also distinguished: decreasing abundance and biomass of game species with increasing hunting pressure and increasing abundance of nongame species with increasing forest disturbance. Intense hunting pressure alone may have deleterious short-term effects on abundance, but not necessarily on diversity, whereas prolonged hunting pressure, combined with forest clearing, results in marked distortions in the mammalian community. Overall, the study emphasizes the relative paucity of the mammalian fauna of eastern Amazonia, in terms of both species diversity and abundance, and its vulnerability to the ongoing process of human colonization in the region.     

渝北不同模式水源涵养林植物多样性及其与土壤特征的关系

以重庆缙云山8种不同构建模式的水源涵养林及林地土壤为研究对象,用物种多样性指数(simpson指数、Shannon-Wiener指数)、均匀度指数(Pieiou指数)和物种丰富度指数(Margalef指数)以及用土壤容重、毛管孔隙度、非毛管孔隙度、pH值、有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾、速效氮、有效磷、速效钾和阳离子交换量12个指标表征土壤的物理性状和养分特征,分析了8种群落的植物多样性、土壤特征及二者的相互关系.结果表明:物种多样性以广东山胡椒(Lindera kwangtungensis)×杉木((7unninghamia anceolata)混交林最高.马尾松(Pinus massoniana)×广东山胡椒混交林次之,马尾松×柳杉(Cryptomeria fortunei Hooibrenk)混交林和毛竹(Phyllostachys pubescens)纯林最低.各模式林地土壤特征差异显著,以毛竹纯林土壤质量最差.在该地区针阔混交林对提高物种多样性和改良土壤作用显著,针叶林及纯林则较差.物种多样性指数与土壤特征因子的相关性分析表明,不同模式水源林群落植物多样性与土壤特征因子存在一定相关性,其中与土壤物理性状特征关系不显著,与养分特征关系显著.全N与全K与四个多样性指数呈显著或极显著的正相关,Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数和有机质、阳离子交换量、速效P呈显著的正相关,特别是有机质和全N两因子与物种多样性关系最密切.     

Why We Need Megareserves in Amazonia

Abstract:  Brazilian Amazonia faces one of the greatest threats and opportunities for tropical biodiversity conservation of our times. I consider several large-scale issues in biodiversity conservation planning (e.g., resource extraction, large areas needed for top predators, species migration, fire, and carbon sequestration) in light of our severely deficient understanding of basinwide patterns of species distribution and little-known Amazonian biota. The long-term persistence of this biota is best served by strictly protected and sustainable development forest reserves that are both embedded in a benign forest matrix and sufficiently large to support a full complement of species and landscape-scale ecological processes. Given rapidly accelerating trends in agricultural frontier expansion into previously unclaimed public lands, protection and controlled development of forests is urgent.     

东北过伐林灌木层物种多样性与林分因子的典型相关分析

研究林分特征尤其是经营上可以控制的因子对生物多样性的影响，将有助于制定合理的经营措施来维持和保护生物多样性，本文作者以我国东北过伐林区3种典型天然林类型为对象，采用典型相关分析方法，研究影响灌木层物种多样性的主要因子。结果表明：影响灌木层物种多样性的主要因子包括土壤含水率，树种多样性和林分密度；灌木层多样性组的变异被林分组第一典型变量解释的比例为68.32%,仍有31.68%的变异不能得到解释。     

Patterns of Diversity of Neotropical Squamate Reptile Species with Emphasis on the Brazilian Amazon and the Conservation Potential of Indigenous Reserves

We present new distibutional data for squamate reptiles (amphisbaenians, lizards, and snakes) from several Neotropical sites and estimate species (alpha) diversity at each site. Species compositions at all localities were used to estimate similarity in species richness within and between each of the major regions sampled: Central American lowland forests, Amazonia, and South American dryland forests. We used these estimates to derive maps summarizing overall regional patterns (beta diversity) of squamate richness. Both groups clearly reveal distinct faunal divisions among the three regions. Within Amazonia, lizards and snakes show a clear division in species composition between a "western edge" cluster of sites adjacent to eastern Andean slopes and all other localities in the central and eastern regions. Within this east-central block of sites, a further division is evident between localities north and south of the main Amazon River channel. These general regions of squamate similarity were qualitatively assessed in Brazil's portion of Amazonia within the context of the distribution of all state, federal, and Indian lands that are in principle afforded some level of protection and therefore offer potential for biodiversity conservation. We assess the potential for biodiversity conservation relative to the size of reserves needed to sustain populations of 500 individuals of the three largest species of snakes and to the distribution of potential conservation areas relative to the regional patterns of diversity identified by the statistical analysis. We conclude that the sizes and distributions of reserves are adequate to sustain viable populations of squamates if these areas can be counted on to play a major role in biodiversity conservation.     

Forest floor depth mediates understory vigor in xeric Pinus palustris ecosystems.

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) woodlands and savannas are among the most frequently burned ecosystems in the world with fire return intervals of 1-10 years. This fire regime has maintained high levels of biodiversity in terms of both species richness and endemism. Land use changes have reduced the area of this ecosystem by >95%, and inadequate fire frequencies threaten many of the remnants today. In the absence of frequent fire, rapid colonization of hardwoods and shrubs occurs, and a broad-leaved midstory develops. This midstory encroachment has been the focus of much research and management concern, largely based on the assumption that the midstory reduces understory plant diversity through direction competition via light interception. The general application of this mechanism of degradation is questionable, however, because midstory density, leaf area, and hardwood species composition vary substantially along a soil moisture gradient from mesic to extremely xeric sites. Reanalysis of recently reported data from xeric longleaf pine communities suggests that the development of the forest floor, a less conspicuous change in forest structure, might cause a decline in plant biodiversity when forests remain unburned. We report here a test of the interactions among fire, litter accumulation, forest floor development, and midstory canopy density on understory plant diversity. Structural equation modeling showed that within xeric sites, forest floor development was the primary factor explaining decreased biodiversity. The only effects of midstory development on biodiversity were those mediated through forest floor development. Boundary line analysis of functional guilds of understory plants showed sensitivity to even minor development of the forest floor in the absence of fire. These results challenge the prevailing management paradigm and suggest that within xeric longleaf pine communities, the primary focus of managed fire regime should be directed toward the restoration of forest floor characteristics rather than the introduction of high-intensity fires used to regulate midstory structure.     

Proximity to forests drives bird conservation value of coffee plantations: implications for certification

Widespread loss of primary habitat in the tropics has led to increased interest in production landscapes for biodiversity conservation. In the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot in India, shade coffee plantations are located in close proximity to sites of high conservation value: protected and unprotected forests. Coffee is grown here under a tree canopy that may be dominated by native tree species or by nonnative species, particularly silver oak (Grevillea robusta). We investigated the influence of properties at the local scale and the landscape scale in determining bird communities in coffee plantations, with particular emphasis on species of conservation priority. We used systematic point counts in 11 coffee plantation sites and analyzed data in a randomized linear modeling framework that addressed spatial autocorrelation. Greater proportion of silver oak at the local scale and distance to contiguous forests at the landscape scale were implicated as factors most strongly driving declines in bird species richness and abundance, while increased basal area of native tree species, a local-scale variable, was frequently related to increased bird species richness and abundance. The influence of local-scale variables increased at greater distances from the forest. Distance to forests emerged as the strongest predictor of declines in restricted-range species, with 92% reduction in the abundance of two commonly encountered restricted-range species (Pompadour Green Pigeon and Yellow-browed Bulbul) and a 43% reduction in richness of bird species restricted to Indian hill forests within 8 km of forests. Increase in proportion of silver oak from 33% to 55% was associated with 91% reduction in the abundance of one commonly encountered restricted-range species (Crimson-fronted Barbet). One conservation strategy is providing incentives to grow coffee in a biodiversity-friendly manner. One implication of our study is that plantations located at varying distances to the forest cannot be compared fairly for biodiversity friendliness by existing certification methodology. Another is that conservation of existing forests at the landscape scale is essential for maintaining higher biodiversity in coffee plantations. Incentive schemes that promote conservation of remnant forests at the landscape scale and biodiversity-friendly practices locally and that relate to coffee communities as a whole rather than individual planters are likely to be more effective.