土地利用变化对生物多样性的影响

土地利用变化对生物多样性影响是生物多样性受到威胁的重要因素.文章对土地利用变化对基因多样性、物种多样性、生态系统多样性影响方面的研究进行了总结分析,并提出了新的展望.土地利用变化对基因多样性的影响涉及了对物种生境的隔离、农牧业活动对物种改良和生境条件的改变方面,目前还主要集中在对少数物种繁殖过程方面影响的研究;土地利用变化对物种多样性影响包括对物种优势度和丰富度、种间关系、物种分布格局、物种入侵和灭绝方面的影响,目前对物种丰富性和多样性影响方面研究较多,对物种灭绝、物种入侵和种间关系影响方面的研究极少,且还限于大型动物和植物,对微生物和小型动植物研究却很少;土地利用变化对生态系统的影响涉及了对生态系统结构组成及分布方面的影响.另外,目前缺少土地利用变化对基因多样性、物种多样性和生态系统多样性综合影响方面的研究,难以量化和预测土地利用变化对生物多样性影响效应.未来需要综合考虑基因多样性、物种多样性和生态系统多样性方面,系统开展土地利用变化对生物多样性影响的趋势和机制方面的研究,定量预测土地利用变化对生物多样性的影响.     

生物多样性的海拔分布格局研究及进展

生物多样性的海拔分布格局受制于气候、空间、环境等多种因子的影响,综合大量研究发现,无论是动植物还是微生物,环境因子对其影响与驱动的作用最明显。海拔梯度是决定分布格局的重要因素之一,因此探讨生物多样性在环境因子驱动下的海拔分布格局具有重要意义。文章分别探讨了植物、土壤动物和土壤微生物多样性沿海拔梯度的变化规律,揭示了温度、湿度及人为干扰等因素下植物多样性沿海拔梯度的5种分布格局及可能机制,土壤动物多样性沿海拔梯度的3种分布格局及可能机制,同时揭示土壤微生物在海拔分布格局虽然有物种模式,但是机制不是很明确;最后对植物、土壤动物、土壤微生物生物多样性耦合关系的认识作了阐述。并在此基础上,认为生物多样性的分布格局与尺度密切相关,因此开展不同尺度的生物多样性的研究以及它们对全球气候变化的响应是未来研究的重要方向;土壤动物群落的多样性的变化规律研究,应致力于其生理型、营养型、生态型的多样性的研究;在不同的研究尺度上,驱动微生物群落构建机制的差异导致了群落演变规律的变化,仍需要以地理学和生物学等相关学科理论为支撑,并与微生物群落构建理论相结合,对海拔分布格局下生物多样性的保护和生态系统稳定性研究提供科学依据。     

区域尺度生物多样性维护功能综合评估方法与实证研究

生物多样性是区域可持续发展的基础,准确掌握区域尺度生物多样性维护功能空间格局,对于反映区域生态系统状态、变化和面临的威胁,以及选择保护策略均具有重要意义。利用区域生物量、地形地貌、气候和土地覆被因子,构建生物多样性维护功能综合评估模型,并以京津冀地区为研究区,对评估模型进行应用与验证。结果表明:(1)构建的评估模型能够反映研究区生物多样性维护功能空间格局。经模型评价,京津冀地区生物多样性维护功能高值区主要集中在燕山山区和太行山山区,低值区主要集中在坝上高原和平原地区,评估结果符合研究区实际。(2)研究区县域生物多样性和自然保护区物种多样性与模型评估结果间均存在显著相关关系。县域生物多样性指标中,物种特有性与模型评估结果之间相关性最高(r=0.699,P0.001),其次为生态系统类型多样性(r=0.680,P0.001)、稀有濒危物种丰富度(r=0.571,P0.001)、野生维管植物丰富度(r=0.544,P0.001)、外来物种入侵度(r=-0.437,P0.001)和野生高等动物丰富度(r=0.404,P0.001);自然保护区物种多样性与模型评估结果间呈显著对数相关(r=0.540,P0.001),约70%的自然保护区分布在生物多样性维护功能极重要和高度重要区。构建的评估方法能够从区域尺度和栅格水平反映生物多样性维护功能,从而为区域自然保护区建设和生态修复工作提供科学依据。     

农区土地利用强度变化对生物多样性的影响

农业集约化引起的景观变化是导致农业景观生物多样性丧失的重要原因,为评估农业景观结构变化对物种多样性的影响,探索生物多样性未来的变化趋势,研究基于Meta分析(Meta-Analysis)构建我国农区不同土地利用强度的生物多样性数据库,收集了来自全国298个农业景观样地的15 042条物种记录。依据线性混合效应模型构建我国农区土地利用强度-生物多样性关系模型,并以浙江省为例,结合浙江省退耕还林、生态农业发展等土地利用政策和规划,基于Dyna-CLUE模型模拟不同情景下土地利用的空间分布,将土地利用空间分布模拟和土地利用强度-生物多样性关系模型结果输入Flus-Biodiversity模型,从而模拟典型农区生物多样性的空间分布格局,提出浙江省农田生物多样性保护目标优化方案。Meta分析显示,无论在景观尺度还是局部管理尺度上,随着农田土地利用强度的增加,生物多样性均呈显著下降趋势。情景模拟发现,在所有情景中生物多样性都呈下降趋势,其中生态保育情景下降幅度最小,将常规农田转换为生态农田时生物多样性有所提高。因此,为进一步保护多样性、提升生态系统服务、改善生态环境,一方面应尽量保护农田周围的自然和半自然生境,以减少土地利用改变对农业生物多样性的破坏;其次,适当增加农业景观中的半自然生境,如人工林等,构建合理的农业景观格局;第三,适度推动有机管理或生态管理,合理化减少化肥和农药的施用,有利于区域生物多样性的保护;第四,在保证耕地红线的前提下,应深入推进退耕还林政策,严格限制生态功能区的土地开发,同时注重生物多样性完整性损失严重区域的保护。     

气候变化对生物多样性的影响:脆弱性和适应

气候变化对生物多样性影响及其适应直接关系着未来生物多样性的保护.气候变化对生物多样性影响、生物多样性在气候变化影响下的脆弱性、生物多样性适应气候变化方面进行了总结分析,对存在的问题进行了讨论,对今后研究提出了一些建议.过去的气候变化已使物种物候、分布和丰富度等改变,使一些物种灭绝、部分有害生物危害强度和频率增加,使一些生物入侵范围扩大、生态系统结构与功能改变等.未来的气候变化仍将使物种物候和行为、分布和丰富度等改变,使一些物种灭绝、使有害生物爆发频率和强度增加,并将可能使生态系统结构与功能发生改变等.生物多样性适应气候变化包括了自然适应和人为适应两个方面,自然适应体现在物种适应性进化、迁移、生态系统稳定性和弹性等,人为适应体现在种质基因保存、物种异地保护、自然保护区规划设计、生态系统适应性管理、生态恢复和气候灾害防御等.目前,生物多样性对气候变化影响的脆弱性、生物多样性自然适应和人为适应气候变化方面的研究都还不系统深入,需要加强生物多样性自然适应和人为适应气候变化方面的研究.     

湖南八大公山两栖动物多样性时空格局观测

研究多样性的时空格局是探明生物多样性与生态系统相互关系的有效途径,能为保护政策的制定提供理论依据。于2018年对八大公山国家级自然保护区两栖动物物种多样性的时空格局进行观测,从低海拔至高海拔选取10条样线,在4、6、8和10月进行4次调查。结果显示,两栖动物物种组成和物种多样性指数(物种丰富度、香农-威纳指数、Pielou均匀度指数)随着时间、空间的变化存在明显不同。在时间尺度上,4月的优势种为福建掌突蟾和华南湍蛙;6月的优势种为花臭蛙;8月的优势种为花臭蛙和绿臭蛙;棘腹蛙和华南湍蛙在10月占绝对优势。在空间尺度上,低海拔样线的优势种为花臭蛙和华南湍蛙;中海拔样线的优势种为福建掌突蟾和黄斑拟小鲵;高海拔样线的优势种为棘腹蛙、峨眉髭蟾和桑植趾沟蛙。在物种多样性的时间尺度上,3个多样性指数基本表现为6、8月高于4、10月。在物种多样性的空间尺度上,全年的物种丰富度与海拔无显著相关性,全年的香农-威纳指数和Pielou均匀度指数随着海拔升高呈驼峰型响应。将4个月份的物种多样性指数与海拔分别进行相关性分析,均无显著相关关系,但6月的香农-威纳指数随着海拔升高呈现接近驼峰型的响应。两栖动物因其各自不同的生活史会产生不同的繁殖周期、冬眠周期,所以物种多样性在时间尺度上存在差异;同时又因为不同两栖动物的温度适应能力和生境偏好不同,因此空间尺度上的物种多样性也各有不同。     

湖南南岳衡山两栖动物物种多样性及其时空格局

研究物种丰富度以及时空分布格局对区域生物多样性保护具有重要意义。为掌握湖南南岳衡山国家级自然保护区两栖动物的物种组成与时空变化,分别于2018年4、6和8月,运用样线法对衡山观测样区及周围区域两栖动物的资源现状与栖息地利用现状进行实地调查。调查共记录到15种两栖动物,隶属于1目6科12属,其中国家二级保护物种1种、"三有"动物10种,占物种总数的73.3%。区域内两栖动物的物种多样性在时间及空间尺度上均存在显著差异。其中,生物多样性指数在6月最高;4种典型生境中观测到的物种数存在明显差异,农田物种多样性最丰富,为12种,其余依次为水塘(9种)、溪流(6种)、林地(3种)。此次衡山自然保护区两栖动物观测基本掌握了该地区两栖动物的物种多样性及其时空格局,在此基础上分析评估了该地区两栖动物生存面临的胁迫因素,并对两栖动物的保护和管理提出了相关建议。     

景观格局对植物多样性影响研究进展

景观格局对植物多样性有重要影响,植物多样性包括α、β、γ多样性。从景观斑块面积、形状、配置方式、景观类型和尺度效应等方面对植物多样性进行了综述。景观斑块面积能对物种产生质量效应,除部分热带植物外,大部分植物在一定范围内,其物种丰富度与斑块面积呈正相关关系,随着斑块面积的增加,斑块内部种比边缘种数量增加快;但是随着景观破碎化严重,小斑块为物种提供主要栖息地,所以对小斑块的研究和保护具有重要意义。形状复杂的景观斑块能够保持较高的植物多样性,不同植物类群的多样性指数存在差异。景观斑块复杂的边缘,植物物种多样性较高,多为适应性强的边缘种。景观异质性与物种丰富度、β多样性呈显著正相关。景观多样性以及景观斑块之间的连通性与植物多样性呈正相关关系。不同景观类型的合理配置,特别是生态交错区,有利于保持植物多样性。研究发现隔离度对物种丰富度和多样性具有消极影响,主要是由质量效应和邻近效应产生的影响,因为这可以为更多的物种提供更广阔的栖息地,并且有利于种子的传播,从而提高植物的生存率。文章还总结了全球主要的土地利用类型对植物多样性的影响,包括农业用地、草地、森林,多种土地利用类型相结合有助于提高植物多样性,尤其是群落交错区的存在。景观格局与植物多样性的关系存在空间尺度效应,空间尺度效应对植物多样性的研究可以从空间的幅度和粒度中的小尺度、中尺度、大尺度对物种的影响进行研究。景观格局指数高度浓缩了景观格局信息,是反映景观结构和配置等方面特征的简单量化指标,目前应用广泛。未来可从优化景观格局、尺度阈值及影响机制方面做进一步研究。     

滇西北高等植物多样性分布格局及其与主要环境因子的相关性分析

物种多样性的空间分布格局一直是宏观生态学和生物地理学研究的热点问题之一。滇西北地区是我国生物多样性最丰富的地区之一,研究该地区的物种多样性分布格局及其与主要环境因子的相关性对生物多样性保护决策具有重要意义。以滇西北18个县域为基本研究单元,基于县域生物多样性本底调查数据,运用ArcGIS 10.1软件分析高等植物多样性分布格局;并结合地理因子(经度、纬度、海拔高差、平均海拔)和气候因子(年均温度、年均降水量),采用SPSS Statistics 22.0软件,运用单因素线性回归模型分析物种多样性与各因子之间的相关性。结果表明:(1)滇西北地区高等植物多样性从南到北总体上呈递增趋势;(2)纬度和海拔高差与物种多样性分布格局呈显著相关(P0.05);而经度、平均海拔、年均温度和年均降水量与物种多样性分布格局的相关性未达显著水平(P0.05)。因此,滇西北地区高等植物多样性分布格局可能主要与纬度和海拔高差这2个地理因子相关。     

武夷山亚热带常绿阔叶林物种多样性的尺度效应

武夷山存留着典型的中亚热带原生性森林生态系统,为进一步探索该区域物种多样性的形成和维持机制,探讨了样地内物种多样性指数的空间分布格局及其尺度效应。以福建武夷山9.6 hm2森林动态监测样地内的乔木(≥1 cm)为研究对象,分别在7个取样尺度(5 m×3 m、10 m×6 m、20 m×12 m、40 m×24 m、80 m×48 m、133.3 m×80 m、200 m×120 m)上,计算其Simpson多样性指数、Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数,并采用方差、变异系数描述其空间变异特征以及各指数与取样尺度的关系。结果表明,3种指数均与取样尺度相关,且表现出较强的区域性分布特征。此外,物种多样性的多寡不仅与空间尺度密切相关,其分布特征也具有尺度推演规律。因此,今后在对植物群落物种多样性进行分析时,应慎重进行物种多样性尺度推演,同时应考虑因取样尺度和取样区域的不同而带来的空间差异。     

Spatial mismatch between wild bee diversity hotspots and protected areas

Wild bees are critical for multiple ecosystem functions but are currently threatened. Understanding the determinants of the spatial distribution of wild bee diversity is a major research gap for their conservation. We modeled wild bee α and β taxonomic and functional diversity in Switzerland to uncover countrywide diversity patterns and determine the extent to which they provide complementary information, assess the importance of the different drivers structuring wild bee diversity, identify hotspots of wild bee diversity, and determine the overlap between diversity hotspots and the network of protected areas. We used site-level occurrence and trait data from 547 wild bee species across 3343 plots and calculated community attributes, including taxonomic diversity metrics, community mean trait values, and functional diversity metrics. We modeled their distribution with predictors describing gradients of climate, resource availability (vegetation), and anthropogenic influence (i.e., land-use types and beekeeping intensity). Wild bee diversity changed along gradients of climate and resource availability; high-elevation areas had lower functional and taxonomic α diversity, and xeric areas harbored more diverse bee communities. Functional and taxonomic β diversities diverged from this pattern, with high elevations hosting unique species and trait combinations. The proportion of diversity hotspots included in protected areas depended on the biodiversity facet, but most diversity hotspots occurred in unprotected land. Climate and resource availability gradients drove spatial patterns of wild bee diversity, resulting in lower overall diversity at higher elevations, but simultaneously greater taxonomic and functional uniqueness. This spatial mismatch among distinct biodiversity facets and the degree of overlap with protected areas is a challenge to wild bee conservation, especially in the face of global change, and calls for better integrating unprotected land. The application of spatial predictive models represents a valuable tool to aid the future development of protected areas and achieve wild bee conservation goals.     

Reliability of a Higher-Taxon Approach to Richness, Rarity, and Composition Assessments at the Local Scale

Abstract:  A promising shortcut for quantifying species patterns is to use genera and families as surrogates of species. At large spatial scales, concurrence between patterns of richness, rarity, and composition of species and higher taxa is generally high. Only a few researchers, however, have examined this relationship at the local scale, which is frequently the relevant scale in land-use conflicts. We investigated the reliability of the higher-taxon approach in assessing patterns of species richness, rarity, and composition at the local scale. We studied diversity patterns of three commonly used surrogate taxa: vascular plants, ground-dwelling beetles, and moths. We conducted year-round field surveys for these taxa in the Jerusalem Mountains and the Judean foothills, Israel. Richness and composition of species were highly correlated with richness and composition of genera for all taxa. At the family level, correlations with richness and composition of species were much lower. Excluding monotypic genera and families did not affect these relations. Rarity representation based on higher taxa varied considerably depending on the taxon, and rarity scale and was weaker compared with richness and composition representation. Cumulative richness curves of species and genera showed similar patterns, leveling off at equivalent sampling efforts. Genus-level assessments were a reliable surrogate for local patterns of species richness, rarity, and composition, but family-level assessments performed poorly. The advantage of using coarse taxonomic scales in local diversity surveys is that it may decrease identification time and the need for experts, but it will not reduce sampling effort.     

Patterns of Genetic Diversity and Its Loss in Mammalian Populations

Abstract:  Policy aimed at conserving biodiversity has focused on species diversity. Loss of genetic diversity, however, can affect population persistence, evolutionary potential, and individual fitness. Although mammals are a well-studied taxonomic group, a comprehensive assessment of mammalian genetic diversity based on modern molecular markers is lacking. We examined published microsatellite data from populations of 108 mammalian species to evaluate background patterns of genetic variability across taxa and body masses. We tested for loss of genetic diversity at the population level by asking whether populations that experienced demographic threats exhibited lower levels of genetic diversity. We also evaluated the effect of ascertainment bias (a reduction in variability when microsatellite primers are transferred across species) on our assessment of genetic diversity. Heterozygosity did not vary with body mass across species ranging in size from shrews to whales. Differences across taxonomic groupings were noted at the highest level, between populations of marsupial and placental mammals. We documented consistently lower heterozygosity, however, in populations that had experienced demographic threats across a wide range of mammalian species. We also documented a significant ( p = 0.01) reduction in heterozygosity as a result of ascertainment bias. Our results suggest that populations of both rare and common mammals are currently losing genetic diversity and that conservation efforts focused above the population level may fail to protect the breadth of persisting genetic diversity. Conservation policy makers may need to focus their efforts below the species level to stem further losses of genetic resources.     

Effectiveness of protected areas for vertebrates based on taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity

Establishing protected areas is the primary goal and tool for preventing irreversible biodiversity loss. However, the effectiveness of protected areas that target specific species has been questioned for some time because targeting key species for conservation may impair the integral regional pool of species diversity and phylogenetic and functional diversity are seldom considered. We assessed the efficacy of protected areas in China for the conservation of phylogenetic diversity based on the ranges and phylogenies of 2279 terrestrial vertebrates. Phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity were strongly and positively correlated, and only 12.1–43.8% of priority conservation areas are currently protected. However, the patterns and coverage of phylogenetic diversity were affected when weighted by species richness. These results indicated that in China, protected areas targeting high species richness protected phylogenetic diversity well overall but failed to do so in some regions with more unique or threatened communities (e.g., coastal areas of eastern China, where severely threatened avian communities were less protected). Our results suggest that the current distribution of protected areas could be improved, although most protected areas protect both taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity.     

森林土壤种子库研究进展

土壤种子库与物种多样性存在密切相关性,森林土壤种子库是植被天然更新的物质基础。文章阐述了森林土壤种子库的内涵、森林生态系统土壤种子库的基本特征及其主要研究方法,探讨了影响种子库的基本因素及当前极为关注的热点问题。在受损森林生态系统目标树种培养、植被群落快速恢复和生态系统科学管理等领域仍存在一些理论和实践急待解决的问题,如随着群落进展演替土壤种子库种子数量在增加而质量却在逐渐下降,面临如何解决生态系统健康稳定发育和物种多样性长期维持问题。文章认为今后应加强土壤种子库与生物多样性保护、防止外来物种入侵乡土物种利用及对全球变化的响应等领域的研究工作,以期为从事森林土壤种子库研究和退化森林植被群落恢复实践提供理论指导。     

Global distribution of a key trophic guild contrasts with common latitudinal diversity patterns

Most hypotheses explaining the general gradient of higher diversity toward the equator are implicit or explicit about greater species packing in the tropics. However, global patterns of diversity within guilds, including trophic guilds (i.e., groups of organisms that use similar food resources), are poorly known. We explored global diversity patterns of a key trophic guild in stream ecosystems, the detritivore shredders. This was motivated by the fundamental ecological role of shredders as decomposers of leaf litter and by some records pointing to low shredder diversity and abundance in the tropics, which contrasts with diversity patterns of most major taxa for which broad-scale latitudinal patterns haven been examined. Given this evidence, we hypothesized that shredders are more abundant and diverse in temperate than in tropical streams, and that this pattern is related to the higher temperatures and lower availability of high-quality leaf litter in the tropics. Our comprehensive global survey (129 stream sites from 14 regions on six continents) corroborated the expected latitudinal pattern and showed that shredder distribution (abundance, diversity and assemblage composition) was explained by a combination of factors, including water temperature (some taxa were restricted to cool waters) and biogeography (some taxa were more diverse in particular biogeographic realms). In contrast to our hypothesis, shredder diversity was unrelated to leaf toughness, but it was inversely related to litter diversity. Our findings markedly contrast with global trends of diversity for most taxa, and with the general rule of higher consumer diversity at higher levels of resource diversity. Moreover, they highlight the emerging role of temperature in understanding global patterns of diversity, which is of great relevance in the face of projected global warming.     

Conserving alpha and beta diversity in wood-production landscapes

International demand for wood and other forest products continues to grow rapidly, and uncertainties remain about how animal communities will respond to intensifying resource extraction associated with woody bioenergy production. We examined changes in alpha and beta diversity of bats, bees, birds, and reptiles across wood production landscapes in the southeastern United States, a biodiversity hotspot that is one of the principal sources of woody biomass globally. We sampled across a spatial gradient of paired forest land-uses (representing pre and postharvest) that allowed us to evaluate biological community changes resulting from several types of biomass harvest. Short-rotation practices and residue removal following clearcuts were associated with reduced alpha diversity (−14.1 and −13.9 species, respectively) and lower beta diversity (i.e., Jaccard dissimilarity) between land-use pairs (0.46 and 0.50, respectively), whereas midrotation thinning increased alpha (+3.5 species) and beta diversity (0.59). Over the course of a stand rotation in a single location, biomass harvesting generally led to less biodiversity. Cross-taxa responses to resource extraction were poorly predicted by alpha diversity: correlations in responses between taxonomic groups were highly variable (−0.2 to 0.4) with large uncertainties. In contrast, beta diversity patterns were highly consistent and predictable across taxa, where correlations in responses between taxonomic groups were all positive (0.05–0.4) with more narrow uncertainties. Beta diversity may, therefore, be a more reliable and information-rich indicator than alpha diversity in understanding animal community response to landscape change. Patterns in beta diversity were primarily driven by turnover instead of species loss or gain, indicating that wood extraction generates habitats that support different biological communities.     

Application of the quadratic entropy indices for diversity studies of drosophilid assemblages

Most diversity indices widely used in ecology (e.g. the Shannon-Wiener index and the Gini-Simpson index) do not reflect taxonomic or other differences among species. Quadratic entropy, proposed by C.R. Rao (1982), takes these differences into account. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the application of this diversity index in investigations of drosophilid species diversity. Quadratic entropy and Simpson index values are also compared. The elements of the difference matrix in the quadratic form are taxonomic differences (distances) among the species. The difference is defined by the position of the lowest-ranking taxon containing both species. According to the results, the Gini-Simpson index and the taxonomic quadratic entropy are positively correlated. The observed differences are due to the fact that assemblages with greater taxonomic distances produce greater quadratic entropy. Drosophilid species can be assigned to specific life habit classes, more specifically to resource types. After postulating differences between the types, we used the quadratic entropy measure to analyse resource diversity. These kinds of examinations approximate to an operative association of species diversity and environmental diversity.     

Effects of Growth Form and Functional Traits on Response of Woody Plants to Clearing and Fragmentation of Subtropical Rainforest

The conservation implications of large‐scale rainforest clearing and fragmentation on the persistence of functional and taxonomic diversity remain poorly understood. If traits represent adaptive strategies of plant species to particular circumstances, the expectation is that the effect of forest clearing and fragmentation will be affected by species functional traits, particularly those related to dispersal. We used species occurrence data for woody plants in 46 rainforest patches across 75,000 ha largely cleared of forest by the early 1900s to determine the combined effects of area reduction, fragmentation, and patch size on the taxonomic structure and functional diversity of subtropical rainforest. We compiled species trait values for leaf area, seed dry mass, wood density, and maximum height and calculated species niche breadths. Taxonomic structure, trait values (means, ranges), and the functional diversity of assemblages of climbing and free‐standing plants in remnant patches were quantified. Larger rainforest patches had higher species richness. Species in smaller patches were taxonomically less related than species in larger patches. Free‐standing plants had a high percentage of frugivore dispersed seeds; climbers had a high proportion of small wind‐dispersed seeds. Connections between the patchy spatial distribution of free‐standing species, larger seed sizes, and dispersal syndrome were weak. Assemblages of free‐standing plants in patches showed more taxonomic and spatial structuring than climbing plants. Smaller isolated patches retained relatively high functional diversity and similar taxonomic structure to larger tracts of forest despite lower species richness. The response of woody plants to clearing and fragmentation of subtropical rainforest differed between climbers and slow‐growing mature‐phase forest trees but not between climbers and pioneer trees. Quantifying taxonomic structure and functional diversity provides an improved basis for conservation planning and management by elucidating the effects of forest‐area reduction and fragmentation. Efectos de la Forma de Crecimiento y Atributos Funcionales en la Respuesta de Plantas Leñosas al Desmonte y Fragmentación de Bosque Lluvioso Subtropical     

Use of environmental DNA in assessment of fish functional and phylogenetic diversity

Assessing the impact of global changes and protection effectiveness is a key step in monitoring marine fishes. Most traditional census methods are demanding or destructive. Nondisturbing and nonlethal approaches based on video and environmental DNA are alternatives to underwater visual census or fishing. However, their ability to detect multiple biodiversity factors beyond traditional taxonomic diversity is still unknown. For bony fishes and elasmobranchs, we compared the performance of eDNA metabarcoding and long-term remote video to assess species’ phylogenetic and functional diversity. We used 10 eDNA samples from 30 L of water each and 25 hr of underwater videos over 4 days on Malpelo Island (pacific coast of Colombia), a remote marine protected area. Metabarcoding of eDNA detected 66% more molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs) than species on video. We found 66 and 43 functional entities with a single eDNA marker and videos, respectively, and higher functional richness for eDNA than videos. Despite gaps in genetic reference databases, eDNA also detected a higher fish phylogenetic diversity than videos; accumulation curves showed how 1 eDNA transect detected as much phylogenetic diversity as 25 hr of video. Environmental DNA metabarcoding can be used to affordably, efficiently, and accurately census biodiversity factors in marine systems. Although taxonomic assignments are still limited by species coverage in genetic reference databases, use of MOTUs highlights the potential of eDNA metabarcoding once reference databases have expanded.