Effects of Topographical Heterogeneity and Dispersal Limitation on Species Turnover in a Temperate Mountane Ecosystem: a Case Study in the Henan Province,China

Species turnover patterns can be inconsistent due to differences in the dispersal ability of different growth forms. Here, species of trees, shrubs, herbs, and bryophytes in the Xiaoqinling National Nature Reserve in China were analyzed to determine patterns of species turnover along an elevation and spatial gradient. Variance partitioning was used to assess the relative contribution of topographic heterogeneity and dispersal limitation to species turnover. Our results suggest that the effect of dispersal limitation is more important than topographic heterogeneity on species turnover in temperate mountane ecosystems in the study area. Dispersal limitation has a greater effect on trees species turnover than on shrubs, herbs or bryophytes species turnover.     

The Impact of Succession Stage on Share and Traits of Clonal Plants in Abandoned <Emphasis Type="Italic">Molinion caeruleae</Emphasis> Meadows

The impact of succession stage on the share of clonal plants in the plant cover, seed rain and seedling pool has been studied in the years 2014 and 2015. The investigations were carried out in abandoned Molinion caeruleae meadows dominated by small-statured species (Patch I), tall growing large-tussock grasses (Patch II) and shrub-willows (Patch III). Although the clonal taxa dominated in the plant cover, seed rain and seedling pool, their share in subsequent study sites was quite different. The spectra of life-history traits relevant to clonality in the plant cover and seed rain were similar and did not vary significantly among subsequent locations, while they mostly differed as observed in the seedling pool. The various spectra observed in seedling pool in subsequent study sites might be due to fact that the seed germination and recruitment of offspring are strongly influenced by habitat conditions which varied remarkably in the successive Patches.     

Factors Affecting Predator-Prey Distribution in a Protected Area,Tehran, Iran (a Case with Wolves and Wild Sheep)

We tried to model habitat suitability of two prey and predator species including wild sheep (Ovis orientalis) and wolf (Canis lupus) in Varjin protected area located in northern east of Tehran using a presence only method, maximum entropy (MaxEnt). Totally 11 environmental variables were measured in the species presence points which can be classified in three groups including topographical, vegetation and distal variables. Resulted maps indicated that habitat variables such as slope (ranging from 35 to 40 percent) and elevation (lower than 1700 meters above sea level) are both institute those factors which mostly affect studied prey and predator habitat use. Our results regarding prey and predator geographical range of used habitat indicated that wolves cover most area than wild sheep which show more dispersed habitat resources for the prey species. ENMTools test revealed that wolf’s niche breadth is more than twice as much as wild sheep’s. Wild sheep in Varjin protected area has a relatively narrow geographical extent and shows a tendency to marginal habitats while wolves cover obviously more areas which denotes its high mobility and low dependency to specific habitats.     

Periphyton Developed on Artificial Substrates: Effect of Substrate Type and Incubation Depth

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of substrate type and incubation depth on periphyton that had developed on artificial substrates. Uniform rectangular tiles made out of artificial substrates: glass, ceramic, willow tree and yew tree, were fixed on a floating buoy and deployed at three different depths in a photic zone of the Sava Lake (Belgrade, Serbia). Non-taxonomic attributes in the developed biofilm were estimated week-by-week from the start of the experiment in July, until its end in September 2014. Through assessment of substrate type and depth of incubation effect we concluded that these parameters for the fact influence periphyton development and composition. Glass was preferred by autotrophic component over ceramic and wooden substrates. In general, substrate type effect was diminished by increasing incubation depth. When non-taxonomic parameters are to be used in biomonitoring studies, our results suggest that glass substrate and shallow layer of water column (up to 50 cm) for incubation should be preferred.     

Larval and Juvenile Fish Assemblage Structure of Inshore Habitats in the Middle Reaches of Li River,China: Spatial and Temporal Patterns in Relation to Abiotic Factors

To evaluate the effect of abiotic factors on larval and juvenile fish assemblage in shallow waters of middle reaches of Li River, Guilin, China. Samplings were taken monthly at 7 stations in the mainstream and 2 stations in 3 tributaries from May 2014 to April 2015. Synchronously, temperature, pH, turbidity, conductivity, dissolved oxygen rainfall and discharge were obtained. In all, 11.886 larval and juvenile fish from 18 species belonging to 8 families, 16 genera was captured. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed obvious significant difference between the environmental variables across sampling areas and months. The results of Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) indicated that water temperature, turbidity, discharge and rainfall were dominant factors on larval and juvenile fish assemblage.     

Carbon Emission from the Surface of Coarse Woody Debris in Korean Pine Forests of Southern Primorye

Carbon dioxide fluxes from the surface of coarse woody debris (CWD) have been measured in Korean pine forests of the southern Sikhote-Alin mountain range. The seasonal dynamics of oxidative conversion of CWD carbon have been evaluated, and average values of the CO₂ emission rate have been determined for CWD fragments of three tree species at different stages of decomposition. The degree of decomposition is an important factor of spatial variation in CO₂ emission rate, and temporal variation in this parameter is adequately described by an exponential function of both CWD temperature and air temperature (R² = 0.65–0.75).     

Annual Nutritional Organ Mass Cycle of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bufo gargarizans</Emphasis> (Cantor, 1842) in Response to Extreme High Temperature

The annual relative mass of storage organs cycle of Bufo gargarizans in southwestern China was studied from December 2005 to November 2006. We described how those organs changed in response to extreme temperatures. Energy reservation dropped to the lowest levels after dormancy for both sexes, and then increased for period of 4.25 month. However, the mass of these organs dropped again rapidly until August (liver) and September (fat bodies) due to the constraint from extreme high temperature occurred during the summer, and then non-significantly increased before hibernation. For ovaries, varied with a different profile to those of liver and fat bodies have a resting period of four months. In addition, the toads’ ovaries kept growing when the mass of liver and fat bodies declining accordingly during hibernation. Therefore, ovarian mass increased during the hibernation and non-hibernation period.     

Plant Species Richness and Developmental Morphology Stage Influence Mycorrhizal Patagonia Plants Root Colonization

The objectives of this study were to determine the percentage of root colonization by arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi at various levels of plant species richness and developmental morphology stages in various perennial grass, and herbaceous and woody dicots species using experimental plots during 2013 and 2014. An auger was used to obtain six replicate root + soil samples at each sampling time on each of the study parameters. Roots were washed free of soil, and percentage AM was determined. The shrub Larrea divaricata was the species which showed the lowest percentage of colonization by AM at the vegetative developmental morphology stage at the monocultures and six-species-mixtures on the experimental plots. Dicots, but not grass, species showed a greater percentage colonization by AM fungi at the greatest (i.e., six-species-mixtures) than lowest (i.e., monocultures) species richness. Although at different degrees of species richness and developmental morphology stages, the perennial grasses Nassella longiglumis and N. tenuis, the herbaceous dicot Atriplex semibaccata, and the shrubs L. divaricata and Schinus fasciculatus showed a greater (p < 0.050) percentage colonization by AM fungi during the second than the first study year. Even though it was species- and sampling time-dependent, percentage colonization by AM fungi increased as species richness also increased most of the times. Our results demonstrated that the plant species differences in percentage colonization by AM fungi in the experimental plots were species richness-, developmental morphology stage-, and sampling-time dependents.     

Variation in the Composition of Secondary Metabolites in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Flavocetraria</Emphasis> Lichens from Western Siberia

The composition and contents of secondary metabolites in Flavocetraria lichens from Eastern Siberia were analyzed using herbarium specimens. Based on the composition of identified metabolites, three F. cucullata chemotypes and two F. nivalis chemotypes were distinguished. Distinct geographic differentiation between the F. cucullata chemotypes was revealed, probably reflecting their adaptation to environmental conditions. The content of usnic acid in F. cucullata thalli was found to correlate with the latitude of growing region. This may be regarded as evidence for a protective role of this metabolite in lichens growing at high latitudes and exposed to excess solar irradiation during the polar day.