scholarly journals Alpine plant community diversity in species–area relations at fine scale

2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
George P. Malanson ◽  
Emma L. Nelson ◽  
Dale L. Zimmerman ◽  
Daniel B. Fagre
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Fine Scale ◽  
Alpine Plant ◽  
Species Area

scholarly journals Climate and plant community diversity in space and time

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (9) ◽  
pp. 4464-4470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Harrison ◽  
Marko J. Spasojevic ◽  
Daijiang Li
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Niche Conservatism ◽  
Space And Time ◽  
Drying Trend ◽  
Functional And Phylogenetic Diversity ◽  
Over Time

Climate strongly shapes plant diversity over large spatial scales, with relatively warm and wet (benign, productive) regions supporting greater numbers of species. Unresolved aspects of this relationship include what causes it, whether it permeates to community diversity at smaller spatial scales, whether it is accompanied by patterns in functional and phylogenetic diversity as some hypotheses predict, and whether it is paralleled by climate-driven changes in diversity over time. Here, studies of Californian plants are reviewed and new analyses are conducted to synthesize climate–diversity relationships in space and time. Across spatial scales and organizational levels, plant diversity is maximized in more productive (wetter) climates, and these consistent spatial relationships are mirrored in losses of taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity over time during a recent climatic drying trend. These results support the tolerance and climatic niche conservatism hypotheses for climate–diversity relationships, and suggest there is some predictability to future changes in diversity in water-limited climates.

scholarly journals Manual Cutting of Sitka Alder-Dominated Plant Communities: Effects on Conifer Growth and Plant Community Structure

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 277-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanne W. Simard ◽  
Jean L. Heineman ◽  
Shannon M. Hagerman ◽  
W. Jean Mather ◽  
Donald L. Sachs
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Community Diversity ◽  
Limiting Factors ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Montane Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Complexes ◽  
Hybrid Spruce

Abstract Five-year growth and survival responses of lodgepole pine and hybrid spruce to manual cutting of Sitka alder were studied in two montane vegetation complexes in interior British Columbia. The effects of brushing on plant community diversity and structure also were examined. Alder cover and height were reduced throughout the 5-year posttreatment measurement period, but this had no effect on growth or survival of either 5- to 7-year-old lodgepole pine growing in the Dry Alder complex or 4- to 7-year-old hybrid spruce in the Wet Alder complex. Moderate alder cover, which was characteristic at these sites, did not appear to inhibit diameter growth of lodgepole pine or spruce. This was supported by competition thresholds for conifer diameter of 30 and 37% alder cover in the Dry Alder and Wet Alder complexes, respectively. In neither complex did manual cutting result in any changes in species richness, species diversity, or structural diversity of the vascular plant community. The results of this study suggest that brushing of Sitka alder is unnecessary for release of healthy lodgepole pine growing on mesic sites in the Dry Alder complex and is ineffective at alleviating growth limiting factors to spruce on Wet Alder sites. West. J. Appl. For. 19(4):277–287.

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