Different components of plant diversity suggest the protection of a large area for the conservation of a riparian ecosystem
-
Lorenzo Lastrucci
, Lorenzo Lazzaro
Abstract
Riparian ecosystems host an high level of biodiversity but anthropic activities have deeply altered their naturalness and functionality. The present study was carried out in a protected area along a recently regulated tract of the upper River Tiber (Tuscany, central Italy). The study’s aim is to explore different components of plant diversity (species richness, species composition, β-diversity) in the riparian habitats to determine the most relevant conservation issues. Twelve transects were allocated along the riparian zone and a stratified random sampling was performed on the habitat detected along the transects with 184 plots of 1 x 1 m. Species richness was analysed by the use of set of species-richness estimators. The different patterns of plant diversity were analysed by NMDS, Indicator Species Analysis and SDR with symplex analysis. Five habitat types were detected in the study area. Three well-represented habitats (riparian woodlands, shrublands and dry bars) showed a higher number of species; flooded banks and marshlands were much less common and were also less species rich. Species composition and indicator species analysis showed however that marshlands were the richest in taxa having high conservation value and in indicator species. The habitats differed greatly in species composition; β-diversity analysis showed a low number of shared species between the habitats. High values of species replacement and low similarity values were recorded between the plots within the habitats. The study shows some differences between quantitative and qualitative patterns of biodiversity in the study area. The results suggest that to maintain habitat species diversity, the best conservation strategy for the study area is to protect as large an area as possible
References
Angeler D.G. 2013. Revealing a conservation challenge through partitioned long-term beta diversity: increasing turnover and decreasing nestedness of boreal lake meta communities.10.1111/ddi.12029Suche in Google Scholar
Divers. Distrib. 19: 772-781.Suche in Google Scholar
Angiolini C., Nucci A., Frignani F. & Landi M. 2011. Using multivariate analyses to assess effects of fluvial type on plant species distribution in a Mediterranean river. Wetlands 31: 167-177.10.1007/s13157-010-0118-7Suche in Google Scholar
Anselmi B. 2004. Aree Protette della provincia di Arezzo. Guida naturalistica con notizie storiche e percorsi di visita. Provincia di Arezzo, Assessorato all’Ambiente. Editrice Le Balze.Suche in Google Scholar
Bedford B., Leopold D. & Gibbs J. 2001. Wetland ecosystems.10.1016/B0-12-226865-2/00282-0Suche in Google Scholar
Enc. Biodiv. 5: 781-804.Suche in Google Scholar
Benesperi R., Giuliani C., Zanetti S., Gennai M., Mariotti-Lippi M., Guidi T., Nascimbene J. & Foggi B. 2012. Forest plant diversity is threatened by Robinia pseudoacacia L. (Black locust) invasion. Biodivers. Conserv. 21: 3555-3568.10.1007/s10531-012-0380-5Suche in Google Scholar
Bilz M., Kell S.P., Maxted N. & Lansdown R.V. 2011. Europaean Red List of Vascular Plants. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union.Suche in Google Scholar
Biondi E. & Baldoni M. 1994. La vegetazione del fiume Marecchia (Italia Centrale). Biogeographia 17: 51-87.10.21426/B617110369Suche in Google Scholar
Burnham K.P. & Overton W.S. 1979. Robust estimation of population size when capture probabilities vary among animals.10.2307/1936861Suche in Google Scholar
Ecology 60: 927-236.Suche in Google Scholar
Celesti-Grapow L., Alessandrini A., Arrigoni P.V., Banfi E., Bernardo L., Bovio M., Brundu G., Cagiotti M.R., Camarda I., Carli E., Conti F., Fascetti S., Galasso G., Gubellini L., La Valva V., Lucchese F., Marchiori S., Mazzola P., Peccenini S., Poldini L., Pretto F., Prosser F., Siniscalco C., Villani M.C., Viegi L., Wilhalm T. & Blasi C. 2009. The inventory of the non-native flora of Italy. Plant Biosyst. 143: 386-430.10.1080/11263500902722824Suche in Google Scholar
Chao A. 1984. Non-parametric estimation of the number of classes in a population. Scand. J. Stat. 11: 265-270.Suche in Google Scholar
Chao A. 1987. Estimating the population size for capture- recapture data with unequal catchability. Biometrics 43: 783-791.10.2307/2531532Suche in Google Scholar
Chao A., Hwang W.H., Chen Y.C. & Kuo C.Y. 2000. Estimating the number of shared species in two communities. Stat. Sinica 10: 227-246.Suche in Google Scholar
Chazdon R., Colwell R.K., Denslow J.S. & Guariguata M.R.Suche in Google Scholar
1998. Statistical methods for estimating species richness of woody regeneration in primary and secondary rain forests of NE Costa Rica, pp. 285-309. In: Dallmaier F. & Comiskey J.A. (eds), Forest biodiversity research, monitoring and modeling: conceptual background and old world case studies.Suche in Google Scholar
Parthenon Publishing, Paris.Suche in Google Scholar
Chiarucci A., Enright N.J., Perry G.L.W., Miller B.P. & Lamont B.B. 2003. Performance of nonparametric species richness estimators in a high diversity plant community. Divers. Distrib. 9: 283-295.10.1046/j.1472-4642.2003.00027.xSuche in Google Scholar
Colwell R.K. 2006. EstimateS : statistical estimation of species richness and shared species from samples Version 8.0.0. User’s guide and application. Retrieved June 17, 2013, http://viceroy.eeb.uconn.edu/EstimateS7Pages/EstS7UsersGuide/EstimateS7UsersGuide.htmSuche in Google Scholar
Conti F., Manzi A. & Pedrotti F. 1997. Liste rosse regionali delle piante d’Italia. WWF, Societŕ Botanica Italiana, Camerino.Suche in Google Scholar
Conti F., Abbate G., Alessandrini A. & Blasi C. (eds) 2005. An annotated checklist of the Italian vascular flora. Palombi Editori.Suche in Google Scholar
Conti F., Alessandrini A., Bacchetta G., Banfi E., Barberis G., Bartolucci F., Bernardo L., Bonacquisti S., Bouvet D., Bovio M., Brusa G., Del Guacchio E., Foggi B., Frattini S., Galasso G., Gallo L., Gangale C., Gottschlich G., Grunanger P., Gubellini L., Iiriti G., Lucarini D., Marchetti D., Moraldo B., Peruzzi L., Poldini L., Prosser F., Raffaelli M., Santangelo A., Scassellati E., Scortegagna S., Selvi F., Soldano A., Tinti D., Ubaldi D., Uzunov D. & VidaliM. 2007. Integrazioni alla checklist della flora vascolare italiana. Nat. Vicentina 10 (2006): 5-74.Suche in Google Scholar
Deiller A.F., Walter J.M.N. & Tremoliores M. 2001. Effects of flood interruption on species richness, diversity and floristic composition of woody regeneration in the Upper Rhine alluvial hardwood forest. Regul. River. 17: 393-405.Suche in Google Scholar
Dufr˛eneM. & Legendre P. 1997. Species assemblage and indicator species: the need for a flexible asymmetrical approach. Ecol.10.2307/2963459Suche in Google Scholar
Monogr. 67: 345-366.Suche in Google Scholar
Dynesius M. & Nilsson C. 1994. Fragmentation and flow regulation in the northern third of the world. Science 266: 753-762.10.1126/science.266.5186.753Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
Giraudoux P. 2013. Pgirmess: data analysis in ecology. R package version 1.5.8. Retrieved September 30, 2013 from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=pgirmess.Suche in Google Scholar
Heltshe J. & Forrester N.E. 1983. Estimating species richness using the jackknife procedure. Biometrics 39: 1-11.10.2307/2530802Suche in Google Scholar
Hortal J., Borges P.A.V. & Gaspar C. 2006. Evaluating the performance of species richness estimators: sensitivity to sample grain size. J. Anim. Ecol. 75: 274-287.10.1111/j.1365-2656.2006.01048.xSuche in Google Scholar PubMed
Hutchinson G.E. 1975. A Treatise on Limnology. Vol. III. Limnological Botany. John Wiley & Sons, New York, London, Sydney, Toronto, 659 pp.Suche in Google Scholar
JohnsonW.C. 2002. Riparian vegetation diversity along regulated rivers: contribution of novel and relict habitats. Freshwater Biol. 47: 749-759.10.1046/j.1365-2427.2002.00910.xSuche in Google Scholar
Kerr T.J. 1997. Species richness, endemism, and the choice of areas for conservation. Conserv. Biol. 11: 1094-1100.Suche in Google Scholar
Kleinbauer I., Dullinger S., Peterseil J. & Essl F. 2010 Climate change must drive the invasive tree Robinia pseudoacacia into nature reserve and endagered habitats. Biol. Conserv. 143: 382-390.10.1016/j.biocon.2009.10.024Suche in Google Scholar
Landi M. & Angiolini C. 2006. The vegetation gradient along the longitudinal profile of a braided stream: a case study in central Italy. Belg. J. Bot. 139: 220-232.Suche in Google Scholar
Lastrucci L. & Raffaelli M. 2006. Contributo alla conoscenza della flora delle zone umide planiziarie e collinari della Toscana orientale: la provincia di Arezzo (Italia centrale). Webbia 61: 271-304.10.1080/00837792.2006.10670807Suche in Google Scholar
Lastrucci L., Landucci F., Gonnelli V., Barocco R., Foggi B. & Venanzoni R. 2012. The vegetation of the upper and middle River Tiber (Central Italy). Plant Sociology 49(2): 29-48.Suche in Google Scholar
Lee S.M. & Chao A. 1994. Estimating population size via sample coverage for closed capture-recapture models. Biometrics 50: 88-97.10.2307/2533199Suche in Google Scholar
Lindenmayer D.B., Franklin J.F. & Fischer J. 2006. General management principles and a checklist of strategies to guide forest biodiversity conservation. Biol. Conserv. 131: 433-445.10.1016/j.biocon.2006.02.019Suche in Google Scholar
Naiman R.J. & Decamps H. 1997. The ecology of interfaces: riparian zones. Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst. 28: 621-658.10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.28.1.621Suche in Google Scholar
Naiman R.J., Decamps H. & Pollock M. 1993. The role of riparian corridors in maintaining regional biodiversity. Ecol. Appl. 3: 209-212.10.2307/1941822Suche in Google Scholar PubMed
Nascimbene J., Benesperi R., Brunialti G., Catalano I., Delle Vedove M., Grillo M., Isocrono D., Matteucci E., Potenza G., Puntillo D., Puntillo M., Ravera S., Rizzi G. & Giordani P.Suche in Google Scholar
2013. Patterns and drivers of β-diversity and similarity of Lobaria pulmonaria communities in Italian forests. J. Ecol. 101: 493-505.10.1111/1365-2745.12050Suche in Google Scholar
Nascimbene J., Marini L. & Nimis P.L. 2008. Epiphytic lichens in a riparian natural reserve of Northen Italy: species richness, composition and conservation. Plant Biosyst. 142: 94-98.Suche in Google Scholar
Nascimbene J., Nimis P.L. & Benesperi R. 2012. Mature non- native black-locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) forest does not regain the lichen diversity of the natural forest. Sci. Total Environ. 421-422: 197-202.10.1016/j.scitotenv.2012.01.051Suche in Google Scholar
Nilsson C. 1992. Conservation management of riparian communities, pp. 352-372. In: Hansson L. (ed), Ecological principles of nature conservation. Elsevier, London.10.1007/978-1-4615-3524-9_9Suche in Google Scholar
Nilsson C. & Svedmark M. 2002. Basic principles and ecological consequences of changing water regimes: riparian plant communities. Environ. Manage. 30: 468-480.10.1007/s00267-002-2735-2Suche in Google Scholar
Oksanen J., Blanchet G.F., Kindt R., Legendre P., Minchin P.R., O’hara R.B., Simpson G.L., Solymos P., Stevens M.H.H., Wagner H. 2013. vegan: community ecology package. R package version 2.0-9. Retrieved September 30, 2013 from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=vegan.Suche in Google Scholar
Olson D.H., Anderson P.D., Frissell C.A., Welsh H.H., Bradford D.F. 2007. Biodiversity management approaches for stream- riparian areas: perspectives for Pacific Northwest headwater forests, microclimates, and amphibians. Forest Ecol. Manag. 246: 81-107.10.1016/j.foreco.2007.03.053Suche in Google Scholar
Podani J. 2001. SYN-TAX 2000. Computer programs for data analysis in ecology and systematics. User’s Manual, Scientia, Budapest. Podani J. & Schmera D. 2011. A new conceptual and methodological framework for exploring and explaining pattern in presence - absence data. Oikos 120: 1625-1638.Suche in Google Scholar
Poff B., Koestner K.A., Neary D.G., Henderson V. 2011. Threats to riparian ecosystems in western North America: an analysis of existing literature. J. Am. Water Resour. As. 47: 1241-1254.10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00571.xSuche in Google Scholar
Poff N.L., Olden J.D., Merritt D.M. & Pepin D.M. 2007. Homogenization of regional river dynamics by dams and global biodiversity implications. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104: 5732-5737.10.1073/pnas.0609812104Suche in Google Scholar
R Development Core Team. 2013. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. Retrieved June 17, 2013 from http://www.Rproject.org/.Suche in Google Scholar
Roberts D.W. 2012. labdsv: ordination and multivariate analysis for ecology. R package version 1.5-0. Retrieved 17 June, 2013 from http://CRAN.R-project.org/package=labdsv.Suche in Google Scholar
Rossi G., Montagnani C., Gargano D., Peruzzi L., Abeli T., Ravera S., Cogoni A., Fenu G., Magrini S., Gennai M., Foggi B., Wagensommer R.P., Venturella G., Blasi C., Raimondo F.M. & Orsenigo S. (eds) 2013. Lista Rossa della Flora Italiana.Suche in Google Scholar
1. Policy Species e altre specie minacciate. Comitato Italiano IUCN e Ministero dell’Ambiente e della Tutela del Territorio e del Mare.Suche in Google Scholar
Rundel P. W. & Sturmer S.B. 1998. Native plant diversity in riparian communities of the Santa Monica Mountains, California.Suche in Google Scholar
Madroño 45: 93-100.Suche in Google Scholar
Salinas J.M. & Casas J.J. 2007. Riparian vegetation of two semiarid Mediterranean rivers: basin-scale responses of woody and herbaceous plants to environmental gradients. Wetlands 27: 831-845.10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[831:RVOTSM]2.0.CO;2Suche in Google Scholar
Sharitz R.R., Boring L.R., Van Lear D.H. & Pinder III J.E. 1992.Suche in Google Scholar
Integrating ecological concepts with natural resource management of southern forests. Ecol. Appl. 2: 226-237.10.2307/1941857Suche in Google Scholar
Siegel S. & Castellan N.J. 1988. Nonparametric statistics for the behavioral sciences. (2nd Ed.). New York, NY, McGraw-Hill.Suche in Google Scholar
Smith E.P. & van Belle G. 1984. Nonparametric estimation of species richness. Biometrics 40: 119-129.10.2307/2530750Suche in Google Scholar
Tjorve E. 2010. How to resolve the SLOSS debate: lessons from species-diversity models. J. Theor. Biol. 264: 604-12.10.1016/j.jtbi.2010.02.009Suche in Google Scholar
Ward J.V., Tockner K. & Schiemer F. 1999. Biodiversity of floodplain river ecosystems: ecotones and connectivity. Regul.10.1002/(SICI)1099-1646(199901/06)15:1/3<125::AID-RRR523>3.0.CO;2-ESuche in Google Scholar
River. 15: 125-139.Suche in Google Scholar
Worthen W.B. 1996. Community composition and nested-subset analyses: basic descriptors for community ecology. Oikos 76: 417-426. 10.2307/3546335Suche in Google Scholar
© 2016
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Down into the Earth: microbial diversity of the deepest cave of the world
- Factors influencing synergistic antimicrobial activity of thymol and nisin against Shigella spp. in sugarcane juice
- Effects of low-temperature hardening on the biochemical response of winter oilseed rape seedlings inoculated with the spores of Leptosphaeria maculans
- Mitochondrial structures during seed germination and early seedling development in Arabidopsis thaliana
- Transcriptome analysis for identification of indigo biosynthesis pathway genes in Polygonum tinctorium
- Different components of plant diversity suggest the protection of a large area for the conservation of a riparian ecosystem
- Anatomical adaptations of the desert species Stipa lagascae against drought stress
- Effects of ammonium ion on cell growth and biosynthesis of shikonin derivatives in callus tissues of Arnebia euchroma
- cDNA cloning, heterologous expression and characterization of a cell wall invertase from copper tolerant population of Elsholtzia haichowensis
- Construction of cDNA library from Prunus campanulata leaves and preliminary expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis during cold stress
- Phylogenetic utility of the geometric model of the body form in leeches (Clitellata: Hirudinida)
- Substrate choice by the alien snail Ferrissia fragilis (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in an industrial area: A case study in a forest pond (Southern Poland)
- History of two critically endangered grassland snails (Pulmonata: Helicellinae) in the Czech Republic with first molecular data on extinct populations
- Monteustium marezensis gen. n., sp. n. and the first record of Italustiun eframi (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae: Balaustiinae) from Montenegro
- Lithobius (Ezembius) laevidentata sp. n., a new species (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha: Lithobiidae) from the Northwest region of China
- Aphids in jeopardy? Aphid communities on xerothermic habitats
- Habitat and weather requirements of diurnal raptors wintering in river valleys
Artikel in diesem Heft
- Down into the Earth: microbial diversity of the deepest cave of the world
- Factors influencing synergistic antimicrobial activity of thymol and nisin against Shigella spp. in sugarcane juice
- Effects of low-temperature hardening on the biochemical response of winter oilseed rape seedlings inoculated with the spores of Leptosphaeria maculans
- Mitochondrial structures during seed germination and early seedling development in Arabidopsis thaliana
- Transcriptome analysis for identification of indigo biosynthesis pathway genes in Polygonum tinctorium
- Different components of plant diversity suggest the protection of a large area for the conservation of a riparian ecosystem
- Anatomical adaptations of the desert species Stipa lagascae against drought stress
- Effects of ammonium ion on cell growth and biosynthesis of shikonin derivatives in callus tissues of Arnebia euchroma
- cDNA cloning, heterologous expression and characterization of a cell wall invertase from copper tolerant population of Elsholtzia haichowensis
- Construction of cDNA library from Prunus campanulata leaves and preliminary expressed sequence tag (EST) analysis during cold stress
- Phylogenetic utility of the geometric model of the body form in leeches (Clitellata: Hirudinida)
- Substrate choice by the alien snail Ferrissia fragilis (Gastropoda: Planorbidae) in an industrial area: A case study in a forest pond (Southern Poland)
- History of two critically endangered grassland snails (Pulmonata: Helicellinae) in the Czech Republic with first molecular data on extinct populations
- Monteustium marezensis gen. n., sp. n. and the first record of Italustiun eframi (Acari: Prostigmata: Erythraeidae: Balaustiinae) from Montenegro
- Lithobius (Ezembius) laevidentata sp. n., a new species (Chilopoda: Lithobiomorpha: Lithobiidae) from the Northwest region of China
- Aphids in jeopardy? Aphid communities on xerothermic habitats
- Habitat and weather requirements of diurnal raptors wintering in river valleys