Browsing by Subject "Flora"

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Analysis of phytosociological composition and spatial structure of the central zone of Lake Baikal Eastern coast vegetation
(2018) Brianskaia, Elena; Schmieder, Klaus
The object of this study is the terrestrial ecosystem of Lake Baikal enlisted by UNESCO as the World Heritage Site. The analysis of spatial and phytosociological structures of the vegetation can reveal important stages of its formation and future dynamics. Today, the present flora and vegetation of the complex Baikal Siberian ecosystem is reflected in studies of many Russian and international phytosociologists. However, despite the huge amount of data, the phytosociological vegetation structure and its spatial distribution of the central zone of Lake Baikal eastern coast has not been studied. By this thesis, we provide the first results about the flora, phytosociological composition of the vegetation and the soil diversity of the central zone of Lake Baikal eastern coast. Selecting the area to study, we hypothesize that this complex territory can be considered as a model biome that adjoins Lake Baikal central zone in the east. The major landscape of the studied area is composed of forests complicated by the bogged valleys of the rivers Cheremshanka, Talovka and Bezymyanka. The Katkovskaya and Chernaya Griva mountains range stretches from the northto the east. 167 relevés were performed by standard methods of the Braun-Blanquet approach. To reveal the phytosociological composition of the vegetation supervised k-means classification was performed in JUICE program. By comparing the vegetation data from the studied area (167 relevés) with data from the adjacent territories of Lake Baikal, Svyatoi Nos Peninsula and the Barguzin mountain range (589 relevés) was obtained the final prodromus of the vegetation. The soil identification was performed according to Russian soil classification. The vegetation mapping was performed in ArcGIS 10.3.1 by the supervised image classification of multispectral panchromatic imagery SPOT 6. The vegetation of the territory under study is represented by four classes. The dominant type of the vegetation is represented by forests which are classified into Vaccinio-Piceetea Br.-Bl. in Br.-Bl. et al. 1939 class. The wetland vegetation includes two classes Scheuchzerio-Caricetea nigrae (Nordh. 1936) Тх. 1937 and Oxycocco-Sphagnetea Br.-Bl et R. Tx. 1943. The vegetation of shifting sands of the coastal line is classified into Brometea korotkyi Hilbig et Korolyuk 2000 class. For all phytosociological vegetation units are identified seven soil types, such as, Lithozems, Brown soil, Soddy Brown Forest soil and Rzhavozems, Fen Peat, and Peat Gleyzem. The soil distribution demonstrates its contingence with an altitudinal gradient; however, transitioning from mountain to plain areas, a hydrological regime becomes crucial. Despite a relatively small territory under study (approx. 500 km2), the vegetation is relatively diverse. Location of the studied area within the zonal forest belt contributes to the leading position of the forest communities. The close ground water occurrence creates suitable conditions for wetland vegetation formation. Lake Baikal coastal line is considered as a refugium of the unique ancient Miocene-Pliocene xerophytic vegetation and flora. Thus, Lake Baikal water body, mountain landform and close ground water occurrence contribute to the formation of diverse vegetation communities. We suggest that the vegetation of this relatively small territory can be considered as a model within the central zone of Lake Baikal eastern coast.
Peru Botanische Exkursion 2008
(2010) Dinter, Ina; Zimmermann, Reiner
The botanical excursion to Peru, a global hotspot of biodiversity, provides an overview of the climatic, regional and plant ecological situation of the equatorial neotropics. The areas visited cover the hyper arid coastal deserts, the dry and cold andine Puna, the Amazon lowland rainforests and the seasonal dry forests of North Peru. The excursion report presented was compiled from presentations and protocols of the participants and contains the list of plants found at each site visited.
Spatial undergrowth species composition in oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) in West Sumatra
(2003) Germer, Jörn Uwe; Sauerborn, Joachim
The area planted to oil palm expanded during the last decades substantially, making it become the world's second most important oil crop. Despite its economic significance the oil palm remains remarkably unknown. Little attention is paid also to the oil palm undergrowth, though important in stabilizing the agro-ecosystem in plantations. Comprehensive knowledge of undergrowth species adapted to specific ecological niches in oil palm plantations is essential to investigate their function in and potential benefit to the oil palm agro-ecosystem. The objectives of the conducted research were to develop a reproducible approach for phytosociological investigation in oil palm plantations and to accomplish a general inventory of the vascular plants associated with oil palm in a plantation in West Sumatra. Additionally it was aimed to study the undergrowth heterogeneity within the fields and the distribution of species in the plantation in response to solar radiation below the palm canopy, soil type and physical and chemical soil parameters. A rich diversity of 298 species, 186 dicotyledonae, 77 monocotyledonae and 35 pteridophyta (ferns and allies), representing 81 families was identified in the research area. Similar to rainforests, plants with a high consistency were few, while most of the species occurred only sporadically in the oil palm undergrowth. In average 36 species were found in each of the 100 sampled relevés. The 8 most frequent species were identified as an abstract plant community: Mikania micrantha H.B.&K., Pouzolzia zeylanica Benn., Ageratum conyzoides L., Sporobolus diander Beauv., Nephrolepis biserrata (Sw.) Schott., Pityrogramma calomelanos (L.) Link, Lygodium microphyllum (Cav.) R.Br. and Stenochlaena palustris Bedd. Due to particular management practice, oil palm fields can be zoned in harvesting path, palm circle and inter-row. Species that were mainly found in the inter-row were: Diplazium esculentum (Retz.) Sw, Cyclosorus interruptus (Willd.) H.Ito, Nephrolepis biserrata and Christella dentate (Forssk.) Brownsey & Jermy. Plants that were found primarily in the other zones were small herb species such as Hedyotis corymbosa Lam., Limnophila rugosa Merrill, Borreria setidens (Miq.) Boldingh and Peperomia pellucida H.B.&K., the sedges Fimbristylis miliacea Vahl and Cyperus kyllingia Endl. as well as the grass Sporobolus diander. It was found that the palm canopies developed slower on histosol than on fluvisol and assumed that the main reason for this difference was the lower nutrient pool in low-density organic soil. Melliferous species, which are often important as hosts for pest antagonists, were infrequent where less light was available. In the inter-row a distinct shift from a creeper and grass to a fern and non-creeper dicotyledonae dominated undergrowth was observed with falling levels of solar radiation. Species consistently more frequent in less shaded sampling sites throughout the research area were: Basella alba Linn., Calopogonium muconoides Desv., Commelina diffusa Brum.f., Imperata cylindrica Beauv., Pueraria phaseoloides Benth. and Sporobolus diander whereas Ageratum conyzoides, Christella dentata, Diplazium esculentum, Peperomia pellucida, Phyllanthus debilis Willd., Pouzolzia zeylanica and Sparganophorus villantii Crantz preferred more shaded environments. The soil analyses revealed that the soil carbon content was not only distinctly different between histosol and fluvisol, but also between individual sites on the two soil types. Next to the carbon content the effective cation exchange capacity varied largely between sites. The physical soil properties were stable within the sites, while the chemical properties were significantly influenced by fertilization. Species abundance per relevé was significantly higher on fluvisol than on histosol, while the difference in the total number of species between the soil types was small. 11 species showed a preference towards low soil carbon content: Ceratopteris thalictroides (L.) Brongn., Christella dentata, Christella parasitica (L.) Lev., Diplazium esculentum, Eleusine indica (L.) Gaertn., Hedyotis corymbosa, Pleocnemia irregularis (C.Presl) Holtt., Polygonum barbatum L., Selaginella plana Hieron., Sphaerostephanos polycarpus (Bl.) Copel. and Stachytarpheta indica Vahl. Accordingly the presence of two species: Borreria latifolia (Aubl.) K. Schum. and Dicranopteris linearis J. Underw. augmented with increasing soil carbon content. In the sampling sites marked by high ECEC ferns were dominant. On fluvisol 11 out of 18 species that occurred more frequently where the ECEC was higher were ferns and on histosol 3 out of 12 species respectively. The distinct difference of soil carbon content blanketed, apart form the ECEC possible effects of other soil properties on the undergrowth species composition.