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opencc-by-4.0Dec 2009View details →

Fig.1 in Floristic Structure Of Mountain Plants Collection And The Present Situation In Botanical Garden Of Siauliai University

Fig.1. The number of mountain plants genus and species in collection 2003 – 2008.

Fig. 11 - Trachelium caeruleum L in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 11 - Trachelium caeruleum L. subsp. caeruleum. (Photo / Foto F. Bartolucci).

Fig. 9 in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 9 - Iris pallida Lam. (Photo / Foto F. Falcinelli).

Fig. 10 - Opuntia scheerii F.A.C in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 10 - Opuntia scheerii F.A.C.Weber. (Photo / Foto F. Conti).

Fig. 8 - Cotoneaster lacteus W.W in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 8 - Cotoneaster lacteus W.W.Sm. (Photo / Foto F. Falcinelli).

Fig. 1 - Astragalus exscapus L in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 1 - Astragalus exscapus L. subsp. exscapus. (Photo / Foto F. Falcinelli).

Fig. 6 - Oxytropis ocrensis F in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 6 - Oxytropis ocrensis F.Conti & Bartolucci. (Photo / Foto F. Conti).

Fig. 2 in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 2 - Calendula tripterocarpa Rupr. (Photo / Foto F. Conti).

Fig. 7 - Salix pentandra L in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 7 - Salix pentandra L. (Photo / Foto F. Conti).

Fig. 3 in New floristic data of vascular plants from central Italy

Fig. 3 - Cytisus villosus Pourr. (Photo / Foto F. Falcinelli).

opencc-zeroDec 2022View details →

Floristic composition, structure and diversity of riparian forests in southwestern Nigeria: Conservation is inevitable

The Nigerian riparian forest ecosystems had declined in extent and distribution and this had been attributed mainly to land use change. This study intended to provide an understanding of the links between plant diversity, composition, structures, and disturbances both anthropogenic and natural processes inducing the vegetation dynamics. Nine study sites were used for this study, within each site, five (5) plots (0.25 ha in size) were marked out and placed systematically at an interval of 10 m along the transect. A complete enumeration of plant species was carried out and identified at the species level. Diversity indices and structural parameters were determined and anthropogenic activities were ranked. A total number of 233 plant species were identified, belonging to 80 families; out of which, Euphorbiaceae and Apocynaceae were dominant families The density and basal area ranged from 2,200-6,000 ha-1 and 2.59-17.58 m2 ha-1 respectively across the study sites. Pterocarpus santalinoides, Alchornea cordiflora, Chassalia kolly, Tetracera spp, Fimbristylis, Bambusa vulgaris and Cyrtosperma senegalense were the dominant species. The Shannon diversity index ranged from (1.38-3.49), Simpson (0.66-0.97), and Evenness diversity (0.43-0.84). Fisher alpha (10.03-30.21) and Whittaker beta diversity (0.36-0.89) values were highest in Ipetumodu (site VIII) and lowest in Ilesha (site II). Seventy-three (73%) of the species in this study had a low important value index (IVI). The dominance of some lianas and herbaceous species in the riparian forest sites showed disturbances, stages of ecological succession, and regeneration of the vegetation. Conservation is inevitable towards maintaining and protecting species diversity, ecosystem roles, and services of these forests in Nigeria.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

Differential effects of ecosystem engineering by the superb lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae and herbivory by large mammals on floristic regeneration and structure in wet eucalypt forests

Ecosystem engineers that modify soil and ground-layer properties exert a strong influence on vegetation communities in ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the interactions between animal engineers and vegetation is challenging when in the presence of large herbivores, as many vegetation communities are simultaneously affected by both engineering and herbivory. The superb lyrebird Menura novaehollandiae, an ecosystem engineer in wet forests of south-eastern Australia, extensively modifies litter and soil on the forest floor. The aim of this study was to disentangle the impacts of engineering by lyrebirds and herbivory by large mammals on the composition and structure of ground-layer vegetation. We carried out a two-year, manipulative exclusion experiment in the Central Highlands of Victoria, Australia. We compared three treatments: fenced plots with simulated lyrebird foraging; fenced plots excluding herbivores and lyrebirds; and open controls. This design allowed assessment of the relative impacts of engineering and herbivory on germination rates, seedling density, vegetation cover and structure, and community composition. Engineering by lyrebirds enhanced the germination of seeds in the litter layer. After two years, more than double the number of germinants were present in 'engineered' than 'non-engineered' plots. Engineering did not affect the density of seedlings, but herbivory had strong detrimental effects. Herbivory also reduced the floristic richness and structural complexity (< 0.5 m) of forest vegetation, including the cover of herbs. Neither process altered the floristic composition of the vegetation within the 2-year study period. Ecosystem engineering by lyrebirds and herbivory by large mammals both influence the structure of forest-floor vegetation. The two-fold increase in seeds stimulated to germinate by engineering may contribute to the evolutionary adaptation of plants by allowing greater phenotypic expression and selection than would otherwise occur. Over long timescales, engineering and herbivory likely combine to maintain a more-open forest floor conducive to ongoing ecosystem engineering by lyrebirds.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Data from: High vascular plant species richness in the Usumacinta River Basin: a comprehensive floristic checklist for a natural region in the Mesoamerican biodiversity hotspot

Background: Mesoamerica is one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the planet. Despite significant efforts made over two centuries to contribute to the floristic knowledge of this region, our understanding of its flora is still scattered and uneven. Questions: What is the magnitude of the vascular plant species richness in the Usumacinta River Basin? Study site and dates: Usumacinta River Basin (Guatemala and Mexico), 1838–2018. Methods: We compiled the checklist by systematizing the floristic information acquired from various sources derived from numerous floristic and ecological studies. Results: We recorded 6,977 species, 1,892 genera, and 274 families. The largest numbers of species (5,746) and records (58,859) correspond to the Mexican portion of the Usumacinta River Basin, compared to its Guatemalan counterpart (4,445 species and 19,952 records). The most species-rich families were Orchidaceae (598 species), Fabaceae (512), and Asteraceae (476). The prevalence of these and all other families with significant contributions to the flora varied among three elevation-defined sectors into which the Usumacinta River Basin was subdivided (lower, middle, and upper basin). Conclusions: The Usumacinta River Basin is a strategic region for plant biodiversity conservation as it hosts almost one-third of all vascular plant species known for Mesoamerica and ca. 6 % of the entire flora in the Americas. Further botanical exploration should focus on those areas of the basin for which little or no information is available in order to gain a better appreciation of its flora.

opencc-zeroMar 2023View details →

Sunda-Sahul floristic exchange and pathways into the Southwest Pacific: New insights from wet tropical forest trees

Aim Recent investigations on the floristic exchange between Southeast Asia and Australia have shown a clear dispersal directionality bias (West to East) of wet-adapted plant taxa. However, dispersal routes and directions of wet forest taxa into the South Pacific remain insufficiently known. We here aimed to establish the most likely routes and directions of plant dispersal into the Southwest Pacific islands. Location Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia, Southwest Pacific. Taxon Dysoxylum s.l. (Meliaceae). This includes Dysoxylum s.s., Didymocheton, Epicharis, Goniocheton, Pseudocarapa and Prasoxylon. Method We sampled 75% of the species diversity in Dysoxylum s.l., covering the entire distribution range, all genera and major lineages. Phylogenetic relationships of 149 accessions were reconstructed using Bayesian Evolutionary Analysis and two internal constraints. The dispersal–extinction–cladogenesis variant, founder-event speciation (DEC+J), was used for reconstructing the biogeographic history, and 100 BSMs were simulated. Results Dysoxylum s.l. originated and firstly diversified in the western part of its current distribution range (incl. Indochina) during the Miocene to Pliocene, followed by an overall eastern range expansion towards Malesia, Australia and the Southwest Pacific in the Pliocene. Main conclusions The south-eastward expansion of lineages into Wallacea and Australia is in temporal agreement with the convergence of the Asian and Australian tectonic plates since the Miocene. Long-distance dispersal is the main mechanism that led to the current distribution. Two dispersal pathways into the Southwest Pacific are identified, (1) through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to Fiji, and (2) from New Zealand to Fiji. For both routes, Fiji was an important secondary source area for dispersal into the Southwest Pacific.