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5 pages, 179 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Practice Must Be Backed up by Theory! A Special Issue on Plant Community Ecology

by Giovanni Bacaro, Simona Maccherini and Michela Marignani

Diversity 2020, 12(11), 438; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12110438 - 21 Nov 2020

Viewed by 2146

Abstract

Plant communities form the structural and functional basis for nearly all terrestrial ecosystems [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

Research

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19 pages, 2284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Recognition and Characterization of Forest Plant Communities through Remote-Sensing NDVI Time Series

by Simone Pesaresi, Adriano Mancini and Simona Casavecchia

Diversity 2020, 12(8), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12080313 - 14 Aug 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 5297

Abstract

Phytosociology is a reference method to classify vegetation that relies on field data. Its classification in hierarchical vegetation units, from plant associations to class level, hierarchically reflects the floristic similarity between different sites on different spatial scales. The development of remotely sensed multispectral [...] Read more.

Phytosociology is a reference method to classify vegetation that relies on field data. Its classification in hierarchical vegetation units, from plant associations to class level, hierarchically reflects the floristic similarity between different sites on different spatial scales. The development of remotely sensed multispectral platforms as satellites enormously contributes to the detection and mapping of vegetation on all scales. However, the integration between phytosociology and remotely sensed data is rather difficult and little practiced despite being a goal for the modern science of vegetation. In this study, we demonstrate how normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) time series with functional principal component analysis (FPCA) could support the analyses of phytosociologists. The approach supports the recognition and characterization of forest plant communities identified on the ground by the phytosociological approach by using NDVI time series that encode phenological behaviors. The methodology was evaluated in two study areas of central Italy, and it could characterize and discriminate six different forest plant associations that have similar dominant tree species but distinct specific composition: three dominated by black hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia) and three dominated by holm oak (Quercus ilex). The methodology was also able to optimize the ground data collection of unexplored areas (from a phytosociological point of view) by using a phenoclustering approach. The obtained results confirmed that by using remote sensing, it is possible to separate and distinguish plant communities in an objective/instrumental way, thus overcoming the subjectivity intrinsic to the phytosociological method. In particular, FPCA functional components (NDVI seasonalities) were significantly correlated with vegetation abundance data variation (Mantel r = 0.76, p < 0.001). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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21 pages, 4990 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Lichen Distribution Patterns in the Ecoregions of Italy

by Stefano Martellos, Marco d’Agostino, Alessandro Chiarucci, Pier Luigi Nimis and Juri Nascimbene

Diversity 2020, 12(8), 294; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12080294 - 28 Jul 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4762

Abstract

An outline of the main distribution patterns of lichens in the ecoregions of Italy, accounting for their climatic, geographic, and environmental features, is still missing. On the basis of a GIS-based analysis, we summarized: (1) the main features (e.g., surface, climate, landscape, topographic [...] Read more.

An outline of the main distribution patterns of lichens in the ecoregions of Italy, accounting for their climatic, geographic, and environmental features, is still missing. On the basis of a GIS-based analysis, we summarized: (1) the main features (e.g., surface, climate, landscape, topographic heterogeneity, bedrock, eutrophication) of the 9 ecoregions adopted in ITALIC, the information system on Italian lichens, and (2) the patterns of richness, functional traits, and ecological requirements of lichens in the ecoregions. Our GIS-based analysis describes for the first time the main features of the 9 ecoregions adopted in ITALIC, highlighting differences which could explain the main lichen patterns. Overall, the exploration of the Italian lichen biota is still a work in progress, some regions being still underexplored, especially in the South, with new taxa being reported every year. Our research could provide a baseline for further advancements in the understanding of species richness and community composition of Italian lichens, at a regional scale. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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11 pages, 1131 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Patterns of Co-occurrence of Rare and Threatened Species in Winter Arable Plant Communities of Italy

by Emanuele Fanfarillo, Marta Latini and Giovanna Abbate

Diversity 2020, 12(5), 195; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12050195 - 15 May 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3896

Abstract

Detecting patterns of species co-occurrence is among the main tasks of plant community ecology. Arable plant communities are important elements of agroecosystems, because they support plant and animal biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. These plant communities are shaped by both agricultural and environmental [...] Read more.

Detecting patterns of species co-occurrence is among the main tasks of plant community ecology. Arable plant communities are important elements of agroecosystems, because they support plant and animal biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. These plant communities are shaped by both agricultural and environmental drivers. The pressure of intensive agriculture worldwide has caused the decline of many characteristic arable species and communities. Italy is the European country where arable plant biodiversity is the best preserved. In this study, we assessed the patterns of co-occurrence of rare and threatened arable plants in 106 plots of winter arable vegetation located from Piedmont to Calabria, in the mainland part of the country. For this purpose, we based our investigation on the analysis of a recently acquired dataset and on the European list of rare and threatened arable plants. We highlight how different species of conservation interest tend to occur in the same community. On the other hand, generalist and more competitive taxa show similar patterns of co-occurrence. We suggest that single species of conservation value could be suitable indicators of a well-preserved community. On the other hand, to be effective, conservation strategies should target the whole community, rather than single species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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21 pages, 12380 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Common Patterns and Diverging Trajectories in Primary Succession of Plants in Eastern Alpine Glacier Forelands

by Thomas Fickert

Diversity 2020, 12(5), 191; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12050191 - 12 May 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4637

Abstract

This paper deals with the vegetation development in four glacier forelands, aligned along a distance of 250 km from West to East in the siliceous Eastern Central Alps. The study employs a chronosequence approach, which assumes a temporal sequence in vegetation development by [...] Read more.

This paper deals with the vegetation development in four glacier forelands, aligned along a distance of 250 km from West to East in the siliceous Eastern Central Alps. The study employs a chronosequence approach, which assumes a temporal sequence in vegetation development by spatially different sites regarding time since deglaciation. The chronosequences cover the area between Little Ice Age (LIA) maximum glacier extent around 1850, and the current glacier terminus. Despite some shortcomings, chronosequences allow the identification of general patterns of primary succession of plants as a function of site age and local environmental conditions, e.g., changes in species richness, ground cover, plant functional traits, and community structure. While there is no shortage of chronosequence studies in glacier forelands of the Alps, a straightforward comparison aimed at the deduction of general successional trajectories is tricky, due to different procedures of vegetation sampling and data analyses. The comparative examination by a standardized sampling and analyzing protocol of four glacier forelands in the Eastern Central Alps presented here proves the existence of several common patterns in primary succession, but also diverging successional trajectories from West to East. While the pioneer stage in all glacier forelands is similar both floristically and structurally, from the early successional stage onwards, differences increase, leading to different phases in the late successional stage, which is shrub dominated throughout in the westernmost study site, herb–grass–dwarfshrub dominated throughout in the easternmost study site, and divided into an earlier herb–grass–dwarfshrub phase and a later shrub phase in the two study sites in between. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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14 pages, 2018 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effect of Invasive Alien Species on the Co-Occurrence Patterns of Bryophytes and Vascular Plant Species—The Case of a Mediterranean Disturbed Sandy Coast

by Michela Marignani, Michele Lussu, Valeria Murru, Giovanni Bacaro and Annalena Cogoni

Diversity 2020, 12(4), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12040160 - 20 Apr 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3945

Abstract

Cross-taxon analyses can explain patterns of interaction between taxa and their application in conservation studies can drive management actions. In a coastal sand dune system characterized by a high human pressure, we explored the co-occurrence patterns between vascular plants and bryophytes, with a [...] Read more.

Cross-taxon analyses can explain patterns of interaction between taxa and their application in conservation studies can drive management actions. In a coastal sand dune system characterized by a high human pressure, we explored the co-occurrence patterns between vascular plants and bryophytes, with a focus on how the occurrence of invasive alien species (IAS) can affect those taxa and their relationships. Species congruences were evaluated at the community level considering taxonomic and functional diversities. Predictive co-correspondence analysis (Co-CA) was applied to quantify the strength of vascular plant communities in predicting bryophytes species composition. The relationship between the composition of vascular plants and bryophytes was significant, even if weak. Altitude and percentage of bare soil cover are the environmental variables exerting greater influence on the two taxa. The presence of IAS affects communities in an opposite way: for vascular plants, species richness increases with the presence of invasive alien species; for bryophytes, IAS’s presence has a low but significant negative influence, both on species richness and in terms of functional diversity. Results give elements for future studies on the effect of IAS on the bryophytes colonizing coastal sand dunes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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15 pages, 1532 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Functional Divergence Drives Invasibility of Plant Communities at the Edges of a Resource Availability Gradient

by Enrico Tordoni, Francesco Petruzzellis, Andrea Nardini and Giovanni Bacaro

Diversity 2020, 12(4), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12040148 - 9 Apr 2020

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3835

Abstract

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are a serious threat to biodiversity, severely affecting natural habitats and species assemblages. However, no consistent empirical evidence emerged on which functional traits or trait combination may foster community invasibility. Novel insights on the functional features promoting community invasibility [...] Read more.

Invasive Alien Species (IAS) are a serious threat to biodiversity, severely affecting natural habitats and species assemblages. However, no consistent empirical evidence emerged on which functional traits or trait combination may foster community invasibility. Novel insights on the functional features promoting community invasibility may arise from the use of mechanistic traits, like those associated with drought resistance, which have been seldom included in trait-based studies. Here, we tested for the functional strategies of native and invasive assemblage (i.e., environmental filtering hypothesis vs. niche divergence), and we assessed how the functional space determined by native species could influence community invasibility at the edges of a resource availability gradient. Our results showed that invasive species pools need to have a certain degree of differentiation in order to persist in highly invaded communities, suggesting that functional niche divergence may foster community invasibility. In addition, resident native communities more susceptible to invasion are those which, on average, have higher resource acquisition capacity, and lower drought resistance coupled with an apparently reduced water-use efficiency. We advocate the use of a mechanistic perspective in future research to comprehensively understand invasion dynamics, providing also new insights on the factors underlying community invasibility in different ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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16 pages, 2183 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Enough Is Enough? Searching for the Optimal Sample Size to Monitor European Habitats: A Case Study from Coastal Sand Dunes

by Simona Maccherini, Giovanni Bacaro, Enrico Tordoni, Andrea Bertacchi, Paolo Castagnini, Bruno Foggi, Matilde Gennai, Michele Mugnai, Simona Sarmati and Claudia Angiolini

Diversity 2020, 12(4), 138; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12040138 - 2 Apr 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 4605

Abstract

A robust survey method that samples the main characteristics of plant assemblages is needed to assess the conservation status of European habitat in the Natura 2000 network. A measure of variability, called pseudo-multivariate dissimilarity-based standard error (MultSE), was recently proposed for assessing sample-size [...] Read more.

A robust survey method that samples the main characteristics of plant assemblages is needed to assess the conservation status of European habitat in the Natura 2000 network. A measure of variability, called pseudo-multivariate dissimilarity-based standard error (MultSE), was recently proposed for assessing sample-size adequacy in ecological communities. Here, we used it on coastal sand dune systems in three Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) in Tuscany. Our aim was to assess the minimum number of replicates necessary to adequately characterize sand dune environments in terms of differences between habitats and SACs, after a preliminary baseline assessment of plant diversity. Analysis of α and β diversity indicated that especially between habitats the three SACs protect different plant communities. The study of the MultSE profiles showed that the minimum number of replicates needed to assess differences among habitats varied between 10 and 25 plots. Two-way PERMANOVA and SIMPER analysis on the full and reduced datasets confirmed that SACs and habitats host different plant communities, and that the contribution of the target species remained unchanged even with a reduced sample size. The proposed methodological approach can be used to develop cost-effective monitoring programs and it can be useful for plant ecologists and biodiversity managers for assessing ecosystem health and changes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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12 pages, 283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Disentangling the Effects of Disturbance from Those of Dominant Tall Grass Features in Driving the Functional Variation of Restored Grassland in a Sub-Mediterranean Context

by Alessandro Bricca, Federico Maria Tardella, Fabio Tolu, Irina Goia, Arianna Ferrara and Andrea Catorci

Diversity 2020, 12(1), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/d12010011 - 24 Dec 2019

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3212

Abstract

Land abandonment in sub-Mediterranean grasslands causes the spread of tall-grasses, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Mowing allows the recovery of the coenological composition after invasion, but the mechanisms acting at the fine-scale are poorly investigated. Since 2010 in the Central Apennines, we fenced [...] Read more.

Land abandonment in sub-Mediterranean grasslands causes the spread of tall-grasses, affecting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Mowing allows the recovery of the coenological composition after invasion, but the mechanisms acting at the fine-scale are poorly investigated. Since 2010 in the Central Apennines, we fenced a grassland invaded by Brachypodium rupestre, divided it into two areas, half of each was mowed biyearly and half remained unmown. In 2017 we selected ten 20 × 20 cm experimental units per half-area, collecting data on species occurrences, plant traits, B. rupestre height and phytomass. We used generalized linear mixed-effect modelling to disentangle the role of mowing from the impact of B. rupestre features in driving the community functional variations. Mowing was the main driver in the recovery process, acting as an abiotic filter (enhancement of tolerance-avoidance strategies). Furthermore, the reduction of weaker competitor exclusion processes fostered the increase of functional variation between coexisting species. Both drivers acted on different plant traits (e.g., mowing on life span, vegetative propagation types and plant height, mowing and B. rupestre features on space occupation types, seed mass and leaf anatomy), generally enhancing the extent of functional strategies related to resource acquisition and storage, reproduction, space occupation and temporal niche exploitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant Community Ecology: From Theory to Practice)

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