Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
3.1
2.4
Journals
Diversity
Special Issues
Contemporary Approaches to the Diversity of Plant Communities: Molecules, Evolution,...
share announcement

Contemporary Approaches to the Diversity of Plant Communities: Molecules, Evolution, Function, Ecoinformatics

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Diversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 9964

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Jorge Capelo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Herbarium of the National Institute of Agrarian and Veterinarian Research (INIAV, I.P.), 2784-505 Oeiras, Portugal
2. LEAF Research Centre, Linking Landscape, Environment, Agriculture And Food, University of Lisbon, 1349-017 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: vegetation science; evolutionary ecology; biogeography; vascular plant taxonomy; syntaxonomy; natural habitat typology and conservation; ecoinformatics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The diversity of plant communities has been and always will be a central paradigm in ecology. As vegetation ecologists departed from classical views on diversity, i.e., from the analysis of the number and ecological dominance of species in communities, contemporary approaches arose. Recently, phylogeny, molecular ecology, modeling, and ecoinformatics have been integrated into the analysis of plant community diversity. This Special Issue of Diversity will gather cutting-edge papers approaching vegetation patterns and diversity from community to biome level, spanning the past, present, and future and incorporating new approaches. We invite you to contribute to this contemporary synthesis of vegetation diversity and patterns.

Dr. Jorge Capelo
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Vegetation 
  • Evolutionary ecology 
  • Phylogenetic diversity 
  • Ecoinformatics

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 1645 KiB  
Article
Diversity of Ruderal Communities in Urban Environments—A Case Study from Serbia (SE Europe)
by Milena Tabašević, Slobodan Jovanović, Dmitar Lakušić, Snežana Vukojičić and Nevena Kuzmanović
Diversity 2021, 13(12), 638; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13120638 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2615
Abstract
The high diversity of ruderal vegetation in urban environments is well known. Although it has been a subject of numerous studies in Serbia, in recent years it has been slightly overlooked, although, due to the dynamics of ruderal habitats, constant research is required. [...] Read more.
The high diversity of ruderal vegetation in urban environments is well known. Although it has been a subject of numerous studies in Serbia, in recent years it has been slightly overlooked, although, due to the dynamics of ruderal habitats, constant research is required. We investigated ruderal vegetation in 20 cities across Serbia during a period of 5 years. Most of the relevés were collected during the summer months, and within 712 relevés, 422 taxa were recorded. Results of the cluster analyses and identified diagnostic species revealed 26 plant communities, of which nine are dominated or co-dominated by aliens. The relevés can be grouped into six ecologically well-differentiated major vegetation groups. Our study revealed the ruderal communities which are the most widespread in urban environments in Serbia. Additionally, some communities were registered for the first time in the country. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Approaches to the Diversity of Plant Communities: Molecules, Evolution, Function, Ecoinformatics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 1435 KiB  
Article
Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Wild Beets (Beta spp.) from the Western Iberian Peninsula and the Azores and Madeira Islands
by Maria Manuela Veloso, Maria Cristina Simões-Costa, Joana Bagoin Guimarães, Carla Marques Ribeiro, Isabel Evaristo, Dalila Espírito-Santo, Cândido Pinto-Ricardo, Octávio S. Paulo and Maria Cristina Duarte
Diversity 2021, 13(11), 593; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13110593 - 19 Nov 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2001
Abstract
In this work, using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, we present new insights into the genetic diversity, differentiation, and structure of Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima of western Iberia and the Azores and Madeira islands and of B. macrocarpa from southern Portugal. B. macrocarpa [...] Read more.
In this work, using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, we present new insights into the genetic diversity, differentiation, and structure of Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima of western Iberia and the Azores and Madeira islands and of B. macrocarpa from southern Portugal. B. macrocarpa occurs only in southern Portugal and frequently in sympatry with B. vulgaris subsp. maritima, showing genetic introgression. B. macrocarpa has a better-defined structure than B. vulgaris subsp. maritima, which has a high degree of admixture. A great differentiation (FST ranging from 0.277 to 0.184) was observed among the northern populations of B. vulgaris subsp. maritima. In contrast, only a small differentiation (FST ranging from 0.000 to 0.026) was detected among the southern B. vulgaris subsp. maritima populations. The inland B. vulgaris subsp. maritima populations (“RIO” and “VMT”) are distinct from each other, which also occurs with the two islands’ populations (“MAD” and “AZO”). The existence of two distinct Atlantic Sea currents can explain the fact that Madeira is related to the southern populations, while the Azores is related to the northern populations. We consider that understanding the relationships existing within Beta spp. is key to future genetic studies and for the establishment of conservation measures. Our results show that the southern coastal areas of Portugal should be considered as a potential site for in situ conservation of the beet wild relatives. Special attention is needed in what concerns B. macrocarpa because this is a rare species that also occurs in a sympatric relationship with B. vulgaris subsp. maritima. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Approaches to the Diversity of Plant Communities: Molecules, Evolution, Function, Ecoinformatics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 2700 KiB  
Article
Flora and Vegetation Characteristics of the Natural Habitat of the Endangered Plant Pterygopleurum neurophyllum
by Hwan Joon Park, Seongjun Kim, Chang Woo Lee, Nam Young Kim, Jung Eun Hwang, Jiae An, Hyeong Bin Park, Pyoung Beom Kim and Byoung-Doo Lee
Diversity 2021, 13(9), 401; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13090401 - 25 Aug 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2270
Abstract
This study analyzed the flora, life form, and vegetation of the Nakdong River wetland. Vegetation analysis was performed on 37 plots using the phytosociological method of the Zürich-Montpellier School. PCA analysis was conducted by using the vegetation data (ground cover of class; 1~9) [...] Read more.
This study analyzed the flora, life form, and vegetation of the Nakdong River wetland. Vegetation analysis was performed on 37 plots using the phytosociological method of the Zürich-Montpellier School. PCA analysis was conducted by using the vegetation data (ground cover of class; 1~9) of 37 plots surveyed by phytosociological method. PCA (Principal Component Analysis) was used to statistically analyze the objectivity of the community classification and the character species. The traditional classification and mathematical statistic methods were used. A total of 82 taxa belonging to 28 families, 65 genera, 72 species, 2 subspecies, and 8 varieties were present in the vegetation of the survey area. The life form was analyzed to be the Th-R5-D4-e type. The communities were classified into seven communities: Miscanthus sacchariflorus community, Phragmites communis community, Phragmites communis–Carex dispalata community, Ulmus parvifolia community, Zizania latifolia community, Setaria viridis community, and Salix koriyanagi–Salix chaenomeloides community. As a result of PCA analysis, it was classified into seven communities. Seven communities were analyzed, where the most dominant species (M. sacchariflorus, P. communis, C. dispalata, U. parvifolia, Z. latifolia, S. viridis, S. koriyanagi, S. chaenomeloides) of each community were examined as character species. Another species is analyzed as Salix koreensis. Of the sixteen M. sacchariflorus communities, Pterygopleurum neurophyllum was present in six plots (A-2 group) but not in ten plots (A-1 group). These two groups showed differences in coverage and the number of occurring species. As for the relative net contribution degree (r-NCD) in the A-2 group, most species showed low r-NCD except for M. sacchariflorus, which showed an r-NCD of 100. The r-NCDs in the A-1 group were as follows: Miscanthus sacchariflorus (100), P. neurophyllum (21.74), and Persicaria perfoliata (10.14). Therefore, P. neurophyllum is difficult to grow in the A-1 group. As a result, it is thought that the high density of M. sacchariflorus affects the growth and distribution of P. neurophyllum. In order to expand and maintain P. neurophyllum, the habitat environment needs to be altered by adjusting the density of M. sacchariflorus. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Approaches to the Diversity of Plant Communities: Molecules, Evolution, Function, Ecoinformatics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 67214 KiB  
Article
Diversity of Ostrya carpinifolia Forests in Ravine Habitats of Serbia (S-E Europe)
by Dimitrije Sekulić, Branko Karadžić, Nevena Kuzmanović, Snežana Jarić, Miroslava Mitrović and Pavle Pavlović
Diversity 2021, 13(2), 59; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/d13020059 - 03 Feb 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1934
Abstract
We investigated vegetation in ravine habitats of Serbia, in order to classify hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia Scop.) forests in syntaxonomic terms, assess the effects of environmental factors on their floristic differentiation, and detect the biodiversity components of the analyzed communities. Both K-means [...] Read more.
We investigated vegetation in ravine habitats of Serbia, in order to classify hop hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia Scop.) forests in syntaxonomic terms, assess the effects of environmental factors on their floristic differentiation, and detect the biodiversity components of the analyzed communities. Both K-means clustering and Bayesian classification revealed five ecologically interpretable groups of forests that belong to the alliances Ostryo carpinifoliae-Fagion sylvaticae, Ostryo carpinifoliae-Tilion platyphylli, Fraxino orni-Ostryion carpinifoliae, Pseudofumario albae-Ostryion carpinifoliae, and Achilleo ageratifoliae-Ostryion carpinifoliae. Canonical correspondence analysis indicated that these alliances are clearly differentiated along a combined light–moisture gradient (from shade and mesic to sunny and xeric variants). The alpha diversity increases from xeric to mesic alliances. A lower alpha diversity in xeric forests may be explained by the stress conditions that prevent mesic species from colonizing the saxatile habitats. Extremely high—almost the greatest possible—values of both the species turnover and beta diversity were detected in all variants of the analyzed forests. Such high diversity may be the result of the strong environmental gradients in ravine habitats. The investigated forests represent an important pool of rare, paleo-endemic species that survived Quaternary glaciations in ravine refugia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Contemporary Approaches to the Diversity of Plant Communities: Molecules, Evolution, Function, Ecoinformatics)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-4
Back to TopTop