Pteridophyte richness in the NE Iberian Peninsula: biogeographic patterns (original) (raw)
Related papers
Iberian–Balearic fern regions and their explanatory variables
Plant Ecology, 2008
This article delineates the compositional regions present in the Iberian-Balearic fern flora and compares these regions to previously proposed biogeographic units. It also assesses the extent to which environmental variables could explain the regions and the fern species richness gradients found within them. A combination of 40 previously published and new maps were used to compile the distribution of 123 pteridophytes on a 50 9 50 km UTM grid. Cluster analysis of the resulting 257 squares was used to classify 10 regions based on fern species assemblages. Discriminant function analysis identified the environmental variables that best explained these fern composition regions. Using generalized linear models; the number of species in each square was regressed against topography, climate, geology, environmental diversity, land use and spatial variables within each region. Two main latitudinal pteridophyte zones can be recognized in the Iberian Peninsula. These two zones are longitudinally subdivided into two sub zones. The 10 regions established significantly differ both in species richness and influential environmental variables. Climatic variables discriminate the most among regions, followed by topography, heterogeneity and geology. Pteridophyte richness varies, with richer areas being located along the coast and the main mountain ranges and the poorest areas being in the central plateaus and some north eastern and south western river basins. Species richness variation in Iberia is positively correlated with altitude range, precipitation, maximum altitude and area with siliceous soils. It is negatively correlated with the total annual days of sun, however. The fact that species richness is explained by different variables within each of the 10 regions indicates that the specific factors determining the spatial distribution of species richness vary from region to region. Some coastal regions are poorly explained by the model, and display a negative correlation with the selected causal factors. This finding suggests that persistent historic effects might play a local role in determining species assemblages in these regions.
Journal of Biogeography, Vol. 24, No. 5, (Sep., 1997), pp. 613-631, 1997
The aim of this quantitative biogeographical analysis is to identify the existence of specific groups of pteridophytes with significantly similar distribution patterns (chorotypes) in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as to infer the environmental factors that may explain such groupings. We have applied a classification method to the pteridophyte species and have then tested the significance of the resulting groups. This allows the distinction of groups of species that occur together more frequently than expected at random from those which are just a product of the cluster analysis. The majority of the 113 pteridophyte species in the Iberian Peninsula are not distributed independently from each other, but eighteen chorotypes exist that are cornmon to various species and three chorotypes that consist of one species each. Five species are distributed independently of the other species, and so their distribution areas overlap and segregate from the others at random. With the aim of finding a relation between the chorotypes identified and the processes that determine them, we investigated the possible incidence of certain environmental factors on the chorotype distributions by means of logistic regression. Factors that appear most frequently as possible causes of the distribution of the chorotypes are the water availability, climatic stress, availability of environmental energy, and disturbances caused by floods.
Species richness of pteridophytes in a montane Atlantic rain forest plot of Southern Brazil
Acta Botanica Brasilica, 2005
A floristic survey of pteridophytes (ferns and fern allies) was carried out in a 1ha plot in the Pico do Marumbi State Park, Morretes, State of Paraná, Southern Brazil. The study area is covered with a closed ombrophilous forest (Brazilian Atlantic Forest) and lies approximately 630 m in elevation. All species and life-forms of pteridophytes growing in the plot were registered and most of them were collected for taxonomic identification. A total of 81 species, belonging to 17 families were registered. The richest were Polypodiaceae (12 species), Hymenophyllaceae (11) and Lomariopsidaceae (11). The richest genera were Asplenium (ten species), Elaphoglossum (10) and Trichomanes (six). Life-form composition was: epiphytes (49 species), terrestrials (28), lithophytes (two), epiphytes/terrestrials/lithophytes (one) and epiphytes/lithophytes (one). No hemiepiphytes were found. Terrestrials included herbaceous (22 species), arborescent (four) and climbing (two). Species richness of the plot can be considered as high when compared to other neotropical sites.
Mapping patterns of ferns species richness through the use of herbarium data
Biodiversity and Conservation, 2013
This paper aims to analyse the spatial patterns of sampling effort and species richness of pteridophyte in a well-investigated region as Tuscany, Italy, by using data stored from a geodatabase storing information on the specimens preserved in the main herbaria of the region. A total of 6,905 records about pteridophyte specimens were extracted from the geodatabase, and 5,638 of such specimens were studied through the use of spatial statistical techniques. The data about the sampling effort and species richness were analysed in relation to topographical variables to assess any significant relationship. Specimen-based rarefaction techniques were used to compare areas with different number of detected species. The analysis of the sampling effort data showed a nonhomogeneous distribution of herbarium data, with some areas being intensively sampled and others being almost unsampled. Thus, the geographical distribution of specimens was extremely clustered. The comparison across geographical areas through specimen-based rarefaction curves showed great differences in species richness and sampling completeness. The analysis of the residuals of species-area relationships evidenced that the distance to water bodies was the only significant topographical variable in controlling species diversity.
Botanica complutensis, 2021
The pteridofloras of nine locations in the Gibraltar Arc were analyzed using a taxonomic distinctness index. We found that the index could be a proxy of historical biogeography of the pteridofloras from this area. Moreover, the value of the taxonomic distinctness index of the different locations showed relevant relationships with certain geographic variables. Finally, we hypothesize about the value of the information derived from taxonomic distinctness index for conservation of the pteridoflora in the Gibraltar Arc.
Many other Perspectives of Pteridophytes Biodiversity : A Source of Economy Elevation
2010
Ferns and their allies also known as the vascular cryptogamic plants have enormous aesthetic value and multifarious scope for exploring the bioactive molecules against various pathogenic causal organisms of bacterial, fungal and microbial origins. In view of the evolutionary trends of plants the Pteridophytes have valuable importance to unearth the number of uncertain hypothesis of evolution. In addition, more species of the Pteridophytes have been known and validated as potential genetic resource against many diseases and source of miscellaneous articles. However, the Pteridophytes have long history of their evolution and were known as dominant group of the plants during the carboniferous periods. Since, their dominating era few of the species have survived long and known as relic species (Psilotum nudum) playing major role to resolve the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary trends. Whereas the first attempt to enlist the species composition and their economic importance was...
American journal of agricultural science, engineering, and technology, 2022
Ferns (Pteridophyta) are free-sporing vascular plants with a unique life cycle with free-living gametophyte and sporophyte phases. The fern species has nearly 90% of the extant diversity, it was the first higher-level of pteridophyte classification in the world. This study aimed to assess and identify the different species composition and diversity variation of ferns found in the lower elevations at the primary forest in Barangay San Rafael, Prosperidad Agusan del Sur, Philippines. Moreover, the researchers were used the quadrat sampling method as one of the best and classic tools utilized in ecology especially determining the diversity of a specific sampling sites. Also, the study used Shannon's diversity index method in determining the biological diversity of plant species particularly ferns (Pteridophyta). The total number of ferns that was primarily collected at Barangay San Rafael, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur are nine (9) species from 5 families. The researchers linked the gathered data of ferns (Pteridophyta) by calculating its diversity index of 1.864, were showed medium diversity because most likely the pteridophyte communities were similar in all transects. Thus, the study area has medium species diversity results in a more complex, stable, and productive ecosystem as could be observed in San Rafael Forest. The results show that the growth and distribution of ferns was inhibited significantly by the environment properties.
Ecological and Historical Factors in Fern Biogeography
Remarkable diversity in recognized endemic centres as well as noteworthy disjunct distributions have led students of the pteridophytes to seek historical explanations for these phenomena. A suite of distinctive attributes limit the array of possible explanations: most biogeographically significant are (I) the smaller number of species-range determinants, and (2) the substantial capacity for long-distance dispersal. These attributes constrain the train of events triggered by global events and culminating in the particular phylogenetic history of an evolutionary lineage. Fern biogeographers most often infer historical changes in habitat distribution predicated by climatic change from distribution
Pteridophytes as ecological indicators: an overview
Hoehnea
The pteridophytes present a great but poorly explored potential as ecological indicators (EIs), shown only in some sparse studies. Therefore, to analyze this potential, we reviewed published articles, websites, or books with pteridophytes as EIs, searching on five scholar databases and also on Google. We selected 134 studies, conducted in all continents (118 in mainland areas and 16 in islands). Brazil is the country with the highest number of studies (N = 33). In general, several species were considered as EIs in a given study, not only a single. The use of Pteridophytes in these works was classified in seven different types: a) classification of vegetation, soils, environments, and ecosystems (N = 65), b) environmental integrity (or quality) (N = 21), c) disturbance (N = 17), d) regeneration/restoration of habitats and/or ecosystems (N = 10), e) climate changes (N = 10), f) contamination of air, soil, or water (N = 14), and g) association with other groups of organisms (N = 12). T...