Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran

Biodiversity is one of the important aspects of natursal systems which supports ecosystem functions. Therefore, the preservation of biodiversity is necessary for human well-being. The curreny study aimed to investigate changes of alpha and beta diversity and its components along the elevation gradie...

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Main Authors: Z. Jafarian, R. Omidipour, L. Zandi
Format: Article
Language:fas
Published: Isfahan University of Technology 2021-05-01
Series:Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ijae.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1021-en.html
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author Z. Jafarian
R. Omidipour
L. Zandi
author_facet Z. Jafarian
R. Omidipour
L. Zandi
author_sort Z. Jafarian
collection DOAJ
description Biodiversity is one of the important aspects of natursal systems which supports ecosystem functions. Therefore, the preservation of biodiversity is necessary for human well-being. The curreny study aimed to investigate changes of alpha and beta diversity and its components along the elevation gradient of five classes and to evaluate the effects of physical and chemical characteristics of soil on these diversity indices. In each elevation class, 20 soil samples and a total of 100 samples were taken and the relationship between physical and chemical characteristics of soil with diversity indices was examined. The number of species was recorded at 100 plots and the alpha and beta diversity indices were calculated at two spatial scales (i.e., plot and transect) using R software. Based on the results, the lowest amount of alpha diversity across plots (12.47 ± 1.03) and transects (24.15 ± 1.06) were observed at the elevation class of > 3200 m, while, the lowest amount of beta diversity in plots (11 ± 0.78) and transects (18 ± 0.44) were observed in class of < 2600 m. In all altitude classes, more than 90% of the variation in beta diversity was explained by the species turnover component and the nested pattern component was responsible for a very small part of beta diversity. Environmental factors were explanined only 11% of the changes in alpha diversity and 30% of the beta diversity. This result indicates the high complexity of the environment and plant communities and clearly shows that using a few environmental variables cannot reveal all the changes in plant composition.
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spelling doaj.art-be7645b885bb4efc869a072cf104328c2022-12-21T23:30:56ZfasIsfahan University of TechnologyIranian Journal of Applied Ecology2476-31282476-32172021-05-011017992Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of MazandaranZ. Jafarian0R. Omidipour1L. Zandi2 Sari Agricultural sciences and natural resources university Shahrekurd university Sari Agricultural sciences and natural resources university Biodiversity is one of the important aspects of natursal systems which supports ecosystem functions. Therefore, the preservation of biodiversity is necessary for human well-being. The curreny study aimed to investigate changes of alpha and beta diversity and its components along the elevation gradient of five classes and to evaluate the effects of physical and chemical characteristics of soil on these diversity indices. In each elevation class, 20 soil samples and a total of 100 samples were taken and the relationship between physical and chemical characteristics of soil with diversity indices was examined. The number of species was recorded at 100 plots and the alpha and beta diversity indices were calculated at two spatial scales (i.e., plot and transect) using R software. Based on the results, the lowest amount of alpha diversity across plots (12.47 ± 1.03) and transects (24.15 ± 1.06) were observed at the elevation class of > 3200 m, while, the lowest amount of beta diversity in plots (11 ± 0.78) and transects (18 ± 0.44) were observed in class of < 2600 m. In all altitude classes, more than 90% of the variation in beta diversity was explained by the species turnover component and the nested pattern component was responsible for a very small part of beta diversity. Environmental factors were explanined only 11% of the changes in alpha diversity and 30% of the beta diversity. This result indicates the high complexity of the environment and plant communities and clearly shows that using a few environmental variables cannot reveal all the changes in plant composition.http://ijae.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1021-en.htmlspatial diversityconservationspecies turnovernested pattern
spellingShingle Z. Jafarian
R. Omidipour
L. Zandi
Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran
Iranian Journal of Applied Ecology
spatial diversity
conservation
species turnover
nested pattern
title Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran
title_full Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran
title_fullStr Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran
title_full_unstemmed Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran
title_short Effects of Altitude and Soil Properties on Alpha and Beta Diversity in Plour Rangelands of Mazandaran
title_sort effects of altitude and soil properties on alpha and beta diversity in plour rangelands of mazandaran
topic spatial diversity
conservation
species turnover
nested pattern
url http://ijae.iut.ac.ir/article-1-1021-en.html
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AT romidipour effectsofaltitudeandsoilpropertiesonalphaandbetadiversityinplourrangelandsofmazandaran
AT lzandi effectsofaltitudeandsoilpropertiesonalphaandbetadiversityinplourrangelandsofmazandaran