bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Local Cultures in the Roman Empire: Libyan, Punic and Latin in Roman Africa
Authors: Millar Fergus
Published: May 2006

No subject in the history of the Roman Empire has more significance or more pitfalls than that of the local cultures of the provinces. The evidence is in each case, with the exception of Judaea and Egypt, relatively slight, disparate and ambiguous. But, on the one hand, the subject has very real attractions, which may lead to the building of vast but fragile historical theories, attempting to bring the distinctive culture of an area into a schematic relationship with events such as political movements or the spread of Christianity. On the other, we can never escape the possibility that the denial of the survival of a significant local culture may be falsified by new evidence; even worse, a local culture may have existed in a form which left no written records or datable artefacts.

Yet the problem must be faced, not only for the intrinsic interest which such cultures present, but for the light the enquiry sheds on Graeco-Roman civilization itself. We might conclude for one area that Graeco-Roman culture remained the merest façade, for another that it completely obliterated a native culture. More commonly, we will find a mixture or co-existence of cultures. In such a situation, again, the local element might have been culturally and socially insignificant, or, as it was in Egypt and in Judaea, embodied in a coherent traditional civilization with its own language, literature, customs, religion and (in Egypt) art-forms.
A Milestone of A.D. 69 from Judaea: The Elder Trajan and Vespasian
Authors: Isaac B. H. , Roll I.
Published: May 2006

In March 1973, a Roman milestone was discovered in a cultivated field, several hundred metres from the western edge of the town of Afula in the Valley of Jezreel. The stone was found broken into two pieces. The column was removed by a farmer belonging to the settlement of Balfouria, who transferred it to the garden of his home, where we had the opportunity to examine it. The base and lower part of the column remained on the spot. The inscription, incised on the column above the fracture, consists of six lines of irregular lettering.
Roman Involvement in Anatolia, 167–88 B.C.
Authors: Sherwin-White A. N.
Published: May 2006

The defeat of Perseus at Pydna, the destruction of the Macedonian kingdom, and the contemporary humbling of the Seleucid monarch Antiochus Epiphanes at Alexandria by an insolent Roman parvenu, are reasonably taken to demonstrate the absolute supremacy of Rome over the Hellenistic kingdoms of the Orient. At the same time the state of Rhodes suffered a drastic reduction of power through the removal of its mainland territories, and the king of Pergamum was severely snubbed, because both were believed to have favoured a negotiated settlement of the Macedonian war. Henceforth, in the consensus of modern opinion, the kings of Anatolia were puppets on a Roman string. This follows the theme song of Polybius—that Rome had acquired the mastery over all the parts of the civilized world, and in common opinion men had no choice but to listen to the Romans and obey their instructions.
The Guardianship of Jesus Son of Babatha: Roman and Local Law in the Province of Arabia
Authors: Cotton Hannah
Published: May 2006

The Babatha archive contains documents of a Jewish woman who lived in the village of Maoza situated on the southern shore of the Dead Sea, in what had been the kingdom of Nabataea and became in 106 C.E. the Roman province of Arabia. The first dated document in the archive dates to 22 Elul (August/September) 94 and the last to 19 August 132; some of the documents therefore precede the annexation of Arabia, but the majority follow it. This offers a rare opportunity to examine the consequences of Roman annexation: by examining in detail the changes effected by the Roman presence in the newly acquired province of Arabia, we may improve our picture of Roman provincial government and the relationship between Roman law and native local law, as well as our understanding of the reaction of the provincial population to Roman rule.
Image and Society in Archaic Etruria
Authors: D'Agostino Bruno
Published: May 2006

There are no direct visual representations of the city in Etruscan art, any more than there are in Attic art. Indeed the civic aspect of the Etruscan world is in general particularly elusive; even in inscriptions, references to political and social structures are rare and brief. In the case of Athens, the study of the imagery of Attic vase-painting as a unified and structured system of representations has revealed hitherto unsuspected significations. It is true that the basic places and occasions of social, institutional, political and religious life are not themselves portrayed; yet the social categories and essential functions of the city are displayed, through the medium of a kind of anthropological description.
The Illyrian Atintani, the Epirotic Atintanes and the Roman Protectorate
Authors: Hammond N. G. L.
Published: May 2006

The distinction which is drawn in this article between Appian's Ίλλυριῶν τοὺς Άτιντανούς (Illyr. 7) and Strabo's Ήπειρῶται δ’ εἰσι… ‘Ατιντᾶνες (326) is of both regional and general importance.

If the Atintani were an Illyrian tribe, they lived north of the Via Egnatia; for they were not one of the Illyrian tribes south of that line which were listed by Strabo (326). If the Atintanes were an Epirotic tribe, they lived inland of the Epirote coast which was defined as extending from the Ceraunian Mountains to the mouth of the Ambraciote Gulf by Strabo (324). The two tribes, then, were very far apart. However, if the two tribes were one and the same, as many scholars have supposed, and if the Illyrian label and the habitat in Epirus are applied to the single (fused) tribe, then one at least of the Epirote tribes was Illyrian. This second alternative appeals particularly strongly to writers in Albania, who regard themselves as descendants of the Illyrians and like to argue that the present border of southern Albania, which runs through the centre of ancient Epirus, was in part at least the border of the ancient Illyrians. Thus the regional issue involves the pattern of Illyrian settlement, the extent to which there was an Illyrian element in the Epirotic tribes, and the Albanian claim that their ancestors lived in North Epirus.
Assessing the risk of invasive success in Pinus and Banksia in South African mountain fynbos
Authors: Richardson D.M. , Cowling R. M. , Le Maitre D. C.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. South African mountain fynbos has been severely invaded by trees and shrubs introduced from other mediterranean‐climate regions. Management of these invasions should involve controlling current invaders and screening future introductions. Invasion windows are described and functional groups are defined for pines based on life history attributes important for invasion in the fire‐prone mountain fynbos. The most successful invasive pines here (Pinus halepensis, P. pinaster and P. radiata) are fire‐resilient and have small seeds, low seed‐wing loadings, short juvenile periods, moderate to high degrees of serotiny and relatively poor fire‐tolerance as adults. Other species with these attributes, especially from mediterranean‐climate regions, wouldbe high‐risk introductions. Taxa in other functional groups have not become major weeds even with widespread man‐aided dissemination.

Experience with pine invaders was used to define functional groups in western Australian Banksia species (Proteaceae), shrubs and trees which include taxa with similar attributes to fynbos invaders (e.g. Hakea and Pinus spp.). Banksias have only recently been introduced to the Cape, and are likely to be increasingly cultivated for the cut flower market. Tall serotinous shrubs with many small seeds per plant, short juvenile periods and low fire tolerance were identified as high risk introductions. This group includes thicket‐forming species which maintain very large viable seed banks, e.g. Banksia burdettii, B. hookeriana and B. leptophylla. Low sprouting shrubs with few large seeds per plant and long juvenile periods are unlikely to become invasive in mountain fynbos.

The approach of defining functional groups based on life history attributes and invasion windows is valuable for predicting the probability of invasive success. Chance interactions suchas an opportunistic dispersal mutualism between Pinus pinea and an introduced squirrel sometimes confound these predictions and underscore the idiosyncracies inherent in biological invasions.
Microsite and elevational influences on early forest regeneration after catastrophic windthrow
Authors: Peterson Chris J. , Pickett S. T. A.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. We compared vegetation establishment in 25 treefall pits and mounds along a hillside elevational gradient in a fourth‐year catastrophic windthrow in eastern North America. Plant communities differed greatly between pits and mounds, with pit microsites having significantly greater species richness, total biomass, and total tree stem density.

Species richness in pits and on mounds decreased with increasing elevation from the bottom of the hillside, although the effect of elevation on mound species richness was less than that of elevation on pit species richness. Biomass of Erechtites hieraciifolia decreased significantly, while that of Betula alleghaniensis increased significantly with elevation. However, total biomass of both pit and mound microsites was unrelated to elevation. Total stem density decreased with elevation in pits, but was unaffected by elevation on mounds.

This study shows that both small‐scale (microsite) effects and intermediate‐scale effects influence the re‐establishment of plant communities within this catastrophic windthrow. Consideration of both microsite and position along intermediate‐scale gradients may allow more precise prediction of plant community composition and dynamics in recovery of disturbed areas.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Linhart Yan B.
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed in this issue.

Jonathan D. Sauer, Department of Geography, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA Knutson, L. & Stoner, A. K. (eds.) 1989. Biotic Diversity and Germplasm Preservation, Global Imperatives. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands. ISBN 0–7923–0178–1. Price: USD 129.‐.
Population structure and dynamics oi Juniperus excelsa in Balouchistan, Pakistan
Authors: Ahmed Moinuddin , Shaukat Syed Shahid , Buzdar Abdul Hafeez
Published: May 2006

Abstract. 60 monospecific stands of Juniperus excelsa were sampled at four locations in Balouchistan. Density, basal area and height of individuals were recorded. Soils were analysed for selected physical and chemical characteristics and the degree of disturbance due to logging and burning was noted.

The density of juniper trees (> 6 cm dbh) ranged from 56 to 332 stems / ha (average 174 stems / ha). Higher densities were recorded for relatively undisturbed stands and on west facing slopes. Density of seedlings and saplings (< 6 cm dbh) was strongly correlated with tree density and tree basal area. Among the edaphic variables CaC03 was correlated with juniper density and basal area. Diameter distributions within stands were mostly skewed and unimodal with gaps appearing in large size classes. The male to female ratio was close to 1.

Cross‐sections of 16 trees were used to determine age and growth rate. Number of rings in trees with 20 to 30 cm dbh ranged from 95 to 221 (x = 160 ± 38). Diameter and age were not related. Mean annual diameter increment ranged from 6 to 16 yr / cm x = 10 ± 3 yr / cm). It is concluded that size class gaps and low seedling / sapling densities are the consequence of anthropogenic disturbance.
The use of the Cole/Hurlbert C8 association coefficient in inverse ecological classification
Authors: Wilson J. Bastow , Partridge Trevor R. , Sykes Martin T.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Inverse classification is routinely used in vegetation surveys to produce groups of sociologically similar species. However, no classification methods have been proposed specifically for this purpose, nor has any evaluation been made of the suitability of existing methodsforthe purpose. Anewvariant of Cluster Analysis is introduced, i. e. using the Cole/Hurlbert association measure C8 as coefficient, and named for convenience Cole Cluster Analysis. This method, and four standard ones, were used on saltmarsh vegetational data from New Zealand. Ecophysiological data were obtained from salt‐tolerance experiments.

These data, and distributional information, were used as independent criteria against which to compare the inverse vegetation classifications. Information Analysis did not prove suitable for inverse analysis in this test. Nor did Cluster Analysis with the Simple Matching Coefficient or with Jaccard's coefficient. Indicator Species Analysis was more suitable, but the new Cole Cluster Analysis seemed the most effective on these data.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Peterson K. M.
Published: May 2006

Book reviewed in this issue.

Stonehouse, B. 1989. Polar Ecology, viii + 222 pp. Chapman and Hall, New York, NY. ISBN 0–412–01701–6 (cloth). Price: USD 89.50. ISBN 0412–01711–3 (paper). Price: USD 35.00.
Vegetation of groundwater discharge sites in the Douro basin, central Spain
Authors: Rey Benayas J. M. , Bernáldez F. G. , Levassor C. , Peco B.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The chemical composition of the groundwater and the distribution of phreatophytic vegetation in a relatively homogeneous aquifer in the Douro basin appear to depend primarily on groundwater flow patterns within the aquifer. The concentration of major ions in the water is correlated with flow path length, which indicates that the chemical composition of the groundwater changes with the ageing of the water. The distribution of phreatophytic plant species is closely related to both the chemical composition of groundwater discharging in seepage areas, and length of the groundwater flow path. Factors such as heterogeneity in lithology, human influences and local climate are of secondary importance.
Gradients in field‐layer vegetation on an arid misty mountain plateau in the Sudan
Authors: Vetaas Ole R.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Earlier studies have described how moist, on‐shore winds cause meso‐scale vegetation patterns on arid mountains near the sea. However, all protruding objects such as trees, micro‐relief, and hill slopes influence the distribution of sea‐mist. The influence of the tree‐canopy, aspect, and distance to the sea on the field‐layer vegetation in montane savanna was investigated on 16 hills in the Red Sea Hills, at 34 ‐ 38 km from the sea. At 32 sites, total field‐layer cover, species cover, and species number were estimated in a sub‐canopy plot and in a nearby open plot on seaward and leeward slopes.

Cover and species number in the understorey are significantly higher than in the open. The difference is highest on seaward slopes. Detrended correspondence analysis reveals short species‐axes of ca. 2 SD‐units. Differences between plots are mainly in species cover. This fits a principal components ordination model. PCA and its constrained version RDA give concordant results. The explanatory variables, Tree‐cover and Relative Radiation Index (aspect), have similar indirect influences on plants, and are significantly correlated with axis 1, which is interpreted as a moisture and temperature gradient. The moist seaward plots show an independent trend in species composition along axis 2, which correlates with distance to the sea. On a presence basis the variables, all representing different spatial separation, correlate on the first axis. Presumably, the species composition, at all spatial scales, is directly or indirectly related to the variation in temperature and moisture.
Population structure and spatial pattern in the dioecious shrub Ceratiola ericoides
Authors: Gibson David J. , Menges Eric S.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The dioecious shrub Ceratiola ericoides (Florida rosemary) dominates xeric, infrequently burned Florida scrub vegetation, often to the near‐exclusion of other woody species. We studied the spatial pattern, age, sex and size structure of four populations in Florida, USA: two coastal scrub populations subject to recurrent local disturbances due to sand movement, and two inland scrub populations in sites periodically burned by stand‐replacing fires. The age structure of individual genets was estimated from node counts and used to describe the age structure of the populations. The sex ratio of males to females was not significantly different from 1:1, except within a female‐biased coastal population subject to frequent sand movement. Node counts indicated that the mean age for reproductive individuals was 15 ‐ 16 yr for the inland populations and 13 ‐ 16 yr for the coastal populations. In all sites, there was no difference in mean age between males and females. Vegetative reproduction was uncommon except for the least‐disturbed coastal population where 72 % of the reproductive individuals originated through layering. Individuals were generally randomly dispersed at the coastal sites, whereas significant aggregation of males and females occurred in the inland sites where the populations were initiated following fire. Seedling recruitment was continuous in the disturbed coastal scrub site, where 35% of the individuals were juveniles. Most juveniles were dispersed from 0.5 to 0.75 m around females. At one of the inland sites, where juveniles comprised 11% of the population, juveniles were clustered at 0.25 to 5.75 m around females. Coastal populations were all‐aged, while inland populations were uneven‐aged. Recruitment appears to follow periods of disturbance; infrequent fire in the inland populations and continuous sand movement on the coast are factors initiating recruitment.
Variation in Greek phrygana vegetation in relation to soil and climate
Authors: Diamantopoulos J. , Pirintsos S.A. , Margaris N.S. , Stamou G.P.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Variation in species composition and community structure in nine Greek phrygana (dwarf‐shrub) sites was related to soil and climate variables by using Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The distribution of the Greek phrygana communities appeared to be related to soil rather than to climate.

It is postulated that human action has eliminated the original variability related to climate factors in western Greek ecosystems; as a result, phrygana communities in this part of Greece are the result of human impact.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Fahey Timothy J.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Aplet, G.H., Johnson, N., Olson, J.T. & Sample, V.A. (eds.) 1993. Defining Sustainable Forestry. xiii + 328 pp. Island Press, Washington, DC. ISBN 1‐55963‐233‐X (cloth), 1‐55963‐234‐8 (paper). Price: (cloth) USD 49.95; Price: (paper) USD 24.95.
Quadrat covariance analysis and the scales of interspecific association during primary succession
Authors: Dale M. R. T. , Blundon D. J.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Three term covariance analysis is used to investigate interspecific association at a range of spatial scales, using both density and presence/absence data to evaluate the strength of species interactions. This procedure also investigates the relationship between the spatial patterns of species.

These methods are applied to the vegetation on a series of glacial moraines near Mt. Robson, British Columbia, Canada, in order to test whether the plants of different species and their patterns become more independent and more random during succession. Another hypothesis tested is that if a species exerts a positive influence on others by increasing soil nutrients, this effect decreases with surface age. The vegetation analysed supports both these hypotheses to the extent that most species pairs have maximum covariance intensity on medium aged surfaces.

The covariance‐blocksize graphs derived from density data and from presence/absence data were qualitatively similar in their trends; however, the results are sufficiently different to suggest that the relationships among species can be subtle, affecting density rather than presence. The results also show that the affect of scale on species associations is more complex than simple models predict.
Abundance and cover of ground herbs in an Amazonian rain forest
Authors: Poulsen Axel Dalberg , Balslev Henrik
Published: May 2006

In a 1‐ha plot in an unflooded moist tropical forest in Reserva de Producción Faunística Cuy abeno in Amazonian Ecuador, 96 species of vascular herbaceous plants were found rooted in the ground; they were all perennials; 25 species were pteridophytes, representing 11 families, 71 species (14 families) were angiosperms. Araceae, Marantaceae, and Poaceae were the most important angiosperm families. The total abundance of the ground herbs was 10 960 individuals, the total cover was 250 m2, or 2.5% of the 1‐ha plot.

Species of ground herbs exhibit two major life‐form strategies: the obligate terrestrial species (59%) are restricted to the ground; the facultative terrestrial species (41 %) have climbing and epiphytic individuals as well. Difference in life‐form strategy as well as difference in edaphic specialization along a topographic gradient are two factors that may enhance the number of coexisting species within the 1‐ha sample plot.
Disturbance regimes as determinants of seed banks in coastal dune vegetation of the southeastern Cape
Authors: Pierce Shirley M. , Cowling R. M.
Published: May 2006

Soil‐stored seed banks of grassland, fynbos and thicket, all growing on calcareous dunes and each subject to different disturbance regimes, were examined. Seed banks were determined from counts of germinants from 50 soil cores from each type. Aboveground estimates of plant species cover in 10 1‐m2 plots were used in determining vegetation/seed bank similarities. There was no evidence for seed bank densities to be markedly higher in the most frequently disturbed community (grassland ‐4273 seeds/m2) than the least disturbed community (thicket ‐ 3417 seeds/m2). Highest similarity between seed bank and above‐ground vegetation composition in terms of species and growth form/life‐span classes was recorded for grassland (CC = 50%). Lowest similarity (CC = 13%) was found in the less frequently disturbed thicket where no seeds of climax trees were recorded in the seed bank. A fynbos community on a north‐facing (warm, dry) slope had intermediate‐sized seed banks (1683 seeds/m2) with intermediate vegetation/seed bank similarity (CC = 46%). However, on the south‐facing slope, which has a large post‐fire ephemeral herb component, seed banks were larger (4518 seeds/m2) but less similar to above‐ground vegetation (CC = 39%o). Ordination (DCA) of vegetation data from the four communities was different from an ordination of their seed bank data. Fynbos shrub species were absent from seed banks of both grassland and thicket, even though secondary succession proceeds from grassland, through fynbos to thicket. Their seed banks appear less persistent than those of European heath or Californian chaparral shrubs.
Seasonal variation in the seed bank of a Patagonian grassland in relation to grazing and topography
Authors: Bertiller Mónica B.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The germinable seed bank of Festuca spp., Carex patagonica, and other annuals and perennials in a semiarid Patagonian grassland was analyzed every three months. The effects of grazing, topography and microsites with respect to established grass tussocks on the germinable‐seed bank were also analyzed. The total germinable‐seed bank was larger in summer after seed rain. At this time of the year most of the seeds were from annuals and perennial dicots. Seeds of the dominant Festuca spp. were the main components of the graminoid seed bank, which was homogeneously distributed in patches of bare soil. In spring, i.e. some months after the seed rain, the germinable‐seed bank of most of the species was greatly reduced, while the seed bank of Carex patagonica did not change significantly. At this time of the year, the graminoid seed bank was heterogeneously distributed in space, with the seeds accumulating in wind‐protected microsites. In the grazing treatments, the seed bank of the perennial grasses was reduced proportionally to the decrease of the plant cover. On the other hand, the germinable‐seed bank of C. patagonica increased with the grazing treatments, in relation to the increase of vegetation cover.

Topographical position had two types of effect on the seed bank of perennial grasses. One was the increase of the germinable‐seed bank, after the seed rain, on the relatively warmer northeast facing slopes, which was related to a higher seed rain in these places. The other was an increased seed loss on slopes.

The different seed‐bank strategies observed in this grassland are compared and discussed in relation to strategies described for other grasslands.
A general strategy for the simultaneous classification of variables and objects in ecological data tables
Authors: Podani János , Feoli Enrico
Published: May 2006

A general iterative algorithm is proposed for the arrangement of data matrices by optimizing X2, sum of squares or pooled entropy for blocks determined by clusters of variables and objects. The method includes k‐means clustering and constrained block clustering as special cases. Possibilities for evaluating the resulting matrix include calculation of relative contributions to measures of block sharpness, comparison of partitions and construction of consensus tables. A new measure for comparing rearranged data matrices is suggested. The distributional properties of final results produced under different starting conditions are examined. The performance of the algorithm is tested on binary vegetation data from the Italian Alps.
Influences of neighbouring plants on seedling establishment in limestone grassland
Authors: Ryser Peter
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Influences of neighbouring plants on seedling establishment of six dicotyledonous species was investigated in a nutrient‐poor limestone grassland (Mesobrometum) in northern Switzerland. Microsites with different vegetational structure were created and seeds sown in them. The fate of emerging seedlings was followed for one or two years. A plant surviving its first growing season was regarded as established.

Shelter by neighbouring plants appeared to be necessary for the establishment of Arabis hirsuta and Primula veris. Because of drought and frost heave, hardly any seedlings of these species established in gaps (4 ‐ 21 %). In microsites with vegetation, their survival was significantly higher (40–57 %). Neighbouring plants slightly reduced the survival of Plantago lanceolata and Sanguisorba minor, but these species established well both in gaps (74 ‐ 81 %) and in vegetated microsites (54 ‐ 67 %). Medicago lupulina established well in all microsites in one year (71 ‐ 79 %), but poorly in the next year (18–32 %). Linum catharticum emerged poorly in one year and was completely extinguished by a fungal pathogen the following year.

The overall conclusion is, that gaps are of minor importance for recruitment of these species in this grassland. Physical hazards and pathogens control seedling establishment to a greater extent than competition by neighbouring plants. Some species are hardly able to establish without shelter of vegetation. Seed size is an important factor for success of establishment, especially in gaps. It is suggested, that the relatively low productivity and the absence of litter accumulation (due to mowing and biomass removal) are important conditions for the observed behaviour of the seedlings and juvenile plants in this community.
A functional classification of wetland plants
Authors: Boutin Céline , Keddy Paul A.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. In this paper we review the search for guilds in plant communities, and provide a summary of the process, emphasizing five steps: (1) defining function, (2) selecting traits which reflect function, (3) screening for those traits, (4) constructing trait matrices, and (5) grouping species according to these traits. We illustrate this process for wetland plant species based upon a matrix of 27 traits and 43 species from across eastern North America. The 43 species were selected to represent the widest range of life history types possible as well as both common species and nationally rare or endangered species. We found three main functional groups: ruderals, matrix and interstitial species, which we subdivide into a total of seven guilds. The growing number of such studies in the literature suggest that this may be an expedient measure for conservation biology and a promising one for predictions.
Development patterns in young conifer‐hardwood forests of interior Alaska
Authors: Youngblood Andrew
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The age structure and growth patterns of 53 young conifer‐hardwood stands on upland, south‐facing sites of interior Alaska were analyzed to determine the length of time for stand establishment after disturbance, the composition of early‐successional stands compared to existing stands, and the potential for late‐successional stands dominated by conifers. Mixed stands of Picea glauca, Populus tremuloides and Betula papyrifera represented five plant community types and developed as single cohorts after stand‐replacement fires. In the Populus tremuloides/Arctostaphylos uva‐ursi and Populus tremuloides/Shepherdia canadensis community types, hardwoods established rapidly and Picea glauca established slowly. In contrast, stands in the Betula papyrifera‐Populus tremuloides/Viburnum edule, Betula papyrifera‐Populus tremuloides/Alnus crispa, and Picea glauca‐Betula papyrifera/Hylocomium splendens community types generally developed as a result of rapid, concurrent establishment of conifers and hardwoods. These single‐cohort, mixed species development patterns are not consistent with continual establishment of conifers and are likely the result of unique life‐history traits and frequent stand‐replacement fires.
Comparative analysis of the floristic richness of alpine communities in the Caucasus and the Central Alps
Authors: Onipchenko Vladimir G. , Semenova Galina V.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Species richness of selected alpine plant communities in the Teberda Biosphere Reserve (Northwestern Caucasus) and the Davos area (Central Alps) was compared in series of plots from 0.0025 to 100 m2. Communities developing under similar ecological conditions and with similar syntaxonomic positions were compared in order to estimate the role of recent environment versus regional historical factors in determining plant community structure and diversity. The floristic richness of the Caucasian and Alpic fens was very similar. The Grasslands and Meadows were quite similar as to floristic richness for plots > 25 cm × 25 cm, but the Caucasian communities had fewer species in smaller plots. The Lichen heath at Teberda was richer than the Caricetum curvulae cetrarietosum for all plot sizes, except the two smallest ones. On the other hand, the plots of the Salix Snowbed community were richer in species than the Caucasian snowbeds for all plot sizes. The Rhododendron Shrubland plots were very similar as to floristic richness in larger plots (4 — 100 m2). Generally, most Alpic communities near Davos were richer in species at small plot sizes than the corresponding communities from Teberda. Caucasian communities were floristically less similar to each other — and thus more discrete — than the Alpic ones.

The possible role of different factors controlling floristic richness of the communities is discussed. Our results suggest that recent ecological conditions have a big influence on local floristic diversity and may lead to high similarities between ecologically similar communities from different regions. In addition, the general floristic richness of a regions as well as island effects should be taken into account.
Seasonal and long‐term soil water regime in West African tropical forest
Authors: Veenendaal E.M. , Swaine M.D. , Blay D. , Yelifari N.B. , Mullins C.E.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Variation of soil matric potential of a Wet Evergreen and a Moist Semi‐deciduous West African forest were compared. The two forest types differed strongly in their soil water regime. Wet Evergreen forest experienced matric potentials below −100 kPa only occasionally, while in Moist Semi‐deciduous forest matric potentials were less than −2.5 MPa for periods of several weeks or more each season. A water balance equation was used to simulate the soil water regime at both sites and predict severity and length of the dry period. The predictions showed good agreement with the field measurements of soil water potential over a 2‐yr period. The methodology was used to estimate the occurrence and severity of droughts over longer periods at the two sites. The balance calculations suggest that droughts occur occasionally in the Wet Evergreen forest under study. The potential impact of droughts on species distribution and vegetation disturbance in tropical forests is discussed.
An experimental study of the impact of seasonal sheep grazing on formerly fertilized grassland
Authors: Watt Trudy A. , Treweek Joanna R. , Woolmer Fiona S.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. The effects of grazing upon the composition of a grassland were examined in a replicated grazing experiment with sheep over eight years. Grazing was controlled to produce two levels of grazing in each of winter, spring and summer, combined in a 2×2×2 factorial experimental design. Particular species were either increased or decreased by winter grazing while, in general, dicotyledonous species were favoured by grazing in both winter and spring. A model fitting the main effects of grazing in three seasons showed the importance of grazing in winter and spring to achieve sward diversification.
The dynamics of species richness in an experimentally restored calcareous grassland
Authors: Zobel M , Suurkask M , Rosén E , Pärtel M
Published: May 2006

Abstract. This paper concerns the hypothesis that shoot (light) competition is the main interaction determining the community change during succession from a relatively species‐poor deciduous forest (an overgrown former grassland) to a species‐rich grassland, while root (nutrient) competition is of little importance. In a 4‐yr restoration experiment, clearcutting, mowing and root trenching were used as treatments. The results did not reject the hypothesis. However, the significance of separating two kinds of shoot competition ‐ ‘coarse‐scale (between different growth forms) and ‘fine‐scale’ (between similar growth forms) became evident. Release from the ‘coarse‐scale’ shoot competition (between different growth forms) increased species richness at the beginning of the experiment. This change was interpreted as the replacement of one species pool (shade‐tolerant herbaceous perennials) by another (light‐demanding herbaceous perennials), the second pool containing considerably more species. The importance of ‘fine‐scale’ shoot competition increased gradually ‐ the levelling of competition by mowing resulted in a more pronounced increase in species richness during successive years. The elimination of ‘coarse‐scale’ root competition seemed to be important to some extent only in combination with another treatment ‐ mowing. Initial colonization of the cleared area by individual species was a stochastic process which had little relevance to life‐history traits. True grassland species were able to colonize quickly. On the community scale, the developing community still remained relatively poor in species. In all plots which were cleared but not mown, succession already started to reverse towards woody vegetation in the third year.
A landscape perspective of the Hawaiian rain forest dieback
Authors: Akashi Yoshiko , Mueller‐Dombois Dieter
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s there was a rapid decline and canopy dieback in the Metrosideros polymorpha dominated rain forest of Hawai'i. An analysis of air photo sets from 1954, 1965, and 1972, covering the windward slopes of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, gave support for an alien disease hypothesis. A total demise of the native forest was predicted for the early 1990s. This prediction as well as the disease hypothesis proved to be wrong. Various searches for a single climatic cause also failed to explain the dieback. The spatial dynamics of the dieback phenomenon were newly analyzed with an additional air photo set from 1977 and by using GIS with spatial statistics. Two juxtaposed and climatically similar landscape matrix samples of ca. 200 km2, one each on Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea, were subjected to an analysis of landform heterogeneity and superimposed dieback patterns. The Mauna Loa matrix displays up to 15 000 yr old lava flows, while the Mauna Kea matrix displays up to 250 000 yr old substrates. Initiation of dieback occurred simultaneously on both mountains and was highly correlated with poorly‐drained sites. The progression of dieback, however, followed a gradient of decreasing soil moisture, which often terminated at clearly recognizable substrate boundaries in the Mauna Loa matrix and moved over well‐drained hill sites in the Mauna Kea matrix. Metrosideros dieback spread across the entire spectrum of volcanic substrates and habitat moisture regimes and developed from a smaller into a larger patch mosaic. By 1977, ca. 50 % of the forest area in both sample matrices had gone into dieback. Thereafter, the dieback came to a halt. The domino‐type collapse, which frequently came to a halt at volcanic substrate boundaries, indicates that stands in better drained sites were also predisposed to die. Stands on adjoining substrates often survived. Substrates with dieback stands displayed no other obvious vigor‐reducing stresses. The canopy trees on such substrates may have a common history, such as a major disturbance (including dieback) that synchronized stand development in the past. Subsequent weather disturbances and other abiotic/endogenous stresses associated with stand maturation, such as nutrient limitations and stand‐level senescence, may reinforce a rhythmic synchrony over several generations of canopy cohorts.
Plant species richness and species‐area relations in a shortgrass steppe in Colorado
Authors: Singh J.S. , Bourgeron P. , Lauenroth W.K.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Plant species richness and species‐area relations were examined for three landscapes (toposequences), each with a summit or upland, a midslope and a toeslope or lowland, in a shortgrass steppe in Colorado. The number of plant species in the largest plot size (0.16 ha) varied from 38 to 53. Neither the exponential relationship: s = a + b log A, nor the power function: S = cAz fit the data equally well in all situations. The processes acting upon species diversity here seem to operate at two spatial scales. The number of species in plots smaller than 3 m2 was independent of the total number of species in the 0.16‐ha plots and was constrained by the presence of the dominant bunchgrasses. Beyond 3 m2, species number in each plot size was a function of the total number of species in the 0.16‐ha plot.
Biological invasion on an oceanic island mountain: Do alien plant species have wider ecological ranges than native species?
Authors: Kitayama Kanehiro , Mueller‐Dombois Dieter
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Spatial distribution patterns of alien plant species were compared with those of native species on a windward slope of Mt. Haleakala (3055 m). Oceanic islands are considered susceptible to biological invasion, and this study numerically tested this circumstantial evidence with the following questions: Are all habitats equally susceptible; and, do successful invaders have wider realized niches than natives? The mountain slope consists of three distinct altitudinal bioclimatic zones (hot moist lowland, wet montane cloud, and cool arid high‐altitude zones). Ordination indicated that alien species' ranges and population expansions were clustered in the lowland and high‐altitude zones. The lowland zone had been subjected to natural canopy dieback, and the high‐altitude zone to grazing by domestic and feral ungulates. By contrast, the montane cloud forest was relatively intact in terms of number and cover of native species. Thus, susceptibility to alien invasion clearly differed among zones, and the primary causes seemed to be the obvious disturbance factors. The mean ecological range along the altitude‐rainfall gradient was significantly (P < 0.05) greater for native than for alien species in most life‐form groups. The reasons for the greater number of climate generalists among the natives vs. the range‐restricted aliens appear to be related to: (1) the pre‐alien condition with a depauperate flora which allowed for ‘ecological release’ of successful native colonizers, and (2) the climatic pre‐adaptation of alien invaders which restricts them from penetrating over a broader spectrum of climatic zones in a floristic matrix subjected to increasing interspecific competition.
Acorn mass and seedling growth in Quercus rubra in response to elevated CO2
Authors: Miao Shili
Published: May 2006

Abstract. In order to explore whether seed size affects plant response to elevated CO2, plants grown from red oak (Quercus rubra L.) acorns were studied for differences in their first year response to CO2 concentrations of 350 and 700 μl/l. Overall, at final harvest, total biomass of plants grown in elevated CO2 were 47 % larger than that of plants grown in ambient CO2. There were significant interactions between CO2 treatments and initial acorn mass for total biomass, as well as for root, leaf, and stem biomass. Although total biomass increased with increasing initial acorn mass for both high and ambient CO2 plants, high CO2 plants exhibited a greater increase than ambient CO2 plants, as indicated by a steeper slope in high CO2 plants. However, CO2 levels did not affect biomass partitioning traits, such as root/shoot ratio, leaf, stem, and root weight ratios, and leaf area ratio. These results suggest that variation in seed size or initial plant size can cause intraspecific variation in response to elevated CO2.
Spatial dynamics of forest decline: the role of neighbouring trees
Authors: Vacek Stanislav , Lepš Jan
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Changes in horizontal structure and the influence of neighbours on tree vitality were studied in a spruce forest under air pollution stress. Five permanent plots along an altitudinal gradient in the Krkonoše Mts., Czech Republic, were monitored for 18 years. Digitized maps of each plot were used for the analysis: the health of each tree, expressed by the defoliation degree was recorded each year, the biometrical characteristics were measured at five‐year intervals. Various indices of neighbourhood competition were used to evaluate the interference with neighbours. The results show that the suppressed trees are most susceptible to other environmental stresses, particularly to the air pollution stress. Similarly, tree damage is more severe in plots near the natural timberline, where the trees are close to their natural environmental limits. The spatial pattern of surviving trees changes towards regularity at a scale of 2–5 m (K‐function analysis) when the suppressed trees, usually those with close neighbours, die.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Adam Paul
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Ford, E.D. 2000. Scientific method for ecological research. xix + 564 pp. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. ISBN0521 66005 X(hb), 0521 66973 1(pbk) Price: USD 110.00 (hb), USD 49.95 (pbk).
A measure for spatial heterogeneity of a grassland vegetation based on the beta‐binomial distribution
Authors: Shiyomi Masae , Takahashi Shigeo , Yoshimura Jin
Published: May 2006

Abstract.A method is proposed to estimate the frequency and the spatial heterogeneity of occurrence of individual plant species composing the community of a grassland or a plant community with a short height. The measure is based on the beta‐binomial distribution. The weighted average heterogeneity of all the species composing a community provides a measure of community‐level heterogeneity determining the spatial intricateness of community composition of existing species. As an example to illustrate the method, a sown grassland with grazing cows was analysed, on 102 quadrats of 50 cm × 50 cm, each of which divided into four small quadrats of 25 cm × 25 cm. The frequency of occurrence for all the species was recorded in each small quadrat. Good fits to the beta‐binomial series for most species of the community were obtained. These results indicate that (1) each species is distributed heterogeneously with respective spatial patterns, (2) the degree of heterogeneity is different from species to species, and (3) the beta‐binomial distribution can be applied for grassland communities. In most of the observed species spatial heterogeneity is often characterized by species‐specific propagating traits: seed‐propagating plant species exhibited a low heterogeneity/random pattern while clonal species exhibited a high heterogeneity/aggregated pattern. This measure can be applied to field surveys and to the estimation of community parameters for grassland diagnosis.
Comparing species temperature response curves: population density versus second‐hand data
Authors: Vetaas Ole R.
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Descriptions of individual species responses to temperature are required in order to assess the impact of future global warming. The response of Rhododendron arboreum to estimated mean annual temperature was investigated in the Himalayas using General Additive Models (GAM) and Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The aim was to evaluate the consistency between the response in population density along elevation gradients versus response curves based on elevation data from herbarium specimens and vegetation surveys. The comparison was made with respect to (1) estimated temperature at the point of maximum response and (2) the shape of the response curves i.e. symmetric vs skewed.

All data indicate a single optimum between 12.3 and 10.8°C. The difference is only 0.4°C between the optimum estimated from localities of herbarium specimens (frequency) and the population density data. The difference is larger (0.7°C) when the vegetation survey data are combined with the data from the herbarium specimens. However, the differences are small when the uncertainties in temperature estimation are taken into consideration. The response curves based on herbarium specimens and vegetation survey data (frequencies) are symmetric. A sigmoid response curve was estimated from herbarium specimens (binomial data). The population density along the elevation gradients was, to some extent, asymmetric. This may reflect the underlying biological structure, but sampling bias and the numerical analyses may also influence the results.
Influence of site conditions on the survival of Fagus sylvatica seedlings in an old‐growth beech forest
Authors: Topoliantz Stéphanie , Ponge Jean‐François
Published: May 2006

Abstract. Following a full mast production in autumn 1995 in the old‐growth beech forest of la Tillaie (France), cupules, live and dead 1‐yr old seedlings were counted in September 1996 in 40 plots, representing a wide range of ecological conditions. The influence of geomorphology and forest stage on mast production and on seedling establishment and survival was studied. Maximum seedling abundance did not occur in areas with the largest cupule abundance, but this result was not statistically significant. The presence of a shallow sandstone table under Fontainebleau sand, where beech is far from its ecological optimum, positively influenced the production of mast but negatively influenced seedling survival. Contrary to expectation, the early biostatic rather than the late biostatic phase seemed to be the best stage for beech regeneration. Gaps also provide good environmental conditions for seedling establishment. Humus and light conditions, water availability and competition between beech individuals may explain the results. Light was the main factor influencing mast production in mature stages, and drought was an important factor causing seedling mortality. This study points out the importance of seedling survival for regeneration patterns in beech forests.