Kipkoech Solomon, Melly David Kimutai, Mwema Benjamin Watuma, Mwachala Geoffrey, Musili Paul Mutuku, Hu Guangwan, Wang Qingfeng
CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Germplasm Enhancement and Specialty Agriculture, Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430074, Hubei, China East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya.
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. Beijing 100049, China Wuhan Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Wuhan China.
PhytoKeys. 2019 Sep 16;131:91-113. doi: 10.3897/phytokeys.131.38124. eCollection 2019.
Distribution patterns of biodiversity and the factors influencing them are important in conservation and management strategies of natural resources. With impending threats from increased human population and global climatic changes, there is an urgent need for a comprehensive understanding of these patterns, more so in species-rich tropical montane ecosystems where little is known about plant diversity and distribution. Vascular species richness along elevation and climatic gradients of Aberdare ranges forest were explored. A total of 1337 species in 137 families, 606 genera, 82 subspecies and 80 varieties were recorded. Correlations, simple linear regression and Partial least square regression analysis were used to assess richness and diversity patterns of total plants, herbs, shrubs, climbers, arboreal and endemic species from 2000-4000 m above sea level. Total plant species richness showed a monotonic declining relationship with elevation with richness maxima at 2000-2100 m a.s.l., while endemic species richness had a positive unimodal increase along elevation with peaks at 3600-3700 m a.s.l. Herbs, shrubs, climbers and arboreal had significant negative relationships with altitude, excluding endemism which showed positive relations. In contrast, both air and soil temperatures had positive relationships with taxa richness groups and negative relations with endemic species. Elevation was found to have higher relative influence on plant richness and distribution in Aberdare ranges forest. For effective conservation and management of biodiversity in Aberdare, localized dynamic conservation interventions are recommended in contrast to broad and static strategies. Establishment of conservation zones and migration corridors are necessary to safeguard biodiversity in line with envisaged global climatic vicissitudes.
生物多样性的分布模式及其影响因素在自然资源保护和管理策略中至关重要。随着人口增长和全球气候变化带来的威胁日益迫近，迫切需要全面了解这些模式，在物种丰富的热带山地生态系统中更是如此，因为人们对其植物多样性和分布了解甚少。本研究探讨了阿伯德尔山脉森林沿海拔和气候梯度的维管束植物物种丰富度。共记录了137科、606属、1337种，82个亚种和80个变种。采用相关性分析、简单线性回归和偏最小二乘回归分析，评估了海拔2000 - 4000米处总植物、草本植物、灌木、攀缘植物、乔木和特有物种丰富度和多样性模式。总植物物种丰富度与海拔呈单调递减关系，在海拔2000 - 2100米处丰富度最高，而特有物种丰富度沿海拔呈正单峰增加，在海拔3600 - 3700米处达到峰值。草本植物、灌木、攀缘植物和乔木与海拔呈显著负相关，但特有物种除外，其与海拔呈正相关。相比之下，气温和土壤温度与分类群丰富度组呈正相关，与特有物种呈负相关。研究发现海拔对阿伯德尔山脉森林植物丰富度和分布的相对影响更大。为有效保护和管理阿伯德尔地区的生物多样性，建议采取局部动态保护措施，而非广泛的静态策略。建立保护区和迁移走廊对于根据全球气候变化设想保护生物多样性是必要的。
