TITLE:
Taxonomic Diversity and Taxonomic Dominance: The Example of Forest Plantations in South-Central Chile
AUTHORS:
Andreas Ch. Braun
KEYWORDS:
Taxonomic Diversity, Central Chile, Biodiversity Hotspots, Plantation Forestry, Pinus radiata
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.5 No.5,
May
21,
2015
ABSTRACT:
The study describes
an analysis of the impact of plantation forestry on the taxonomic diversity of
plants in south-central Chile. In this biodiversity hotspot, plantations of
non-native species like Pinus radiata D. Don, Eucalyptus globules Labill.
and Populus nigra L. have largely
replaced native deciduous and sclerophyllous
forests. The study compares taxonomic diversity of commercial plantations
and native forests using taxonomic distinctness and diversity and the Simpson
diversity index. Most of these indexes attest a considerably reduced taxonomic
diversity to plantations. However, taxonomic distinctness values for P. radiata plantations seem to
contradict other indexes at first glance. It is shown that the higher values of
taxonomic distinctness of P. radiata plantations come from taxonomic dominance. Taxonomic dominance describes the
fact that P. radiate—a member of the infradivison
of Gymnospermae-bears only little taxonomic resemblance to other plants, which
are Angiospermae. Thus, it strongly dominates the taxonomic distinctness index
and the high taxonomic resemblance of other plant within its plots is
neglected. Indexes are developed that identify such dominant species and adjust
for taxonomic dominance in taxonomic diversity analyses. After this adjustment,
all indexes provide a coherent image on taxonomic diversity. Plantation
forestry produces a considerable decline of taxonomic diversity. Taxonomic
diversity analysis provides valuable insights in biodiversity impacts and
complements standard analyses.