We experimentally separated the effects of two components of plant diversity-plant species richness and plant functional group richness-on insect communities. Plant species richness and plant functional group richness had contrasting effects on insect abundances, a result we attributed to three factors. First, lower insect abundances at higher plant functional group richness were explained by a...

Identification of factors that drive changes in plant community structure and contribute to decline and endangerment of native plant species is essential to the development of appropriate management strategies. Introduced species are assumed to be driving causes of shifts in native plant communities, but unequivocal evidence supporting this view is frequently lacking. We measured native vegetat...

Changes in producer diversity cause multiple changes in consumer communities through various mechanisms. However, past analyses investigating the relationship between plant diversity and arthropod consumers focused only on few aspects of arthropod diversity, e.g. species richness and abundance. Yet, shifts in understudied facets of arthropod diversity like relative abundances or species dominan...

Arsenic is one of the heavy metals and nearly all its compounds, especially organic compounds, are toxic. The wide spectrum of diseases caused by this element has led to evaluation of the toxicity of different arsenic species and identification of the major natural and anthropogenic pollution sources of it in the nature. Mining activities are among the main sources of anthropogenic pollution of...

Moist and temperate Caspian forests are associated with a diversity of soil types and topography.  Although, natural history and ecological attributes of the Caspian vegetation is well-documented, little is known about mycorrhizae of the Caspian (Hyrcanian) flora. Samples of herbaceous plant species were collected from 4 pre-determined altitudes (-13 upto about 1500m above sea level, appro...

Moist and temperate Caspian forests are associated with a diversity of soil types and topography.  Although, natural history and ecological attributes of the Caspian vegetation is well-documented, little is known about mycorrhizae of the Caspian (Hyrcanian) flora. Samples of herbaceous plant species were collected from 4 pre-determined altitudes (-13 upto about 1500m above sea level, appro...