biodiversity/biological diversity Species, genetic, and ecosystem diversity in an area, sometimes including associated abiotic components such as landscape features, drainage systems, and climate. diversity indices Measures that describe the different components of biodiversity, such as species richness (alpha diversity), beta and gamma diversity, endemicity, and higher taxon richness. ecosyste...

Habitat distribution and seasonal occurrence of carabid beetles were determined using pitfall traps in 1999 and 2000 in the temperate forest zone of the Dongling Mountain, North China. Eight sites differing in vegetation and moisture were selected so as to represent four habitat types. Carabid assemblages of the six forested habitats (lowland, upland and coppice) were more similar to each other...

Contents 1. Introduction – biodiversity in agricultural ecosystems 2. Planned diversity and the functioning of agricultural systems 2.1. Intraspecific diversity 2.2. Species diversity 2.3. Habitat and landscape diversity 3. Unplanned diversity and the functioning of agricultural systems. 3.1. Pollination services 3.2. Soil processes 3.3. Natural pest control 4. Conclusions Bibliography Biograph...

We provide information regarding the composition of the amphibian community at Yanayacu Biological Station, on the Amazonian slopes of the Andes of Ecuador, and describe a new species of Pristimantis that is referred to the P. myersi group. The new species is distinguished from other species of the group mainly by its color pattern, and by lacking ulnar and tarsal tubercles. The advertisement c...

Stems of 4348 lianas from 12 subsampled 1 ha plots in Yasunı́, Ecuador represented more than 311 species of climbing woody plants. The plots (each 0.2 ha in area), which individually included up to 106 species among 314 stems, were established in the Huaorani Ethnic Reserve and Yasunı́ National Park and represent terra firme and floodplain habitats. Yasunı́ is one of the richest areas sampled for ...

Fishing with bottom towed gear is widely considered an invasive form of fishing in terms of its impacts upon seabed habitats and fauna. Fishery closures or marine protected areas provide baseline conditions against which to assess the response to the removal of fishing disturbance and thus shed light on their use as fisheries management tools. We conducted repeat underwater camera surveys insid...

Large rivers and their riparian zones are hot spots of biodiversity (WARD et al. 1999). Fluvial geomorphic processes provide the habitat diversity and the specific habitat conditions for characteristic species assemblages and result in high levels of habitat diversity, local species richness (α-diversity), and between-habitat differences (beta-diversity) and consequently, overall species richne...

1. We analysed the relationships between species richness, island area, and habitat diversity for birds, bats, butter ̄ies, and reptiles and amphibians on 19 islands in the Lesser Antilles. Habitat diversity was quanti®ed by Simpson's index based on the total areas of ®ve vegetation types on each island. Island area varied over two orders of magnitude (13±1510 km) and habitat diversity varied be...