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In Mongolia, overgrazing and the resulting degradation of rangelands are recognized as serious issues. To address rangeland degradation, we sought to develop a broad-scale vegetation classification of Mongolian rangeland communities focusing on regional characteristics. Moreover, we sought to clarify the spatial distributions of communities and the environmental drivers of the distributions. Between 2012 and 2016, we surveyed vegetation in 278 plots (each 10 m × 10 m) in different regions of Mongolia (43–50° N, 87–119° E) in plots where grazing pressure is low relative to adjacent areas. The data were grouped into vegetation units using a modified two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN). We then explored the regional characteristics of species compositions and community distributions, as well as relationships between distributions and climatic variables. The modified TWINSPAN classified the vegetation data into three cluster groups, each of which corresponds to a particular type of zonal vegetation (i.e. forest steppe, steppe and desert steppe). The aridity index was identified as an important driver of the distributions of all cluster groups, whereas longitude and elevation were important determinants of the distribution of clusters within cluster groups. Western regions, which are characterized by higher elevation and continentality compared with eastern regions, have lower mean temperature and precipitation during the wettest quarter, leading to differences in species composition within cluster groups. Regional differences in species composition reflect differences in phytogeographic origin. Thus, the framework of species composition and distributional patterns in Mongolian rangeland communities was demonstrated in relation to climatic and geographical factors.

AimPlant species continue to be moved outside of their native range by human activities. Here, we aim to determine whether, once introduced, plants assimilate into native communities or whether they aggregate, thus forming mosaics of native‐ and alien‐rich communities. Alien species might aggregate in their non‐native range owing to shared habitat preferences, such as their tendency to establish in high‐biomass, species‐poor areas.LocationTwenty‐two herbaceous grasslands in 14 countries, mainly in the temperate zone.Time period2012?2016.Major taxa studiedPlants.MethodsWe used a globally coordinated survey. Within this survey, we found 46 plant species, predominantly from Eurasia, for which we had co‐occurrence data in their native and non‐native ranges. We tested for differences in co‐occurrence patterns of 46 species between their native (home) and non‐native (away) range. We also tested whether species had similar habitat preferences, by testing for differences in total biomass and species richness of the patches that species occupy in their native and non‐native ranges.ResultsWe found the same species to show different patterns of association depending on whether they were in their native or non‐native range. Alien species were negatively associated with native species; instead, they aggregated with other alien species in species‐poor, high‐biomass communities in their non‐native range compared with their native range.Main conclusionsThe strong differences between the native (home) and non‐native (away) range in species co‐occurrence patterns are evidence that the way in which species associate with resident communities in their non‐native range is not species dependent, but is instead a property of being away from their native range. These results thus highlight that species might undergo important ecological changes when introduced away from their native range. Overall, we show origin‐dependent associations that result in novel communities, in which alien‐rich patches exist within a mosaic of native‐dominated communities. Fil: Stotz, Gisela C.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Cahill Jr, James F.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Bennett, Jonathan A.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Carlyle, Cameron N.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Bork, Edward W.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Askarizadeh, Diana. University of Tehran; Israel Fil: Bartha, Sandor. Centre for Ecological Research; Hungría Fil: Beierkuhnlein, Carl. University of Bayreuth; Alemania Fil: Boldgiv, Bazartseren. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: Brown, Leslie. University of South Africa; Sudáfrica Fil: Cabido, Marcelo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Campetella, Giandiego. Universita Degli Di Camerino; Italia Fil: Chelli, Stefano. Universita Degli Di Camerino; Italia Fil: Cohen, Ofer. Universitat Tel Aviv; Israel Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Ensing, David. Queens University; Canadá Fil: Erdenetsetseg, Batdelger. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: Fidelis, Alessandra. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Garris, Heath W.. Covenant College; Estados Unidos Fil: Henry, Hugh A. L.. Western Ontario University; Canadá Fil: Jentsch, Anke. University of Bayreuth; Alemania Fil: Hassan, Mohammad. Islamic Azad University; Irán Fil: Koorem, Kadri. University of Tartu; Estonia Fil: Manning, Peter. Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre; Alemania Fil: Mitchell, Randall. University of Akron; Estados Unidos Fil: Moora, Mari. University of Tartu; Estonia Fil: Overbeck, Gerhard E.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Pither, Jason. University of British Columbia; Canadá Fil: Reinhart, Kurt O.. United States Department of Agriculture ; Estados Unidos Fil: Sternberg, Marcelo. Universitat Tel Aviv; Israel Fil: Tungalag, Radnaakhand. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: Undrakhbold, Sainbileg. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: van Rooyen, Margaretha. University of Pretoria; Sudáfrica Fil: Wellstein, Camilla. Free University of Bozen; Italia Fil: Zobel, Martin. University of Tartu; Estonia Fil: Fraser, Lauchlan H.. Thompson Rivers University; Canadá

The relationship between carbon isotope discrimination (13Δ) of C3 vegetation and long-term (30 years) and short-term (growing period) precipitation was investigated. Different species of Stipa, a dominant grass genus in the (semi-)arid Asian steppes, and other C3 species were collected along aridity gradients in Inner Mongolia in 2005 (11 sites, 71 samples) and in the Republic of Mongolia in 2006 (40 sites, 45 samples). The data set was expanded with published and unpublished data of Stipa and other C3 species (11 studies covering 8 years, including 64 observations of Stipa, and 103 observations of other C3 species) and C3 community bulk-samples (11 samples). Weather data were geostatistically interpolated for all sampling sites and years. 13Δ of Stipa followed different relationships for the individual years when related to mean annual precipitation due to large anomalies between annual and long-term average precipitation patterns. However, the 13Δ response to rainfall converged when the (long-term) mean annual precipitation was replaced by year-specific mean daily precipitation during the growing period (PG). Remarkably, the 13Δ-response to (PG) for C3 species as a whole (including herbaceous dicots, semi-shrubs and grasses) and also the C3 community-level response were virtually identical to that of Stipa. The relation was also valid outside the geographical and climatic range where it was developed, giving proof of its robustness.

The search for predictions of species diversity across environmental gradients haschallenged ecologists for decades. The humped-back model (HBM) suggests that plantdiversity peaks at intermediate productivity; at low productivity few species can toleratethe environmental stresses, and at high productivity a few highly competitive speciesdominate. Over time the HBM has become increasingly controversial, and recent studiesclaim to have refuted it. Here, by using data from coordinated surveys conductedthroughout grasslands worldwide and comprising a wide range of site productivities, weprovide evidence in support of the HBM pattern at both global and regional extents. Therelationships described here provide a foundation for further research into the local,landscape, and historical factors that maintain biodiversity. Fil: Fraser, Lauchlan H.. Thompson Rivers University; Estados Unidos Fil: Pither, Jason. University of British Columbia; Canadá Fil: Jentsch, Anke. University Of Bayreuth; Alemania Fil: Sternberg, Marcelo. Tel Aviv University; Israel Fil: Zobel, Martín. University Of Tartu.; Estonia Fil: Cabido, Marcelo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Nabinger, Carlos. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Naseri, Kamal. Ferdowsi University of Mashhad; Irán Fil: Overbeck, Gerhard E.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Palmer, Todd M.. University of Florida; Estados Unidos Fil: Parsons, Sheena. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Pesek, Mary. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Pillar, Valério D.. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Pringle, Robert M.. Princeton University; Estados Unidos Fil: Roccaforte, Kathy. University of Kansas; Estados Unidos Fil: Schmidt, Amanda. Thompson Rivers University; Canadá Fil: Shang, Zhanhuan. Lanzhou University; China Fil: Stahlmann, Reinhold. University Of Bayreuth; Alemania Fil: Stotz, Gisela C.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Sugiyama, Shu-ichi. Hirosaki University; Japón Fil: Szentes, Szilárd. Szent István University; Hungría Fil: Thompson, Don. Lethbridge Research Centre; Canadá Fil: Tungalag, Radnaakhand. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: Undrakhbold, Sainbileg. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: van Rooyen, Margaretha. University of Pretoria; Sudáfrica Fil: Wellstein, Camilla. Free University of Bozen Bolzano; Italia Fil: Wilson, J. Bastow. University Of Otago; Canadá. Crown Research Institutes. Landcare Research; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Zupo, Talita. Universidad Estadual Paulista; Brasil

Tredennick et al. criticize one of our statistical analyses and emphasize the low explanatory power of models relating productivity to diversity. These criticisms do not detract from our key findings, including evidence consistent with the unimodal constraint relationship predicted by the humped-back model and evidence of scale sensitivities in the form and strength of the relationship. Fil: Pither, Jason. University of British Columbia; Canadá Fil: Fraser, Lauchlan H.. Thompson Rivers University; Canadá Fil: Jentsch, Anke. University of Bayreuth; Alemania Fil: Sternberg, Marcelo. Tel Aviv University; Israel Fil: Zobel, Martín. University of Tartu; Estonia Fil: Cahill, James. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Cabido, Marcelo Ruben. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Enrico, Lucas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Carlyle, Cameron N.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Chelli, Stefano. University of Camerino; Italia Fil: Cserg, Anna Maria. The University of Dublin; Irlanda Fil: Ensing, David. Queen’s University; Canadá Fil: Fidelis, Alessandra. Universidade Estadual Paulista; Brasil Fil: Garris, Heath W.. Thompson Rivers University; Canadá Fil: Henry, Hugh A. L.. University of Western Ontario; Canadá Fil: Höhn, Maria. Corvinus University of Budapest; Hungría Fil: Klironomos, John. University of British Columbia; Canadá Fil: Koorem, Kadri. University of Tartu; Estonia Fil: Lawrence Lodge, Rachel. University of Otago; Nueva Zelanda Fil: Manning, Peter. Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung; Alemania Fil: Mitchell, Randall J.. University of Akron; Estados Unidos Fil: Moora, Mary. University of Tartu; Estonia Fil: Pillar, Valerio D.. Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Stotz, Gisela C.. University of Alberta; Canadá Fil: Sugiyama, Shu-ichi. Hirosaki University; Japón Fil: Szentes, Szilárd. Szent István University; Hungría Fil: Tungalag, Radnaakhand. National University of Mongolia; Mongolia Fil: Undrakhbold, Sainbileg. Free University of Bozen-Bolzano; Italia Fil: Wellstein, Camila. Free University of Bozen-Bolzano; Italia Fil: Zupo, Talita. Universidade Estadual Paulista; Brasil

The search for predictions of species diversity across environmental gradients has challenged ecologists for decades. The humped-back model (HBM) suggests that plant diversity peaks at intermediate productivity; at low productivity few species can tolerate the environmental stresses, and at high productivity a few highly competitive species dominate. Over time the HBM has become increasingly controversial, and recent studies claim to have refuted it. Here, by using data from coordinated surveys conducted throughout grasslands worldwide and comprising a wide range of site productivities, we provide evidence in support of the HBM pattern at both global and regional extents. The relationships described here provide a foundation for further research into the local, landscape, and historical factors that maintain biodiversity.

Wahrend der im August 2005 von Zoologen der Georg-August-Universitat Gottingen durchgefuhrten 4. “Gobi Desert Vertebrates”-Expedition in den Omnogov Aimak der Mongolei, an der wir teilnehmen konnten, wurden von uns Vegetationsuntersuchungen in den pflanzengeographischen Bezirken Ost-Gobi und Alasan-Gobi durchgefuhrt. Dabei widmeten wir uns im Wesentlichen den weitverbreiteten zonalen Pflanzengesellschaften der Wusten und Halbwusten. Aber auch der Vegetation der grundwassernahen Standorte und der anthropogenen Vegetation wurde Beachtung geschenkt. Einige floristische Neunachweise fur die genannten Bezirke konnten erbracht werden. Solanum physalifolium wurde in der Mongolei neu gefunden. (© 2006 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) Geobotanical research in the Borzongiyn- and Galbyn-Gobi (Omnogov Aimak, Mongolia) In August 2005 we joint the 4th “Gobi Desert Vertebrates”-Expedition of zoologists from the Georg-August-University Gottingen to the Omnogov Aimak of Mongolia. During the expedition we made geobotanical studies in the plantgeographic regions East-Gobi and Alashan-Gobi. Generally we worked on the widespread zonal plant communities of desert and semi-desert. But consideration was paid also to the vegetation of habitats close to groundwater and to the anthropogenic vegetation. We could find some new additions to the flora of the above mentioned regions. Solanum physalifolium was found new for Mongolia.

We tested whether the abundance of C(4) vegetation in grasslands of the Mongolian plateau is influenced by grazing conditions. The analysis exploited the politically originated contrast that exists between Mongolia (low stocking rate, transhumant system) and the district of Inner Mongolia, China (high stocking rate, sedentary system). We estimated the proportion of C(4) carbon (P(C4)) in grazed vegetation from the relative carbon isotope ratio (δ(13)C) of sheep wool sampled from 298 annual shearings originating from 1996 to 2007. Annual stocking rates varying over time and between the districts of both countries were taken from regional statistics. The P(C4) pattern within the 0.7 million km(2) sampling area was geostatistically analyzed and related to stocking rates and temperature gradients. For similar climatic conditions, P(C4) was the same in both countries. Further, a unique relationship was found between P(C4) and July temperature on both sides of the border, which explained 71% of the pattern. Stocking rate and grazing system had no significant influences on present-day C(3)/C(4) abundance ratio. This finding suggests that recent changes in the C(3)/C(4) ratio of these grasslands are mainly a consequence of regional warming, not overgrazing.