Great Basin Naturalist
Abstract
Monitoring diversity usually begins by estimating alpha diversity of a plant community on a specific site. The objectives of this study were to provide alpha diversity benchmarks and to determine whether rangeland community basal cover characteristics explained variation in diversity estimates. Plant and surface component cover percentages were estimated on 51 plots (representing four vegetation types) on the Lassen National Forest, CA. Each plot was sampled with 30 random, 102 basal point transects. Jackknife procedures were used to compute means and standard errors for Margalef's diversity index (Dm), which stresses species richness, and Simpson's index (Ds), which stresses species dominance. Within vegetation types, Dm and Ds did not rank all plots in the same order. Highest Dm values occurred with the most species. Highest Ds values occurred with comparatively few species but more uniform cover. With either index, average diversity declined from the meadow to grassland to open shrub-grass to timber-bunchgrass types. All possible subset regressions of diversity on the basal cover characteristics were computed. Portions of the variance accounted for by the best models were too low to allow prediction of Dm and Ds. The relation of alpha diversity to rangeland health is discussed.
Recommended Citation
Ratliff, Raymond D.
(1995)
"Rangeland alpha diversities: Harvey Valley, Lassen National Forest, California,"
Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 55:
No.
1, Article 5.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol55/iss1/5