Environmental filtering and dispersal limitation jointly shaped the taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity of natural forests in southern China.

AIM: The mechanisms underlying the maintenance of biodiversity remain to be elucidated. Taxonomic diversity alone remains an unresolved issue, especially in terms of the mechanisms of species co-existence. We hypothesized that phylogenetic information could help to elucidate the mechanism of community assembly and the services and functions of ecosystems. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanisms driving floral diversity in subtropical forests and evaluate the relative effects of these mechanisms on diversity variation, by combining taxonomic and phylogenetic information. LOCATION: We examined 35 1-ha tree stem-mapped plots across eight national nature reserves in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. TAXON: Trees. METHODS: We quantified the taxonomic and phylogenetic ß-diversity between each pair of plots using the (abundance-based) Rao's quadratic entropy and the (incidence-based) Sørensen dissimilarity indices. Using a null model approach, we compared the observed ß-diversity with the expected diversity at random and calculated the standard effect size of the observed ß-diversity deviation. Furthermore, we used distance-based redundancy analysis (dbRDA) to partition the variations in taxonomic and phylogenetic observed ß-diversity and ß-deviation into four parts to assess the environmental and spatial effects. RESULTS: The taxonomic ß-deviation was related to and higher than the phylogenetic ß-deviation (r = .74). This indicated that the species turnover between pairwise plots was mainly the turnover of closely related species. Higher taxonomic and phylogenetic ß-deviation were mainly concentrated in the pairwise karst and nonkarst forest plots, indicating that the species in karst forests and nonkarst forests were predominantly from distantly related clades. A large proportions of the variation in taxonomic and phylogenetic ß-deviation were explained by the joint effect of environmental and spatial variables, while the contribution of environmental variables was greater than that of spatial variables, probably owing to the influence of the sampling scale dependence, integrality of sampling size and species pool, and the unique climatic and geomorphic characteristics. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Our study highlights the importance of phylogeny in biodiversity research. The incorporation of taxonomic and phylogenetic information provides a perspective to explore potential underlying mechanisms that have shaped species assemblages and phylogenetic patterns in biodiversity hotspots.

Foundation species across a latitudinal gradient in China.

Foundation species structure forest communities and ecosystems but are difficult to identify without long-term observations or experiments. We used statistical criteria--outliers from size-frequency distributions and scale-dependent negative effects on alpha diversity and positive effects on beta diversity--to identify candidate foundation woody plant species in 12 large forest-dynamics plots spanning 26 degrees of latitude in China. We used these data (1) to identify candidate foundation species in Chinese forests, (2) to test the hypothesis--based on observations of a midlatitude peak in functional trait diversity and high local species richness but few numerically dominant species in tropical forests--that foundation woody plant species are more frequent in temperate than tropical or boreal forests, and (3) to compare these results with data from the Americas to suggest candidate foundation genera in northern hemisphere forests. Using the most stringent criteria, only two species of Acer, the canopy tree Acer ukurunduense and the shrubby treelet Acer barbinerve, were identified in temperate plots as candidate foundation species. Using more relaxed criteria, we identified four times more candidate foundation species in temperate plots (including species of Acer, Pinus, Juglans, Padus, Tilia, Fraxinus, Prunus, Taxus, Ulmus, and Corlyus) than in (sub)tropical plots (the treelets or shrubs Aporosa yunnanensis, Ficus hispida, Brassaiopsis glomerulata, and Orophea laui). Species diversity of co-occurring woody species was negatively associated with basal area of candidate foundation species more frequently at 5- and 10-m spatial grains (scale) than at a 20-m grain. Conversely, Bray-Curtis dissimilarity was positively associated with basal area of candidate foundation species more frequently at 5-m than at 10- or 20-m grains. Both stringent and relaxed criteria supported the hypothesis that foundation species are more common in mid-latitude temperate forests. Comparisons of candidate foundation species in Chinese and North American forests suggest that Acer be investigated further as a foundation tree genus.

Partitioning beta diversity in a tropical karst seasonal rainforest in Southern China.

Both deterministic and stochastic processes have been linked to forest community assembly; however, their contribution to beta diversity has not been properly explored, and no studies to date have investigated their impacts on sparse depleted soils in forests that contain widespread exposed limestone karst. We found that the pairwise differences in species composition between quadrates was determined by a balanced variation in abundance, whereby the individuals of some species at one site were substituted by an equivalent number of individuals of different species at another site. Both the total beta diversity and its balanced variation in abundance declined with increasing sampling grain size. Our research indicated that environmental differences exert a strong influence on beta diversity, particularly total beta diversity and its balanced abundance variation in larger grain sizes. It was evident that deterministic and stochastic processes worked together, and that deterministic processes were more important than stochastic processes in the regulation of beta diversity in this heterogeneous tropical karst seasonal rainforest of Southern China. However, in future research a functional trait based approach will be required to tease out the relative degree of deterministic and stochastic processes toward an assessment of the temporal changes in species composition.

Spatial scale changes the relationship between beta diversity, species richness and latitude.

The relationship between ß-diversity and latitude still remains to be a core question in ecology because of the lack of consensus between studies. One hypothesis for the lack of consensus between studies is that spatial scale changes the relationship between latitude and ß-diversity. Here, we test this hypothesis using tree data from 15 large-scale forest plots (greater than or equal to 15 ha, diameter at breast height ≥ 1 cm) across a latitudinal gradient (3-30o) in the Asia-Pacific region. We found that the observed ß-diversity decreased with increasing latitude when sampling local tree communities at small spatial scale (grain size ≤0.1 ha), but the observed ß-diversity did not change with latitude when sampling at large spatial scales (greater than or equal to 0.25 ha). Differences in latitudinal ß-diversity gradients across spatial scales were caused by pooled species richness (γ-diversity), which influenced observed ß-diversity values at small spatial scales, but not at large spatial scales. Therefore, spatial scale changes the relationship between ß-diversity, γ-diversity and latitude, and improving sample representativeness avoids the γ-dependence of ß-diversity.

[Spatial patterns of and specific correlations between dominant tree species in a karst evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest in Mulun Karst National Nature Reserve].

In order to understand the biological characteristics and specific correlations of dominant tree species in a karst characteristic evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved mixed forest in Mulun National Nature Reserve of Guangxi, a point pattern analysis was made on the spatial distribution patterns and inter- and intraspecific correlations of four dominant species in a one-hectare plot. Among the four species, Boniodendron minius dominated in tree sublayer I, while Ligustrum japonicum, Sinosideroxylon wightianum, and Rapanea kwangsiensis dominated in tree sublayers II and III. All the four species had a clumped distribution at scale <10 m, a transition from clumped to random distribution at scale 10-25 m, and a random or regular distribution at scale >25 m. The critical scale from clumped to random distribution varied with species. No significant correlations were observed between the B. minius in sublayer I and the dominant species in sublayer II. The correlations of B. minius with the dominant species in sublayers II and III showed greater fluctuation, with significant positive correlation for L. japonicum at scale <50 m, no significant correlation for S. wightianum, and no significant correlation for R. kwangsiensis at scale <20 m but significant negative correlation at scale 20-50 m.

[Structure and dynamics of Taxus chinensis var. mairei clonal population].

Structure and dynamics of Taxus chinensis var. mairei clonal population were studied. The results showed that according to the life history of Taxus chinensis var. mairei, the modular population could be divided into 6 classes. The development of Taxus chinensis var. mairei population was greatly depended on its ramets, which sprouted on its stem, and the population size structure was stable. The survival curve of Taxus chinensis var. mairei population showed a revered 'J' type. To expanding and continuing the population, there were high ramet sprouting rate and the resource limit induced a higher seedling and sapling mortality rate. When sapling grew up as young tree, its adventitious root stretched into soil to assimilate the nutrient and water, and it became independence individual. Before germination, the seed of Taxus need to dormant for more than one year, and the bird and beast liked to eat the seed, so it was hard to find seedling and sapling from seed. Therefore Taxus chinesis var. mairei had been considered to be a decline or none descendant population. In this study, it was found that Taxus chinensis var. mairei had a powerful asexual multiplication in Yuanbaoshan, especially ramet sprouting on stem. It was depend on this way to develop and expand the population.