Jing Li, Yinghua Luo, Feng Chen, Cong Hu, Chaohao Xu, Zhonghua Zhang, Gang Hu
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
The distribution of biodiversity along elevational gradients and the drivers of these patterns are research hotspots in community ecology; nonetheless, these aspects remain insufficiently understood. To address this, we established 24 plots along an elevational gradient from 300 to 1400 m on Daming Mountain, Guangxi, China, and examined the patterns and drivers of species and phylogenetic diversity along this gradient via polynomial regression, generalized linear mixed model, correlation analysis, and redundancy analyses. With increasing elevation, species and phylogenetic diversity showed a hump-shaped trend, and the phylogenetic structures exhibited clustering at both low and high elevations, whereas at mid-elevations, a coexistence of clustered and overdispersed structures was observed. Elevation, soil nitrate nitrogen content, and slope collectively constituted the key environmental factors driving the spatial patterns of species diversity. Meanwhile, soil nitrate nitrogen and ammonium nitrogen contents had a decisive influence on phylogenetic diversity. These findings, which reveal the patterns of diversity of woody plant communities along an elevational gradient on Daming Mountain, will contribute to the development of biodiversity conservation strategies for the region.
期刊介绍:
Ecology and Evolution is the peer reviewed journal for rapid dissemination of research in all areas of ecology, evolution and conservation science. The journal gives priority to quality research reports, theoretical or empirical, that develop our understanding of organisms and their diversity, interactions between them, and the natural environment.
Ecology and Evolution gives prompt and equal consideration to papers reporting theoretical, experimental, applied and descriptive work in terrestrial and aquatic environments. The journal will consider submissions across taxa in areas including but not limited to micro and macro ecological and evolutionary processes, characteristics of and interactions between individuals, populations, communities and the environment, physiological responses to environmental change, population genetics and phylogenetics, relatedness and kin selection, life histories, systematics and taxonomy, conservation genetics, extinction, speciation, adaption, behaviour, biodiversity, species abundance, macroecology, population and ecosystem dynamics, and conservation policy.