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Trait-based approaches present a promising avenue for improving our understanding of species coexistence and community assembly, while intraspecific trait variation (ITV) across different spatial scales is important in trait-based community assembly mechanisms, especially in extreme environments. In this study, we focused on the functional diversity and community assembly patterns of a desert community across different spatial scales and investigated whether ITV plays a significant role in community assembly processes in arid habitats. A 50 m × 50 m plot with different small quadrats was established in a typical desert community at the transition zone between the Tengger Desert and Loess Plateau in China. A total of 14 traits were selected to assess the trait-based functional diversity and assembly processes in the community. We found that functional diversity showed different patterns when considering ITV and related to different types of traits (chemical traits or morphological traits) and some soil factors (pH and nitrate nitrogen). Plant communities in this study showed stochastic distribution patterns and similar functional diversity patterns based on functional trait approaches, regardless of spatial scales. Also, the effect of ITV on community assembly did not show more effect with increasing scales. These results indicated that ITV diluted deterministic processes in community assembly across scales in arid habitats.
Jinshi Xu; Han Dang; Tingting Tian; Yongfu Chai; Jiaxin Quan; Maolin Lei; Xiao Liu; Yaoxin Guo; Ming Yue. Intraspecific Trait Variation Dilutes Deterministic Processes in Community Assembly of Arid Shrubs across Multiple Scales. Diversity 2020, 12, 447 .
AMA StyleJinshi Xu, Han Dang, Tingting Tian, Yongfu Chai, Jiaxin Quan, Maolin Lei, Xiao Liu, Yaoxin Guo, Ming Yue. Intraspecific Trait Variation Dilutes Deterministic Processes in Community Assembly of Arid Shrubs across Multiple Scales. Diversity. 2020; 12 (12):447.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJinshi Xu; Han Dang; Tingting Tian; Yongfu Chai; Jiaxin Quan; Maolin Lei; Xiao Liu; Yaoxin Guo; Ming Yue. 2020. "Intraspecific Trait Variation Dilutes Deterministic Processes in Community Assembly of Arid Shrubs across Multiple Scales." Diversity 12, no. 12: 447.
Two contradictory niche-based processes, environmental filtering and competitive exclusion, are important ecological processes in community assembly. Quercus wutaishanica forests are the climax communities in the Qinling Mountains and the Loess Plateau, China. Since these areas are characterized by different climate and evolutionary histories, these forests could be a suitable study system to test the phylogenetic niche conservatism hypothesis. We compared variation in community assembly of two distinct Q. wutaishanica forest communities and analyzed how the variations are formed. Quercus wutaishanica forest communities had significantly different species pool, phylogenetic structure and phylogenetic diversity between the two regions that were driven by inconsistency in environment conditions and evolutionary history at the local scale. Soil ammonium nitrogen, soil water content, and nitrate nitrogen play a major role in phylogenetic beta diversity patterns. The effect of environmental filtering on community assembly was more significant on the Loess Plateau than in the Qinling Mountains. Our study also found that local environment is important in mediating the patterns of phylogenetic structure. These findings provide insights into the mechanisms of local community assembly.
Mao Wang; Jinshi Xu; Yongfu Chai; Yaoxin Guo; Xiao Liu; Ming Yue. Differentiation of Environmental Conditions Promotes Variation of Two Quercus wutaishanica Community Assembly Patterns. Forests 2019, 11, 43 .
AMA StyleMao Wang, Jinshi Xu, Yongfu Chai, Yaoxin Guo, Xiao Liu, Ming Yue. Differentiation of Environmental Conditions Promotes Variation of Two Quercus wutaishanica Community Assembly Patterns. Forests. 2019; 11 (1):43.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMao Wang; Jinshi Xu; Yongfu Chai; Yaoxin Guo; Xiao Liu; Ming Yue. 2019. "Differentiation of Environmental Conditions Promotes Variation of Two Quercus wutaishanica Community Assembly Patterns." Forests 11, no. 1: 43.
Phylogenetic and functional diversities and their relationship are important for understanding community assembly, which relates to forest sustainability. Thus, both diversities have been used in ecological studies evaluating community responses to environmental changes. However, it is unclear whether these diversity measures can uncover the actual community assembly processes. Herein, we examined their utility to assess such assembly processes by analyzing similarities in phylogenetic, functional, and taxonomic α- and β-diversities along an elevational gradient. Additionally, we examined the relationships among environment, phylogeny, and functional traits within the community. Based on our results, we evaluated whether phylogenetic or functional diversity could better reveal the actual community assembly processes. We found that taxonomic, phylogenetic, and functional α-diversities were correlated with one another. Although the functional α-diversity showed a linear correlation with the elevational gradient, taxonomic and phylogenetic α-diversities showed unimodal patterns. Both phylogenetic and functional β-diversities correlated with taxonomic β-diversity, but there was no significant relationship between the former. Overall, our results evidenced that phylogenetic diversity and taxonomic diversity showed similar patterns, whereas functional diversity showed a relatively independent pattern, which may be due to limitations in the functional trait dimensions used in the present study. Although it is difficult to unravel whether the environment shapes phylogeny or functional traits within a community, phylogenetic diversity is a good proxy for assessing the assembly processes, whereas functional diversity may improve knowledge on the community by maximizing information about the functional trait dimensions.
Jinshi Xu; Han Dang; Mao Wang; Yongfu Chai; Yaoxin Guo; Yu Chen; Chenguang Zhang; Ming Yue. Is Phylogeny More Useful than Functional Traits for Assessing Diversity Patterns Under Community Assembly Processes? Forests 2019, 10, 1159 .
AMA StyleJinshi Xu, Han Dang, Mao Wang, Yongfu Chai, Yaoxin Guo, Yu Chen, Chenguang Zhang, Ming Yue. Is Phylogeny More Useful than Functional Traits for Assessing Diversity Patterns Under Community Assembly Processes? Forests. 2019; 10 (12):1159.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJinshi Xu; Han Dang; Mao Wang; Yongfu Chai; Yaoxin Guo; Yu Chen; Chenguang Zhang; Ming Yue. 2019. "Is Phylogeny More Useful than Functional Traits for Assessing Diversity Patterns Under Community Assembly Processes?" Forests 10, no. 12: 1159.
An unresolved question of temperate forests is how pioneer tree species persist in mature forests. In order to understand the responsible mechanisms, we investigated a near‐climax mixed temperate forest dominated by Betula albosinensis in the Qinling Mountains of China. Through establishing four 50 m × 50 m plots, we examined the canopy disturbance characteristics and its effects on tree recruitments. We further test the intra‐ and interspecific effects on the recruitment of B. albosinensis. The obtained data demonstrated canopy disturbance was frequent but most small‐sized. The canopy gaps are caused mainly by adult B. albosinensis by snapping. The regeneration of coexistent tree species shows a distinct preference for gap size. B. albosinensis were clumped at the juvenile stage and small scales. B. albosinensis juveniles were positively associated with B. utilis juveniles and negatively associated with the conspecific and B. utilis large trees. In addition, B. albosinensis juveniles showed negative associations with contemporary other tree species. Our results suggested that canopy disturbance caused by canopy trees and gap partitioning among the coexistent tree species are important for the persistence of the mixed forest. As a main gapmaker, B. albosinensis appear to develop a self‐perpetuating life‐history trait and allow them to persist.
Yaoxin Guo; Peng Zhao; Ming Yue. Canopy disturbance and gap partitioning promote the persistence of a pioneer tree population in a near‐climax temperate forest of the Qinling Mountains, China. Ecology and Evolution 2019, 9, 7676 -7687.
AMA StyleYaoxin Guo, Peng Zhao, Ming Yue. Canopy disturbance and gap partitioning promote the persistence of a pioneer tree population in a near‐climax temperate forest of the Qinling Mountains, China. Ecology and Evolution. 2019; 9 (13):7676-7687.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYaoxin Guo; Peng Zhao; Ming Yue. 2019. "Canopy disturbance and gap partitioning promote the persistence of a pioneer tree population in a near‐climax temperate forest of the Qinling Mountains, China." Ecology and Evolution 9, no. 13: 7676-7687.
Knowledge of the responses of climbing plants to disturbance is important in understanding the ecology of climber but still lacking a general agreement. The present study quantified the diversity and abundance of climbing plants and self-supporting woody plants in 15 selectively logged and 11 unlogged forest stands in Xiaolong Mountain of Qinling Mountains, and further compared the difference of lianas and vines in response to selective logging and the structure of self-supporting woody plants. A total of 315 liana individuals belonging to 14 species, 11 genera and 9 families and 232 vine individuals belonging to 13 species, 12 genera, and 9 families were identified in the investigated stands. There were significant differences in diversity and abundance of lianas between the logged and unlogged stands, whereas vines had no apparent differences. Twining was the most common climbing mechanism used both by lianas and vines. Liana diversity showed positive relationship with tree abundance, but vine diversity was positively related with shrub diversity. The results suggest that lianas and vines respond differently to forest abiotic and biotic environments.
Yaoxin Guo; Peng Zhao; Jing Bu; Ming Yue. The differential responses of woody and herbaceous climbers to selective logging and supporter structure in a temperate forest of Xiaolong Mountain, China. Plant Ecology 2019, 220, 293 -304.
AMA StyleYaoxin Guo, Peng Zhao, Jing Bu, Ming Yue. The differential responses of woody and herbaceous climbers to selective logging and supporter structure in a temperate forest of Xiaolong Mountain, China. Plant Ecology. 2019; 220 (3):293-304.
Chicago/Turabian StyleYaoxin Guo; Peng Zhao; Jing Bu; Ming Yue. 2019. "The differential responses of woody and herbaceous climbers to selective logging and supporter structure in a temperate forest of Xiaolong Mountain, China." Plant Ecology 220, no. 3: 293-304.