山西陵川南方红豆杉自然保护区鹅耳枥植物群落谱系结构特征

分析植物群落谱系结构,可以探究乔木层、灌木层和草本层物种对环境变化的响应情况。以山西陵川南方红豆杉自然保护区鹅耳枥群落为研究对象,采用样方法,分别从不同径级和不同坡向对鹅耳枥群落净谱系亲缘关系指数(Net relatedness index,NRI)和净最近种间亲缘关系指数(Nearest taxon index,NTI)进行研究,探讨了鹅耳枥群落沿着径级梯度形成群落谱系结构特征,进而分析了鹅耳枥群落构建的历史进程。结果表明:(1)该保护区鹅耳枥群落乔木层(26种)、灌木层(32种)和草本层(39种)谱系结构树可分为5个类群、5个类群和4个类群;乔木层(86.67%的样地,下同)和灌木层(73.33%)物种群落谱系结构呈谱系发散格局(NRI0,NTI0),但草本层(86.67%)物种群落谱系结构呈谱系聚集格局(NRI0,NTI0)。(2)鹅耳枥群落乔木层中,DBH在Ⅰ级至Ⅱ级间,NRI指数随着DBH的增大而减小,NTI指数随着DBH的增大而增大;在Ⅱ级至Ⅴ级之间,随着植物DBH增大NRI指数和NTI指数值均呈下降趋势;而且在不同DBH水平上群落NRI和NTI指数均差异显著(P0.05),说明随着径级的增大,群落谱系结构由谱系聚集变为谱系发散。(3)灌木层物种谱系结构在阴坡和阳坡均呈聚集型,乔木层阴坡物种的谱系结构呈发散型(NRI0,NTI0),乔木层阳坡和草本层阴阳坡群落均无法判定群落谱系结构是聚集还是发散。     

芦芽山荷叶坪亚高山草甸生物多样性

以芦芽山荷叶坪亚高山草甸为研究对象,共设置150个5 m×5 m草本样方,进行群落生物学调查,对研究区36种草本植物重要值、α多样性指数、谱系多样性指数及其相关性进行研究.结果表明: 荷叶坪亚高山草甸物种多样性总体分布较均匀,边缘地区物种更丰富,呈现“边缘效应”;4个样地的群落谱系结构呈聚集模式,12个样地的群落谱系结构呈分散模式;谱系多样性指数(PD)与Petrick指数、Simpson指数和Shannon指数呈正相关,净亲缘关系指数(NRI)和最近种间亲缘关系指数(NTI)与α物种多样性指数无明显相关性.     

物种谱系不确定性对群落谱系格局指标的影响

物种谱系关系常被用于衡量群落谱系格局及推断格局背后的生态过程,但多数研究往往忽视谱系关系的不确定性及其可能对群落谱系格局造成的影响.为此,本文以浙江天童20 hm^2样地内150个树种为研究对象,采用这些物种叶绿体DNA的rbcL和matK碱基序列构建1棵一致系统发育树和反映谱系不确定性的999棵系统发育树,然后结合样地物种分布数据计算标准化净亲缘指数(NRI)和最近亲缘指数(NTI),最后运用独立置换零模型衡量样地群落谱系格局.结果表明:物种系统发育树在拓扑结构和物种谱系分支节点年龄上均存在较大的不确定性,谱系不确定性随着谱系分支节点年龄的减小而增大,也随物种间平均谱系距离的增加而增加;在样方尺度上,物种谱系的不确定性增加了标准化NRI和NTI指数的变异,但对两个指数的影响几乎独立;其对两指数的空间分布影响不同,且程度不一,其中标准化NRI受到的影响相对更大;在群落尺度上,物种谱系的不确定性增加了标准化NRI和NTI的变异,平均变异系数分别为0.37和0.077,表明群落水平的标准化NRI更易受到谱系不确定性的影响.这说明物种谱系不确定性会传递到常用的群落谱系格局指标中,且不同指标受影响的程度不同,进而影响对群落谱系格局的衡量及相关生态过程的推断.该结论也暗示以往不考虑谱系不确定性的研究中,非随机的群落谱系格局比例可能被高估.     

宝天曼国家级自然保护区落叶阔叶林密度制约效应对树木存活的影响

密度制约对物种共存起着重要作用。随着密度制约效应研究的深入, 亲缘关系较近的物种间表现出的密度制约效应逐渐被人们认识。本研究基于2009和2014年对宝天曼1 ha落叶阔叶林样地的2次调查数据, 利用广义线性混合模型分析了重要值排名前11位的物种不同邻域尺度的密度制约效应对不同径级(小径级(1 cm ≤ DBH < 5 cm)、中径级(5 cm ≤ DBH < 10 cm)、大径级(DBH ≥ 10 cm))目标个体存活的影响。研究表明: (1) 5年间样地中DBH ≥ 1 cm的所有个体的年均死亡率和增员率分别为5.85%和0.27%; (2)有5个物种的个体存活率与同种邻体个体数及同种邻体胸高断面积显著负相关; (3)小径级个体的存活在5 m的邻域范围内受同种密度制约和谱系密度制约的影响都很显著; 中径级个体在3个尺度上受到的密度制约和谱系密度制约的影响都不大; 大径级个体在7.5 m、10 m邻域范围内受谱系密度制约影响显著。结果表明, 同种密度制约和谱系密度制约效应对宝天曼落叶阔叶林不同生长阶段的树木个体影响不同。     

川中丘陵区人工柏木林林下群落谱系结构

探索人工林不同生长发育阶段林下群落的谱系结构,可以为森林群落构建机制的解释和生态修复等提供理论依据。本研究选择川中丘陵区不同林龄(15～24年、25～34年、35年以上)的人工柏木(Cupressus funebris)纯林为对象,基于被子植物分类系统Ⅲ谱系框架,选择净亲缘指数(NRI)和最近类群指数(NTI),研究不同生长发育阶段林下灌草层的谱系结构及其变化规律。结果表明：15～24年人工柏木林的林下灌草层物种的组成均表现出了谱系发散(NRI<0,NTI<0),即共存物种亲缘关系疏远;25～34年林下灌草层的谱系结构趋于谱系随机;35年以上的林下灌草层的谱系结构表现为聚集(NRI>0,NTI>0)。不同生长发育阶段林下灌草的谱系多样性指数均表现出显著正相关;不同生长发育阶段林下灌木层之间的NRI指数均呈显著差异,草本层之间NTI的指数也表现出同样的结果;处在25～34年和35年以上林下草本层之间的NRI以及灌木层之间的NTI均无差异,而与15～24年的相应指数呈显著差异。从同一林龄不同林下层之间的比较看,灌木层的谱系结构指数显著不同于草本层;不同生长发育阶段人...     

基于功能性状及系统发育的乌鲁木齐达坂城山区地衣群落构建机制

选取达坂城山区地衣群落为研究对象,在野外设置了30个样方,调查样方内地衣物种。利用分子标记构建系统发育树,检验功能性状的系统发育信号,计算地衣群落净谱系亲缘关系指数(net relatedness index,NRI)和最近种间亲缘关系指数(nearest taxon index,NTI),探讨地衣群落构建机制,结合典范对应分析(CCA)等方法探讨达坂城山区地衣群落构建的主要环境驱动因子。结果表明：达坂城山区调查发现地衣共有111种,隶属14目、25科、48属。生长形式、光生物类型、繁殖方式、繁殖结构和基物类型5种功能性状均具有显著的系统发育信号(P<0.05),具有谱系保守性。不同海拔梯度群落系统发育结构不同,在低海拔区域,环境干旱,具有干扰,谱系随机至弱发散结构,环境过滤和相似性限制共同作用于群落;在中海拔区域,湿度适中,风速低,人为干扰较弱,地衣群落的谱系结构聚集,环境过滤在群落中起主导作用;而在高海拔区域,环境湿度高,风速强,无人为干扰,群落谱系发散,相似性限制在群落中起主导作用。其中,海拔和物种丰富度呈显著正相关,风速和湿度对系统发育指数有显著影响,海拔、湿度、风速和人为干扰对部分功能性状有显著影响。海拔、湿度和风速作为主要的环境筛影响研究区地衣群落构建过程。     

暖温带–北亚热带过渡带落叶阔叶林群落不同径级系统发育结构的变化

群落的系统发育结构能够有效地反映各种生态过程对群落组成的影响,通过研究群落系统发育结构能推断出其形成的生态过程,对于揭示群落动态具有重要意义。作者将宝天曼1 ha落叶阔叶林样地分为10 m×10 m、20m×20 m、25 m×25 m三个尺度的样方,将样地内乔木个体划分为小径级(1 cm≤DBH5 cm)、中径级(5 cm≤DBH10 cm)、大径级(DBH≥10 cm)三个径级,通过比较各个阶段系统发育结构的变化,来分析其群落系统发育结构的生态过程。不同零模型的比较发现,宝天曼落叶阔叶林群落的净系统发育亲缘关系指数(net relatedness index,NRI)和最近种间亲缘关系指数(net nearest taxa index,NTI)值都随着研究尺度和径级的增加而降低,表明该群落在不同时空尺度上都表现出群落系统发育结构发散,而且系统发育密度制约对大径级个体的系统发育结构的影响大于小径级个体。上述结果说明密度制约是地处暖温带–亚热带过渡带的宝天曼落叶阔叶林群落物种多样性维持的重要机制。     

阿拉善荒漠灌丛群落谱系结构及其影响因子

为探究阿拉善荒漠灌丛群落的构建机制,该研究选取净亲缘关系指数(NRI)作为谱系结构指数,在对阿拉善荒漠灌丛群落野外调查的基础上,以群落物种组成为基础数据,计算各样地群落的NRI,并分析NRI在经纬度梯度上的变化趋势及其与土壤因子和水热因子的关系。结果表明:(1)阿拉善荒漠灌丛群落谱系结构在阿拉善高原东南部以发散状态为主,在阿拉善高原西部和北部地区以聚集状态为主。(2)阿拉善荒漠灌丛群落的NRI随经度的升高而减小,随纬度的升高而增大。(3)阿拉善荒漠土壤质地、土壤容重、土壤pH值和土壤有机碳含量与其群落谱系结构均无显著相关性;在降水因子和温度因子中,与群落谱系结构相关系数最大的分别为年降水量和年温度变化范围(最暖月最高温与最冷月最低温的差值),其中:年降水量与NRI呈显著负相关关系,年温度变化范围与NRI呈显著正相关关系,且最暖月最高温和最冷月最低温与NRI均有显著相关性,推测年温度变化范围对阿拉善灌丛群落谱系结构的影响是通过最暖月最高温和最冷月最低温起作用的。研究发现,阿拉善高原东南部区域的荒漠灌丛群落构成主要受竞争排斥的作用,其西部和北部地区的群落构成主要受环境过滤的影响;阿拉善荒漠灌丛群落的谱系结构主要受年降水量和极端温度的影响。     

物种多度和径级尺度对于评价群落系统发育结构的影响: 以尖峰岭热带山地雨林为例

研究不同径级尺度群落系统发育多样性有助于了解不同年龄模式下物种的亲缘关系及其群落系统发育结构; 但是关于物种多度对群落系统发育结构影响的研究较少。以海南尖峰岭热带山地雨林群落为例, 首先在不同径级尺度比较物种多度加权与否分别对4个广泛采用的系统发育指数的影响, 继而利用其中2个经过标准化处理的系统发育多样性指数: 净种间亲缘关系指数(net relatedness index, NRI)和净最近种间亲缘关系指数(nearest taxon index, NTI), 结合群落的生境类型来量度不同局域生境条件下不同径级尺度木本植物系统发育关系。结果发现: (1)未考虑物种多度加权的系统发育平均成对距离(mean pairwise distance, MPD)指数比考虑物种多度加权的MPD指数显著地高估了群落整体系统发育多样性, 且这种现象在小径级尺度(1 cm≤DBH<5 cm)最为明显。因此, 在森林监测样地中对于中、小径级群落系统发育结构研究中建议考虑物种多度信息。(2) 从群落组成整体系统发育结构来看, 尖峰岭热带山地雨林在几乎所有径级尺度和生境下均倾向于系统发育发散, 且随着径级的递增发散程度趋于明显(NRI<0)。(3)从群落组成局部系统发育结构来看, 尖峰岭热带山地雨林在中、小径级倾向于系统发育聚集(NTI>0), 而在大径级(DBH≥15 cm)则倾向于系统发育发散(NTI<0)。总之, 研究群落系统发育结构时应考虑物种多度的影响以及径级尺度效应。     

冰雪灾害前后的浙江古田山亚热带常绿阔叶林群落谱系结构变化

冰雪灾害是自然干扰的主要类型之一,为中高纬度地区森林群落更新的重要驱动因子.以往研究集中在冰雪灾害对群落动态的影响,鲜有分析冰雪灾害前后群落谱系结构的变化特点.本文以浙江省古田山国家级自然保护区内的亚热带常绿阔叶林作为研究对象,在2008年冰雪灾害前(2005年)和灾害后(2010年)分别进行了群落调查,并分别在3个粒度、4种地形生境和3个径级水平上分析了群落谱系结构在冰雪灾害前后的变化.研究发现,(ⅰ)在各个粒度、生境和径级水平上,灾后的群落净亲缘关系指数(net relatedness index, NRI)和净最近种间亲缘关系指数(net nearest taxa index, NTI)均明显高于灾前.(ⅱ)对灾前和灾后群落的植株存活进行随机模拟,并与其观测值进行比较发现,除3个径级以及2种生境的最近谱系距离(mean nearest taxon distance, MNTD)无明显差异外,其他情况下的MNTD以及所有情况下平均谱系距离(mean phylogenetic distance, MPD)的随机模拟期望值均显著大于观测值.以上结果表明,冰雪灾害后的群落谱系结构在各个空间粒度、森林垂直层次和生境中均变得更加聚集.本研究对于了解冰雪灾害干扰对于亚热带常绿阔叶林群落构建的影响,具有重要理论价值.     

Density dependence and habitat preference shape seedling survival in a subtropical forest in central China

Aims Seedlings are vulnerable to many kinds of fatal abiotic and biotic agents, and examining the causes of seedling dynamics can help understand mechanisms of species coexistence. To disentangle the relative importance of neighborhood densities, habitat factors and phylogenetic relatedness on focal seedling survival, we monitored the survival of 5306 seedlings of 104 species>15 months. We address the following questions: (i) How do neighborhood densities, habitat variables and phylogenetic relatedness affect seedling survival? What is the relative importance of conspecific densities, habitat variables and phylogenetic relatedness to seedling survival? (ii) Does the importance of the neighborhood densities, habitat variables and phylogenetic relatedness vary among growth forms, leaf habits or dispersal modes? Specially, does the conspecific negative density dependence inhibit tree and deciduous seedlings more compared with shrub and evergreen species? Does density dependence affect the wind and animal-dispersed species equally?Methods We established 135 census stations to monitor seedling dynamics in a 25-ha subtropical forest plot in central China. Conspecific and heterospecific seedling density in the 1-m 2 seedling plot and adult basal area within a 20-m radius provided neighborhood density variables. Mean elevation, convexity and aspect of every 5- × 5-m grid with seedling plots were used to quantify habitat characteristics. We calculated the relative average phylodiversity between focal seedling and heterospecific neighbors to quantify the species relatedness in the neighborhood. Eight candidate generalized linear mixed models with binominal error distribution were used to compare the relative importance of these variables to seedling survival. Akaike's information criteria were used to identify the most parsimonious models.Important findings At the community level, both the neighborhood densities and phylogenetic relatedness were important to seedling survival. We found negative effects of increasing conspecific seedlings, which suggested the existence of species-specific density-dependent mortality. Phylodiversity of heterospecific neighbors was negatively related to survival of focal seedlings, indicating similar habitat preference shared among phylogenetically closely related species may drive seedling survival. The relative importance of neighborhood densities, habitat variables and phylogenetic relatedness varied among ecological guilds. Conspecific densities had significant negative effect for deciduous and wind-dispersed species, and marginally significant for tree seedlings>10cm tall and animal-dispersed species. Habitat variables had limited effects on seedling survival, and only elevation was related to the survival of evergreen species in the best-fit model. We conclude that both negative density-dependent mortality and habitat preference reflected by the phylogenetic relatedness shape the species coexistence at seedling stage in this forest.     

Enemies mediate distance- and density-dependent mortality of tree seeds and seedlings: a meta-analysis of fungicide,insecticide and exclosure studies

Conspecific negative distance- and density-dependence is often assumed to be one of the most important mechanisms controlling forest community assembly and species diversity globally. Plant pathogens, and insect and mammalian herbivores, are the most common natural enemy types that have been implicated in this phenomenon, but their general effects at different plant life stages are still unclear. Here, we conduct a meta-analysis of studies that involved robust manipulative experiments, using fungicides, insecticides and exclosures, to assess the contributions of different natural enemy types to distance- and density-dependent effects at seed and seedling stages. We found that distance- and density-dependent mortality caused by natural enemies was most likely at the seedling stage and was greater at higher mean annual temperatures. Conspecific negative distance- and density-dependence at the seedling stage is significantly weakened when fungicides were applied. By contrast, negative conspecific distance- and density-dependence is not a general pattern at the seed stage. High seed mass reduced distance- and density-dependent mortality at the seed stage. Seed studies excluding only large mammals found significant negative conspecific distance-dependent mortality, but exclusion of all mammals resulted in a non-significant effect of conspecifics. Our study suggests that plant pathogens are a major cause of distance- and density-dependent mortality at the seedling stage, while the impacts of herbivores on seedlings have been understudied. At the seed stage, large and small mammals, respectively, weaken and enhance negative conspecific distance-dependent mortality. Future research should identify specific agents of mortality, investigate the interactions among different enemy types and assess how global change may affect natural enemies and thus influence the strength of conspecific distance- and density-dependence.     

Distance‐dependent seedling mortality and long‐term spacing dynamics in a neotropical forest community

Negative distance dependence (NDisD), or reduced recruitment near adult conspecifics, is thought to explain the astounding diversity of tropical forests. While many studies show greater mortality at near vs. far distances from adults, these studies do not seek to track changes in the peak seedling curve over time, thus limiting our ability to link NDisD to coexistence. Using census data collected over 12 years from central Panama in conjunction with spatial mark‐connection functions, we show evidence for NDisD for many species, and find that the peak seedling curve shifts away from conspecific adults over time. We find wide variation in the strength of NDisD, which was correlated with seed size and canopy position, but other life‐history traits showed no relationship with variation in NDisD mortality. Our results document shifts in peak seedling densities over time, thus providing evidence for the hypothesized spacing mechanism necessary for diversity maintenance in tropical forests.     

Positive interactions between herbivores and plant diversity shape forest regeneration

The effects of herbivores and diversity on plant communities have been studied separately but rarely in combination. We conducted two concurrent experiments over 3 years to examine how tree seedling diversity, density and herbivory affected forest regeneration. One experiment factorially manipulated plant diversity (one versus 15 species) and the presence/absence of deer (Odocoileus virginianus). We found that mixtures outperformed monocultures only in the presence of deer. Selective browsing on competitive dominants and associational protection from less palatable species appear responsible for this herbivore-driven diversity effect. The other experiment manipulated monospecific plant density and found little evidence for negative density dependence. Combined, these experiments suggest that the higher performance in mixture was owing to the acquisition of positive interspecific interactions rather than the loss of negative intraspecific interactions. Overall, we emphasize that realistic predictions about the consequences of changing biodiversity will require a deeper understanding of the interaction between plant diversity and higher trophic levels. If we had manipulated only plant diversity, we would have missed an important positive interaction across trophic levels: diverse seedling communities better resist herbivores, and herbivores help to maintain seedling diversity.     

Intraspecific and phylogenetic density-dependent seedling recruitment in a subtropical evergreen forest

Recent evidence suggests that plant performance can be influenced by the phylogenetic diversity of neighboring plants. However, no study to date has examined the effect of such phylogenetic density dependence on the transition from seed to seedling. Using 6 years of data on seedling recruitment and seed rain of 13 species from 130 stations (one 0.5 m² seed trap and three adjacent 1 m² seedling plots) in a subtropical evergreen forest, we asked: (1) Does negative density dependence act across seed to seedling stages? (2) Is there evidence for phylogenetic density dependence during the seed to seedling transition? (3) Does the strength of density dependence vary among years? Generalized linear mixed-effects models were used to model seed to seedling transition as a function of conspecific seed and seedling densities, heterospecific seed and seedling densities, and mean phylogenetic distance of heterospecific seeds and seedling. Conspecific seed density had a significant negative effect on seedling transition rates for 12 of 13 focal species. In contrast, conspecific seedling density had a positive effect for 7 species, suggesting species-specific habitat preferences. Few species were significantly affected by the density or phylogenetic relatedness of heterospecific seeds and seedlings. Only conspecific seed density effects varied among years for most focal species. Overall, our results reveal that conspecific seed and seedling densities play a more important role than the density or relatedness of heterospecific seeds and seedlings during the seed to seedling stage, suggesting that species-specific seed predators, along with habitat preferences, may contribute to diversity maintenance in this forest.     

Rescue tree monocultures! A phylogenetic ecology approach to guide the choice of seedlings for enrichment planting in tropical monoculture plantations

Monoculture tree plantations have been preferred by farmers and companies because they maximize the production of specific products and are easier to manage, while multispecies plantations can provide multiple ecosystem services but have still been adopted at very limited scales. One potential midway to enhance the ecological contribution of monoculture plantations is to introduce native tree species in the plantation understory. We conducted phylogenetically explicit enrichment planting experiments beneath the monocultures of two tree species native to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest to assess if the evolutionary distance of each seedling species to the overstory tree explained variations in seedling performance. We planted in the understory of two replicate plantations of species Esenbeckia leiocarpa Engl. (Rutaceae; 38 and 25 years old) and Zeyheria tuberculosa (Vell) (Bignoniaceae; both replicates were 30 years old) six native tree species, ranging in their evolutionary distances to these overstory species. We assessed individual seedling survival and height at 1, 7, and 19 months after planting. We found a weak yet significant, positive correlation between seedling performance (growth and survival) and the phylogenetic distance of the planted seedling to the overstory species, which was driven by the poor performance of conspecifics. Seedlings of the same order and class as the overstory trees showed a significantly lower risk of death compared to conspecifics and to the furthest relative, Cryptocarya aschersoniana. These findings highlight that very close relatives to the overstories should be avoided when planting beneath monoculture plantations, but that knowledge on species‐specific requirements is still the most important for a successful planting.     

Phylogenetic clustering and overdispersion for alpine plants along elevational gradient in the Hengduan Mountains Region,southwest China

To better understand the elevational pattern of phylogenetic structure shown by alpine taxa and the underlying causes, we analyzed the phylogenetic structure of each elevational belt of alpine plants in the Hengduan Mountains Region, measured by net related index (NRI) and net nearest taxon index (NTI). We found both the indices of phylogenetic diversity indicated that alpine plants tended to show phylogenetic overdispersion at low elevational belts, implying that the distribution of alpine plants in these belts was mainly determined by interspecific competition. Alpine plants at higher elevational belts tended to phylogenetic clustering indicated by NRI, and NTIrevealed phylogenetic clustering at the belts between 4300 m and 5500 m, which presumably suggested environment filtering and rapid speciation. Above 5500 m,NTI indicated that the phylogenetic structure became random again, perhaps due to the low intensity of filtering and the large distances between plants at the top of the scree slopes. We concluded that phylogenetic structure was, indeed, influenced by the environmental filter, interspecies interaction, rapid speciation during the uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, and distance between plants.     

不同取样强度下古田山木本植物幼苗组成 及其分布格局比较

幼苗阶段是森林群落更新的瓶颈, 研究木本植物幼苗组成和分布格局对正确认识森林群落构建以及多样性维持机制具有十分重要的意义。以往基于幼苗阶段的研究取样强度较小, 主要涉及常见种, 缺乏对稀有种的有效监测。我们对古田山24 ha森林样地幼苗监测网络进行了扩建, 在已有507个1 m × 1 m幼苗监测样方的基础上, 增设了285个5 m × 5 m幼苗样方, 对样方内所有高度≥ 10 cm且胸径< 1 cm的木本植物幼苗按大样地监测标准进行了定位、挂牌、鉴定和测量。本研究利用2012年5 m × 5 m幼苗监测样方的首次调查数据, 比较了24 ha大样地中不同取样强度下幼苗和非幼苗(胸径≥ 1 cm的木本植物)个体在物种组成、多样性分布格局以及生境偏好等方面的差异。结果表明: (1) 285个5 m × 5 m幼苗监测样方共计有木本植物幼苗138种20,581株, Shannon-Wiener多样性指数以及经多度校正的物种丰富度指数均显著高于1 m × 1 m幼苗监测样方以及24 ha大样地的非幼苗个体, 该结果与基于Rarefaction方法计算的物种数期望值结果一致; 与1 m × 1 m幼苗监测样方结果相比, 5 m × 5 m幼苗监测样方内物种数-取样面积曲线趋于饱和。(2) 5 m × 5 m幼苗监测样方幼苗与24 ha大样地非幼苗个体物种多度呈异速增长关系, 表明植物在幼苗阶段受到负密度制约效应的影响, 死亡率相对较高。(3)取样强度和胸径阈值的选取对群落稀有种的界定有重要影响, 朱砂根(Ardisia crenata)、山鸡椒(Litsea cubeba)、美丽胡枝子(Lespedeza thunbergii subsp. formosa)等物种在24 ha样地水平被认为是稀有种, 但是在5 m × 5 m幼苗样方却属于常见种。(4)指示种分析结果表明, 基于不同取样强度的幼苗生境指示种与基于大样地非幼苗个体的分析结果存在较大差异。在5 m × 5 m幼苗样方中, 13个物种与单一生境类型显著相关, 其中仅有3个物种与1 m × 1 m幼苗样方指示种相同, 与24 ha大样地非幼苗相比, 仅有2个共有指示种。总之, 不同取样强度可显著影响幼苗物种多样性格局的分析结果, 通过样方扩建对林下幼苗进行系统监测, 可进一步加深对群落生物多样性维持机制的认识。     

Impacts of logging on density-dependent predation of dipterocarp seeds in a South East Asian rainforest

Much of the forest remaining in South East Asia has been selectively logged. The processes promoting species coexistence may be the key to the recovery and maintenance of diversity in these forests. One such process is the Janzen-Connell mechanism, where specialized natural enemies such as seed predators maintain diversity by inhibiting regeneration near conspecifics. In Neotropical forests, anthropogenic disturbance can disrupt the Janzen-Connell mechanism, but similar data are unavailable for South East Asia. We investigated the effects of conspecific density (two spatial scales) and distance from fruiting trees on seed and seedling survival of the canopy tree Parashorea malaanonan in unlogged and logged forests in Sabah, Malaysia. The production of mature seeds was higher in unlogged forest, perhaps because high adult densities facilitate pollination or satiate pre-dispersal predators. In both forest types, post-dispersal survival was reduced by small-scale (1 m(2)) conspecific density, but not by proximity to the nearest fruiting tree. Large-scale conspecific density (seeds per fruiting tree) reduced predation, probably by satiating predators. Higher seed production in unlogged forest, in combination with slightly higher survival, meant that recruitment was almost entirely limited to unlogged forest. Thus, while logging might not affect the Janzen-Connell mechanism at this site, it may influence the recruitment of particular species.     

Elevational variation in density dependence in a subtropical forest

Density‐dependent mortality has been recognized as an important mechanism that underpins tree species diversity, especially in tropical forests. However, few studies have attempted to explore how density dependence varies with spatial scale and even fewer have attempted to identify why there is scale‐dependent differentiation. In this study, we explore the elevational variation in density dependence. Three 1‐ha permanent plots were established at low and high elevations in the Heishiding subtropical forest, southern China. Using data from 1200 1 m² seedling quadrats, comprising of 200 1 m² quadrats located in each 1‐ha plot, we examined the variation in density dependence between elevations using a generalized linear mixed model with crossed random effects. A greenhouse experiment also investigated the potential effects of the soil biota on density‐dependent differentiation. Our results demonstrated that density‐dependent seedling mortality can vary between elevations in subtropical forests. Species found at a lower elevation suffered stronger negative density dependence than those found at a higher elevation. The greenhouse experiment indicated that two species that commonly occur at both elevations suffered more from soilborne pathogens during seed germination and seedling growth when they grew at the lower elevation, which implied that soil pathogens may play a crucial role in density‐dependent spatial variation.