Woody plant diversity in relation to environmental factors in a seasonally dry tropical forest landscape

Questions

Water availability is known to be a first‐order driver of plant diversity; yet water also affects fire regimes and soil fertility, which, in turn, affect plant diversity. We examined how precipitation, fire and soil properties jointly determine woody plant diversity. Specifically, we asked how woody plant diversity varies along a sharp precipitation gradient (about 600–1,800 mm mean annual precipitation [MAP ]within a ~45‐km distance) exhibiting considerable variation in long‐term fire burn frequency and soil fertility, in a southern Indian seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF ) landscape.

Location

Mudumalai, Western Ghats, India.

Methods

Woody plants ≥1‐cm DBH were enumerated in 19 1‐ha permanent plots spanning a range of tropical vegetation types from dry thorn forest, through dry and moist deciduous forest to semi‐evergreen forest. Burn frequencies were derived from annual fire maps. Six measures of surface soil properties – total exchangeable bases (Ca + Mg + K), organic carbon (OC ), total N, pH , plant available P and micronutrients (Fe + Cu + Zn + Mn) were used in the analyses. Five measures of diversity – species richness, Shannon diversity, the rarefied/extrapolated versions of these two measures, and Fisher's α – were modelled as functions of MAP , annual fire burn frequency and the principal components of soil properties.

Results

Most soil nutrients and OC increased with MAP , except in the wettest sites. Woody productivity increased with MAP , while fire frequency was highest at intermediate values of MAP . Woody plant diversity increased with MAP but decreased with increasing fire frequency, resulting in two local diversity maxima along the MAP gradient – in the semi‐evergreen and dry thorn forest – separated by a low‐diversity central region in dry deciduous forest where fire frequency was highest. Soil variables were, on the whole, less strongly correlated with diversity than MAP .

Conclusions

Although woody plant diversity in this landscape, representative of regional SDTF s, is primarily limited by water availability, our study emphasizes the role of fire as a potentially important second‐order driver that acts to reduce diversity in this landscape.

     

Species composition and phytoplankton biomass in a tropical African lake (Lake Awassa,Ethiopia)

The species composition and phytoplankton biomass of Lake Awassa, Ethiopia were studied from September 1985 to July 1986 in relation to some limnological features of the lake. During the study period, three phases of thermal stratification were recognized: a period of unstable stratification and near-complete mixing was followed by a stable stratification period and another period of complete mixing. Complete mixing was associated with cooling of air temperature with an influx of cool rain and high rainfall. The underwater light penetration showed a similar pattern over the whole period with the highest in the red, and the lowest in the blue spectral region. Euphotic depth varied between 1.6 and 3.0 meters with the highest measurements corresponding to the stable stratification period. PO₄-P concentrations ranged between 23 and 45 µg l^–1 and NO₃-N concentrations varied between 7 and 14 µg l^–1 during the study period. Both nutrients showed increasing values associated with mixing periods and/or the rainy season.A total of 100 phytoplankton species were identified with 48% of the taxa represented by green algae, 30% by blue-green algae, 11% by diatoms, and the rest by chrysophytes, dinoflagellates, cryptomonads and euglenoids. The dominant phytoplankton species were Lyngbya nyassae, Botryococcus braunii and Microcystis species. Seasonal biomass variation was pronounced in the first two species but not in Mycrocystis. Phytoplankton biomass increased following the mixing period in December, and thermal destratification during May to July which was also a period with high rainfall and relatively high nutrient concentration. While the seasonal variation of the total phytoplankton community in Lake Awassa was relatively low (coefficient of variation < 20%), it was higher in some of the individual component species.     

东太湖鱼类群落结构特征及其与环境因子的关系

基于2019年4月、7月和10月的调查数据,用多元分析方法研究了围网拆除后东太湖鱼类群落结构的变化,及其与主要环境因子的关系。共调查到鱼类4目10科31属39种,其中鲤形目鱼类占69.23%。按不同生态类型东太湖鱼类主要为定居性鱼类、中上层鱼类以及肉食性和杂食性鱼类。优势种为鲫（Carassius auratus）、大鳍鱊（Acheilognathus macropterus）和（Hemiculter leucisculus）等。鱼类的种类数、渔获量、丰富度指数和多样性指数在监测月份间均差异显著（P＜0.05）,均为4月 > 7月 > 10月。鱼类个体呈现小型化,鱼类物种多样性处在一般水平。等级聚类分析（Cluster）结果表明,除10月份的1号点和3号点外,各样方间的相似度在46.75%以上。单因子相似性分析（ANOSIM）和相似性百分比分析（SIMPER）也表明,4月和10月的鱼类群落物种组成差异显著,平均相异性为59.41%。丰度/生物量曲线（ABC）分析表明,东太湖鱼类群落结构处于中度干扰状态。冗余分析（RDA）表明,总磷对主要鱼类变化的解释量为21.0%,是重要的解释因子（蒙特卡罗检验P＝0.036）。而总磷、pH、溶解氧等是目前影响东太湖鱼类群落的主要环境因子。     

Seasonal changes in fish catch and environmental variables in a large Tropical Lake,Volta, Ghana

Fish species assemblage and selected environmental variables were monitored in Lake Volta from September 2014 to August 2016 to determine seasonal variability in species composition, catch and environmental variables that determine the structure of the fish community. A total of 1,557 individual fish belonging to 41 species, 25 genera and 13 families were recorded. The important fish species with respect to frequency of occurrence, abundance and weight, respectively, were as follows: Chrysichthys (100%; 43.03%; 17.93%), tilapias (100%; 28.97%; 17.86%), Alestes (100%; 14.13%; 32.10%) and Bagrus (91.67%; 5.65%; 12.80%) in that order. The composition of fish species and their temporal variation in experimental catches were similar to that of commercial catches. There were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in species abundance, weight and diversity indices between the dry and wet seasons. The modal class of length frequency distribution of the dominant species in the catch, Chrysichthys, reduced from 125 mm in 2006 to 95 mm in the current study indicating overfishing. Environmental variables considered showed little variation and within optimal ranges for fish survival and did not differ significantly between seasons. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that environmental variables explained 43.30% of the variation in species abundance with Lake water level, nitrite‐nitrogen and total dissolved solids being the main environmental factors influencing the structure of the fish community.     

湖北省海口湖、太白湖与武山湖水生植物多样性的比较研究

为了探讨人为干扰与淡水湖泊水生植物多样性的关系,比较研究了湖北省海口湖、太白湖与武山湖水生植物多样性的现状和近20a来三湖泊水生植物多样性的变化,讨论了密齿苦草对太白湖人为干扰的适应机制,探讨了武山湖水生植物多样性及其退化水生生态系统恢复的可能途径。主要结论是：（1）海口湖、太白湖、武山湖现各分布有水生植物57种、35种和11种,分别隶属于28科42属、18科30属和6科9属,近20a来三湖泊分别有1种、9种和29种水生植物消失。（2）1999－2000年三湖泊各分布有水生植物群丛类型14个、6个和0个;全湖植被覆盖率分别是96.18%,76.17%和0％;全湖平均单位面积生物量分别为2896g/m^2,177g/m^2和0g/m^2(鲜重）,近20a来其分别下降了12.1%,88.3%和100％;武山湖水生植被已完全消失。（3）所有群丛中,以海口湖的“野菱＋菱群丛”（Trapa incisa Trapa bispinosa Ass.)的群落物种多样性指数最高;密齿苦草群丛（Vallisneria denseserrulata Ass.);菹草群丛（Potamogeton crispus Ass.)和和“野菱＋菱群丛”为海口湖与太白湖所共有,三者的多样性指数均是海口湖显著高于太白湖。水生植物多样性丰富程度的现状是：海口湖＞太白湖＞武山湖,多样性丧失的程度与其所受干扰程度成正相关。（4）密齿苦草对太白湖人为干扰的适应机制是其具有繁殖能力强的地下根状茎和多数地下越冬块茎。（5）武山湖水生植物多样性及该湖退化水生生态系统恢复的关键是消除工厂废水污染的同时,处理好施肥量与透明度的关系、鱼与草的关系。     

太湖鱼类群落结构及多样性

为了解太湖鱼类群落结构和多样性的分布特征,于2009-2010年利用拖网等网具对该水域的鱼类资源进行了调查.结果表明:本次调查共采获鱼类50种,隶属10目15科40属,其中鲤形目种类最多,占总数的68％;鱼类生态类型以湖泊定居性种类为主,群落优势种为湖鲚(Coilia ectenes taihuensis)、间下鱵(Hyporhamphus intermedius)和陈氏短吻银鱼(Salangichthys jordani)等小型鱼类;与历史资料相比,太湖鱼类的物种数量下降,优势种组成发生较大变化,鱼类群落中体质量＜30 g的小型鱼类占绝对优势,渔业资源小型化趋势明显.由于过度捕捞和湖泊环境恶化,鱼类群落生物多样性指数均表现偏低,物种丰富度指数D为1.54,多样性指数H’N、H’w分别为0.21和0.46,均匀度指数J'N、.J'w分别为0.07和0.14;太湖各湖区间鱼类种群和多样性的差别一定程度上反映出鱼类群落结构与湖泊营养盐、透明度等环境特征相适应的特点.     

旅游干扰对青山湖风景区植物多样性的影响

2007年5月—2008年6月,研究了旅游干扰下浙江青山湖风景区植物群落的变化.结果表明:随着旅游干扰强度的增加,物种重要值主要集中于黄山松等少数种上,且乔灌木的重要值趋于减少,草本的重要值趋于增加,植物总个体数增加.丰富度指数(D)和多样性指数(H)均为:中度干扰>轻度干扰>重度干扰,均匀度指数(J)为:中度干扰>重度干扰>轻度干扰.在同一层次中,不同干扰间相同物种仅有香樟等,相似性指数(Ss)值均<0.500.轻度干扰对针叶林地的危害较大,D、H和J值都最低,平均值分别为1.188、1.056和0.697;重度干扰对阔叶林地和灌草地的危害较大,灌草地的D值(2.013)最低,阔叶林地的H值(1.286)和J值(0.807)最低;中度干扰则促进了植物多样性增加,有助于生态系统功能的正常发挥.本区植物群落各结构要素的生态安全受到一定的威胁,导致夏蜡梅等土著种减少和狗尾草等外来种侵入.     

环境因子对太白山高山植被物种组成和丰富度的影响

高山植被是一类具有重要生态和经济价值的植被类型,了解其物种组成和丰富度与环境因子的关系对于该类型植被保护、管理以及植物资源合理开发利用策略的制订具有重要指导意义。基于太白山高山植被和环境因子野外调查及室内实验数据,采用CCA排序法探索了环境因子对物种组成的影响,偏CCA计算了各环境因子对物种组成的总效应和净效应,GLM回归模型拟合了物种丰富度对环境因子的响应。结果表明,13个环境因子共解释了物种组成变异的31.7%,其中海拔、坡度、土壤碱解氮含量、全磷含量、坡向、岩石盖度、p H值、土壤厚度、有机质含量、有效磷含量和全氮含量对物种组成的净效应达显著水平(P0.05),但其作用强度依次减小。GLM拟合结果显示,物种丰富度与环境因子存在4种显著(P0.05)关系,即物种丰富度沿海拔和土壤厚度梯度单调递增,沿坡度和土壤全氮含量梯度单调递减,沿坡向、土壤p H值、碱解氮含量和全磷含量梯度呈单峰分布,与土壤有机质含量和全钾含量呈倒单峰关系。在这些显著的环境因子中,海拔、土壤碱解氮含量,p H值、有机质含量和坡向解释的物种丰富度变异量最大。     

Change in the woody floristic composition,diversity and structure from protected to unprotected savannahs in Pendjari Biosphere Reserve (Benin,West Africa)

Savannahs are widespread vegetation type in Sudanian zone of Africa. As protected areas are often assumed to be the best way to conserve biodiversity, we assessed the effectiveness of the Pendjari Biosphere Reserve in Benin, for maintaining savannah woody species composition, diversity and structure. Square plots of 900 m² were randomly established in protected and surrounding unprotected savannahs, and all woody species (dbh ≥ 1 cm) were recorded and identified. Species composition, Importance Value Index, densities, basal area and diversity indexes were assessed in relation to conservation status. The results showed that DCA based on presence/absence species data did not separate clearly protected savannahs from unprotected ones. However, some species were prominent in unprotected savannahs while others showed the same scheme in protected ones. Diversity indexes indicated a good distribution of species in the two savannah types. The woody density showed a higher value in protected than unprotected savannah at shrub layer level. The basal area was significantly higher in the protected savannah than unprotected one at the two woody layer levels. It can be concluded that biodiversity conservation in surrounding unprotected areas should be of great importance to increase biodiversity conservation by protected area whether specific actions were implemented.     

太湖浮游纤毛虫群落结构及其与环境因子的关系

用定量蛋白银染色法,对太湖浮游纤毛虫进行定性和定量研究,同时用多元统计方法分析生物和非生物因子对其影响。在全湖设置32个点位进行季度采样,共检出117种纤毛虫,隶属于3纲、15目、78属,其中95种鉴定到种的水平。纤毛虫平均丰度27 170个/L(1 500—139 150个/L),平均生物量600.6μg/L(16.7—8736.0μg/L),以寡毛目、前口目、盾纤目、缘毛目和钩刺目为主。优势种包括:浮游藤壶虫、趣尾毛虫、顶口睥睨虫、银灰膜袋虫、水生钟虫复合种、钟形钟虫、杯铃壳虫、双叉弹跳虫、大弹跳虫、短列裂隙虫、小裂隙虫、圆筒状似铃壳虫。纤毛虫群落结构空间异质性较高,丰度上呈现从南向北、从敞水区向沿岸河口区逐渐增加的趋势;北部湖区以小个体的寡毛目、盾纤目、前口目为主,而南部主要以大个体的寡毛目为主;从功能摄食类群上看,北部各点以食菌种类为主,而南部以食藻种类居多。该类群季节变化明显,于夏季出现丰度峰值,生物量是冬、夏季显著高于春、秋季。通过CCA多元分析发现,太湖纤毛虫群落结构差异主要与水体营养水平、桡足类数量和pH值等有关,且在不同季节由不同的环境因子调控。     

Macrophyte species composition,distribution and diversity in relation to some physicochemical factors in the littoral zone of Lake Ziway,Ethiopia

The species composition, distribution and diversity of macrophytes in Lake Ziway were determined at the end of dry and wet seasons along nine littoral sites during 2010 using a belt transect method. Some physicochemical parameters were also measured. Fourteen macrophyte species were identified with low species diversity for the lake (H' value of 1.805). The macrophyte species composition of the lake has undergone many changes during the last few decades. Arundo donax, which was never reported earlier, attained the highest relative density (30.7%) and frequency (30.5%) in this study, followed by Echinochloa colona, Potamogeton schweinfurthii, Cyperus articulatus, Typha latifolia and Cyperus papyrus. The average densities of A. donax, C. articulatus, E. colona and Pistia stratiotes were positively correlated with nutrients, whereas the density of the other species had negative correlation with physicochemical variables (CCA). Generally, the present macrophyte composition and abundance indicates healthy ecological condition of the lake. But if nutrient levels continue to increase and water levels continue to decline, we expect further changes in macrophyte composition and especially a shift towards invasive floating species.     

Woody plant composition and diversity of urban green spaces in Istanbul,Turkey

Abstract

The high urbanization rate of Istanbul in response to rapid population decreased the size and amount of green spaces. Thereby, every green space types are of vital importance in terms of conservation of urban biodiversity. In this study, it was aimed to compare woody species composition of main green space types consist of artificial and natural sites. Botanical gardens had the highest diversity followed by gardens. Residential areas showed to be important in terms of shrub (52%) and evergreen species (58%), which are mostly exotics (71%). The ratio of the invasive plants in the composition was higher in parks, which contain highway greenings and public gardens. Since the most tree species used in public green areas of Istanbul were mostly same with the species used in European cities, all of the green space categories having varied composition must be considered as interconnected habitat patches in urban planning.     

Forest structure,diversity, and primary production in relation to disturbance severity

1. Differential disturbance severity effects on forest vegetation structure, species diversity, and net primary production (NPP) have been long theorized and observed. Here, we examined these factors concurrently to explore the potential for a mechanistic pathway linking disturbance severity, changes in light environment, leaf functional response, and wood NPP in a temperate hardwood forest.
2. Using a suite of measurements spanning an experimental gradient of tree mortality, we evaluated the direction and magnitude of change in vegetation structural and diversity indexes in relation to wood NPP. Informed by prior observations, we hypothesized that forest structural and species diversity changes and wood NPP would exhibit either a linear, unimodal, or threshold response in relation to disturbance severity. We expected increasing disturbance severity would progressively shift subcanopy light availability and leaf traits, thereby coupling structural and species diversity changes with primary production.
3. Linear or unimodal changes in three of four vegetation structural indexes were observed across the gradient in disturbance severity. However, disturbance‐related changes in vegetation structure were not consistently correlated with shifts in light environment, leaf traits, and wood NPP. Species diversity indexes did not change in response to rising disturbance severity.
4. We conclude that, in our study system, the sensitivity of wood NPP to rising disturbance severity is generally tied to changing vegetation structure but not species diversity. Changes in vegetation structure are inconsistently coupled with light environment and leaf traits, resulting in mixed support for our hypothesized cascade linking disturbance severity to wood NPP.

     

环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物物种组成与分布格局的影响

海南岛是中国兰科植物物种丰富度较高的地区, 了解环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物物种组成和分布格局的影响, 对于该地区野生兰科植物的保护管理和相关研究具有重要指导意义。基于海南岛野生兰科植物调查分布样方的植被类型、海拔、坡向、坡度、年平均气温、年降水量的数据, 采用典范相关分析探索了环境因子对物种组成的影响, 并计算各个环境因子对物种组成的总效应与净效应, 同时分析了6个环境因子对野生兰科植物分布格局的影响。结果表明, 所选的6个环境因子共解释了海南岛野生兰科植物组成变异的3.7%; 植被类型、海拔、年平均气温、年降水量、坡向、坡度这6个环境因子的总效应与净效应均达显著水平, 但其解释率依次减小。所选的6个环境因子对海南岛野生兰科植物的分布均有影响, 野生兰科植物在海南岛主要分布在中海拔段、5°-35°的坡度范围、阴坡与半阴坡、年平均气温较低且年降水量较高的环境, 并且于原生植被中分布最多。     

青海湖鸟岛地区植物群落物种多样性与土壤环境因子的关系

The study on the relationship between plant species diversity and soil factors in the bird island of Qinghai Lake indicated that this island was a low diversity district, its Shannon-Wienner index and species richness decreased with the increasing soil available K, water soluble salt concentration and pH, and there were significant linear and quadratic correlations between them. Stepwise linear regressions showed that soil available K and water soluble salt were the key factors to estimate Shannon-Wienner index and species richness in this island, respectively, and no correlation was found between species evenness and soil factors.     

Ecological drivers of avian diversity in a subtropical landscape: Effects of habitat diversity,primary productivity and anthropogenic disturbance

Understanding the roles of ecological drivers in shaping biodiversity is fundamental for conservation practice. In this study, we explored the effects of elevation, conservation status, primary productivity, habitat diversity and anthropogenic disturbance (represented by human population density and birding history) on taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional avian diversity in a subtropical landscape in southeastern China. We conducted bird surveys using 1‐km transects across a total of 30 sites, of which 10 sites were located within a natural reserve. Metrics of functional diversity were calculated based on six functional traits (body mass, clutch size, dispersal ratio, sociality, diet and foraging stratum). We built simultaneous autoregression models to assess the association between the ecological factors and diversity of the local avian communities. Local avian diversity generally increased with increasing habitat diversity, human population density and primary productivity. We also detected phylogenetic and functional clustering in these communities, suggesting that the avian assemblages were structured mainly by environmental filtering, rather than interspecific competition. Compared with sites outside the natural reserve, sites within the natural reserve had relatively lower avian diversity but a higher level of phylogenetic heterogeneity.     

Measurements of spectral optical properties and their relation to biogeochemical variables and processes in Crater Lake,Crater Lake National Park,OR

Spectral inherent optical properties (IOPs) have been measured at Crater Lake, OR, an extremely clear sub-alpine lake. Indeed Pure water IOPs are major contributors to the total IOPs, and thus to the color of the lake. Variations in the spatial distribution of IOPs were observed in June and September 2001, and reflect biogeochemical processes in the lake. Absorption by colored dissolved organic material increases with depth and between June and September in the upper 300 m. This pattern is consistent with a net release of dissolved organic materials from primary and secondary production through the summer and its photo-oxidation near the surface. Waters fed by a tributary near the lake’s rim exhibited low levels of absorption by dissolved organic materials. Scattering is mostly dominated by organic particulate material, though inorganic material is found to enter the lake from the rim following a rain storm. Several similarities to oceanic oligotrophic regions are observed: (a) The Beam attenuation correlates well with particulate organic material (POM) and the relationship is similar to that observed in the open ocean. (b) The specific absorption of colored dissolved organic material has a value similar to that of open ocean humic material. (c) The distribution of chlorophyll with depth does not follow the distribution of particulate organic material due to photo-acclimation resulting in a subsurface pigment maximum located about 50 m below the POM maximum.     

Photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton and its relation to environmental factors in hypersaline Mono Lake,California

The photosynthetic activity of phytoplankton in hypersaline Mono Lake, California was measured over the three year period, 1983–1985. The maximum chlorophyll-specific rate of carbon uptake (P_m ^B) and the light-limited slope (alpha) were derived from laboratory measurements of photosynthesis vs. irradiance (P-I) relationships. Annual estimates of primary production were 340–540 g C m^-2 yr^-1. Production was two to three times higher during the spring of 1983 than in the springs of 1984 and 1985; higher standing biomass of algae occurred in 1983. While P_m ^B rates followed water temperatures and varied over 40-fold over the year, integral primary production varied less since periods of high P_m ^B occurred when algal biomass was low. Sixty-eight percent of the seasonal variation in the P_m ^B was explained by a regression on temperature (53%), chlorophyll a (12%), and the carbon:chlorophyll a ratio (3%). Light-saturated and light-limited rates of photosynthesis generally covaried, evidenced by the strong seasonal correlation between P_m ^B and alpha. Sixty-one percent of variation in alpha was explained by a regression on P_m ^B, temperature, grazing, water column stability, and self-shading. There was no correlation of carbon uptake with ambient levels of inorganic nitrogen. The regression coefficient of the dependence of P_m ^B on the seasonal temperature trend was much larger than that determined from individual samples incubated at several different temperatures; this indicates that uptake is limited by more than low temperatures in the spring. Regression equations including only temperature, chlorophyll and depth were sufficient to estimate patterns of seasonal and year to year variation in integral primary productivity.     

The effects of human disturbance on the species composition,species diversity and functional diversity of a Miombo woodland in northern Malawi

Anthropogenic disturbances have serious impacts on ecosystems across the world. Understanding the effects of disturbance on woodlands, especially in regions where local people depend on these natural resources, is essential for sustainable natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. In this study, we evaluated the effects of anthropogenic disturbance, specifically selective logging of Brachystegia floribunda, on woodlands by comparing species composition, species diversity and functional diversity of woody plants between disturbed and undisturbed woodlands. We combined species data and functional trait data for leaves, fruits and other traits related to resource and disturbance responses to calculate functional indices (functional richness, evenness and divergence) and community‐weighted means of each trait. Shifts in taxonomic species composition were analysed using nonmetric multi‐dimensional scaling. Species composition differed significantly between disturbed and undisturbed woodlands. Tree density was greater in disturbed woodlands, whereas evenness, functional evenness and functional divergence were greater in undisturbed woodlands. In terms of forest cover, selective logging of B. floribunda appeared to have little impact on Miombo woodlands, but some shifts in functional traits, such as the shift from a deciduous to evergreen phenology, may increase the vulnerability of these ecosystems to environmental change, especially drought.     

Hydrological and environmental variables outperform spatial factors in structuring species,trait composition,and beta diversity of pelagic algae

There has been increasing interest in algae‐based bioassessment, particularly, trait‐based approaches are increasingly suggested. However, the main drivers, especially the contribution of hydrological variables, of species composition, trait composition, and beta diversity of algae communities are less studied. To link species and trait composition to multiple factors (i.e., hydrological variables, local environmental variables, and spatial factors) that potentially control species occurrence/abundance and to determine their relative roles in shaping species composition, trait composition, and beta diversities of pelagic algae communities, samples were collected from a German lowland catchment, where a well‐proven ecohydrological modeling enabled to predict long‐term discharges at each sampling site. Both trait and species composition showed significant correlations with hydrological, environmental, and spatial variables, and variation partitioning revealed that the hydrological and local environmental variables outperformed spatial variables. A higher variation of trait composition (57.0%) than species composition (37.5%) could be explained by abiotic factors. Mantel tests showed that both species and trait‐based beta diversities were mostly related to hydrological and environmental heterogeneity with hydrological contributing more than environmental variables, while purely spatial impact was less important. Our findings revealed the relative importance of hydrological variables in shaping pelagic algae community and their spatial patterns of beta diversities, emphasizing the need to include hydrological variables in long‐term biomonitoring campaigns and biodiversity conservation or restoration. A key implication for biodiversity conservation was that maintaining the instream flow regime and keeping various habitats among rivers are of vital importance. However, further investigations at multispatial and temporal scales are greatly needed.