Biodiv Sci ›› 2008, Vol. 16 ›› Issue (5): 454-461.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2008.08126

• Original Papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Spatial distribution of species diversity indices in a monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest at Dinghushan Mountain

Wang Zhigao1,2,3, Ye Wanhui1,*(), Cao Honglin1, Lian Juyu1   

  1. 1 South China Botany Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650
    2 Graduate School of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049
    3 Department of Life Science, Anqing Teachers College, Anqing 246011
  • Received:2008-06-03 Accepted:2008-09-03 Online:2008-09-20 Published:2008-09-20
  • Contact: Ye Wanhui

Abstract:

Sampling scale is important in exploring the structure and dynamics of plant communities. Spatial patterns and formation mechanisms of species diversity are fundamental issues in community ecology. The effect of scale on species diversity patterns and their interpretation has attracted particular attention. In this paper, we studied spatial distribution patterns of Simpson, Shannon-Weiner, and Pielou’s evenness indices within a 20-ha plot as well as relationships of these indices with sampling size in a monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest at Dinghushan Mountain, Guangdong Province. The three indices all strongly depended on region of the study area, and such a regional pattern was scale dependent. Spatial distribution patterns also differed depending on which of two measures of diversity variation,viz. variance and coefficient of variation, we used. Variance of the three indices was unimodal with increasing scale, and was maximum at the 80 m×100 m scale, while the coefficient of variation decreased with increasing scale. For the Shannon-Weiner and Pielou’s evenness indices, coefficient of variation dramatically reduced when the scale size was less than 20 m × 25 m, and then followed by a more gentle change. Our results showed that sampling scale and region should be taken into account when studying species diversity in this 20 ha monsoon evergreen broadleaved forest.

Key words: sampling scale, species diversity index, spatial distribution, Dinghushan Mountain