Habitat associations of woody plant species in Baishanzu subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2011.09295

Abstract

Abstract:

Both unified neutral theory and niche theory have played an important role in understanding the mechanisms of species coexistence in tropical rain forests. Using Torus-translation tests, we examined the relationships between microtopography (elevation, convexity, and slope) and the distribution of 89 wood species with ≥5 individuals and diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 1.0 cm in a 5-ha permanent plot in a subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest in Baishanzu, Zhejiang Province. We classified plants into three growth stages (sapling, juvenile and mature stages) based on their diameter-classes, and compared relationships between microtopography and the distribution of plants in different growth stages for each species. Species with less than 40 individuals always showed few associations with their habitats, while most common species in the 89 studied showed significant associations with their habitats. The majority of species exhibited shifts in habitat preference among growth stages; the exceptions were Rhododendron latoucheae, Cyclobalanopsis stewardiana and Cleyera pachyphylla, whose associations with habitats were similar at all stages. Our study suggests that topographical differentiation is important for maintaining species diversity in this subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest, and that habitat associations of species change ontogenetically.

Key words: broad-leaved evergreen forest, habitat preference, topography, development stages, species distribution, niche theory

Wei Wang, Zhengrong Luo, Rongfei Zhou, Daming Xu, Jianguo Ai, Bingyang Ding. Habitat associations of woody plant species in Baishanzu subtropical broad-leaved evergreen forest[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2011, 19(2): 134-142.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2011.09295

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2011/V19/I2/134

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Contour map (up) and perspective diagram (down) of the Baishanzu forest dynamics plot

Fig. 2 Multivariate regression tree (MRT) for the tree species composition against micro-topographic factors in the Baishanzu plot. The information above the node denotes the selected factor and rule for the division of the quadrats. The number n below each branch give the number of quadrats in that habitat

Map of the habitat types classified by the multivariate regression tree at 10 m × 10 m scale. The diamonds with different color and numbers denote different group of habitats.1, Gully; 2, Steep slope; 3, Less-steep slope; 4, Ridge.

Table 1 The topographic parameters of habitat categories in the 5 ha Baishanzu permanent plot

生境类别 Habitat category	生境名称 Habitat name	小样方数 Number of quadrats	面积 Total area (ha)	相对海拔 Relative elevation (m)			凸度 Convexity (m)			坡度 Slope (°)
生境类别 Habitat category	生境名称 Habitat name	小样方数 Number of quadrats	面积 Total area (ha)	最低 Min．	最高 Max．	平均 Mean	最小 Min．	最大 Max．	平均 Mean	最小 Min．	最大 Max．	平均 Mean
1	沟谷 Gully	203	2.03	3.49	109.08	49.90	-8.71	0.06	-2.67	13.43	35.55	27.47
2	陡坡 Steep slope	36	0.36	11.39	91.77	43.78	-7.66	-0.03	-1.99	35.64	41.95	37.54
3	缓坡 Less-steep slope	194	1.94	9.70	120.53	67.90	0.07	3.35	1.49	10.64	40.95	27.69
4	山脊 Ridge	67	0.67	26.77	114.62	75.63	3.37	10.04	4.90	11.95	37.28	27.42

Table 2 Growth stages of different types of tree species

	生长阶段 Growth stages	径级 DBH (cm)
灌木 Shrubs	幼树 Sapling	1.0 ≤ DBH < 1.5
	生长期 Juvenile	1.5 ≤ DBH < 2.5
	成熟期 Mature	DBH ≥ 2.5
小乔木 Under-story trees	幼树 Sapling	1.0 ≤ DBH < 2.5
	生长期 Juvenile	2.5 ≤ DBH < 4.0
	成熟期 Mature	DBH ≥ 4.0
高大乔木 Canopy trees	幼树 Sapling	1.0 ≤ DBH < 4.0
	生长期 Juvenile	4.0 ≤ DBH < 8.0
	成熟期 Mature	DBH ≥ 8.0

Table 3 The number of species with remarkable association in each habitat category

生境名称 Habitat name	正相关的物种数 Number of species positively associated with habitat	负相关的物种数 Number of species negatively associated with habitat
沟谷 Gully	10	40
陡坡 Steep slope	10	4
缓坡 Less-steep slope	17	5
山脊 Ridge	21	13

Fig. 4 Venn diagrams illustrating positive associations (I) and negative associations (II) of the sapling, juvenile, and mature stages with four habitats in the 5 ha Baishanzu permanent plot. Significance of association was determined with Torus-transla- tion tests at P<0.1. The numbers in the venn diagrams indicate the numbers of species that associated with habitats at different developmental stages.

Fig. 5 Number of species positively(A) and negatively(B) associated with each of the four habitat at the sapling, juvenile, and mature stages in the 5 ha Baishanzu permanent plot. Torus-translation tests were used to assess the significance of habitat associations for 89 tree and shrub species (P<0.1).

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