高黎贡山南段海拔梯度森林乔木层时空动态

Spatiotemporal dynamics of forest arbor layer along an elevational gradient in southern Gaoligong Mountains

关键词:  群落动态, 海拔梯度, 高黎贡山, 物种多样性, 系统发育多样性, 时空尺度

Key words:  community dynamic, elevational gradient, Gaoligong Mountains, species diversity, phylogenetic diversity, spatiotemporal scale

摘要:

研究群落物种组成和多样性的时空动态对揭示生物多样性的分布规律以及预测全球变化情景下生物多样性的变化趋势具有重要意义。然而,在山地生态系统中,不同海拔梯度的森林群落物种多样性和系统发育多样性如何随着时间尺度的变化仍不清楚。该研究以高黎贡山南段东、西坡海拔梯度(960～2 878 m)森林群落固定监测样带的17个样方为研究对象,基于2004、2008和2013年乔木层(DBH ≥ 5 cm)重调查数据,分析样方内物种组成、物种多样性和系统发育多样性的时空动态变化。结果表明:(1)沿着海拔梯度,物种多样性呈现单峰分布格局,系统发育多样性呈现上升的趋势,系统发育结构呈现聚集到离散或者随机的结构。(2)在时间尺度上,森林乔木层在物种多样性和系统发育多样性上并未发生显著性变化。然而,系统发育结构随着时间的推移呈现更加聚集的趋势。(3)在海拔梯度上,东坡低海拔区域(960～1 381 m)的森林群落样方呈现显著的物种丧失,其植被完全被耕地所替代。其中,诃子(Terminalia chebula)、麻栎(Quercus acutissima)、清香木(Pistacia weinmanniifolia)、枳椇(Hovenia acerba)和假香冬青(Ilex wattii)等为主要的丧失物种。相反,物种获得主要集中在西坡低海拔的样方,群落中丰富度显著增加的物种主要为曼青冈(Cyclobalanopsis oxyodon)、华山矾(Symplocos chinensis)和台湾杉(Taiwania cryptomerioides)等。据此,我们推测高黎贡山海拔梯度森林乔木层的群落结构和多样性的动态变化在中高海拔受群落演替和气候变化的制约,而在低海拔主要受人类活动的影响。该研究结果加深了对高黎贡山亚热带常绿阔叶林植物群落动态变化的认识,也有助于该地区精准保护策略的制定。

Abstract:

A better understanding of the spatiotemporal dynamics of species composition and biodiversity provides significant insights into the distribution patterns of biodiversity and the prediction of biodiversity fate in a global change context. However, how species and phylogenetic diversity change along elevational gradient with temporal scale in mountain ecosystems is still unknown. In this study, we used census data(2004, 2008 and 2013)of an elevational transect(elevational range 960 - 2 878 m)covering eastern and western slopes of Gaoligong Mountains, SW China, to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics of forest arbor layer(DBH≥5 cm)species composition, species diversity and phylogenetic diversity. The results were as follows:(1)Species diversity was hump-shaped along the elevational gradient, while the phylogenetic diversity increased with increasing elevation. Clustering phylogenetic structure was observed at low elevations, and over dispersed or random structure was detected at high elevations.(2)Overall, temporal species and phylogenetic beta diversity analysis showed no significant difference among these three investigation time points. However, we found a higher clustering of phylogenetic structure along the temporal scale.(3)Spatial beta diversity showed that there was a significant loss of species at low elevations(960 - 1 381 m)on the eastern slope, where the vegetation had been disturbed or completely converted into farmland. The main lost species including Terminalia chebula, Quercus acutissima, Pistacia weinmanniifolia, Hovenia acerba and Ilex wattii. In contrast, the change in the western slope was mild at low elevations, only observing species abundance increasing, which including Cyclobalanopsis oxyodon, Symplocos chinensis, and Taiwania cryptomerioides. Therefore, we speculated that the dynamic changes in species and phylogenetic diversity of the arbor layer of subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest might be related to communities succession process and climatic change in middle and high elevations, while the communities at low elevations were seriously impacted by human activities in Gaoligong Mountains. The results deepen the understanding of the mechanisms of plant community dynamics in Gaoligong Mountains, and provide new insights to guide precise conservation strategies in the region.