Diversity patterns and phylogenetic structure of vascular plants along elevational gradients in a mountain ecosystem,South Korea

• 来源期刊: 山地科学学报（英文版）
• 年，卷（期）: 2018,（2）
• 页码范围: 280-295
• 页数: 16页
• 语种: 英文

摘要

Recently,a phylogenetic diversity and community structure analysis as complementary to species-centric approaches in biodiversity studies provides new insights into the processes of community assembly.In this study,we analyzed species and phylogenetic diversity and community structures for woody and herbaceous plants along two elevational transects on Mt.Baekhwa,South Korea.The species richness and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants showed monotonic declining patterns with increasing elevation along all transects,whereasherbaceous plants showed different patterns,such asno relationship and a reversed unimodal pattern,between the study transects.The main drivers of these patterns were climate and habitat variables for woody and herbaceous plants,respectively.In addition,the phylogenetic community structure primarily showed phylogenetic clustering regulated by deterministic processes,especially environmental filtering,such as climate or habitat factors,along the two transects,although herbaceous plants along a transect depicted phylogenetic randomness as a result of a neutral process.Our findings suggest that deterministic and neutral processes may simultaneously control the community structures along small-scale elevational gradients such as local transects,although the deterministic process may be the predominant type.