Data_Sheet_1_Wuling Mountains Function as a Corridor for Woody Plant Species Exchange Between Northern and Southern Central China.docx

AimWuling Mountains range from the northeast to southwest in Central China, a region with high habitat complexity and diversity that supports substantial plant species diversity. Connecting the northern subtropics to the mid-subtropics, Wuling Mountains also link the floras of Eastern and South-Western China. Despite a long-standing interest in how important role Wuling Mountains play in species exchange, patterns of plant species diversity in Wuling and their underlying drivers are still not well characterized. Here, the spatial distribution of woody plant species in this region is described and the role the Wuling Mountains play in structuring biodiversity in surrounding areas is explored.
LocationWuling Mountains and adjacent regions, China.
MethodsDetailed distribution data for woody plant species in China were collected and mapped onto a raster grid of the Wuling Mountains and adjacent regions (a total of 820,000 km2) to analyze spatial patterns in species diversity, including α-diversity (species richness) and β-diversity (βsor). Unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages (UPGMA) clustering was used to divide the study region based on species composition. Canonical redundancy analysis was used to illustrate spatial patterns and species-environment relationships.
ResultsMountainous areas in the study region have high species richness as compared to other areas. Species exchanges occurred at a greater rate latitudinally vs. longitudinally, especially in Wuling Mountains. This suggests that Wuling Mountains may be an important ecological corridor for woody species, linking Northern and Southern Chinese floras. The study region was divided into six bioregions based on species composition: the Wuling Mountains Region, Nanling-Xuefengshan Mountains Region, Qinling-Dabashan Mountains Region, Sichuan Basin Region, Yangtze Plain Region and Yungui Plateau Region.
Main ConclusionsThe Wuling Mountains Region acts as an ecological corridor for woody species, linking Northern and Southern China, and fostering biodiversity exchange and conservation in Central China.

研究目的：武陵山脉呈东北-西南走向横贯中国中部，该区域生境复杂性与多样性极高，孕育了丰富的植物物种多样性。武陵山脉衔接北亚热带与中亚热带，同时连接中国东部与西南地区的植物区系。尽管学界长期关注武陵山脉在物种交流中发挥的关键作用，但武陵山区植物物种多样性的分布格局及其潜在驱动机制仍未得到充分阐明。本研究对该区域木本植物（woody plant）物种的空间分布进行了系统描述，并探讨了武陵山脉在塑造周边区域生物多样性格局中的核心作用。
研究区域：中国武陵山脉及其毗邻区域。
研究方法：本研究收集了中国木本植物物种的详细分布数据，并将其匹配至武陵山脉及毗邻区域（总面积约82万平方千米）的栅格网格中，以分析物种多样性的空间格局，包括α多样性（α-diversity，物种丰富度）与β多样性（β-diversity，βsor）。采用算术平均非加权配对组法（UPGMA）基于物种组成对研究区域进行聚类分区；通过典范冗余分析（Canonical Redundancy Analysis）阐释物种多样性的空间分布模式及物种-环境关联关系。
研究结果：相较于其他区域，研究区域内的山地拥有更高的物种丰富度。物种交流在纬度方向上的速率显著高于经度方向，尤以武陵山脉区域最为突出。这表明武陵山脉可能是木本植物的重要生态廊道，连接了中国南北植物区系。本研究基于物种组成将研究区域划分为6个生物地理区：武陵山区、南岭-雪峰山区、秦岭-大巴山区、四川盆地区、长江平原区及云贵高原区。
主要结论：武陵山区作为木本植物的生态廊道，连通中国南北植物区系，助力华中地区的生物多样性交流与保护。