Positive species diversity and above-ground biomass relationships are ubiquitous across forest strata despite interference from overstorey trees

There is growing concern over rates of global species diversity loss and its implications on healthy ecosystem functioning. While positive relationships between tree species diversity and forest biomass production have been observed, forests are structurally complex, consisting of understorey vegetation layers that also contribute to ecosystem functioning as they often account for the majority of species richness. However, relationships between understorey vegetation diversity and function are largely unexplored. Further, few studies have simultaneously assessed how both overstorey and understory vegetation interact and contribute to overall ecosystem function.
By analysing Canada's National Forest Inventory data base using structural equation modelling, we explored the relationships between species richness and above-ground biomass production across forest vegetation strata while accounting for potentially confounding factors, including climate, physical site characteristics and fores...

全球物种多样性丧失速率及其对生态系统健康功能的影响正受到日益广泛的关注。尽管已有观测证实树木物种多样性与森林生物量生产之间存在正向关联，但森林结构复杂多样，除乔木层（overstorey vegetation）外还包含林下植被层（understorey vegetation）；该层通常占据了区域物种丰富度的主体，同样对生态系统功能运转具有重要支撑作用。然而，目前针对林下植被多样性与生态系统功能之间关联的研究仍较为匮乏。此外，鲜有研究同时探讨乔木层与林下植被的相互作用及其对整体生态系统功能的贡献。
本研究通过结构方程模型（structural equation modelling）分析加拿大国家森林清查数据库（Canada's National Forest Inventory database），探究了森林各植被层内物种丰富度与地上生物量生产之间的关联，并控制了气候、立地物理特征及fores...等潜在混杂因素。