Sampling origins and directions affect the minimum sampling area in forest plots

The minimum sampling area (or minimum area), representing the smallest space that reflects the species composition and characteristics of a plant community, is estimated using species-area relationships (SARs) for designing and managing biodiversity conservation. However, the sampling design’s effect on the determination of the minimum area has rarely been systematically evaluated. In this study, we used tree census data from three forest dynamic plots of 25–60 ha in different climatic zones in China to calculate the minimum areas of woody plants in the plots and analyze the effects of species richness and topographic heterogeneity on the areas by changing sampling origins and directions. Our findings reveal that the estimated size of the minimum areas varied significantly with sampling origins and directions, with a difference of approximately 1.5–2 times in forest plots. Topographic heterogeneity affected the minimum area through changes in species composition, while species richness ..., All woody plant individuals with a DBH > 1 cm in the plots were mapped, tagged, and identified., , \#Data and code from: Sampling origins and directions affect the minimum sampling area in forest plots.

CITATION:

Fan, F., Zhao, L., Ma, T., Xiong, X., Zhang, Y., Shen, X., & Li, S. (2022). Community composition and structure in a 25.2 hm~2 subalpine dark coniferous forest dynamics plot in Wanglang,Sichuan,China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 46(9), 1005-1017.

Qin, Y., Zhang, J., Liu, J., Liu, M., Wan, D., Wu, H., . . . Jiang, M. (2018). Community composition and spatial structure in the Badagongshan 25 ha Forest Dynamics Plot in Hunan Province. Biodiversity Science, 26(9), 1016-1022.

Xu, H., Li, Y., Lin, M., Wu, J., Luo, T., Zhou, Z., . . . Liu, S. (2015). Community characteristics of a 60 ha dynamics plot in the tropical montane rain forest in Jianfengling, Hainan Island. Biodiversity Science, 23(2), 192-201.

AUTHORS' INFORMATION:

Chenqi, He

Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China

Email: [e-mail]

Fan, Fan

Institute of Ecolo...