Environment filtering and dispersal limitation jointly shaped the taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity of natural forests in southern China

Aim

The mechanisms underlying the maintenance of biodiversity remain to be elucidated. Taxonomic diversity alone remains an unresolved issue, especially in terms of the mechanisms of species co-existence. We hypothesized that phylogenetic information could help to elucidate the mechanism of community assembly and the services and functions of ecosystems. The aim of this study was to explore the mechanisms driving floral diversity in subtropical forests and evaluate the relative effects of these mechanisms on diversity variation, by combining taxonomic and phylogenetic information.

Location

We examined 35 1-ha tree stem-mapped plots across eight National Nature Reserves in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China.

Taxon

Trees.

Methods

We quantified the taxonomic and phylogenetic β-diversity between each pair of plots using the (abundance-based) Rao’s quadratic entropy and the (incidence-based) Sørensen dissimilarity indices. Using a null model approach, we compared th...