Data from: Microtopographic specialization and flexibility in tropical peat swamp forest tree species

Tropical tree species distributions are determined by a wide range of biotic and abiotic factors, including topography and hydrology. Tropical peat swamp forests (TPSFs) are characterized in part by small-scale variations in topography (‘hummocks’ and ‘hollows’) that create distinct microhabitats and thus may contribute to niche diversification among TPSF tree species. Using tree elevations calibrated to daily peat water levels collected using a data logger and a permutation test, we evaluated topographical microhabitat preferences for 21 tree species in a relatively undisturbed TPSF in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, to determine whether these species show preferential association with hummocks or hollows and to quantify the prevalence of microhabitat specialization among them. Only one species, Tetractomia tetrandrum, emerged as a hollow specialist, with no hummock specialists among the species tested. The remaining 20 species, including Psydrax dicoccos, which had the lowest mean observed elevation, and Maasia hypoleuca, which had the highest mean observed elevation, showed no clear microtopographic preference. This suggests that many TPSF species may be resilient to the natural hydrologic variations that occur in relatively intact peat swamp forests. Such studies of microtopographic preferences of tree species in TPSF and other wetland forest ecosystems can inform selection of tree species for reforestation projects, and potentially also provide information on how future climate change may impact these habitats and their resident tree species.热带树木物种的分布由诸多生物与非生物因子共同决定，涵盖地形与水文条件。热带泥炭沼泽森林（Tropical peat swamp forests，TPSFs）的部分特征为地形存在小规模变异——即“丘墩”与“坑洼”，此类变异可形成独特的微生境，进而推动该森林内树木物种的生态位分化。本研究借助经数据记录仪采集的每日泥炭水位校准所得的树木海拔数据，并结合置换检验，对印度尼西亚中加里曼丹一处相对未受干扰的热带泥炭沼泽森林内的21个树木物种的地形微生境偏好展开评估，旨在明确这些物种是否偏好丘墩或坑洼生境，并量化其内部微生境特化的普遍程度。受试物种中仅 Tetractomia tetrandrum 这一个物种被鉴定为坑洼特化物种，未发现丘墩特化物种。剩余20个物种——包括平均观测海拔最低的 Psydrax dicoccos 与平均观测海拔最高的 Maasia hypoleuca——均未表现出明确的微地形偏好。这表明，在相对完整的泥炭沼泽森林中，多数热带泥炭沼泽森林物种或可抵御自然水文波动带来的影响。此类针对热带泥炭沼泽森林及其他湿地森林生态系统中树木物种微地形偏好的研究，可为造林项目的树种选择提供科学参考，同时也有望揭示未来气候变化将如何影响这些生境及其栖息的树木物种。