Using functional trait diversity patterns to disentangle the scale-dependent ecological processes in a subtropical forest

1. Disentangling ecological processes that influence community assembly and species diversity across spatial scales remains a major goal of community ecology. Community assembly processes influence spatial patterns of species diversity through their interactions with key functional traits. Hence, quantifying spatial patterns of functional trait diversity (FD) represents a useful tool for disentangling the relative importance of abiotic filtering, biotic interactions, random assembly, and dispersal limitation across spatial scales. 2. Here we measured 12 traits of 112 study species in a 20-ha fully-mapped subtropical forest plot. The individuals of the 112 study species account for 99% of all living stems with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 1 cm. We studied important functional traits related to physiological processes of plants including resource acquisition (e.g., CO2 assimilation rate and leaf nutrient concentration) and drought tolerance (e.g., stem hydraulic conductivity and lea...1. 解析跨空间尺度下影响群落构建与物种多样性的生态过程，始终是群落生态学的核心研究目标之一。群落构建过程通过与关键功能性状的相互作用，调控物种多样性的空间分布格局。因此，量化功能性状多样性（Functional Trait Diversity, FD）的空间格局，成为解析跨空间尺度下非生物过滤、生物交互、随机群落构建以及扩散限制相对重要性的有效研究手段。 2. 本研究在一块20公顷的全测绘亚热带森林样地中，测定了112个研究物种的12项功能性状。这112个研究物种的个体总数，占所有胸径（diameter at breast height, DBH）≥1厘米的活立木总株数的99%。我们选取了与植物生理过程密切相关的重要功能性状，涵盖资源获取相关性状（如CO2同化速率、叶片养分浓度）以及耐旱相关性状（如茎段导水率与叶...）