Space resource utilization of dominant species integrates abundance- and functional-based processes for better predictions of plant diversity dynamics

Sustainable ecosystem management relies on our ability to predict changes in plant diversity and to understand the underlying mechanisms. Empirical evidence demonstrates that abundance- and functional-based processes simultaneously explain the loss of plant diversity in response to human activities. Recently, a novel indicator based on percent cover (CoverD) and maximum height (HeightD) of the dominant plant species – Space Resource Utilization (SRUD) – has proven to give robust and better predictions of plant diversity dynamics than community biomass. Whether the superior predictive ability of SRUD is due to its capacity to simultaneously capture abundance- and functional-based processes remains unknown. Here, we tested this hypothesis by quantifying mechanistic links between changes in SRUD and biodiversity in response to nutrients and herbivores. Furthermore, we assessed the relative contribution of dominant, intermediate, and rare species to reduced density of individuals by combini..., Species level height, cover, biomass and abundance were obtained directly from field survey of quadrat. species level sru is obtained by multiplying the height and cover of the species. community level biomass, abundance and sru were obtained by adding species level biomass, abundance and sru, respectively.,

可持续生态系统管理依赖于我们预测植物多样性变化并阐明其潜在机制的能力。已有实证研究表明，基于多度与功能特征的过程可同时解释人类活动驱动下的植物多样性丧失。近期，一项基于优势植物物种盖度（percent cover, CoverD）与最大高度（maximum height, HeightD）的新型指标——空间资源利用指数（Space Resource Utilization, SRUD）被证实，相较于群落生物量，其能更稳健且精准地预测植物多样性动态。目前尚不明确SRUD的优异预测能力是否源于其可同时捕获多度与功能特征过程的特性。本研究通过量化SRUD变化与生物多样性之间的机制关联，针对养分添加与草食动物作用两个驱动因子验证了该假说。此外，我们通过结合[原文未完整表述的内容]，评估了优势种、中间物种与稀有种对个体密度降低的相对贡献。物种水平的高度、盖度、生物量与多度数据直接来自样方（quadrat）野外调查。物种水平的SRU通过对应物种的高度与盖度相乘得到。群落水平的生物量、多度与SRU则分别通过累加各物种水平的生物量、多度与SRU得到。