Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2019, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (2): 94-106.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2018.0312

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of functional diversity on productivity in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest

WEN Chun1,JIN Guang-Ze1,2,*()   

  1. 1 Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
    2 Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management- Ministry of Education, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
  • Received:2018-12-13 Accepted:2019-02-13 Online:2019-02-20 Published:2019-06-04
  • Contact: JIN Guang-Ze
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31730015);the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2572017EA02)

Abstract: <i>Aims</i>

Exploring the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem productivity has become a hot topic in ecological research. The results support the mass ratio hypothesis and niche complementarity hypothesis, but their relative importance is still controversial. Our aim is to test the relative importance of these two hypotheses in explaining the variability of productivity, and to explore whether the relationship between biodiversity and productivity is influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors.

<i>Methods</i>

We used the data of woody plants in a 9 hm2 typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. By calculating the initial biomass, species diversity, functional diversity, community-weighted mean functional traits and measuring environmental factors, we analyzed the relationship between diversity and productivity by the linear regression model and structural equation model.

<i>Important findings</i>

The results showed that: (1) Both species diversity and functional diversity played a significant role in productivity, and functional diversity was more closely related to productivity than species diversity; (2) the functional diversity index could better explain the variation of productivity than community-weighted mean functional traits. It suggested that the niche complementarity hypothesis was more suitable for explaining the variation of productivity in the mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest; (3) the relationship between biodiversity and productivity was affected by biotic and abiotic factors, and compared with diversity and functional character composition (vegetation quality), initial stand biomass (vegetation quantity) could explain the variation of productivity more effectively. Our study suggests that, it is important to maintain forest functional diversity and strengthen the protection of plants and soil environments to increase productivity and biodiversity effectively.

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Key words: functional diversity, forest productivity, niche complementarity hypothesis, mass ratio hypothesis, structural equation model