Spatial pattern of forest communities and environmental interpretation in Mulun National Nature Reserve, karst cluster-peak depression region

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.03.007

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Mulun National Nature Reserve is rich in typical natural evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved forest communities. However, little is known about the spatial pattern of vegetation and its relation with environment. Our objective was to investigate the spatial pattern of woody vegetation (DBH ≥ 1 cm) communities and its environmental interpretation.

Methods Fifty sample plots of 20 m × 20 m dimensions were established based on microhabitats and vegetation community types in Mulun National Nature Reserve, typical karst cluster-peak depression region. We analyzed data collected on woody plants (DBH ≥ 1 cm) in the plots, spatial pattern of woody vegetation communities and relationships with environmental factors (10 soil factors and 5 topographical factors) using two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) and detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA).

Important findings The forest communities were divided into 11 vegetation groups and were classified into 4 eco-types at the third level by TWINSPAN. The first DCCA axis accounted for the largest fraction of the variation of the ordination and showed gradients of slope direction and major soil nutrients. Along the first axis, the pattern of communities ranged from primary forest with shade-tolerant plants towards secondary and manmade forests with shade-intolerant and pioneer plants, accompanying a shift from shady to sunny slopes, an increase in the ratio of bare rocks in the ground cover and a steady decline in major soil nutrients. The effects of soil environmental factors, spatial factors and their interaction on the total variation of forest communities’ pattern were quantitatively partitioned following Borcard et al. and showed that the contribution rates were 21.02% for soil environmental factors separately, 18.15% for soil environmental factors coupled with spatial factors, 13.16% for spatial factors separately and 47.66% for other undetermined factors. This indicated species coexistence was controlled by both niche differentiation and unified neutral theory of biodiversity.

Key words: DCCA ordination, forest community, karst cluster-peak depression in Mulun National Nature Reserve, spatial pattern, two-way indicator species analysis (TWINSPAN) classification

SONG Tong-Qing, PENG Wan-Xia, ZENG Fu-Ping, WANG Ke-Lin, QIN Wen-Geng, TAN Wei-Ning, LIU Lu, DU Hu, LU Shi-Yang. Spatial pattern of forest communities and environmental interpretation in Mulun National Nature Reserve, karst cluster-peak depression region[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(3): 298-308.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.03.007

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2010/V34/I3/298

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1 Dendrogram of the TWINSPAN classification of 50 sample plots in tree layer. D indicates the level of division; N indicates the number of plots.

Table 1 The correlation coefficients of the first and second detrended canonical correspondence analysis ordination axes for forest communities and environmental factors

Fig. 2 The plots scores of DCCA ordination. The number from 1 to 50 in the map represents the code of the plots.

Fig. 3 The main species scores of DCCA ordination. The number from 1 to 30 represents the main species in the Mulun forest. 1, Rhus chinensis; 2, Callicarpa longifolia var. floccosa; 3, Cmnamomum saxitilis; 4, Radermachera sinica; 5, Celtis sinensis; 6, Mallotus philippensis; 7, Sapium rotundifolium; 8, Alangium chinense; 9, Mallotus repandus; 10, Liquidambar formosana; 11, Picrasma quassioides; 12, Alchornea trewioides; 13, Diospyros oleifera; 14 Murraya kwangsiensis; 15, Cryptocarya chinensis; 16, Clausena excavata; 17, Pteroceltis tatarinowii; 18, Sinosideroxylon pedurwulatum; 19, Rapanea kwangsiensis; 20, Mallotus barbatus var. croizatianus; 21, Mallotus japonicus var. floccosus; 22, Debregeasia longifolia; 23, Sterculia euosma; 24, Ligustrum japonicum; 25, Handeliodendron bodinieri; 26, Maesa japonica; 27, Derris trifoliata; 28, Cunninghamia lanceolata; 29, Tetrapanax papyrifer; 30, Koelreuteria minor.

Table 2 Results of detrended canonical correspondence analysis and partitioning of the variation of species matrix

群落格局的总体变异 Total variation of species abundance matrix	2.393
群落格局的土壤环境解释部分 Sum of canonical eigenvalues for environmently constrained analysis	0.937
群落格局的空间解释部分 Sum of canonical eigenvalues for spatially constrained analysis	0.750
群落格局的单纯土壤环境解释部分 Sum of canonical eigenvalues for environmentally constrained analysis after removal effects of spatial factors	0.503
群落格局的单纯空间解释部分 Sum of canonical eigenvalues for spatially constrained analysis after removal effects of environmental factors	0.315
土壤环境因子对群落格局的解释能力 Species abundance variation explained by environmental variables (%)	39.16
空间因子对群落格局的解释能力 Species abundance variation explained by spatial variables (%)	31.34
单纯土壤环境因子对群落格局的解释能力 Species abundance variation explained by pure soil environmental factors (%)	21.02
单纯空间因子对群落格局的解释能力 Species abundance variation explained by pure spatial factors (%)	13.16
土壤环境因子、空间因子对群落格局的交互解释能力 Species abundance variation explained by crossed spatial-environmental factors (%)	18.15
未能解释的部分 Unexplained species abundance variation (%)	47.66

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