Multiple processes jointly determine ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms in Northeast China

Yue Chen; Jonathan A. Myers; Alejandro Ordonez; Jinghua Yu; Ji Ye; Fei Lin; Shuai Fang; Zikun Mao; Xugao Wang

doi:10.1111/jbi.14817

Multiple processes jointly determine ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms in Northeast China

Yue Chen, Jonathan A. Myers, Alejandro Ordonez, Jinghua Yu, Ji Ye, Fei Lin, Shuai Fang, Zikun Mao, Xugao Wang^*

^*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review

Abstract

Aim: Ecological uniqueness is an essential component of biodiversity. However, the mechanisms underlying patterns of ecological uniqueness remain unresolved. This study aims to assess the relative importance as well as interactive roles of four hypothesized processes (regional climate filtering, local environmental filtering, biotic heterogeneity and disturbance intensity [DI]) in shaping ecological uniqueness across three forest plant life-forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) in a large temperate forest region. Location: Northeast China. Methods: We quantified ecological uniqueness as abundance and incidence-based local relative contributions to beta diversity (i.e. LCBD indices) in the study region. Multiple beta regression analyses and piecewise structural equation models were used to determine the relative direct and interactive effects of four processes in shaping ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms. Results: The southern area of the region exhibited consistently greater LCBD values across plant life-forms, highlighting its importance for conservation. All four processes jointly affected ecological uniqueness but their relative importance varied across plant life-forms. Generally, regional climate had the dominant effect on tree LCBD while biotic heterogeneity was the most important process driving shrub and herb LCBDs. Local environmental filtering was less important in driving LCBD of all life-forms. The significant direct effect of DI was only found in the herb group. Despite its weak direct effect, DI could indirectly shape tree and shrub LCBDs via biotic heterogeneity. Main Conclusions: Our study suggests that current patterns of ecological uniqueness (i.e. LCBD) across forest plant life-forms result from multiple processes, with regional climate filtering and biotic heterogeneity having the strongest effects on uniqueness patterns across all life-forms. Meanwhile, DI is more critical for shaping ecological uniqueness of herbs than trees or shrubs. We highlight the interactive roles of biotic and abiotic filtering in shaping biologically distinct communities important for biodiversity conservation.

Originalsprog	Engelsk
Tidsskrift	Journal of Biogeography
Vol/bind	51
Nummer	7
Sider (fra-til)	1133-1147
Antal sider	15
ISSN	0305-0270
DOI	https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14817
Status	Udgivet - jul. 2024

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10.1111/jbi.14817

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title = "Multiple processes jointly determine ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms in Northeast China",

abstract = "Aim: Ecological uniqueness is an essential component of biodiversity. However, the mechanisms underlying patterns of ecological uniqueness remain unresolved. This study aims to assess the relative importance as well as interactive roles of four hypothesized processes (regional climate filtering, local environmental filtering, biotic heterogeneity and disturbance intensity [DI]) in shaping ecological uniqueness across three forest plant life-forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) in a large temperate forest region. Location: Northeast China. Methods: We quantified ecological uniqueness as abundance and incidence-based local relative contributions to beta diversity (i.e. LCBD indices) in the study region. Multiple beta regression analyses and piecewise structural equation models were used to determine the relative direct and interactive effects of four processes in shaping ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms. Results: The southern area of the region exhibited consistently greater LCBD values across plant life-forms, highlighting its importance for conservation. All four processes jointly affected ecological uniqueness but their relative importance varied across plant life-forms. Generally, regional climate had the dominant effect on tree LCBD while biotic heterogeneity was the most important process driving shrub and herb LCBDs. Local environmental filtering was less important in driving LCBD of all life-forms. The significant direct effect of DI was only found in the herb group. Despite its weak direct effect, DI could indirectly shape tree and shrub LCBDs via biotic heterogeneity. Main Conclusions: Our study suggests that current patterns of ecological uniqueness (i.e. LCBD) across forest plant life-forms result from multiple processes, with regional climate filtering and biotic heterogeneity having the strongest effects on uniqueness patterns across all life-forms. Meanwhile, DI is more critical for shaping ecological uniqueness of herbs than trees or shrubs. We highlight the interactive roles of biotic and abiotic filtering in shaping biologically distinct communities important for biodiversity conservation.",

keywords = "beta-diversity, biodiversity conservation, biotic heterogeneity, disturbance intensity, ecological uniqueness, forest plant life-forms, local environmental filtering, regional climate filtering",

author = "Yue Chen and Myers, {Jonathan A.} and Alejandro Ordonez and Jinghua Yu and Ji Ye and Fei Lin and Shuai Fang and Zikun Mao and Xugao Wang",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",

year = "2024",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/jbi.14817",

language = "English",

volume = "51",

pages = "1133--1147",

journal = "Journal of Biogeography",

issn = "0305-0270",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.",

number = "7",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Multiple processes jointly determine ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms in Northeast China

AU - Chen, Yue

AU - Myers, Jonathan A.

AU - Ordonez, Alejandro

AU - Yu, Jinghua

AU - Ye, Ji

AU - Lin, Fei

AU - Fang, Shuai

AU - Mao, Zikun

AU - Wang, Xugao

PY - 2024/7

Y1 - 2024/7

N2 - Aim: Ecological uniqueness is an essential component of biodiversity. However, the mechanisms underlying patterns of ecological uniqueness remain unresolved. This study aims to assess the relative importance as well as interactive roles of four hypothesized processes (regional climate filtering, local environmental filtering, biotic heterogeneity and disturbance intensity [DI]) in shaping ecological uniqueness across three forest plant life-forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) in a large temperate forest region. Location: Northeast China. Methods: We quantified ecological uniqueness as abundance and incidence-based local relative contributions to beta diversity (i.e. LCBD indices) in the study region. Multiple beta regression analyses and piecewise structural equation models were used to determine the relative direct and interactive effects of four processes in shaping ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms. Results: The southern area of the region exhibited consistently greater LCBD values across plant life-forms, highlighting its importance for conservation. All four processes jointly affected ecological uniqueness but their relative importance varied across plant life-forms. Generally, regional climate had the dominant effect on tree LCBD while biotic heterogeneity was the most important process driving shrub and herb LCBDs. Local environmental filtering was less important in driving LCBD of all life-forms. The significant direct effect of DI was only found in the herb group. Despite its weak direct effect, DI could indirectly shape tree and shrub LCBDs via biotic heterogeneity. Main Conclusions: Our study suggests that current patterns of ecological uniqueness (i.e. LCBD) across forest plant life-forms result from multiple processes, with regional climate filtering and biotic heterogeneity having the strongest effects on uniqueness patterns across all life-forms. Meanwhile, DI is more critical for shaping ecological uniqueness of herbs than trees or shrubs. We highlight the interactive roles of biotic and abiotic filtering in shaping biologically distinct communities important for biodiversity conservation.

AB - Aim: Ecological uniqueness is an essential component of biodiversity. However, the mechanisms underlying patterns of ecological uniqueness remain unresolved. This study aims to assess the relative importance as well as interactive roles of four hypothesized processes (regional climate filtering, local environmental filtering, biotic heterogeneity and disturbance intensity [DI]) in shaping ecological uniqueness across three forest plant life-forms (trees, shrubs and herbs) in a large temperate forest region. Location: Northeast China. Methods: We quantified ecological uniqueness as abundance and incidence-based local relative contributions to beta diversity (i.e. LCBD indices) in the study region. Multiple beta regression analyses and piecewise structural equation models were used to determine the relative direct and interactive effects of four processes in shaping ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms. Results: The southern area of the region exhibited consistently greater LCBD values across plant life-forms, highlighting its importance for conservation. All four processes jointly affected ecological uniqueness but their relative importance varied across plant life-forms. Generally, regional climate had the dominant effect on tree LCBD while biotic heterogeneity was the most important process driving shrub and herb LCBDs. Local environmental filtering was less important in driving LCBD of all life-forms. The significant direct effect of DI was only found in the herb group. Despite its weak direct effect, DI could indirectly shape tree and shrub LCBDs via biotic heterogeneity. Main Conclusions: Our study suggests that current patterns of ecological uniqueness (i.e. LCBD) across forest plant life-forms result from multiple processes, with regional climate filtering and biotic heterogeneity having the strongest effects on uniqueness patterns across all life-forms. Meanwhile, DI is more critical for shaping ecological uniqueness of herbs than trees or shrubs. We highlight the interactive roles of biotic and abiotic filtering in shaping biologically distinct communities important for biodiversity conservation.

KW - beta-diversity

KW - biodiversity conservation

KW - biotic heterogeneity

KW - disturbance intensity

KW - ecological uniqueness

KW - forest plant life-forms

KW - local environmental filtering

KW - regional climate filtering

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85185657793&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1111/jbi.14817

DO - 10.1111/jbi.14817

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85185657793

SN - 0305-0270

VL - 51

SP - 1133

EP - 1147

JO - Journal of Biogeography

JF - Journal of Biogeography

IS - 7

ER -

Multiple processes jointly determine ecological uniqueness across forest plant life-forms in Northeast China

Abstract

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