Journal of Plant Ecology ›› 2017, Vol. 10 ›› Issue (1): 179-189.DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtw099

所属专题: 生物多样性与生态系统功能

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Impact of tree diversity and environmental conditions on the survival of shrub species in a forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China

Bo Yang1,2, Ying Li3, Bingyang Ding4, Sabine Both5, Alexandra Erfmeier6,7, Werner Härdtle3, Keping Ma8, Bernhard Schmid9, Thomas Scholten10, Gunnar Seidler1, Goddert von Oheimb11, Xuefei Yang12 and Helge Bruelheide1,7,*   

  1. 1 Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06120 Halle, Germany; 2 Key Laboratory of Speciality Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jingdezhen University, 838 Cidu Avenue, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi 333000, China; 3 Faculty of Sustainability, Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany; 4 College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; 5 Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK; 6 Institute for Ecosystem Research, Geobotany, Kiel University, Olshausenstr 75, 24118 Kiel, Germany; 7 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; 8 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China; 9 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland; 10 Department of Geosciences, Chair of Soil Science and Geomorphology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Rümelinstraße19-23, D-72070 Tübingen, Germany; 11 Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection, Pienner Straße 7, 01737 Tharandt, Germany; 12 Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS Kunming, Kunming 650201, China
  • 收稿日期:2016-05-02 接受日期:2016-09-17 出版日期:2017-02-04 发布日期:2017-01-30

Impact of tree diversity and environmental conditions on the survival of shrub species in a forest biodiversity experiment in subtropical China

Bo Yang1,2, Ying Li3, Bingyang Ding4, Sabine Both5, Alexandra Erfmeier6,7, Werner Härdtle3, Keping Ma8, Bernhard Schmid9, Thomas Scholten10, Gunnar Seidler1, Goddert von Oheimb11, Xuefei Yang12 and Helge Bruelheide1,7,*   

  1. 1 Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Am Kirchtor 1, 06120 Halle, Germany; 2 Key Laboratory of Speciality Plant Resources of Jiangxi Province, Jingdezhen University, 838 Cidu Avenue, Jingdezhen, Jiangxi 333000, China; 3 Faculty of Sustainability, Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Scharnhorststr 1, 21335 Lüneburg, Germany; 4 College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325035, China; 5 Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, 23 St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UU, UK; 6 Institute for Ecosystem Research, Geobotany, Kiel University, Olshausenstr 75, 24118 Kiel, Germany; 7 German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; 8 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, Beijing 100093, China; 9 Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstr 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland; 10 Department of Geosciences, Chair of Soil Science and Geomorphology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Rümelinstraße19-23, D-72070 Tübingen, Germany; 11 Technische Universität Dresden, Institute of General Ecology and Environmental Protection, Pienner Straße 7, 01737 Tharandt, Germany; 12 Key Laboratory of Biodiversity and Biogeography, Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS Kunming, Kunming 650201, China
  • Received:2016-05-02 Accepted:2016-09-17 Online:2017-02-04 Published:2017-01-30
  • Contact: Bruelheide, Helge

摘要: Aims Although shrubs are an important component of forests, their role has not yet been considered in forest biodiversity experiments. In the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiment with subtropical tree species in south-east China (BEF-China), we factorially combined tree with shrub species-diversity treatments. Here, we tested the hypotheses that shrub survival differs between the 10 planted shrub species, with lower survival rates of late- than early-successional species and is affected by environmental conditions, such as topography and top soil characteristics, as well as by biotic factors, represented by tree, shrub and herb layer characteristics.
Methods We analyzed the survival of 42 000 shrub individuals in 105 plots varying in tree and shrub species richness of the BEF-China project four years after planting. Shrub survival was analyzed with generalized linear mixed effects models at the level of individuals and with variance partitioning at the plot level. Random intercept and random slope models of different explanatory variables were compared with respect to the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC).
Important findings Survival rates differed largely between the 10 shrub species, ranging from 26% to 91% for Ardisia crenata and Distylium buxifolium, respectively. Irrespective of species identity, single abiotic factors explained up to 5% of species survival, with a negative effect of altitude and slope inclination and a positive effect of the topsoil carbon to nitrogen ratio, which pointed to drought as the major cause of shrub mortality. In contrast, neither tree nor shrub richness affected shrub survival at this early stage of the experiment. Among the biotic predictors, only herb layer species richness and cover of the dominant fern species (Dicranopteris pedata) affected shrub survival. Overall, our models that included all variables could explain about 65% in shrub survival, with environmental variables being most influential, followed by shrub species identity, while tree species diversity (species richness and identity) and herb layer characteristics contributed much less. Thus, in this early stage of the experiment the biotic interactions among shrubs and between shrubs and trees have not yet overruled the impact of abiotic environmental factors.

Abstract: Aims Although shrubs are an important component of forests, their role has not yet been considered in forest biodiversity experiments. In the biodiversity–ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiment with subtropical tree species in south-east China (BEF-China), we factorially combined tree with shrub species-diversity treatments. Here, we tested the hypotheses that shrub survival differs between the 10 planted shrub species, with lower survival rates of late- than early-successional species and is affected by environmental conditions, such as topography and top soil characteristics, as well as by biotic factors, represented by tree, shrub and herb layer characteristics.
Methods We analyzed the survival of 42 000 shrub individuals in 105 plots varying in tree and shrub species richness of the BEF-China project four years after planting. Shrub survival was analyzed with generalized linear mixed effects models at the level of individuals and with variance partitioning at the plot level. Random intercept and random slope models of different explanatory variables were compared with respect to the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC).
Important findings Survival rates differed largely between the 10 shrub species, ranging from 26% to 91% for Ardisia crenata and Distylium buxifolium, respectively. Irrespective of species identity, single abiotic factors explained up to 5% of species survival, with a negative effect of altitude and slope inclination and a positive effect of the topsoil carbon to nitrogen ratio, which pointed to drought as the major cause of shrub mortality. In contrast, neither tree nor shrub richness affected shrub survival at this early stage of the experiment. Among the biotic predictors, only herb layer species richness and cover of the dominant fern species (Dicranopteris pedata) affected shrub survival. Overall, our models that included all variables could explain about 65% in shrub survival, with environmental variables being most influential, followed by shrub species identity, while tree species diversity (species richness and identity) and herb layer characteristics contributed much less. Thus, in this early stage of the experiment the biotic interactions among shrubs and between shrubs and trees have not yet overruled the impact of abiotic environmental factors.

Key words: BEF-China, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiment, forest herb layer, plant survival, shrub species richness