Herbaceous plant species diversity and functional diversity in the forest-steppe zone of Hebei, China

doi:10.11686/cyxb2017015

Abstract

Abstract: Understanding the relationships between environmental/soil factors and plant species diversity and functional diversity is useful for identifying which factors have the strongest effects on plant communities. In this study, we first studied the relationships between different components of herbaceous plant species diversity (species richness, Shannon-Wiener diversity, and Pielou evenness) and functional diversity indices (functional richness, functional evenness, and functional dispersion). Then, we used methods of analysis of similarities (ANOSIM) and redundancy analysis to explore their variation across three vegetation types (grassland, shrub, and natural secondary forest) and different environmental gradients. The results showed that species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity were significantly higher in grassland than in shrub and natural secondary forest (P<0.05); however, the lowest functional richness was in grassland (P<0.05) and the lowest functional evenness and functional dispersion were in shrub forests (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in Pielou evenness among the three vegetation types (P>0.05). Functional richness was negatively related to species richness and Shannon-Wiener diversity (P<0.01). Functional dispersion was significantly positively correlated with species evenness (P<0.01), whereas functional evenness had a non-significant correlation with all species diversity indices (P>0.05). The main factors affecting species diversity were soil water content, soil organic matter, soil pH, soil total nitrogen content, and aspect. The main factors correlated with functional diversity were soil organic matter, soil depth, soil water content, and altitude. Consequently, soil factors were the vital determinants of plant species diversity and functional diversity in the study area, and accounted for 29.1% and 29.8% of the total variance explained by environmental factors, respectively. The results showed that herbaceous plant species diversity and functional diversity varied independently in the study area. Species diversity was mainly determined by resource availability, whereas functional diversity was mainly related to niche differentiation (the effects of both environmental filters and species interactions).

GE Zhao-Xuan, SUN Guo-Long, YUAN Ye, HUANG Xuan-Rui, ZHANG Zhi-Dong. Herbaceous plant species diversity and functional diversity in the forest-steppe zone of Hebei, China[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2017, 26(7): 35-44.

References

[1] Ma K P, Huang J H, Yu S L, et al . Plant community diversity in Dongling Mountain, Beijing, China; Ⅱ. Species richness, evenness and species diversities. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 1995, 15(3): 268-277.
马克平, 黄建辉, 于顺利, 等. 北京东灵山地区植物群落多样性的研究Ⅱ丰富度、均匀度和物种多样性指数. 生态学报, 1995, 15(3): 268-277.
[2] Petchey O L, Gaston K J. Functional diversity: back to basics and looking forward. Ecology Letters, 2006, 9(6): 741-758.
[3] Zhang Q G, Zhang D Y. Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: recent advances and trends. Biodiversity Science, 2003, 11(5): 351-363.
张全国, 张大勇. 生物多样性与生态系统功能:最新的进展与动向. 生物多样性, 2003, 11(5): 351-363.
[4] Bu W S. The Relationships Between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Natural Tropical Forests of Hainan Island, China[D]. Beijing: Chinese Academy of Forestry, 2013.
卜文圣. 海南岛热带天然林生物多样性与生态系统功能关系的研究[D]. 北京: 中国林业科学研究院, 2013.
[5] Suding K N, Goldstein L J. Testing the Holy Grail framework: using functional traits to predict ecosystem change. New Phytologist, 2008, 180(3): 559-562.
[6] Ledo A, Burslem D F R P, Condés S, et al . Micro-scale habitat associations of woody plants in a neotropical cloud forest. Journal of Vegetation Science, 2013, 24(6): 1086-1097.
[7] Jiang Y, Zang R G, Letcher S G, et al . Associations between plant composition/diversity and the abiotic environment across six vegetation types in a biodiversity hotspot of Hainan Island, China. Plant and Soil, 2016, 403(1): 21-35.
[8] Díaz S, Cabido M. Vive la différence: plant functional diversity matters to ecosystem processes. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2001, 16(11): 646-655.
[9] Stevens R D, Cox S B, Strauss R E, et al . Patterns of functional diversity across an extensive environmental gradient: vertebrate consumers, hidden treatments and latitudinal trends. Ecology Letters, 2003, 6(12): 1099-1108.
[10] Sun G J, Zhang R, Zhou L. Trends and advances in researches on plant functional diversity and functional groups. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2003, 23(7): 1430-1435.
孙国钧, 张荣, 周立. 植物功能多样性与功能群研究进展. 生态学报, 2003, 23(7): 1430-1435.
[11] Jiang X L, Zhang W G. Functional diversity and its research method. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2010, 30(10): 2766-2773.
江小雷, 张卫国. 功能多样性及其研究方法. 生态学报, 2010, 30(10): 2766-2773.
[12] Petchey O L, Gaston K J. Functional diversity (FD), species richness and community composition. Ecology Letters, 2002, 5(3): 402-411.
[13] Bello F D, Jan L, Sebastià M T. Variations in species and functional plant diversity along climatic and grazing gradients. Ecography, 2006, 29(6): 801-810.
[14] Sasaki T, Okubo S, Okayasu T, et al . Two-phase functional redundancy in plant communities along a grazing gradient in Mongolian rangelands. Ecology, 2009, 90(9): 2598-2608.
[15] Li X G, Zhu Z H, Zhou X S, et al . Effects of clipping, fertilizing and watering on the relationship between species diversity, functional diversity and primary productivity in alpine meadow of China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 2011, 35(11): 1136-1147.
李晓刚, 朱志红, 周晓松, 等. 刈割、施肥和浇水对高寒草甸物种多样性、功能多样性与初级生产力关系的影响. 植物生态学报, 2011, 35(11): 1136-1147.
[16] Li X E. Patterns of species diversity and functional diversity along a south- to north-facing slope in a subalpine meadow. Community Ecology, 2011, 12(2): 179-187.
[17] Mason N W H, Bello F D, Doležal J, et al . Niche overlap reveals the effects of competition, disturbance and contrasting assembly processes in experimental grassland communities. Journal of Ecology, 2011, 99(3): 788-796.
[18] Qin P Y, Yang H J, Jiang F L, et al . Quantitative classification of natural plant communities in the Saihanba National Nature Reserve, Hebei, Province, China. Chinese Journal of Applie Ecology, 2016, 27(5): 1383-1392.
秦朋遥, 杨会娟, 蒋凤玲, 等. 河北省塞罕坝保护区天然植物群落数量分类. 应用生态学报, 2016, 27(5): 1383-1392.
[19] Zhang S Z, Li M, Zhang S B, et al . Factors affecting natural regeneration of Larix principis-rupprechtii plantations in Saihanba of Hebei, China. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2015, 35(16): 5403-5411.
张树梓, 李梅, 张树彬, 等. 塞罕坝华北落叶松人工林天然更新影响因子. 生态学报, 2015, 35(16): 5403-5411.
[20] Pérez-Harguindeguy N, Díaz S, Garnier E, et al . New handbook for standardised measurement of plant functional traits worldwide. Australian Journal of Botany, 2013, 61(3): 167-234.
[21] Cornelissen J H C, Lavorel S, Garnier E, et al . A handbook of protocols for standardised and easy measurement of plant functional traits worldwide. Australian Journal of Botany, 2003, 51(4): 335-380.
[22] Lu R K. Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Analysis[M]. Beijing: Science and Technology of China Agriculture Press, 2000.
鲁如坤. 土壤农业化学分析方法[M]. 北京: 中国农业科技出版社, 2000.
[23] Mason N W H, Mouillot D, Lee W G, et al . Functional richness, functional evenness and functional divergence: the primary components of functional diversity. Oikos, 2005, 111(1): 112-118.
[24] Villéger S, Mason N W H, Mouillot D. New multidimensional functional diversity indices for a multifaceted framework in functional ecology. Ecology, 2008, 89(8): 2290-2301.
[25] Laliberté E, Legendre P. A distance-based framework for measuring functional diversity from multiple traits. Ecology, 2010, 91(1): 299-305.
[26] Morin P J. Biodiversity’s ups and downs. Nature, 2000, 406: 463-464.
[27] Currie D J, Francis A P. Regional versus climatic effect on taxon richness in angiosperms: reply to Qian and Ricklefs. American Naturalist, 2004, 163(5): 780-785.
[28] Perroni-Ventura Y, Montaña C, García-Oliva F. Relationship between soil nutrient availability and plant species richness in a tropical semi-arid environment. Journal of Vegetation Science, 2006, 17(6): 719-728.
[29] Bai Y F, Li L H, Wang Q B, et al . Changes in plant species diversity and productivity along gradients of precipitation and elevation in the Xilin River Basin, Inner Mongolia. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 2000, 24(6): 667-673.
白永飞, 李凌浩, 王其兵, 等. 锡林河流域羊草草原植物种群和功能群的长期变异性及其对群落稳定性的影响. 植物生态学报, 2000, 24(6): 667-673.
[30] La Q, Zhaxi Ciren, Zhu W D, et al . Plant species-richness and association with environmental factors in the riparian zone of the Yarlung Zangbo River of Tibet, China. Biodiversity Science, 2014, 22(3): 337-347.
拉琼, 扎西次仁, 朱卫东, 等. 雅鲁藏布江河岸植物物种丰富度分布格局及其环境解释. 生物多样性, 2014, 22(3): 337-347.
[31] Markesteijn L, Poorter L, Bongers F. Light-dependent leaf trait variation in 43 tropical dry forest tree species. American Journal of Botany, 2007, 94(4): 515-525.
[32] Devictor V, Mouillot D, Meynard C, et al . Spatial mismatch and congruence between taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity: the need for integrative conservation strategies in a changing world. Ecology Letters, 2010, 13(8): 1030-1040.
[33] Mayfield M M, Boni M F, Daily G C, et al . Species and functional diversity of native and human-dominated plant communities. Ecology, 2005, 86(9): 2365-2372.
[34] Kong B B, Wei X H, Du J L, et al . Effects of clipping and fertilization on the temporal dynamics of species diversity and functional diversity and their relationships in an alpine meadow. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 2016, 40(3): 187-199.
孔彬彬, 卫欣华, 杜家丽, 等. 刈割和施肥对高寒草甸物种多样性和功能多样性时间动态及其关系的影响. 植物生态学报, 2016, 40(3): 187-199.
[35] Zang Y M, Zhu Z H, Li Y N, et al . Effects of species diversity and functional diversity on primary productivity of alpine meadow. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 2009, 28(6): 999-1005.
臧岳铭, 朱志红, 李英年, 等. 高寒矮嵩草草甸物种多样性与功能多样性对初级生产力的影响. 生态学杂志, 2009, 28(6): 999-1005.