Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China
Woody plants are crucial components of forest ecosystems and play critical roles in regulating community succession and ecosystem function. Studying woody plant diversity and its influencing factors is thus important for understanding and protecting forest ecosystems. <i>Quercus aliena</i&g...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Forests |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/10/1956 |
| _version_ | 1797573830447726592 |
|---|---|
| author | Chenyi Yu Siyuan Ren Yudie Huang Guanjie Wang Shengyun Liu Zhenjiang Li Yabo Yuan Xin Huang Ting Wang |
| author_facet | Chenyi Yu Siyuan Ren Yudie Huang Guanjie Wang Shengyun Liu Zhenjiang Li Yabo Yuan Xin Huang Ting Wang |
| author_sort | Chenyi Yu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Woody plants are crucial components of forest ecosystems and play critical roles in regulating community succession and ecosystem function. Studying woody plant diversity and its influencing factors is thus important for understanding and protecting forest ecosystems. <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acutiserrata</i> is an important deciduous broadleaf species in the warm–temperate forest of central China. Multiple regression and structural equation modelling were used to discuss the effect of biotic and soil factors on tree species diversity across seven relative density gradients of <i>Q. aliena</i> var. <i>acutiserrata</i> trees in this zone. Our results showed that the following: (1) Species diversity showed significant decreasing trends with increasing relative density of <i>Q. aliena</i> var. <i>acutiserrata</i>. (2) As the relative density of the oak tree increased, some biotic factors (canopy density, and mean DBH) and soil factors (Soil SOC, AP, and AK) all showed significantly increasing trends, whereas the DBH variation (CVD) and soil pH displayed decreasing trends. (3) Biotic factor (e.g., mean DBH, CVD, and competition interaction) had strong direct effect on species diversity, and soil factors exerted indirect roles on tree diversity via biotic factors. Our results provide insight into biodiversity protection and scientific management in this warm–temperate natural oak forest. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:14:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4f4c6b833920421881f8bc96b67ec19a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:14:35Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-4f4c6b833920421881f8bc96b67ec19a2023-11-19T16:31:39ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-09-011410195610.3390/f14101956Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central ChinaChenyi Yu0Siyuan Ren1Yudie Huang2Guanjie Wang3Shengyun Liu4Zhenjiang Li5Yabo Yuan6Xin Huang7Ting Wang8College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaChina Aero Geophysical Survey & Remote Sensing Center for Natural Resources, Beijing 100083, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaWoody plants are crucial components of forest ecosystems and play critical roles in regulating community succession and ecosystem function. Studying woody plant diversity and its influencing factors is thus important for understanding and protecting forest ecosystems. <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acutiserrata</i> is an important deciduous broadleaf species in the warm–temperate forest of central China. Multiple regression and structural equation modelling were used to discuss the effect of biotic and soil factors on tree species diversity across seven relative density gradients of <i>Q. aliena</i> var. <i>acutiserrata</i> trees in this zone. Our results showed that the following: (1) Species diversity showed significant decreasing trends with increasing relative density of <i>Q. aliena</i> var. <i>acutiserrata</i>. (2) As the relative density of the oak tree increased, some biotic factors (canopy density, and mean DBH) and soil factors (Soil SOC, AP, and AK) all showed significantly increasing trends, whereas the DBH variation (CVD) and soil pH displayed decreasing trends. (3) Biotic factor (e.g., mean DBH, CVD, and competition interaction) had strong direct effect on species diversity, and soil factors exerted indirect roles on tree diversity via biotic factors. Our results provide insight into biodiversity protection and scientific management in this warm–temperate natural oak forest.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/10/1956species diversity<i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata</i>the Funiu Mountainsstructural equation modellingstand structural |
| spellingShingle | Chenyi Yu Siyuan Ren Yudie Huang Guanjie Wang Shengyun Liu Zhenjiang Li Yabo Yuan Xin Huang Ting Wang Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China Forests species diversity <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata</i> the Funiu Mountains structural equation modelling stand structural |
| title | Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China |
| title_full | Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China |
| title_fullStr | Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China |
| title_short | Biotic Factors Drive Woody Plant Species Diversity across a Relative Density Gradient of <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata Maxim.</i> in the Warm–Temperate Natural Oak Forest, Central China |
| title_sort | biotic factors drive woody plant species diversity across a relative density gradient of i quercus aliena i var i acuteserrata maxim i in the warm temperate natural oak forest central china |
| topic | species diversity <i>Quercus aliena</i> var. <i>acuteserrata</i> the Funiu Mountains structural equation modelling stand structural |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/10/1956 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chenyiyu bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT siyuanren bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT yudiehuang bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT guanjiewang bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT shengyunliu bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT zhenjiangli bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT yaboyuan bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT xinhuang bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina AT tingwang bioticfactorsdrivewoodyplantspeciesdiversityacrossarelativedensitygradientofiquercusalienaivariacuteserratamaximiinthewarmtemperatenaturaloakforestcentralchina |