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Community assembly in a tropical cloud forest related to specific leaf area and maximum species height
Author(s) -
Long Wenxing,
Schamp Brandon S.,
Zang Runguo,
Ding Yi,
Huang Yunfeng,
Xiang Yangzhou
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.1111/jvs.12256
Subject(s) - specific leaf area , trait , ecology , cloud forest , abiotic component , tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , biology , niche , climate change , null model , subtropics , montane ecology , botany , photosynthesis , computer science , programming language
Question We tested whether co‐existing tree species in tropical dwarf forests were deterministically assembled along gradients of air temperature, relative humidity and light availability, according to two important functional traits, specific leaf area ( SLA ) and maximum species height ( H max ). Location Tropical montane cloud forest, Bawangling Nature Reserve, Hainan Island, south China. Methods Null model analyses were used in conjunction with trait and species composition data collected to test our hypotheses at four plot sizes (25 m 2 , 100 m 2 , 400 m 2 and 900 m 2 ), addressing whether the consistent importance of variation in SLA and H max extends to these unique forests, as well as theoretical predictions concerning how patterns change with plot size. Results Low SLA species were significantly over‐represented within forest communities for the two largest plot sizes, and taller‐growing tree species were over‐represented across all four plot sizes. Plot‐level analyses indicated that low SLA species were associated with lower temperatures. Conclusions Our results show that tropical dwarf forests are deterministically assembled with respect to these two traits, and are consistent with other studies indicating that SLA responds to abiotic filters. Co‐existing tree species were not significantly divergent for these two traits, indicating that variation in these two traits among trees does not contribute to niche differences (i.e. limiting similarity) and therefore co‐existence within forest plots. Finally, our study demonstrates that patterns of community assembly change with plot size; however, trait convergence did not increase with plot size as previously predicted.