Drivers of bird niche separation in temperate primeval forests have not yet been determined,due to the low number of intact forest sites.Here,we analyzed the general patterns of niche usage on trees by birds’assembla...Drivers of bird niche separation in temperate primeval forests have not yet been determined,due to the low number of intact forest sites.Here,we analyzed the general patterns of niche usage on trees by birds’assemblages.We tested how tree species affect the sharing of space in an assemblage of birds and their level of specialization.We conducted our study in the Białowieża primeval forest(NE Poland).During two breeding seasons,we observed bird positions on trees,divided into three vertical and six horizontal zones in 768 observation points.Based on the interaction networks framework we calculated the Kullback-Leibler distance d′as a metric of species specialization and the resource range RR index,which estimates the species’specificity based on the fraction of space utilized with a non-zero performance.The d′index was the highest in the lower understory for all parts of the tree on the basis of the position from the trunk.The RR index was the highest in the lower understory for all parts based on the position from the trunk.Regarding the tree species,the lowest d′index was observed in all tree species together,and hornbeam,whereas the highest in oak.At the tree species level,the RR index was the lowest for hornbeam.We show tree species importance in forest space sharing in the case of bird assemblages.Hornbeam,alder,and spruce are universal species that were used by birds almost entirely.In contrast,oak,lime,and maple were only partially used.Tree species with less complex structures could shape bird assemblages,as they could offer birds much fewer niches to realize.Therefore,we showed that high specialization and niche separation are drivers of high bird diversity.Consequently maintaining a diverse stand structure is crucial for biodiversity conservation.展开更多
The species composition of plant communities is determined by a number of factors,including current environmental conditions as well as biogeographical and evolutionary history.Despite evidence that plant diversity de...The species composition of plant communities is determined by a number of factors,including current environmental conditions as well as biogeographical and evolutionary history.Despite evidence that plant diversity decreases and species relatedness increases along latitudinal and environmental gradients(e.g.,low temperatures),it remains unclear whether these same patterns occur along elevational gradients,especially in the subtropical mountainous areas harboring rich biodiversity.In this study,we explored the pattern of phylogenetic relatedness of woody angiosperm assemblages and examined the effects of temperature variables on the phylogenetic relatedness among angiosperm woody plants using generalized linear model in subtropical forest communities along a broad elevational gradient in the Dulong Valley of Yunnan Province,China.Our results showed that woody angiosperm species in local forest plots tend to be more phylogenetically related at higher elevations and in areas with lower temperatures.Additionally,winter average temperature,rather than mean annual temperature,is a major predictor of the pattern of increasing phylogenetic relatedness with increasing elevation.This finding is consistent with the prediction of‘Tropical Niche Conservatism’hypothesis,which highlights the role of niche constraints in driving phylogenetic community assembly along an elevational gradient.展开更多
基金supported by the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce and the Institute of Dendrology,Polish Academy of Sciencesupport from the Foundation for Polish Science (FNP) from the START scholarship
文摘Drivers of bird niche separation in temperate primeval forests have not yet been determined,due to the low number of intact forest sites.Here,we analyzed the general patterns of niche usage on trees by birds’assemblages.We tested how tree species affect the sharing of space in an assemblage of birds and their level of specialization.We conducted our study in the Białowieża primeval forest(NE Poland).During two breeding seasons,we observed bird positions on trees,divided into three vertical and six horizontal zones in 768 observation points.Based on the interaction networks framework we calculated the Kullback-Leibler distance d′as a metric of species specialization and the resource range RR index,which estimates the species’specificity based on the fraction of space utilized with a non-zero performance.The d′index was the highest in the lower understory for all parts of the tree on the basis of the position from the trunk.The RR index was the highest in the lower understory for all parts based on the position from the trunk.Regarding the tree species,the lowest d′index was observed in all tree species together,and hornbeam,whereas the highest in oak.At the tree species level,the RR index was the lowest for hornbeam.We show tree species importance in forest space sharing in the case of bird assemblages.Hornbeam,alder,and spruce are universal species that were used by birds almost entirely.In contrast,oak,lime,and maple were only partially used.Tree species with less complex structures could shape bird assemblages,as they could offer birds much fewer niches to realize.Therefore,we showed that high specialization and niche separation are drivers of high bird diversity.Consequently maintaining a diverse stand structure is crucial for biodiversity conservation.
基金This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant nos.31770228,31570212,31370243)the Belt and Road Project of West Light Foundation of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,Yunnan Science and Technology Innovation Team Program(grant no.2019HC015)+1 种基金the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(grant no.2019QZKK0502)the Biodiversity Survey and Assessment Project of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment,The People’s Republic of China,China(grant no.2019HJ2096001006).
文摘The species composition of plant communities is determined by a number of factors,including current environmental conditions as well as biogeographical and evolutionary history.Despite evidence that plant diversity decreases and species relatedness increases along latitudinal and environmental gradients(e.g.,low temperatures),it remains unclear whether these same patterns occur along elevational gradients,especially in the subtropical mountainous areas harboring rich biodiversity.In this study,we explored the pattern of phylogenetic relatedness of woody angiosperm assemblages and examined the effects of temperature variables on the phylogenetic relatedness among angiosperm woody plants using generalized linear model in subtropical forest communities along a broad elevational gradient in the Dulong Valley of Yunnan Province,China.Our results showed that woody angiosperm species in local forest plots tend to be more phylogenetically related at higher elevations and in areas with lower temperatures.Additionally,winter average temperature,rather than mean annual temperature,is a major predictor of the pattern of increasing phylogenetic relatedness with increasing elevation.This finding is consistent with the prediction of‘Tropical Niche Conservatism’hypothesis,which highlights the role of niche constraints in driving phylogenetic community assembly along an elevational gradient.
基金Earthwatch Institute Programm"Quantifyand Monitor Carbon Pools and Fluxes to Assess the Impact of Climate Change on Subtropical Forests Under Different Anthropogenic Disturbances"
