Multiple Spatial Scale Analysis of the Niche Characteristics of the Rhododendron dauricum Plant Communities in Northeast China

Abstract

This study aims to verify the concept of niches at multiple spatial scales in plant communities. To this end, we analyzed the niche characteristic of Rhododendron dauricum plant communities in Northeast China at three spatial scales. At the local scale, we calculated the Importance Value (IV) of species in five communities in the north of the Da Hinggan Mountains. At the intermediate scale, we examined five communities in their entirety, calculated the niche breadth of the species, and integrated niche overlap and interspecific association to analyze interspecific relationships. Further, the generalized additive model (GAM) was used to analyze the impact of topography and soil factors on niche characteristics. At the regional scale, we analyzed the geographical distribution of dominant species of R. dauricum plant communities in Northeast China and used principal component analysis (PCA) to analyze the impact of geographical and climate factors on species distribution. The results show that at the local scale, the IV of the species in each community varies widely. At the intermediate scale, species with a wide niche breadth tend to have a high value for IV. Larix gmelinii, Betula platyphylla, R. dauricum, Ledum palustre, and Vaccinium vitis-idaea had a relatively wide niche breadth and a high niche overlap, and the interspecific associations were almost all positive. Elevation and soil nutrients were the most dominant environmental factors. At the regional scale, species with a wide niche breadth tend to have a wide range of distribution, and temperature and precipitation were the most dominant environmental factors. This study suggests that the niche characteristics at three scales are both related and different. Niche characteristics at the local scale were various and labile, and niche characteristics at the intermediate and regional scales were relatively regular. These results show some degree of consistency with previous studies from an evolutionary perspective. The action mechanisms of these communities are related to differences in the dominant environmental factors. In addition, the integration of niche overlap and interspecific association determine interspecific relationships more accurately.

Niche and interspecific association of dominant tree populations of Zelkova schneideriana communities in eastern China

“…Niche breadth. The Levins index and Shannon-Wiener index were used to calculate the niche breadth of the dominant species (the top 10 species in terms of IV) in Z. schneideriana communities (Shannon et al 1949, Levins 1968, Tian et al 2018, Lu et al 2020.…”

“…Niche overlap. The niche overlap of the dominant populations in Z. schneideriana communities was calculated using the niche similarity index and niche overlap index (Pianka 1973, Schoener 1974, Lu et al 2020.…”

“…A niche is the position of one species in a community in relation to other species. In other words, it refers to the spatial and temporal position and functional relationship of each species in the community (Grinnell 1917, Bai & Zhang 2017, Lu et al 2020. Niche breadth can be used to reflect the utilization of resources, the distribution and quantity of species; niche overlap can be measured to determine the degree of similarity between species in their ability to exploit resources or adapt to the environment (Colwell & Futuyma 1971).…”

Small-scale variation in a pristine montane cloud forest: evidence on high soil fungal diversity and biogeochemical heterogeneity

“…The generation of robust baseline data targeting the small-scale evaluation of key soil taxa, such as fungi, is crucial to understand the current status of MCFs and to forecast future trends, promoting their management and conservation. So, the aim of this work was to explore soil fungal taxonomic and functional diversity, community structure (species composition), and niche characteristics (understood as the position of a species in relation to local environmental variables necessary for its persistence, and its ecological role, sensu Lu et al, 2020 ) across a 10 × 10 × 10 triangular transect in a pristine MCF of Mexico, through the implementation of high-throughput sequencing of PCR products amplified from environmental DNA samples and biogeochemical profiling of soil samples. We hypothesize that the herein investigated pristine MCF harbors a high fungal diversity in relation to the reported numbers for Mexico, and that fungal community structure is shaped by deterministic processes that are linked to the availability of soil nutrients at the small-scale.…”

Ecological niche and interspecific relationship of dominant bryophyte communities in stone walls of cities at different elevations, Guizhou, China

“…Furthermore, the relationship between niche width and niche overlap value in this study is complex and does not follow a simple linear pattern. Previous research has demonstrated that species with smaller niche widths may exhibit larger niche overlaps due to similar or complementary resource requirements stemming from shared biological characteristics [42,43] . Additionally, this study observed a higher distribution dispersity of niche overlap values in the E1 (989-1091m) and E3 (1194-1295m) altitudes, indicating relatively intense competition.…”