Elevational patterns of multidimensional plant diversity and community structure in a subtropical karst mountain system

doi:10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.007

Plant Diversity ›› 2026, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (02): 351-362.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.007

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Elevational patterns of multidimensional plant diversity and community structure in a subtropical karst mountain system

Lihua Zhou^a, Yuxiao Long^a, Siwei Hu^a, Min Luo^a, Wenbo Mou^a, Jingwen Deng^a, Lisha Jing^a, Mingyue Pang^a,b, Li Huang^c, Yongchuan Yang^a,b

a. Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China;
b. Joint International Research Laboratory of Green Building and Built Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China;
c. School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China

Received:2025-04-15 Revised:2025-12-08 Online:2026-05-19 Published:2026-03-25
Contact: Mingyue Pang,E-mail:pangmingyue@cqu.edu.cn;Li Huang,E-mail:huang900722@163.com
Supported by:
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [32071652] to Y.Y. and [32571936, 32301327] to L.H. We thank Wenqi Wang, Xue Ouyang, Liang Zeng, Zhuohao Cui, Jinxian Gu, Yin Zhu and Xun Hu for help with the field work. We thank the Mount Jinfo Scenic Area Management Committee for field survey permission and support. We thank the editors and reviewers for their comments and constructive suggestions on this work. This work is part of the BEST (Biodiversity along Elevational gradients: Shifts and Transitions) research network (https://best-mountains.org).

Elevational patterns of multidimensional plant diversity and community structure in a subtropical karst mountain system

Lihua Zhou^a, Yuxiao Long^a, Siwei Hu^a, Min Luo^a, Wenbo Mou^a, Jingwen Deng^a, Lisha Jing^a, Mingyue Pang^a,b, Li Huang^c, Yongchuan Yang^a,b

a. Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco-Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China;
b. Joint International Research Laboratory of Green Building and Built Environment, Ministry of Education, Chongqing University, Chongqing 400045, China;
c. School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences and Yunnan, Key Laboratory for Plateau Mountain Ecology and Restoration of Degraded Environments, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China

通讯作者: Mingyue Pang,E-mail:pangmingyue@cqu.edu.cn;Li Huang,E-mail:huang900722@163.com
基金资助:
This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [32071652] to Y.Y. and [32571936, 32301327] to L.H. We thank Wenqi Wang, Xue Ouyang, Liang Zeng, Zhuohao Cui, Jinxian Gu, Yin Zhu and Xun Hu for help with the field work. We thank the Mount Jinfo Scenic Area Management Committee for field survey permission and support. We thank the editors and reviewers for their comments and constructive suggestions on this work. This work is part of the BEST (Biodiversity along Elevational gradients: Shifts and Transitions) research network (https://best-mountains.org).

Abstract

Abstract: Understanding the mechanisms driving species assembly along elevational gradients in mountains is crucial for biodiversity conservation. However, no consensus has yet been reached on how these mechanisms work. This knowledge gap is particularly pronounced in biodiversity-rich subtropical karst mountains. Integrating multidimensional biodiversity information into research in karst systems will provide new insights into community assembly. Thus, we explored multidimensional forest diversity along an elevational gradient at Jinfo mountain, a karst mountain site, assessing the relative importance of distinct ecological processes in shaping patterns of community diversity and structure. Our results show that different dimensional diversities exhibit similar elevational patterns, with higher diversity observed at low-to-mid elevations than at high elevations. The multidimensional diversity and structure were primarily controlled by climate stress and topographic filtering and were further modulated by soil nutrient limitation and interspecific competition. However, the explanatory weights of these ecological processes were inconsistent among the different dimensions of diversity. The phylogenetic structure was clustered at low and middle elevations, with over-dispersion at high elevations. This indicates that community assembly shifted from being dominated by environmental filtering to being dominated by competitive exclusion as elevation increased. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that combining multidimensional diversity and multiple ecological processes related to community assembly can enhance the understanding of diversity patterns along elevational gradients and the underlying mechanisms maintaining them in subtropical karst mountains.

Key words: Multidimensional diversity, Ecological process, Community assembly, Elevational gradient, Karst mountains, Evergreen broad-leaved forest

摘要： Understanding the mechanisms driving species assembly along elevational gradients in mountains is crucial for biodiversity conservation. However, no consensus has yet been reached on how these mechanisms work. This knowledge gap is particularly pronounced in biodiversity-rich subtropical karst mountains. Integrating multidimensional biodiversity information into research in karst systems will provide new insights into community assembly. Thus, we explored multidimensional forest diversity along an elevational gradient at Jinfo mountain, a karst mountain site, assessing the relative importance of distinct ecological processes in shaping patterns of community diversity and structure. Our results show that different dimensional diversities exhibit similar elevational patterns, with higher diversity observed at low-to-mid elevations than at high elevations. The multidimensional diversity and structure were primarily controlled by climate stress and topographic filtering and were further modulated by soil nutrient limitation and interspecific competition. However, the explanatory weights of these ecological processes were inconsistent among the different dimensions of diversity. The phylogenetic structure was clustered at low and middle elevations, with over-dispersion at high elevations. This indicates that community assembly shifted from being dominated by environmental filtering to being dominated by competitive exclusion as elevation increased. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that combining multidimensional diversity and multiple ecological processes related to community assembly can enhance the understanding of diversity patterns along elevational gradients and the underlying mechanisms maintaining them in subtropical karst mountains.

关键词: Multidimensional diversity, Ecological process, Community assembly, Elevational gradient, Karst mountains, Evergreen broad-leaved forest

Lihua Zhou, Yuxiao Long, Siwei Hu, Min Luo, Wenbo Mou, Jingwen Deng, Lisha Jing, Mingyue Pang, Li Huang, Yongchuan Yang. Elevational patterns of multidimensional plant diversity and community structure in a subtropical karst mountain system[J]. Plant Diversity, 2026, 48(02): 351-362.

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Elevational patterns of multidimensional plant diversity and community structure in a subtropical karst mountain system

Elevational patterns of multidimensional plant diversity and community structure in a subtropical karst mountain system

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