Tree structural diversity mediates vegetation carbon storage in dry-hot valley savannas along an elevational gradient

doi:10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.005

Plant Diversity ›› 2026, Vol. 48 ›› Issue (02): 399-408.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2025.12.005

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Tree structural diversity mediates vegetation carbon storage in dry-hot valley savannas along an elevational gradient

Wan-Chen Li^a, Qin Huang^a, Ru-Jing Yang^b, Zhi-Yan Peng^a, Qiong Cai^a, Wen-Jing Fang^a, Wen-Jun Liu^a, Su-Hui Ma^a, Ya-Jun Chen^c, Zhi-Ming Zhang^a

a. State Key Laboratory of Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China;
b. Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China;
c. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China

Received:2025-06-30 Revised:2025-12-10 Online:2026-05-19 Published:2026-03-25
Contact: Wen-Jun Liu,E-mail:liuwj@ynu.edu.cn;Su-Hui Ma,E-mail:suhuima@ynu.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Yunnan Province (No. 202303AC100009), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32571918, 32201426, 32260300), Science and Technology Talents and Platform Program of Yunnan Province (No. 202505AA350008), Yunnan Province Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Vertical Band of Composite Ecosystem in Baima Snow Mountain, Yunnan, China (202205AM070005) and the Scientific Research Fund Project of Yunnan Education Department and Yunnan University (2025Y0078).

Tree structural diversity mediates vegetation carbon storage in dry-hot valley savannas along an elevational gradient

Wan-Chen Li^a, Qin Huang^a, Ru-Jing Yang^b, Zhi-Yan Peng^a, Qiong Cai^a, Wen-Jing Fang^a, Wen-Jun Liu^a, Su-Hui Ma^a, Ya-Jun Chen^c, Zhi-Ming Zhang^a

a. State Key Laboratory of Vegetation Structure, Function and Construction (VegLab), School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China;
b. Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China;
c. CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China

通讯作者: Wen-Jun Liu,E-mail:liuwj@ynu.edu.cn;Su-Hui Ma,E-mail:suhuima@ynu.edu.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the Key Research and Development Program of Yunnan Province (No. 202303AC100009), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32571918, 32201426, 32260300), Science and Technology Talents and Platform Program of Yunnan Province (No. 202505AA350008), Yunnan Province Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Vertical Band of Composite Ecosystem in Baima Snow Mountain, Yunnan, China (202205AM070005) and the Scientific Research Fund Project of Yunnan Education Department and Yunnan University (2025Y0078).

Abstract

Abstract: Understanding the factors that drive distributional variation in terrestrial vegetation carbon pools (VCPs) is crucial for assessing the potential of carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. Although previous studies have extensively examined elevational patterns of VCPs and their abiotic drivers, the biotic mechanisms that drive VCPs remain poorly understood, especially in savanna ecosystems. Characterized by a unique “tree-shrub-grass” plant composition, the savannas in the dry-hot valleys have high productivity and carbon storage capacity. In this study, we investigated VCP distribution and the factors that drive these distributions along an elevational gradient (400–1700 m) in the dry-hot valleys of Southwest China. We found no significant elevational pattern in the total VCP, whereas tree and shrub VCPs exhibited divergent distributional patterns. We also found that VCP distribution was more strongly affected by structural diversity than by species diversity, indicating that structural diversity mediates the relationship between species diversity and VCP distribution. These findings suggest that optimized spatial resource use enhances carbon storage. Notably, the total VCP was more influenced by tree structural diversity than by shrub structural diversity, highlighting the dominant role of trees in savanna carbon sequestration. Furthermore, elevation shaped the VCP patterns by regulating both soil and biotic factors. These findings provide valuable insights for carbon-oriented conservation and restoration practices in dryland ecosystems.

Key words: Savanna, Vegetation carbon pool, Structural diversity, Species diversity

摘要： Understanding the factors that drive distributional variation in terrestrial vegetation carbon pools (VCPs) is crucial for assessing the potential of carbon sequestration and mitigating climate change. Although previous studies have extensively examined elevational patterns of VCPs and their abiotic drivers, the biotic mechanisms that drive VCPs remain poorly understood, especially in savanna ecosystems. Characterized by a unique “tree-shrub-grass” plant composition, the savannas in the dry-hot valleys have high productivity and carbon storage capacity. In this study, we investigated VCP distribution and the factors that drive these distributions along an elevational gradient (400–1700 m) in the dry-hot valleys of Southwest China. We found no significant elevational pattern in the total VCP, whereas tree and shrub VCPs exhibited divergent distributional patterns. We also found that VCP distribution was more strongly affected by structural diversity than by species diversity, indicating that structural diversity mediates the relationship between species diversity and VCP distribution. These findings suggest that optimized spatial resource use enhances carbon storage. Notably, the total VCP was more influenced by tree structural diversity than by shrub structural diversity, highlighting the dominant role of trees in savanna carbon sequestration. Furthermore, elevation shaped the VCP patterns by regulating both soil and biotic factors. These findings provide valuable insights for carbon-oriented conservation and restoration practices in dryland ecosystems.

关键词: Savanna, Vegetation carbon pool, Structural diversity, Species diversity

Wan-Chen Li, Qin Huang, Ru-Jing Yang, Zhi-Yan Peng, Qiong Cai, Wen-Jing Fang, Wen-Jun Liu, Su-Hui Ma, Ya-Jun Chen, Zhi-Ming Zhang. Tree structural diversity mediates vegetation carbon storage in dry-hot valley savannas along an elevational gradient[J]. Plant Diversity, 2026, 48(02): 399-408.

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Tree structural diversity mediates vegetation carbon storage in dry-hot valley savannas along an elevational gradient

Tree structural diversity mediates vegetation carbon storage in dry-hot valley savannas along an elevational gradient

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