Impact factors identification of spatial heterogeneity of herbaceous plant diversity on five southern islands of Miaodao Archipelago in North China

• Published in: Chinese journal of oceanology and limnology Vol. 34; no. 5; pp. 937 - 951
• Main Author: 池源 石洪华 王晓丽 覃雪波 郑伟 彭士涛
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Heidelberg Science Press 01.09.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Agriculture; Altitude; analysis of variance; anthropogenic activities; Archipelagoes; Biodiversity; Biology; Canopies; Canopy; carbon; China; Density; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental factors; herbaceous plants; Herbs; Heterogeneity; Human influences; Impact analysis; Islands; Marine; Moisture content; nitrogen content; Oceanography; Ordination; Patchiness; Phosphorus; Plant cover; Plant diversity; Plant ecology; Plant populations; Plant species; Plantations; Plants; Potassium; Soil properties; Spatial distribution; Spatial heterogeneity; species diversity; Variance analysis; Water content; China; China, People's Rep; INW, China, People's Rep., Liaoning Prov., Miaodao Archipelago; impact factor identification; herbaceous plant; biodiversity; spatial heterogeneity; Island ecology; plantation
• ISSN: 0254-4059; 2096-5508; 1993-5005; 2523-3521
• DOI: 10.1007/s00343-016-5111-4

Herbaceous plants are widely distributed on islands and where they exhibit spatial heterogeneity. Accurately identifying the impact factors that drive spatial heterogeneity can reveal typical island biodiversity patterns. Five southern islands in the Miaodao Archipelago, North China were studied herein. The spatial distribution of herbaceous plant diversity on these islands was analyzed, and the impact factors and their degree of impact on spatial heterogeneity were identified using CCA ordination and ANOVA. The results reveal 114 herbaceous plant species, belonging to 94 genera from 34 families in the 50 plots sampled. The total species numbers on different islands were significantly positively correlated with island area, and the average α diversity was correlated with human activities, while the β diversity among islands was more affected by island area than mutual distances. Spatial heterogeneity within islands indicated that the diversities were generally high in areas with higher altitude, slope, total nitrogen, total carbon, and canopy density, and lower moisture content, pH, total phosphorus, total potassium, and aspect. Among the environmental factors, pH, canopy density, total K, total P, moisture content, altitude, and slope had significant gross effects, but only canopy density exhibited a significant net effect. Terrain affected diversity by restricting plantation, plantation in turn influenced soil properties and the two together affected diversity. Therefore, plantation was ultimately the fundamental driving factor for spatial heterogeneity in herbaceous plant diversity on the five islands.