Niche and interspecific association of dominant species in karst coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests:A case study in Guiyang
Incorporating species niche characteristics and interspecific associations can better elucidate the interspecific relationships among species,and can provide a theoretical basis for regional biodiversity conservation and forest management.This study focuses on the karst coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest in Guiyang,to test the niche and interspecific associations of dominant species in the arbor and shrub layers by analyzing importance value,niche breadth,niche overlap,variance ratio test,χ2 test,and Ochai index.The results reveal that the mixed forest comprises 169 woody plant species,among which Pinus massoniana in the arbor layer and Quercus fabri in the shrub layer exhibit the highest importance values and niche breadths,indicating strong resource utilization capabilities and dominance in the community,as well as high niche overlap with other species.Although niche overlap is prevalent,it is generally weak in both layers,suggesting moderate interspecific competition.The overall association in the arbor layer is positive,while that in the shrub layer is negative,implying a more stable coexistence among arbor layer.The overall association and interspecific associations are not significant,with χ2 test,and Ochiai index indicating weak interspecific associations and loose interspecific relationships.In summary,the niche and interspecific association characteristics in the karst coniferous and broadleaved mixed forest in Guiyang are influenced by resource availability and niche differentiation,which jointly contribute to the stable coexistence of community species.Therefore,during the restoration and reconstruction of karst coniferous and broadleaved mixed forests,species selection should consider niche and interspecific association features to advance regional greening projects and safeguard species diversity.
nicheinterspecific associationconiferous and broad-leaved mixed forestkarstGuiyang
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
