DataSheet_1_Identifying hotspots of woody plant diversity and their relevance with home ranges of the critically endangered gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) across forest landscapes within a tropical nature reserve.docx

IntroductionTo achieve effective conservation objectives, it is crucial to map biodiversity patterns and hotspots while considering multiple influencing factors. However, focusing solely on biodiversity hotspots is inadequate for species conservation on a landscape scale. This emphasizes the importance of integrating hotspots with the home ranges of species to identify priority conservation areas.MethodsCompiling the vegetation data with environmental and anthropogenic disturbance data collected from kilometer-grid plots in Bawangling Nature Reserve, Hainan, China, we analyzed the spatial distribution of plant diversity (species richness and Shannon-Wiener index), as well as the main drivers affecting these patterns. We also investigated the spatial distribution of hotspots using a threshold approach and compared them with the home ranges of the flagship species, Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus).ResultClimate and soil are predominant drivers shaping the spatial pattern of plant diversity in Bawangling Nature Reserve, surpassing the influence of anthropogenic disturbance and topographic factors. Both diversity indices exhibit a generally similar pattern with exceptions in surrounding areas of Futouling and Elongling. The hotspots identified by the Shannon-Wiener index showed a higher spatial overlap with the home ranges of Hainan gibbon compared to the species richness hotspots. The recently established Hainan gibbon Group E in 2019, located 8 km away from the original Futouling habitat, does not coincide with identified hotspots.DiscussionOur findings indicate that the hotspots of plant diversity within the habitat of Hainan gibbon Group E are relatively limited, emphasizing the necessity of giving precedence to its conservation. Integrating hotspots with the home ranges of critically endangered species offers decision-makers valuable information to establish rational conservation networks in the context of changing environments, as well as a reference for habitat restoration of species.</p

Xinghui Lu et al. 2016. Biotropica.Data Base

Data description of plot species and environment factor

The spatial distribution of individual trees in each forest type.

<p>The diameter at breast height (dbh) of each tree was over 5 cm. The sizes of individual circles were represented by the dbh of individual trees. There were four plots in tropical dwarf forests (TDF1, TDF2, TDF3 and TDF4) and tropical evergreen forests (TMEF1, TMEF2, TMEF3 and TMEF4), respectively.</p

Data_Sheet_1_Species Diversity Regulates Ecological Strategy Spectra of Forest Vegetation Across Different Climatic Zones.docx

Ecological strategy is the tactics employed by species in adapting to abiotic and biotic conditions. The ecological strategy spectrum is defined as the relative proportion of species in different ecological strategy types within a community. Determinants of ecological strategy spectrum of plant community explored by most previous studies are about abiotic factors. Yet, the roles of biotic factors in driving variations of ecological strategy spectra of forest communities across different geographic regions remains unknown. In this study, we established 200 0.04-ha forest dynamics plots (FDPs) and measured three-leaf functional traits of tree and shrub species in four forest vegetation types across four climatic zones. Based on Grime’s competitor, stress-tolerator, ruderal (CSR) triangular framework, and the StrateFy method, we categorized species into four ecological strategy groups (i.e., C-, S-, Int-, and R-groups) and related the ecological spectra of the forests to three species diversity indices [i.e., species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, and stem density (stem abundance)]. Linear regression, redundancy analysis, and variance partition analysis were utilized for assessing the roles of species diversity in regulating ecological strategy spectra of forest communities across different climatic zones. We found that the proportion of species in the C- and Int-groups increased, while the proportion of species in the S-group decreased, with the increase of three indices of species diversity. Among the three species diversity indices, stem abundance played the most important role in driving variations in ecological strategy spectra of forests across different climatic zones. Our finding highlights the necessity of accounting for biotic factors, especially stem abundance, in modeling or predicting the geographical distributions of plant species with varied ecological adaptation strategies to future environmental changes.</p

Comparison in importance (coefficient of determination for positive dbh-distance regression) of interspecific competition (heterospecific neighbors), intraspecific competition (conspecific neighbors) and overall species competition (all neighbors) between tropical montane evergreen forest (TMEF) and tropical dwarf forest (TDF) for the shared species occupying these two forests.

<p>Note: The r square of each species is calculated from the mean of all plots in that forest type.</p

Percentage of heterospecific species, conspecific species and overall species showing significant positive and negative dbh-distance correlations.

<p>The three types of dbh-distance correlations showing the non-random, competition and facilitation processes affecting on tree species assemblage, respectively.</p

Comparison in intensity (slope for positive dbh-distance regression) of interspecific competition (heterospecific neighbors), intraspecific competition (conspecific neighbors) and overall species competition (all neighbors) between tropical montane evergreen forest (TMEF) and tropical dwarf forest (TDF), for the shared species occupying these two forests.

<p>Note: The slope of each species is calculated from the mean of all plots in that forest type.</p

A predictive framework indicating significant positive and negative size-distance correlations for tree species.

<p>The two categories of correlations were assumed to differ significantly from those that individual trees were distributed stochastically, and the size and nearest neighbor distance therefore were not correlated. Significant positive correlation between size and nearest neighbor distance would predict a negative interaction (i.e. competition process) on species assemblage (A), and significant negative correlation between size and nearest neighbor distance would predict a positive interaction (i.e. facilitation process) on species assemblage (B).</p

Comparison in importance (coefficient of determination for negative dbh-distance regression) of interspecific facilitation (heterospecific neighbors), intraspecific facilitation (conspecific neighbors) and overall species facilitation (all neighbors) between tropical montane evergreen forest (TMEF) and tropical dwarf forest (TDF), for the shared species occupying these two forests.

<p>Note: The r square of each species is calculated from the mean of all plots in that forest type.</p

Comparison in intensity (slope for positive dbh-distance regression) of interspecific facilitation (heterospecific neighbors), intraspecific facilitation (conspecific neighbors) and overall species facilitation (all neighbors) between tropical montane evergreen forest (TMEF) and tropical dwarf forest (TDF), for the shared species occupying these two forests.

<p>Note: The slope of each species is calculated from the mean of all plots in that forest type.</p