The dominant role of phylogenetic diversity in Diversity-Productivity Relationship: Evidence from natural mixed forests in Northeast China

• Published in: Ecological indicators Vol. 166; p. 112450
• Main Authors: Jia, Bo, Wang, Xinjie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.09.2024; Elsevier
• Subjects: Diversity-productivity relationship; Phylogenetic diversity; Random forest; Structural equation model; Random forest; Diversity-productivity relationship; Phylogenetic diversity; Structural equation model
• ISSN: 1470-160X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2024.112450

•The 30-year long-term analysis in Northeast China links diversity to productivity.•The impact of diversity surpasses topography and climate.•Findings underscore phylogenetic diversity’s pivotal role for forest management. Unraveling the complexity of the diversity-productivity relationship (DPR) is a pivotal task in ecology, necessitating extensive long-term research. Regrettably, the scarcity of long-term permanent plots poses a significant obstacle to our comprehension of how DPR evolves over time. To bridge this gap, we conducted a thorough analysis utilizing data from 110 permanent plots in natural mixed forests in northeastern China, spanning seven periods from 1987 to 2017. We employed Random Forest (RF) and composite structural equation models (SEMs) to delve into the intricate relationships among diversity, topography, climate, and productivity. Our primary objective was to assess the relative contributions of species diversity, structural diversity, and phylogenetic diversity. Our findings revealed a notable negative correlation between species diversity and productivity, whereas phylogenetic diversity exhibited a positive influence on productivity. It is noteworthy that the impact of structural diversity did not prove to be significantly influential. Furthermore, we emphasize the paramount importance of phylogenetic diversity, highlighting its crucial role in shaping DPRs and underscoring its significance in sustainable forest management.