Topographic patterns in the phylogenetic structure of temperate forests on steep mountainous terrain

• Published in: AoB plants Vol. 7; p. plv134
• Main Authors: Kitagawa, Ryo, Mimura, Makiko, Mori, Akira S., Sakai, Akiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.01.2015
• Subjects: Catchments; Clustering; Community composition; Community structure; Composition; Denudation; Disturbances; Environmental conditions; Filtration; Forest communities; Forests; Geomorphology; Phylogenetics; Phylogeny; Rainfall; Soil depth; Species composition; Stochastic processes; Temperate forests; Terrain; Topography; Trends; Vegetation; temperate forest in East Asia; Community assembly rule; topographic gradients; heterogeneous environmental condition; phylogenetic diversity

In this study, we tested the topographic trends of measurements of phylogenetic community structure in a catchment covered by temperate forests with complex relief in Japan. We found that phylogenetic structure changed with increasing slope inclination, change of slope aspect from south to north, an...