Geographical Patterns and Drivers of Species and Phylogenetic Diversity of Desert Plant Communities in the Hexi Corridor, Northwestern China.

ABSTRACT: Desert plant communities play an irreplaceable role in maintaining the ecological balance of arid areas. Understanding the spatial distribution pattern of desert plant diversity and its environmental response mechanism is particularly important for the protection of regional biodiversity, and combining phylogenetic information can provide more in-depth insights. To this end, this study conducted a survey of desert plant communities along the southeast to northwest direction of the Hexi Corridor, revealing the variation patterns of species and phylogenetic diversity (PD) indicators along longitude, latitude, and altitude, and explored the driving factors of these patterns in combination with geographical, climatic, and soil factors. The results showed that the changes in species diversity (

SUBMITTER: Zhou X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12414604 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature