Disentangling the drivers of taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversities in disturbed and undisturbed subtropical forests.

ABSTRACT: Understanding the relative importance of dispersal limitation and environmental filtering processes in structuring the beta diversities of subtropical forests in human disturbed landscapes is still limited. Here we used taxonomic (TBD) and phylogenetic (PBD), including terminal PBD (PBDt) and basal PBD (PBDb), beta diversity indices to quantify the taxonomic and phylogenetic turnovers at different depths of evolutionary history in disturbed and undisturbed subtropical forests. Multiple linear regression model and distance-based redundancy analysis were used to disentangle the relative importance of environmental and spatial variables. Environmental variables were significantly correlated with TBD and PBDt metrics. Temperature and precipitation were major environmental drivers of beta diver

SUBMITTER: Liu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5075936 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature