Soil resource availability is much more important than soil resource heterogeneity in determining the species diversity and abundance of karst plant communities.

ABSTRACT: Resource availability and heterogeneity are recognized as two essential environmental aspects to determine species diversity and community abundance. However, how soil resource availability and heterogeneity determine species diversity and community abundance in highly heterogeneous and most fragile karst landscapes is largely unknown. We examined the effects of soil resource availability and heterogeneity on plant community composition and quantified their relative contribution by variation partitioning. Then, a structural equation model (SEM) was used to further disentangle the multiple direct and indirect effects of soil resource availability on plant community composition. Species diversity was significantly influenced by the soil resource availability in shrubland and woodland but not

SUBMITTER: Liu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8668789 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature