Topographic slope steepness and anthropogenic pressure interact to shape the distribution of tree cover in China

Nüchel, Jonas; Bøcher, Peder Klith; Svenning, Jens‐Christian

doi:10.1016/j.apgeog.2018.12.008

Cited by 21 publications

(19 citation statements)

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“…Topography has proved to be a good predictor of plant resource availability (Guo et al., 2017) and thus to be a key driver for determining tree species diversity, stand structure and productivity (Bohlman et al., 2008; Guo et al, 2014) and further affecting the relationship between diversity and forest productivity (Poorter et al., 2017; Takyu et al., 2002). Moreover, other studies have found that tree cover (a proxy for productivity) is affected by topography because steep terrain is less accessible to human activities (Belote, 2018; Nüchel et al., 2019). Therefore, it is important to understand how variability in environmental factors influences stability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rapid human population density growth, accelerated economic development and drastic land‐use change have been the main sources of human disturbances and pressures that have resulted in biodiversity loss (Chen et al., 2018; Huang et al., 2019; Martínez‐Ramos et al., 2016; Quan et al., 2011). Previous studies have also shown that socio‐economic factors (e.g., drastic increases in human population density) have had negative effects on forest growth owing to the greater risk of forest destruction to support the development of social and economic systems (Nüchel et al., 2019; Wen et al., 2017). Moreover, it is worth noting that the relationship between biomass production and diversity is not direct, but is also mediated by human management and human population density (Messier et al., 2019; Schulze et al., 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stability in subtropical forests: The role of tree species diversity, stand structure, environmental and socio‐economic conditions

Ouyang

Xiang

Gou

et al. 2020

Global Ecol. Biogeogr.

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AimTree species diversity can increase the stability of ecosystem productivity by increasing mean productivity and/or reducing the standard deviation in productivity. However, stand structure, environmental and socio‐economic conditions influence plant diversity and might strongly influence the relationships between diversity and stability in natural forest communities. The relative importance of these factors for community stability remains poorly understood in complex (species‐rich) subtropical forests.LocationSubtropical area of southern China.Time period1999–2014.Major taxa studiedForest trees.MethodsWe conducted bivariate analyses to examine the mechanisms (overyielding and species asynchrony) underlying the effects of diversity on stability. Multiple regression models were then used to determine the relative importance of tree species diversity, stand structure, socio‐economic factors and environmental conditions on stability. Structural equation modelling was used to disentangle how these variables directly and/or indirectly affect forest stability.ResultsTree species richness exerted a positive effect on stability through overyielding and species asynchrony, and this effect was stronger in mountainous forests than in hilly forests. Species richness positively affected the mean productivity, whereas species asynchrony negatively affected the variability in productivity, hence increasing forest stability. Structural diversity also had a positive effect, whereas population density had a negative effect on stability. Precipitation variability and slope mainly had indirect influences on stability through their effects on tree species richness.Main conclusionsOverall, tree species diversity governed stability; however, stand structure, socio‐economic conditions and environmental conditions also played an important role in shaping stability in these forests. Our work highlights the importance of regulating stand structure and socio‐economic factors in forest management and biodiversity conservation, to maintain and enhance their stability to provide ecosystem services in the face of unprecedented anthropogenic activities and global climate change.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stability in subtropical forests: The role of tree species diversity, stand structure, environmental and socio‐economic conditions

Ouyang

Xiang

Gou

et al. 2020

Global Ecol. Biogeogr.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…On the other hand, if the association were human‐induced, we would indeed expect to see an interaction of human activity with this association as we do in this study (Figures and b). A recent study finds a similar interaction between slope and tree cover that is affected by human population density (Nüchel et al, ). Here, the authors suggest that steep slopes might act as refuge for forests since land use in these areas is less intense.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

“…Steep topography may buffer species against anthropogenic pressures (Sandel & Svenning, 2013;Silva, Metzger, Simões, & Simonetti, 2007). Recently, forest cover in China was found to be shaped by topographic slope and this association was affected by human population density, so that in areas with higher human population density, the association of forest cover with steep slopes was higher than in areas of lower human population density (Nüchel, Bøcher, & Svenning, 2019). Such an interactive effect has also been observed for mammals in China (Li, Pan, & Oxnard, 2002;Li et al, 2015), and it is reasonable to suspect that a similar effect exists for Chinese gymnosperm distributions.…”

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confidence: 99%

Steep topography buffers threatened gymnosperm species against anthropogenic pressures in China

Jensen

Svenning

2020

Ecology and Evolution

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China is one of the most species‐rich countries in the world, harboring many rare gymnosperms. Following recent human‐led loss of forests, China is now experiencing increases in forest cover resulting from efforts of reforestation schemes. As anthropogenic activities have previously been found to interact with topography in shaping forest cover in China and considering the large human population and the ongoing population increase of the country, it is important to understand the role of anthropogenic pressures relative to environmental drivers for shaping species distributions here. Based on the well‐established relationship between human population density and topography, we propose a hypothesis for explaining species distributions in a country dominated by human activities, predicting that species are more likely to occur in areas of steep topography under medium human population densities compared to low and high human population densities. Using species occurrence data from the Chinese Vascular Plant Distribution Database along with a common SDM method (maximum entropy modeling), we tested this hypothesis. Our results show that steep topography has the highest importance for predicting Chinese gymnosperm species occurrences in general, and threatened species specifically, in areas of medium human population densities. Consequently, these species are more often found in areas of steep terrain, supporting the proposed hypothesis. Results from this study highlight the need to include topographically heterogeneous habitats when planning new protected areas for species conservation.

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“…However, existing studies on tick distribution at the national level remain rare in China where ticks were found to be widely distributed, and the public awareness on tick-borne diseases are limited [ 36 , 37 ]. With the implementation of large-scale afforestation strategy in China, the extent of forested areas in China has shown a rapid growth trend [ 38 ]. This potentially enlarges the distribution of ticks, as forests are known as ticks’ most favorite habitat type [ 39 , 40 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mapping the Potential Distribution of Major Tick Species in China

Yang

Zheng

Zhou

et al. 2020

IJERPH

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Ticks are known as the vectors of various zoonotic diseases such as Lyme borreliosis and tick-borne encephalitis. Though their occurrences are increasingly reported in some parts of China, our understanding of the pattern and determinants of ticks’ potential distribution over the country remain limited. In this study, we took advantage of the recently compiled spatial dataset of distribution and diversity of ticks in China, analyzed the environmental determinants of ten frequently reported tick species and mapped the spatial distribution of these species over the country using the MaxEnt model. We found that presence of urban fabric, cropland, and forest in a place are key determents of tick occurrence, suggesting ticks were likely inhabited close to where people live. Besides, precipitation in the driest month was found to have a relatively high contribution in mapping tick distribution. The model projected that theses ticks could be widely distributed in the Northwest, Central North, Northeast, and South China. Our results added new evidence on the potential distribution of a variety of major tick species in China and pinpointed areas with a high potential risk of tick bites and tick-borne diseases for raising public health awareness and prevention responses.

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Topographic slope steepness and anthropogenic pressure interact to shape the distribution of tree cover in China

Cited by 21 publications

References 48 publications

Stability in subtropical forests: The role of tree species diversity, stand structure, environmental and socio‐economic conditions

Stability in subtropical forests: The role of tree species diversity, stand structure, environmental and socio‐economic conditions

Steep topography buffers threatened gymnosperm species against anthropogenic pressures in China

Mapping the Potential Distribution of Major Tick Species in China

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