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. 2022 Jan 18;43(1):40-51.
doi: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.166.

Multidimensional amphibian diversity and community structure along a 2 600 m elevational gradient on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Xiao-Yi Wang  1   2   3 , Mao-Jun Zhong  1 , Jian Zhang  4 , Xing-Feng Si  4 , Sheng-Nan Yang  1 , Jian-Ping Jiang  1 , Jun-Hua Hu  5
Affiliations

Multidimensional amphibian diversity and community structure along a 2 600 m elevational gradient on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Xiao-Yi Wang et al. Zool Res. .

Abstract
in English, Chinese

Mountain systems harbor an evolutionarily unique and exceptionally rich biodiversity, especially for amphibians. However, the associated elevational gradients and underlying mechanisms of amphibian diversity in most mountain systems remain poorly understood. Here, we explored amphibian phylogenetic and functional diversity along a 2 600 m elevational gradient on Mount Emei on the eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in southwestern China. We also assessed the relative importance of spatial (area) and environmental factors (temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, normalized difference vegetation index, and potential evapotranspiration) in shaping amphibian distribution and community structure. Results showed that the phylogenetic and functional diversities were unimodal with elevation, while the standardized effect size of phylogenetic and functional diversity increased linearly with elevation. Phylogenetic net relatedness, nearest taxon index, and functional net relatedness index all showed a positive to negative trend with elevation, indicating a shift from clustering to overdispersion and suggesting a potential change in key processes from environmental filtering to competitive exclusion. Overall, our results illustrate the importance of deterministic processes in structuring amphibian communities in subtropical mountains, with the dominant role potentially switching with elevation. This study provides insights into the underlying assembly mechanisms of mountain amphibians, integrating multidimensional diversity.

山地系统孕育了进化上独特且极为丰富的生物多样性，对两栖动物来说尤其如此。然而，当前大多数山地系统中两栖动物沿海拔梯度的多样性格局及群落构建机制尚不清楚。峨眉山位于中国西南地区的青藏高原东缘，其丰富的生物多样性及较大的海拔跨度（2 600 m）为理解两栖动物的海拔梯度格局提供了理想的研究平台。该研究基于峨眉山两栖动物的详细调查数据，解析了其系统发育和功能多样性沿海拔梯度的分布格局及群落结构，并进一步评估了空间（面积）和环境因子（温度、降水、太阳辐射、归一化植被指数和潜在蒸发量）在不同维度两栖动物多样性及群落构建中的重要性。结果表明，峨眉山两栖动物系统发育和功能多样性沿海拔均呈单峰分布；控制物种数的影响后，它们的标准化效应值随海拔升高单调递增。系统发育净亲缘指数、最近亲缘指数及功能净亲缘指数均沿海拔呈现出由正转负的趋势，这表明群落结构经历了由聚集到发散的转变，并暗示构建机制可能存在由环境过滤到竞争排斥的变化。该研究阐明了环境过滤和竞争排斥在亚热带山地系统两栖动物群落构建中的重要性：随着海拔升高，两者的主导作用可能会发生转换。通过整合不同维度的生物多样性，该研究有助于深入理解山地系统两栖动物的群落构建机制。.

Keywords: Community structure; Elevational gradient; Environmental filtering; Functional and phylogenetic diversity; Mountain systems.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Conceptual framework for inferring community structures and assembly processes along elevational gradients
Figure 2
Figure 2
Location (A) and elevational overview of Mount Emei (B); phylogenetic tree reconstruction (C) and elevational range size (D) of amphibians on Mount Emei, southwestern China
Figure 3
Figure 3
Diversity patterns of amphibians along the elevational gradient
Figure 4
Figure 4
Phylogenetic and functional structures of amphibian communities along the elevational gradient
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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