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Point patterns of tree distribution determined by habitat heterogeneity and dispersal limitation

  • Community ecology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Understanding processes underlying spatial distribution of tree species is fundamental to studying species coexistence and diversity. This study modeled point patterns of tree distribution, expressed by Cartesian coordinates of individual trees within a mapped forest stand, for the purpose of identifying processes that may generate spatial patterns of tree communities. We used four primary point pattern processes (homogeneous Poisson process, inhomogeneous Poisson process, homogeneous Thomas process, and inhomogeneous Thomas process) to model tree distribution in two stem-mapped forests in Taiwan, Republic of China. These four models simulate spatial processes of habitat association and seed dispersal, allowing us to evaluate the potential contribution of habitat heterogeneity and dispersal limitation to the formation of spatial patterns of tree species. The results showed that the inhomogeneous Thomas process was the best fit model and described most of the species studied, suggesting that spatial patterns of tree species might be formed by the joint effects of habitat associations and dispersal limitation. The homogeneous Thomas process that models the effect of dispersal limitation was the second best model. We also found that the best fit models could be predicted by species attributes, including species abundance and dispersal mode. The significant traits, however, differed between the two study plots and demonstrated site-specific patterns. This study indicated that the interactive operation of niche-based (habitat heterogeneity) and neutral-based (dispersal limitation) may be important in generating spatial patterns of tree species in forest communities.

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Acknowledgments

The work was inspired from many discussions with Fangliang He while Y.L. was visiting the He Lab at University of Alberta in the summer of 2009. The authors thank Drs. Fangliang He, Katherine Gross, Andy Hector, James Dalling and Joshua Plotkin for their constructive feedback of earlier drafts of the manuscript. The authors also would like thank Dr. Yu-Yun Chen for her efforts in data management, Mr. Guochun Shen for his assistance in computer programming, Mrs. Rene Wilson for her editorial assistance, and many research assistants/students from Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Providence University, Tunghai University, and other universities in Taiwan for their assistance with the field work for the LHC and Kenting plots. This study was supported by grants by the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute (97 AS-7.1.1.F1-G1) and Taiwan Forestry Bureau (No. TFBM-960226). The study complies with the current laws and regulations of Taiwan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Life Science, Tunghai University, Taichung, 40704, Taiwan, ROC

    Yi-Ching Lin & I-Fang Sun

  2. Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, Taipei, 10066, Taiwan, ROC

    Li-Wan Chang & Hsiang-Hua Wang

  3. Department of Ecology, Providence University, Taichung, 43301, Taiwan, ROC

    Kuoh-Cheng Yang

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  1. Yi-Ching Lin
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  2. Li-Wan Chang
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  3. Kuoh-Cheng Yang
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  4. Hsiang-Hua Wang
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  5. I-Fang Sun
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Correspondence to Yi-Ching Lin.

Additional information

Communicated by Andy Hector.

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Lin, YC., Chang, LW., Yang, KC. et al. Point patterns of tree distribution determined by habitat heterogeneity and dispersal limitation. Oecologia 165, 175–184 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1718-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1718-x

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