Spatiotemporal Patterns and Dynamics of Species Richness and Abundance of Woody Plant Func

Spatiotemporal Patterns and Dynamics of Species

Richness and Abundance of Woody Plant Functional Groups in a Tropical Forest Landscape of

Hainan Island,South China

Zhi-Dong Zhang;Run-Guo Zang;Yao-Dong Qi

【期刊名称】《植物学报（英文版）》 【年(卷),期】2008(050)005

【摘要】Tropical forests are among the most species-diverse ecosystems on Earth. Their structures and ecological functions are complex to understand. Functional group is defined as a group of species that play similar roles in an ecosystem. The functional group approach has been regarded as an effective way of linking the compositions of complex ecosystems with their ecological functions. To understand the variation of functional groups in species-rich ecosystems after disturbance, the present study investigated the spatial pattern and temporal dynamics of woody plants in a typically fragmented natural forest landscape of Hainan Island in South China. The study area was classified into eight landscape types based on vegetation type, disturbance manner and the time of recovery. The woody plant species were aggregated into seven functional groups based on the growth form, successional status and plant size. The results gained from the present study showed that all functional groups,