Abstract
Aim: The former continental-scale studies modelled coarse-grained plant species-richness patterns (gamma diversity). Here we aim to refine this information for European forests by (a) modelling the number of vascular plant species that co-occur in local communities (alpha diversity) within spatial units of 400 m2; and (b) assessing the factors likely determining the observed spatial patterns in alpha diversity. Location: Europe roughly within 12°W–30°E and 35–60°N. Taxon: Vascular plants. Methods: The numbers of co-occurring vascular plant species were counted in 73,134 georeferenced vegetation plots. Each plot was classified by an expert system into deciduous broadleaf, coniferous or sclerophyllous forest. Random Forest models were used to map and explain spatial patterns in alpha diversity for each forest type separately using 19 environmental, land-use and historical variables. Results: Our models explained from 51.0% to 70.9% of the variation in forest alpha diversity. The modelled alpha-diversity pattern was dominated by a marked gradient from species-poor north-western to species-rich south-eastern Europe. The most prominent richness hotspots were identified in the Calcareous Alps and adjacent north-western Dinarides, the Carpathian foothills in Romania and the Western Carpathians in Slovakia. Energy-related factors, bedrock types and terrain ruggedness were identified as the main variables underlying the observed richness patterns. Alpha diversity increases especially with temperature seasonality in deciduous broadleaf forests, on limestone bedrock in coniferous forests and in areas with low annual actual evapotranspiration in sclerophyllous forests. Main conclusions: We provide the first predictive maps and analyses of environmental factors driving the alpha diversity of vascular plants across European forests. Such information is important for the general understanding of European biodiversity. This study also demonstrates a high potential of vegetation-plot databases as sources for robust estimation of the number of vascular plant species that co-occur at fine spatial grains across large areas.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1919-1935 |
| Journal | Journal of Biogeography |
| Volume | 46 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| Early online date | 7 Jun 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Sep 2019 |
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Keywords
- diversity
- Europe
- European Vegetation Archive (EVA)
- forest vegetation
- plant community
- predictive modelling
- Random Forests
- species-richness patterns
- vascular plants
- vegetation-plot database
Cite this
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Alpha diversity of vascular plants in European forests. / Večeřa, Martin; Divíšek, Jan; Lenoir, Jonathan; Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja; Biurrun, Idoia; Knollová, Ilona; Agrillo, Emiliano; Campos, Juan Antonio; Čarni, Andraž; Crespo Jiménez, Guillermo; Ćuk, Mirjana; Dimopoulos, Panayotis; Ewald, Jörg; Fernández-González, Federico; Gégout, Jean Claude; Indreica, Adrian; Jandt, Ute; Jansen, Florian; Kącki, Zygmunt; Rašomavičius, Valerijus; Řezníčková, Marcela; Rodwell, John S.; Schaminée, Joop H.J.; Šilc, Urban; Svenning, Jens Christian; Swacha, Grzegorz; Vassilev, Kiril; Venanzoni, Roberto; Willner, Wolfgang; Wohlgemuth, Thomas; Chytrý, Milan.
In: Journal of Biogeography, Vol. 46, No. 9, 09.2019, p. 1919-1935.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review
TY - JOUR
T1 - Alpha diversity of vascular plants in European forests
AU - Večeřa, Martin
AU - Divíšek, Jan
AU - Lenoir, Jonathan
AU - Jiménez-Alfaro, Borja
AU - Biurrun, Idoia
AU - Knollová, Ilona
AU - Agrillo, Emiliano
AU - Campos, Juan Antonio
AU - Čarni, Andraž
AU - Crespo Jiménez, Guillermo
AU - Ćuk, Mirjana
AU - Dimopoulos, Panayotis
AU - Ewald, Jörg
AU - Fernández-González, Federico
AU - Gégout, Jean Claude
AU - Indreica, Adrian
AU - Jandt, Ute
AU - Jansen, Florian
AU - Kącki, Zygmunt
AU - Rašomavičius, Valerijus
AU - Řezníčková, Marcela
AU - Rodwell, John S.
AU - Schaminée, Joop H.J.
AU - Šilc, Urban
AU - Svenning, Jens Christian
AU - Swacha, Grzegorz
AU - Vassilev, Kiril
AU - Venanzoni, Roberto
AU - Willner, Wolfgang
AU - Wohlgemuth, Thomas
AU - Chytrý, Milan
PY - 2019/9
Y1 - 2019/9
N2 - Aim: The former continental-scale studies modelled coarse-grained plant species-richness patterns (gamma diversity). Here we aim to refine this information for European forests by (a) modelling the number of vascular plant species that co-occur in local communities (alpha diversity) within spatial units of 400 m2; and (b) assessing the factors likely determining the observed spatial patterns in alpha diversity. Location: Europe roughly within 12°W–30°E and 35–60°N. Taxon: Vascular plants. Methods: The numbers of co-occurring vascular plant species were counted in 73,134 georeferenced vegetation plots. Each plot was classified by an expert system into deciduous broadleaf, coniferous or sclerophyllous forest. Random Forest models were used to map and explain spatial patterns in alpha diversity for each forest type separately using 19 environmental, land-use and historical variables. Results: Our models explained from 51.0% to 70.9% of the variation in forest alpha diversity. The modelled alpha-diversity pattern was dominated by a marked gradient from species-poor north-western to species-rich south-eastern Europe. The most prominent richness hotspots were identified in the Calcareous Alps and adjacent north-western Dinarides, the Carpathian foothills in Romania and the Western Carpathians in Slovakia. Energy-related factors, bedrock types and terrain ruggedness were identified as the main variables underlying the observed richness patterns. Alpha diversity increases especially with temperature seasonality in deciduous broadleaf forests, on limestone bedrock in coniferous forests and in areas with low annual actual evapotranspiration in sclerophyllous forests. Main conclusions: We provide the first predictive maps and analyses of environmental factors driving the alpha diversity of vascular plants across European forests. Such information is important for the general understanding of European biodiversity. This study also demonstrates a high potential of vegetation-plot databases as sources for robust estimation of the number of vascular plant species that co-occur at fine spatial grains across large areas.
AB - Aim: The former continental-scale studies modelled coarse-grained plant species-richness patterns (gamma diversity). Here we aim to refine this information for European forests by (a) modelling the number of vascular plant species that co-occur in local communities (alpha diversity) within spatial units of 400 m2; and (b) assessing the factors likely determining the observed spatial patterns in alpha diversity. Location: Europe roughly within 12°W–30°E and 35–60°N. Taxon: Vascular plants. Methods: The numbers of co-occurring vascular plant species were counted in 73,134 georeferenced vegetation plots. Each plot was classified by an expert system into deciduous broadleaf, coniferous or sclerophyllous forest. Random Forest models were used to map and explain spatial patterns in alpha diversity for each forest type separately using 19 environmental, land-use and historical variables. Results: Our models explained from 51.0% to 70.9% of the variation in forest alpha diversity. The modelled alpha-diversity pattern was dominated by a marked gradient from species-poor north-western to species-rich south-eastern Europe. The most prominent richness hotspots were identified in the Calcareous Alps and adjacent north-western Dinarides, the Carpathian foothills in Romania and the Western Carpathians in Slovakia. Energy-related factors, bedrock types and terrain ruggedness were identified as the main variables underlying the observed richness patterns. Alpha diversity increases especially with temperature seasonality in deciduous broadleaf forests, on limestone bedrock in coniferous forests and in areas with low annual actual evapotranspiration in sclerophyllous forests. Main conclusions: We provide the first predictive maps and analyses of environmental factors driving the alpha diversity of vascular plants across European forests. Such information is important for the general understanding of European biodiversity. This study also demonstrates a high potential of vegetation-plot databases as sources for robust estimation of the number of vascular plant species that co-occur at fine spatial grains across large areas.
KW - diversity
KW - Europe
KW - European Vegetation Archive (EVA)
KW - forest vegetation
KW - plant community
KW - predictive modelling
KW - Random Forests
KW - species-richness patterns
KW - vascular plants
KW - vegetation-plot database
U2 - 10.1111/jbi.13624
DO - 10.1111/jbi.13624
M3 - Article
VL - 46
SP - 1919
EP - 1935
JO - Journal of Biogeography
JF - Journal of Biogeography
SN - 0305-0270
IS - 9
ER -