Abstract
Long-term changes in the abundance and distribution of tree species in the temperate forests of South Korea remain poorly understood. We investigated the changes in tree species composition in temperate mountainous forests using survey data from 130 permanent plots (0.1 ha) from the past 15 years (1998–2012) distributed across Mts. Jiri and Baegun, South Korea. The tree communities showed positive net changes in terms of stand density, richness, diversity, and evenness. At the species level, the change in relative species composition has been mainly driven by species such as Quercus mongolica, Carpinus laxiflora, Quercus serrata, Quercus variabilis, Styrax japonicus, Lindera erythrocarpa, and Pinus densiflora. These changes were categorized into five groups representing gradual increase or decrease, establishment, extinction, or fluctuation in species populations. At the community level, the changes in species composition showed consistent and directional increases in the annual rate of change for the mean species traits, including stand prevalence, pole growth rate, adult growth rate, and adult stature. Based on additive models, topographic variables (elevation, latitude, longitude, slope, topographic wetness index, and curvature) were more strongly associated with the distribution of species diversity than climate variables (annual mean minimum and maximum temperatures, temperature seasonality, annual rainfall, rainfall seasonality). Elevation was the most significant driver, followed by latitude and longitude. This study reveals the dynamics of change in tree species composition and distribution along topographical and climate gradients in South Korea and contributes to a broader understanding of temperate forest ecosystems for the purpose of better forest management.
Highlights
Changes in species composition, abundance, and forest structure have accelerated and become unpredictable in response to the combined impacts of increased abiotic and biotic pressures [1,2,3,4]
We examined changes in the abundance and distribution of tree species composition, richness, and diversity over a 15 year span with the goal of addressing the following questions: (1) how have species density, richness, diversity, and evenness changed over 15 years? (2) What are the drivers of shifts in tree species composition at the species and community levels? (3) What are the patterns of species diversity along topographical and climatic environment gradients?
It is important to understand the pattern of changes in the species composition of forests through the analysis of data collected over a long period of time
Summary
Forests 2020, 11, 186 temperatures) and biotic (pathogens and insects) pressures [1,2,3,4] These forest changes are important ecosystem-level responses to global change. Sproull et al investigated shifts in species composition, diversity, and distribution patterns in four herbaceous plant communities along an elevational gradient in Boulder, Colorado, U.S, using 17 and 32 year spans of census data. They found that changes in species composition were correlated with increased warming, overstory shifts, and local disturbance [18]
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