Functional and phylogenetic structures of pheasants in China

Abstract

Biodiversity has been subjected to increasing anthropogenic pressures. It is critical to understand the different processes that govern community assembly and species coexistence under biogeographic processes and anthropogenic events. Pheasants (Aves: Phasianidae) are highly threatened birds and China supports the richest pheasant species worldwide. Unravelling the spatial patterns and underlying factors associated with multi-dimensional biodiversity of species richness (SR), functional diversity (FD), and phylogenetic diversity (PD) of pheasants in China is helpful to understand not only the processes that govern pheasant community assembly and species coexistence, but also pheasant biodiversity conservation. We used a total of 45 pheasant species in China and analyzed the SR, FD, PD, and functional and phylogenetic structures by integrating species distribution maps, functional traits and phylogenies based on 50 ​km ​× ​50 ​km grid cells. We further used simultaneous autoregressive (SAR) models to explore the factors that determined these patterns. The southern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), Hengduan Mountains, southwestern Mountains, the east of the Qilian Mountains, the Qinling, southern China displayed higher SR, FD, and PD, which were determined by elevation, habitat heterogeneity, temperature seasonality, and vegetation cover. Elevation primarily determined the functional and phylogenetic structures of the pheasant communities. Assemblages in the highlands were marked by functional and phylogenetic clustering, particularly in the QTP, whereas the lowlands in eastern China comprised community overdispersion. Clustered pheasant assemblages were composed of young lineages. Patterns of functional and phylogenetic structures and richness-controlled functional and phylogenetic diversity differed between regions, suggesting that phylogenetic structures are not a good proxy for identifying functional structures. We revealed the significant role of elevation in pheasant community assemblages in China. Highlands interacted with community clustering, whereas lowlands interacted with overdispersion, supporting the environmental filtering hypothesis. Biogeographical drivers other than anthropogenic factor determined biodiversity of pheasants at the present scale of China. This study provides complementary background resources for multi-dimensional pheasant biodiversity and provides insights into avian biodiversity patterns in China.