Functional diversity and redundancy of subalpine meadows subjected to anthropogenic disturbances

Abstract

Abstract Aims The aims of this study were to assess how functional diversity (FD) and functional redundancy respond to subalpine meadow ecosystem degradation under anthropogenic disturbance and how species contribute to functional redundancy along the disturbance gradient. Methods The study was carried out in the subalpine meadow in Mount Jade Dragon, which is located at the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. Four disturbance intensities [no disturbance (ND), weak disturbance (WD), moderate disturbance (MD) and severe disturbance (SD)] were identified. Species richness, soil properties and five key plant functional traits were assessed along the disturbance gradient. Simpson’s diversity index, FD based on the Rao algorithm, functional redundancy, community-weighted mean of each functional trait and species-level functional redundancy were determined. Important Findings Unimodal change pattern of FD and functional redundancy along the disturbance gradient were found in the present study, with their maximum in MD and WD, respectively. Species diversity showed a decreasing trend with increasing disturbance intensity. As disturbance intensified, species with traits related to conservative growth strategies, such as low specific leaf area (SLA) and high leaf dry matter content (LDMC), decreased, whereas species with resource acquisitive strategies, such as small plant, high SLA and low LDMC, increased in the community. At the species level, species showed species-specific roles in functional redundancy. Notably, some species were important in the community in terms of their unique function. For instance, Ligularia dictyoneura in ND and Potentilla delavayi in MD and SD.