Identifying hotspots of woody plant diversity and their relevance with home ranges of the critically endangered gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) across forest landscapes within a tropical nature reserve.

Abstract

To achieve effective conservation objectives, it is crucial to map biodiversity patterns and hotspots while considering multiple influencing factors. However, focusing solely on biodiversity hotspots is inadequate for species conservation on a landscape scale. This emphasizes the importance of integrating hotspots with the home ranges of species to identify priority conservation areas. Compiling the vegetation data with environmental and anthropogenic disturbance data collected from kilometer-grid plots in Bawangling Nature Reserve, Hainan, China, we analyzed the spatial distribution of plant diversity (species richness and Shannon-Wiener index), as well as the main drivers affecting these patterns. We also investigated the spatial distribution of hotspots using a threshold approach and compared them with the home ranges of the flagship species, Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus). Climate and soil are predominant drivers shaping the spatial pattern of plant diversity in Bawangling Nature Reserve, surpassing the influence of anthropogenic disturbance and topographic factors. Both diversity indices exhibit a generally similar pattern with exceptions in surrounding areas of Futouling and Elongling. The hotspots identified by the Shannon-Wiener index showed a higher spatial overlap with the home ranges of Hainan gibbon compared to the species richness hotspots. The recently established Hainan gibbon Group E in 2019, located 8km away from the original Futouling habitat, does not coincide with identified hotspots. Our findings indicate that the hotspots of plant diversity within the habitat of Hainan gibbon Group E are relatively limited, emphasizing the necessity of giving precedence to its conservation. Integrating hotspots with the home ranges of critically endangered species offers decision-makers valuable information to establish rational conservation networks in the context of changing environments, as well as a reference for habitat restoration of species.