Seasonal and habitat dependence of plant species, functional and phylogenetic diversity in agricultural landscapes

Abstract

The biodiversity of agricultural landscapes is under significant threat, while non-agricultural habitats within these landscapes play a crucial role in biodiversity conservation. There has been limited investigation into how plant species, functional and phylogenetic diversity varies across different seasons and habitats in agricultural landscapes. Thus, we carried out a survey of the plant communities in non-agricultural habitats in China's lower Yellow River plain. We investigated the diversity features of plant functionality, phylogeny, and plant species. We compared differences in plant community structure using non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis and tested phylogenetic signal using phylogenetic methods. Our analysis of plant community and diversity characteristics revealed significant differences in plant community structure between seasons and habitats, with the season having a more significant impact. The levels of plant species, functional, and phylogenetic diversity followed a seasonal pattern, with spring seeing the highest values and autumn seeing the lowest. Woodland and hedgerow habitats had the highest levels of diversity, while field roads had the lowest. The community phylogenetic structure of non-agricultural habitats was relatively concentrated and mainly influenced by human interference and environmental filtering. These findings offer scientific support for the preservation of ecosystem services and biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.