Biology

Landform and lithospheric development contribute to the assembly of mountain floras in China

W. Zhao, Z. Liu, et al.

Mountains are biodiversity hotspots, yet the role of geological processes in shaping plant communities remains elusive. This groundbreaking study analyzes 17,576 angiosperm species across 140 Chinese mountain floras, revealing how bedrock types and landforms influence species richness and assembly. Conducted by researchers including Wan-Yi Zhao and Zhong-Cheng Liu, it proposes an exciting new 'floristic geo-lithology hypothesis' that underscores the importance of geological factors in montane ecosystems.

00:00

Playback language: English

Index

Abstract

Mountains exhibit high biodiversity, but how geological processes affect montane flora assembly is unclear. This study analyzed 17,576 angiosperm species from 140 Chinese mountain floras across five landforms. Igneous bedrock correlated with higher species richness and phylogenetic overdispersion, while sedimentary bedrock showed the opposite. Landform type primarily determined older species assembly, while climate influenced younger species. The 'floristic geo-lithology hypothesis' is proposed, emphasizing bedrock and landform processes in montane floristic assembly.

Publisher

Nature Communications

Published On

Jun 17, 2024

Authors

Wan-Yi Zhao, Zhong-Cheng Liu, Shi Shi, Jie-Lan Li, Ke-Wang Xu, Kang-You Huang, Zhi-Hui Chen, Ya-Rong Wang, Cui-Ying Huang, Yan Wang, Jing-Rui Chen, Xian-Ling Sun, Wen-Xing Liang, Wei Guo, Long-Yuan Wang, Kai-Kai Meng, Xu-Jie Li, Qian-Yi Yin, Ren-Chao Zhou, Zhao-Dong Wang, Hao Wu, Da-Fang Cui, Zhi-Yao Su, Guo-Rong Xin, Wei-Qiu Liu, Wen-Sheng Shu, Jian-Hua Jin, David E. Boufford, Qiang Fan, Lei Wang, Su-Fang Chen, Wen-Bo Liao

Related Publications

Explore these studies to deepen your understanding of the subject.

Health and Fitness

Air pollution and meteorological conditions significantly contribute to the worsening of allergic conjunctivitis: a regional 20-city, 5-year study in Northeast China

C. Lu, J. Fu, et al.

Health and Fitness

The role of lifestyle and non-modifiable risk factors in the development of metabolic disturbances from childhood to adolescence

C. Börnhorst, P. Russo, et al.

Political Science

Joint liability and aggravation? An inspection of legislative and judicial practices in cases of the crime of the abduction, sale, and purchase of women and children in China

D. Wang

Biology

Untangling the Effects of Plant Genotype and Soil Conditions on the Assembly of Bacterial and Fungal Communities in the Rhizosphere of the Wild Andean Blueberry (Vaccinium floribundum Kunth)

A. S. D. Fossalunga, V. Cozzolino, et al.

Listen, Learn & Level Up

Over 10,000 hours of research content in 25+ fields, available in 12+ languages.

No more digging through PDFs, just hit play and absorb the world's latest research in your language, on your time.

listen to research audio papers with researchbunny