Species Diversity Has a Positive Interrelationship with Aboveground Biomass and a Mismatch with Productivity in a Subtropical Broadleaf Forest on the Wuyi Mountains, China

A study on the Wuyi Mountains, China, reveals that species diversity positively correlates with aboveground biomass (AGB) but not with productivity in subtropical broadleaf forests. Researchers analyzed large-, medium-, and small-scale forest dynamics plots using species richness, Shannon–Wiener index, and Pielou index, along with generalized linear regression models. The findings suggest that while species diversity enhances AGB, productivity is more influenced by abiotic factors like elevation. This insight challenges the assumption that biodiversity alone drives ecosystem functioning and provides a foundation for protecting evergreen broadleaf forests (EBLFs) in subtropical regions. The results also offer guidance for artificial forest construction and vegetation restoration.

Chen, S., Xie, L., Zhou, W., Chen, H., Xu, X., Jiang, S., Zang, M., Peng, Y., Chen, X., Duan, Y., Chen, L., Li, X., Ding, H., & Fang, Y. (2022). Species Diversity Has a Positive Interrelationship with Aboveground Biomass and a Mismatch with Productivity in a Subtropical Broadleaf Forest on the Wuyi Mountains, China. Diversity, 14(11), 952. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14110952