Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms

Landscape succession, driven by natural factors and human activities, leads to dynamic changes in habitat structure and quality. While the effects of these changes on biodiversity are widely recognized, the specific responses of plants and microorganisms to habitat changes during landscape successio...

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Main Authors: Wen-Hui Lian, Wen-Sheng Zhao, Pan-Deng Wang, Jia-Rui Han, Chun-Yan Lu, Chao-Jian Hu, Guo-Yuan Shi, Fang Chen, Lei Dong, Ting Zhou, Wen-Jun Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Global Ecology and Conservation
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425001751
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author Wen-Hui Lian
Wen-Sheng Zhao
Pan-Deng Wang
Jia-Rui Han
Chun-Yan Lu
Chao-Jian Hu
Guo-Yuan Shi
Fang Chen
Lei Dong
Ting Zhou
Wen-Jun Li
author_facet Wen-Hui Lian
Wen-Sheng Zhao
Pan-Deng Wang
Jia-Rui Han
Chun-Yan Lu
Chao-Jian Hu
Guo-Yuan Shi
Fang Chen
Lei Dong
Ting Zhou
Wen-Jun Li
author_sort Wen-Hui Lian
collection DOAJ
description Landscape succession, driven by natural factors and human activities, leads to dynamic changes in habitat structure and quality. While the effects of these changes on biodiversity are widely recognized, the specific responses of plants and microorganisms to habitat changes during landscape succession remain unclear. This study focuses on fragmented mountaintop ecosystems formed during landscape succession, exploring how habitat loss influences plant and soil microorganism diversity, particularly through species-area relationship (SAR) patterns. We investigated the SAR patterns across mountaintops of varying sizes by assessing γ-diversity (total diversity at the mountaintop level), α-diversity (diversity within individual habitats), and β-diversity (community dissimilarity among habitats) for both plants and microorganisms. To uncover the drivers of observed diversity patterns, we analyzed the direct and indirect impacts of biotic (plant and microorganisms), spatial, and environmental factors on the SAR pattern. Our results showed that γ-diversity for all groups increased with mountaintop areas. For plants and bacteria, this was primarily driven by a larger species pool, indicative of a sampling effect. For fungi, the increase in γ-diversity was associated with greater habitat heterogeneity, resulting in higher β-diversity. For protists, the primary driver was higher α-diversity within samples, suggesting improved habitat quality. Notably, there was no significant correlation between above-ground plant diversity and the diversity of below-ground microorganisms, while strong correlations existed among the diversity of bacteria, fungi, and protists, particularly between bacteria and protists. This study highlights the complex interplay between habitat quality, heterogeneity, and biotic interactions, offering a comprehensive perspective on biodiversity dynamics in response to landscape succession, which is crucial for predicting biodiversity loss and informing conservation strategies during landscape succession.
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spelling doaj-art-4820b8a3c43d414e942f7e5f6b15a4822025-08-20T03:05:07ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942025-06-0159e0357410.1016/j.gecco.2025.e03574Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanismsWen-Hui Lian0Wen-Sheng Zhao1Pan-Deng Wang2Jia-Rui Han3Chun-Yan Lu4Chao-Jian Hu5Guo-Yuan Shi6Fang Chen7Lei Dong8Ting Zhou9Wen-Jun Li10State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR ChinaAdministrative Commission of Danxiashan National Park, Shaoguan 512300, PR ChinaState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; Corresponding authors.State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, PR China; Corresponding author at: State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Stress Biology and Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Zhuhai), School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat‑Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.Landscape succession, driven by natural factors and human activities, leads to dynamic changes in habitat structure and quality. While the effects of these changes on biodiversity are widely recognized, the specific responses of plants and microorganisms to habitat changes during landscape succession remain unclear. This study focuses on fragmented mountaintop ecosystems formed during landscape succession, exploring how habitat loss influences plant and soil microorganism diversity, particularly through species-area relationship (SAR) patterns. We investigated the SAR patterns across mountaintops of varying sizes by assessing γ-diversity (total diversity at the mountaintop level), α-diversity (diversity within individual habitats), and β-diversity (community dissimilarity among habitats) for both plants and microorganisms. To uncover the drivers of observed diversity patterns, we analyzed the direct and indirect impacts of biotic (plant and microorganisms), spatial, and environmental factors on the SAR pattern. Our results showed that γ-diversity for all groups increased with mountaintop areas. For plants and bacteria, this was primarily driven by a larger species pool, indicative of a sampling effect. For fungi, the increase in γ-diversity was associated with greater habitat heterogeneity, resulting in higher β-diversity. For protists, the primary driver was higher α-diversity within samples, suggesting improved habitat quality. Notably, there was no significant correlation between above-ground plant diversity and the diversity of below-ground microorganisms, while strong correlations existed among the diversity of bacteria, fungi, and protists, particularly between bacteria and protists. This study highlights the complex interplay between habitat quality, heterogeneity, and biotic interactions, offering a comprehensive perspective on biodiversity dynamics in response to landscape succession, which is crucial for predicting biodiversity loss and informing conservation strategies during landscape succession.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425001751Habitat islandPlantSoil microorganismsSpecies-area relationshipMulti-trophic interactionsBiodiversity conservation
spellingShingle Wen-Hui Lian
Wen-Sheng Zhao
Pan-Deng Wang
Jia-Rui Han
Chun-Yan Lu
Chao-Jian Hu
Guo-Yuan Shi
Fang Chen
Lei Dong
Ting Zhou
Wen-Jun Li
Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
Global Ecology and Conservation
Habitat island
Plant
Soil microorganisms
Species-area relationship
Multi-trophic interactions
Biodiversity conservation
title Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
title_full Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
title_fullStr Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
title_full_unstemmed Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
title_short Habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes: Similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
title_sort habitat island biogeography of mountaintop plant and soil microbiomes similar patterns driven by different mechanisms
topic Habitat island
Plant
Soil microorganisms
Species-area relationship
Multi-trophic interactions
Biodiversity conservation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425001751
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