Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China

Temporal taxonomic shifts have been documented in bird communities within protected areas. However, the potential impact of these changes on functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity remains poorly understood. In this study, we monitored bird communities in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve in...

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Main Authors: Binqiang Li, Jian Lu, Xin Zhong, Daohan Li, Bailin Li, Nehafta Bibi, Kechuan Linghu, Shanjun Ma, Pinghua Zhong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Pensoft Publishers 2025-03-01
Series:Biodiversity Data Journal
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Online Access:https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/145093/download/pdf/
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author Binqiang Li
Jian Lu
Xin Zhong
Daohan Li
Bailin Li
Nehafta Bibi
Kechuan Linghu
Shanjun Ma
Pinghua Zhong
author_facet Binqiang Li
Jian Lu
Xin Zhong
Daohan Li
Bailin Li
Nehafta Bibi
Kechuan Linghu
Shanjun Ma
Pinghua Zhong
author_sort Binqiang Li
collection DOAJ
description Temporal taxonomic shifts have been documented in bird communities within protected areas. However, the potential impact of these changes on functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity remains poorly understood. In this study, we monitored bird communities in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve in southern China for nine years (2014-2022). We examined temporal trends in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity metrics and compared observed phylogenetic diversity values with expected values to determine the mechanisms driving community assembly. Additionally, we evaluated the temporal trend of beta diversity. A total of 118 bird species were recorded, with the dominant species including Chestnut Bulbul (Hemixos castanonotus), Grey-cheeked Fulvetta (Alcippe morrisonia) and Great Tit (Parus major). We found that species turnover was the principal driver of temporal variations in species composition. However, species richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity fluctuated throughout the study period, showing no clear trend of increase or decrease. Our findings indicate that the composition of bird communities is shaped by environmental filtering and neutral processes. The changes in taxonomics may be due to changes in the availability of resources and random substitution arising from the dispersion process. Protected areas have the potential to attract new bird species with similar functional and genetic relationships to those already present. This leads to minimal changes to overall functional and phylogenetic diversity, suggesting a degree of functional redundancy amongst species that are replaced or added. Notably, we observed a persistent increase in species loss over time, raising concerns about the potential impact on the future functional stability of the system. We highlight that the asynchronous patterns of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in birds emphasise the importance of multidimensional diversity metrics. Consequently, we suggest that functional and phylogenetic diversity should be regarded as essential indicators alongside species richness when evaluating conservation outcomes in nature reserves. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of ecological communities and provides information for more effective conservation strategies.
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spelling doaj-art-c1f583b3fc884cb99b71c8abb97485d72025-08-20T03:43:55ZengPensoft PublishersBiodiversity Data Journal1314-28282025-03-011311810.3897/BDJ.13.e145093145093Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south ChinaBinqiang Li0Jian Lu1Xin Zhong2Daohan Li3Bailin Li4Nehafta Bibi5Kechuan Linghu6Shanjun Ma7Pinghua Zhong8Jiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational CollegeJiangxi Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve AdministrationJiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational CollegeJiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational CollegeJiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational CollegeCollege of Forestry, Southwest Forestry UniversityJiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational CollegePlaning and Design Institute, Yunnan Forestry Technological CollegeJiangxi Environmental Engineering Vocational CollegeTemporal taxonomic shifts have been documented in bird communities within protected areas. However, the potential impact of these changes on functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity remains poorly understood. In this study, we monitored bird communities in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve in southern China for nine years (2014-2022). We examined temporal trends in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity metrics and compared observed phylogenetic diversity values with expected values to determine the mechanisms driving community assembly. Additionally, we evaluated the temporal trend of beta diversity. A total of 118 bird species were recorded, with the dominant species including Chestnut Bulbul (Hemixos castanonotus), Grey-cheeked Fulvetta (Alcippe morrisonia) and Great Tit (Parus major). We found that species turnover was the principal driver of temporal variations in species composition. However, species richness, functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity fluctuated throughout the study period, showing no clear trend of increase or decrease. Our findings indicate that the composition of bird communities is shaped by environmental filtering and neutral processes. The changes in taxonomics may be due to changes in the availability of resources and random substitution arising from the dispersion process. Protected areas have the potential to attract new bird species with similar functional and genetic relationships to those already present. This leads to minimal changes to overall functional and phylogenetic diversity, suggesting a degree of functional redundancy amongst species that are replaced or added. Notably, we observed a persistent increase in species loss over time, raising concerns about the potential impact on the future functional stability of the system. We highlight that the asynchronous patterns of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in birds emphasise the importance of multidimensional diversity metrics. Consequently, we suggest that functional and phylogenetic diversity should be regarded as essential indicators alongside species richness when evaluating conservation outcomes in nature reserves. This approach provides a more comprehensive understanding of the complexity of ecological communities and provides information for more effective conservation strategies.https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/145093/download/pdf/temporal beta diversitycommunity changefunctio
spellingShingle Binqiang Li
Jian Lu
Xin Zhong
Daohan Li
Bailin Li
Nehafta Bibi
Kechuan Linghu
Shanjun Ma
Pinghua Zhong
Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China
Biodiversity Data Journal
temporal beta diversity
community change
functio
title Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China
title_full Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China
title_fullStr Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China
title_full_unstemmed Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China
title_short Silent changes in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in Qiyunshan National Nature Reserve, south China
title_sort silent changes in taxonomic functional and phylogenetic diversity of birds in qiyunshan national nature reserve south china
topic temporal beta diversity
community change
functio
url https://bdj.pensoft.net/article/145093/download/pdf/
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