Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients

Jingjing Liang; Javier G P Gamarra; Nicolas Picard; Mo Zhou; Bryan Pijanowski; Douglass F Jacobs; Peter B Reich; Thomas W Crowther; Gert-Jan Nabuurs; Sergio de-Miguel; See article full text for complete list of authors; Andrew Marshall; Sharif A Mukul; Alain Senghor K. Ngute; Catherine Waite

doi:10.1038/s41559-022-01831-x

Back

Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients

Journal article

Peer reviewed

Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients

Jingjing Liang, Javier G P Gamarra, Nicolas Picard, Mo Zhou, Bryan Pijanowski, Douglass F Jacobs, Peter B Reich, Thomas W Crowther, Gert-Jan Nabuurs, Sergio de-Miguel, …

Nature Ecology & Evolution, Vol.6, pp.1423-1437

2022

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01831-x

PMID: 35941205

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01831-xView

Published Version

Abstract

biodiversity

biogeography

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) is one of the most recognized global patterns of species richness exhibited across a wide range of taxa. Numerous hypotheses have been proposed in the past two centuries to explain LDG, but rigorous tests of the drivers of LDGs have been limited by a lack of high-quality global species richness data. Here we produce a high-resolution (0.025° × 0.025°) map of local tree species richness using a global forest inventory database with individual tree information and local biophysical characteristics from ~1.3 million sample plots. We then quantify drivers of local tree species richness patterns across latitudes. Generally, annual mean temperature was a dominant predictor of tree species richness, which is most consistent with the metabolic theory of biodiversity (MTB). However, MTB underestimated LDG in the tropics, where high species richness was also moderated by topographic, soil and anthropogenic factors operating at local scales. Given that local landscape variables operate synergistically with bioclimatic factors in shaping the global LDG pattern, we suggest that MTB be extended to account for co-limitation by subordinate drivers.

Details

Title: Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients
Authors: Jingjing Liang (Corresponding Author) - Purdue University
Javier G P Gamarra (Author) - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Nicolas Picard (Author) - Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Mo Zhou (Author) - Purdue University
Bryan Pijanowski (Author) - Purdue University
Douglass F Jacobs (Author) - Purdue University
Peter B Reich (Author) - University of Michigan
Thomas W Crowther (Author) - ETH Zurich
Gert-Jan Nabuurs (Author) - Wageningen University & Research
Sergio de-Miguel (Author) - Universitat de Lleida
See article full text for complete list of authors (Author)
Andrew Marshall (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Sharif A Mukul (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Alain Senghor K. Ngute (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Tropical Forests and People Research Centre
Catherine Waite (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Forest Research Institute
Publication details: Nature Ecology & Evolution, Vol.6, pp.1423-1437
Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
Date published: 2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-022-01831-x
ISSN: 2397-334X
PMID: 35941205
Organisation Unit: Tropical Forests and People Research Centre; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; School of Science, Technology and Engineering; Forest Research Institute; Sustainability Research Cluster
Language: English
Record Identifier: 99663998902621
Output Type: Journal article

Metrics

60 Record Views

101 Times Cited - Web of Science

See more details

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Web Of Science research areas: Ecology; Evolutionary Biology

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

Source: SDGs from InCites