Phylogenetic turnover during subtropical forest succession across environmental and phylogenetic scales

Abstract

O_LIAlthough spatial and temporal patterns of phylogenetic community structure during succession are inherently interlinked and assembly processes vary with environmental and phylogenetic scale, successional studies of community assembly have yet to integrate spatial and temporal components of community structure, while accounting for scaling issues. To gain insight into the processes that generate biodiversity after disturbance, we combine analyses of spatial and temporal phylogenetic turnover across phylogenetic scales, accounting for covariation with environmental differences.\nC_LIO_LIWe compared phylogenetic turnover, at the species-and individual-level, within and between five successional stages, representing woody plant communities in a subtropical forest chronosequence. We decomposed turnover at different phylogenetic depths and assessed its covariation with between-plot abiotic differences.\nC_LIO_LIPhylogenetic turnover between stages was low relative to species turnover and was not explained by abiotic differences. However, within the late successional stages, there was high presence/absence-based turnover (clustering) that occurred deep in the phylogeny and covaried with environmental differentiation.\nC_LIO_LIOur results support a deterministic model of community assembly where (i) phylogenetic composition is constrained through successional time, but (ii) towards late succession, species sorting into preferred habitats according to niche traits that are conserved deep in phylogeny, becomes increasingly important.\nC_LI