Abstract
The directional ecological filtering hypothesis posits that species in high-altitude environments typically exhibit broad environmental tolerance, influencing the colonization success of non-native species through niche overlap with natives. This study examines this hypothesis on Changbai Mountain, focusing on the encroachment of the herb Deyeuxia angustifolia from mountain birch forests into alpine tundra, where it competes with the endemic Rhododendron aureum . We established a permanent plot containing 10,000 continuous quadrats (2 × 2 m) in the summer of 2014, covering from treeline to the upper limit of alpine tundra. Each quadrat was divided into 40 × 40 cm resolution cells, totaling 250,000 cells. In 2014 we photographed and manually interpreted tundra plant species for all cells, assessing topographic and edaphic niche characteristics (the range of the factors) for both species. Findings reveal: (1) Over 50 % niche overlap between D. angustifolia and R. aureum , suggesting intense competition; (2) Broader niche width for R. aureum compared to D. angustifolia ; and (3) The expansion of D. angustifolia is facilitated by available nitrogen, while R. aureum is uniquely adapted to low phosphorus levels at higher altitudes. These results demonstrate that ecological and environmental filtering jointly shape distribution patterns of R. aureum and D. angustifolia , supporting the idea that environmental filtering is critical in the colonization of invading plant species. Our research sheds light on the pivotal roles played by microenvironmental factors, notably topography and soil, in determining the composition and distribution of plant communities, and contributes valuable insights for understanding and forecasting future shifts in plant composition of alpine tundra.
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Claims 5
Claim · model-written summary
D. angustifolia and R. aureum had over 50% niche overlap.
- Taxon
- D. angustifoliaCalamagrostis linifoliae0
- Interactor
- R. aureum
Rhododendron aureume0other - Outcome
- niche overlape0
- Value
- Over 50 %e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Over 50 % niche overlap between D. angustifolia and R. aureum”
e1“the endemic Rhododendron aureum”
Claim · model-written summary
R. aureum had broader niche width than D. angustifolia.
- Taxon
- R. aureumRhododendron aureume0
- Outcome
- niche widthe0
- Direction
- Broadere0
- Comparator
- D. angustifoliae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Broader niche width for R. aureum compared to D. angustifolia”
Claim · model-written summary
Available nitrogen facilitated expansion of D. angustifolia.
- Taxon
- D. angustifoliaCalamagrostis linifoliae0
- Compound
- nitrogene0
- Outcome
- expansione0
- Direction
- facilitatede0
Verbatim
e0“The expansion of D. angustifolia is facilitated by available nitrogen”
Claim · model-written summary
R. aureum was adapted to low phosphorus at higher altitudes.
- Taxon
- R. aureumRhododendron aureume0
- Outcome
- uniquely adapted to low phosphorus levelse0
- Setting
- higher altitudese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“R. aureum is uniquely adapted to low phosphorus levels at higher altitudes”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors infer that ecological and environmental filtering jointly shape distributions of both species.
- Taxon
- R. aureumRhododendron aureume0
- Outcome
- distribution patternse0
- Qualifier
- ecological and environmental filteringe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“ecological and environmental filtering jointly shape distribution patterns of R. aureum and D. angustifolia”