Effects of Environmental Factors on Species Composition and Diversity of Quercus variabilis Community at the Southern Foot of Funiu Mountain

In this study, 30 typical plots were set up in Quercus variabilis community at the foot of Funiu mountain in China. The species composition, diversity, and environmental factors were systematically investigated. Redundancy analysis(RDA) and partial RDA were employed to elucidate the main environmental factors influencing species composition, and multiple linear stepwise regression analysis to explore the major factors driving species diversity. The results showed that 6 environmental factors totally explained 45.38% of the species composition variation of Q. variabilis community. The net effects of aspect and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content on species composition reached a significant level(P<0.05), which were the main environmental factors influencing species composition. The Q. variabilis, as an edificator, was dominant in the habitat with hotter dry aspect and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content poor-soil. Aspect, shrub coverage, soil pH and alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content were the most important(P<0.05) environmental factors explaining the variation in species diversity. The habitat with colder wet aspect, thicker litter, higher shrub coverage, higher soil acidity and rich alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen content had higher species diversity.