DOI: 10.5061/dryad.xksn02vv0
title: Increased diversity by cushion plants enhances alpine community productivity and stability

description: The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is
 well-documented in multiple ecosystems such as grasslands and forests, yet
 in harsh alpine environments where the formation and maintenance of
 diversity face significant challenges, it remains largely underexplored.
 This study examines the role of multiple alpine cushion plant species in
 promoting plant diversity and enhancing ecosystem functioning through
 assessments of community biomass production and spatial stability.
 Cushion-constructed micro-communities (CCMC) exhibit a substantial
 increase in plant species richness, ranging from 83% to 150%, compared to
 bare ground areas. These benefits are contingent on the facilitation
 strength of specific cushions and decrease with distance from the cushion
 edges. Importantly, the enhanced plant diversity within CCMCs strengthens
 the positive relationships between diversity and community biomass
 production and stability through complementarity effects. This increased
 micro-community-scale diversity is essential for supporting and sustaining
 ecosystem functioning and stability. These insights advance our
 understanding of the ecological significance of multiple cushion plant
 species, demonstrating their joint role in not only sustaining local
 diversity but also enhancing ecosystem functioning (specifically community
 productivity) and stability in alpine environments.
description: # Increased diversity by cushion plants enhances alpine community
 productivity and stability Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.xksn02vv0](10.5061/dryad.xksn02vv0) ## Description of the
 dataset This dataset was collected as part of a field investigation
 examining how multiple cushion plant species influence plant community
 structure, biomass production, and spatial stability in the alpine
 subnival belt of the Himalaya–Hengduan Mountains. The study involved
 sampling plant assemblages within and outside cushion canopies across 30
 cm distance gradients to quantify cushion effects on subordinate species
 diversity and ecosystem functioning. Community-level data on species
 composition, aboveground biomass, and biomass variability were recorded
 from micro-communities constructed by different cushion species. These
 data were used to evaluate spatial patterns of facilitation, biodiversity
 effects on ecosystem productivity and stability, and cushion-specific
 contributions to ecosystem engineering. ## Description of the data and
 file structure This dataset contains two main data files describing
 vegetation composition, biomass, and abundance in cushion plant plots and
 bare-ground plots in alpine ecosystems. The data were collected through
 field surveys and measurements, following standardized protocols to ensure
 comparability. ### File 1: Cushion.xlsx Contains vegetation survey data
 collected in plots centered on cushion plants. * ID — A sequential number
 for each row, used for sorting during data analysis. * Foundation.species
 — The scientific (Latin) name of the cushion plant species serving as the
 “foundation species” in the plot. * New.number — The unique plot number
 for each cushion plant sampled. * Size — The length of the long axis and
 short axis of the cushion plant canopy. * Area — The canopy surface area
 of the cushion plant, calculated from the long and short axis lengths
 (assuming an elliptical shape typical for naturally growing cushion plants
 in the field). Units: square meters (m²), rounded to four decimal places.
 * Distance — The horizontal distance from the edge of the cushion plant
 canopy. Units: centimeters (cm). * total area — The total area of the
 region defined by the cushion plant canopy plus the specified edge
 distance. Units: square meters (m²), rounded to four decimal places. *
 Beneficiary.species — The scientific (Latin) name of the plant species
 occurring within the specified area around the cushion plant. * Biomass(g)
 — The total above-ground dry biomass of the given beneficiary species in
 that area. Units: grams (g). * Abundance — The total number of individual
 plants (abundance) of the given beneficiary species in that area.
 **Important notes for this file:** Biomass and abundance values are per
 distance gradient, not cumulative. For each cushion plant plot, up to five
 distance gradients were surveyed: 0 cm, 5 cm, 10 cm, 20 cm, and 30 cm from
 the canopy edge. If a given distance gradient is missing from a plot’s
 records, it indicates no plants were present in that zone, and thus no row
 was recorded. ### File 2: Bare_ground.xlsx Contains vegetation survey data
 collected in bare-ground plots without cushion plants. * ID — A sequential
 number for each row, used for sorting during data analysis. * Sample.ID —
 The unique plot number for each bare-ground sampling area. The prefix OG
 stands for Open Ground. * Species — The scientific (Latin) name of the
 plant species found in the bare-ground plot. * Biomass(g) — The total
 above-ground dry biomass of the species in the bare-ground plot. Units:
 grams (g). * Abundance — The total number of individual plants (abundance)
 of the species in the bare-ground plot. **Important notes for this file:**
 Bare-ground plots were randomly selected within the plant community. Each
 bare-ground plot is a circular area with a diameter of 1 meter. All
 bare-ground plots were located in areas without cushion plants.