DOI: 10.5061/dryad.pzgmsbctt
title: Pattern and driver of the compositional variations in a tropical cloud forest: Comparing vascular epiphytes with terrestrial woody plants

description: β-diversity patterns (the compositional variations across sites) and their
 drivers are the major concerns of biodiversity research and conservation
 practices, whereas such information remains scarce for vascular epiphytes,
 especially in tropical forest communities. This study aimed to reveal the
 pattern and driving process of the compositional variations of vascular
 epiphytes in a tropical cloud forest on Hainan island, southern China, and
 their differences from those of terrestrial woody plants. To this end, we
 quantified their between-habitat compositional variations and
 distinguished the underlying components of β-diversity (nestedness and
 turnover). We then examined the relative roles of niche-based and neutral
 processes in driving the compositional variations by using a null model
 approach. Our results showed that the between-habitat compositional
 variations were significant for both plant assemblages and stronger in
 vascular epiphytes than in terrestrial woody plants. The turnover
 component of β-diversity was significantly stronger in terrestrial woody
 plants, accounting for 73.16%–80.08% of the variations. By contrast, the
 nestedness component was significantly stronger in vascular epiphytes and
 characterized 46.82%–67.5% of the variations. Besides, the compositional
 variations of both plant assemblages, especially terrestrial woody plants,
 were generally poorly fitted by the simulated niche-based scenarios but
 well fitted by the simulated neutral scenarios. Overall, the compositional
 variations of both plant assemblages were significant and mainly due to
 dispersal limitation, albeit to varying degrees. Hence, further studies of
 these plant assemblages at local scales should not be ideologically
 limited to the niche-based framework. Moreover, the stronger nestedness
 observed in vascular epiphytes suggests the greater importance of
 prioritizing conservation efforts in the species-rich habitats for these
 plants.
description: # Pattern and driver of the compositional variations in a tropical cloud
 forest: Comparing vascular epiphytes with terrestrial woody plants
 ## Description of the data
 and file structure These were the plant compositional data collected from
 21 plots established in three habitats (A-C) of a tropical cloud forest on
 Hainan island. Specifically, a total of 3 data files were displayed here:
 1) composition data of the terrestrial woody plants (TWP) with the
 diameter at breast height (DBH) no less than 1 cm across those plots, 2)
 composition data of vascular epiphyte (VE), and 3) the species list of
 those plants. The composition data were displayed in the species-by-plot
 matrix in presence (1) or absence (0). Plot 1-10 were established within
 Habitat A, Plot 11-14 within Habitat B, and Plot 15-21 within Habitat C.
 These data were used to analyze the plant β-diversity pattern and the
 driving process, as in the asscoated manuscript. More details can be found
 in the manuscript, as well as in the associated supporting information. ##
 Sharing/Access information n/a ## Code/Software n/a