Abstract:
Understanding the effects of species on diversity assembly of local community from the perspective of
plant population contributes to revealing the effect of interspecific interactions on the community
assemblage, which would be likely covered when discussing at the community levels. The effects of
specific species on local diversity patterns were studied at different spatial scales. And the relative
contributions of diversity accumulators, neutrals and repellers to community diversity assembly were also
examined. On the basis of a 5.2 hm2 research plot established in a secondaryPopulus davidiana-Betula
platyphylla forest, individual species-area relationship model was used to calculate the ISAR and mISAR
curves of 29 tree species. The complete spatial randomness method was used to test the significance of
deviation of individual species-area relationship from the neutral patterns. Our results indicated that the
effects of different tree species on local community diversity differ at varying spatial scales. Abies
nephrolepis, Acer barbinerve, Acer mono, Populus davidiana, Sorbus alnifolia and Tilia amurensis are
diversity accumulators in the research plot. Betula platyphylla and Ulmus davidiana var. japonica are
diversity repellers. Fraxinus mandshurica, Quercus mongolica, Malus baccata, Syringa reticulata var.
mandshurica are neutrals while other tree species are diversity accumulators at small spatial scales. A
significant scale-dependent effect was derived from the influences of diversity accumulators, neutrals and
repellers on the assembly of community diversity. The largest proportion of diversity accumulators was
found in the medium and small scales of 0 -36 m, and they determined the diversity assembly in forest
community. In contrast, neutral species shared the highest proportion and dominated the diversity
assembly of forest community at larger scales. Therefore, diversity accumulators and neutrals together
spatially structured community diversity assembly; however, the relative effects of them depended on the
spatial scales of discussed issues.