AUTHOR=Dong Dubin , Tong Jiali , Liao Liang , Yi Lita , Yan Wende , Yu Fei 

TITLE=Formation of single-dominant-species patches of Dicranopteris dichotoma primarily influenced by understory light intensity

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1444371

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1444371

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The <italic>Dicranopteris dichotoma</italic> fern community plays vital roles in nutrient sequestration, succession regulation, and ecological threshold control. However, the mechanisms underlying the formation of the <italic>D. dichotoma</italic>–dominant community remain unclear.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This study established four different community types to investigate the effects of environmental factors on the formation of a <italic>D. dichotoma</italic>–dominant community.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>We found that climate was the primary factor affecting the formation of patches dominated by <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> at the regional scale. Specifically, higher annual mean temperature and annual mean precipitation were associated with larger single-dominant-species patches of <italic>D. dichotoma</italic>. Understory light intensity was the major factor affecting the formation of the <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> community at the community scale. Light intensity ranging from 200 to 500 µmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹ was most conducive to the development of a large <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> community. Additionally, understory light intensity enhanced the importance value of <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> in the herb community by decreasing its biomass proportion of support modules and increasing its biomass proportion of photosynthetic and reproductive modules. Soil properties and <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> characteristics showed interactions with each other. Acidic red-yellow soil was most suitable for the formation of single-dominant-species patches of <italic>D. dichotoma</italic>, and the growth of <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> further decreased the soil pH. Soil total phosphorus content was identified as a limiting factor for formation of the <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> community.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>In summary, the formation of single-dominant-species patches of <italic>D. dichotoma</italic> is mainly influenced by a combination of climate, community, and soil.</p></sec>