Different regions of the tropics vary in overall tree species diversity, with the tropical Americas exhibiting strikingly higher regional tree species richness than Africa and Southeast Asia. We investigated whether these differences also occur at the local scale and whether the environmental conditions associated with tree species richness are consistent across tropical regions despite highly dissimilar species pools. A spatial random forest model was trained by using a network of 429 1-hectare plots across the tropics, together with 24 environmental variables, to predict plot-level tree α diversity. A combination of climatic, soil and topographical variables explained ∼86% of the variation in richness. Despite differences in regional species pools and the potentially disruptive effects of different geological, climatic and evolutionary histories, the relationship between environmental variables and local-scale tree species richness is closely similar across different continents. Our findings imply a pervasive role of niche-based mechanisms in structuring local tree species richness, regardless of the regional species assemblages. This pantropical convergence in the richness-environment relationship poses a challenge for ecology to explain.
This work is licensed under CC-BY 4.0
This work is licensed under CC-BY 4.0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf465Score Altmetric:
Dimensions Nombre de citations:
Exporter la citation:
RIS (.ris)
TI - Analogous environments across the tropics have similar levels of tree species alpha diversity
AU - Xiao, S.
AU - Adams, J.M.
AU - Li, S.
AU - Slik, F.
AU - Griffith, D.M.
AU - Quaresma, A.
AU - Sultana, A.
AU - Rozak, A.H.
AU - Muñoz, A.A.
AU - Marshall, A.R.
AU - Gabriel, A.
AU - Dar, A.A.
AU - Asyraf, A.
AU - Narayanan, A.
AU - Herault, B.
AU - Joly, C.A.
AU - Piotto, D.
AU - Harris, D.J.
AU - Drake, D.R.
AU - Sheil, D.
AU - Rocha, D.S.B.
AU - de Oliveira, E.L.
AU - Nurtjahya, E.
AU - van den Berg, E.
AU - Webb, E.L.
AU - Ibrahim, F.H.
AU - Saiter, F.Z.
AU - Wittmann, F.
AU - Ardila, F.M.
AU - Durigan, G.
AU - Shukla, G.
AU - Ibarra-Manríquez, G.
AU - Nagamasu, H.
AU - Theilade, I.
AU - Zo-Bi, I.C.
AU - Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, I.
AU - Rangel-Ch, J.O.
AU - Grogan, J.
AU - Dar, J.A.
AU - Schöngart, J.
AU - Herbohn, J.
AU - Poulsen, J.R.
AU - Williams, J.N.
AU - Lovett, J.
AU - De Alban, J.D.
AU - Lozada, J.R.
AU - Pinto, J.R.R.
AU - Guevara-Andino, J.E.
AU - Cristóbal-Azkarate, J.
AU - Homeier, J.
AU - Böhning-Gaese, K.
AU - Hakeem, K.R.
AU - Feeley, K.
AU - Tomlinson, K.W.
AU - Rasingam, L.
AU - Oreste Demarchi, L.O.
AU - Laumonier, Y.
AU - Alves, L.F.
AU - Montenegro, L.T.
AU - Satdichanh, M.
AU - Macía, M.J.
AU - Tabarelli, M.
AU - Suganuma, M.S.
AU - Ríos Paredes, M.A.
AU - Fernandez Piedade, M.T.
AU - Schulze, M.
AU - van de Bult, M.
AU - Bastian, M.L.
AU - Khan, M.L.
AU - Hussain, M.S.
AU - Kessler, M.
AU - Lawes, M.J.
AU - Munguia-Rosas, M.A.
AU - Parthasarathy, N.
AU - Seuaturian, N.
AU - Kanda, N.B.
AU - Jagadeesan, N.
AU - Pitman, N.
AU - Onrizal, O.
AU - Vetaas, O.R.
AU - Munishi, P.
AU - Chhang, P.
AU - da Conceição Bispo, P.D.C.
AU - Zakaria, R.
AU - Sukri, R.S.
AU - Muthu, R.
AU - Prasad, R.C.
AU - Ramachandran, V.S.
AU - Harrison, R.D.
AU - Veridiano, R.K.
AU - Steinmetz, R.
AU - Chazdon, R.L.
AU - Tumaneng, R.
AU - Gonçalves Rolim, S.
AU - Garkoti, S.C.
AU - Báez, S.
AU - Wich, S.
AU - Mukul, S.A.
AU - Joseph, S.
AU - Vieira, S.A.
AB - Different regions of the tropics vary in overall tree species diversity, with the tropical Americas exhibiting strikingly higher regional tree species richness than Africa and Southeast Asia. We investigated whether these differences also occur at the local scale and whether the environmental conditions associated with tree species richness are consistent across tropical regions despite highly dissimilar species pools. A spatial random forest model was trained by using a network of 429 1-hectare plots across the tropics, together with 24 environmental variables, to predict plot-level tree α diversity. A combination of climatic, soil and topographical variables explained ∼86% of the variation in richness. Despite differences in regional species pools and the potentially disruptive effects of different geological, climatic and evolutionary histories, the relationship between environmental variables and local-scale tree species richness is closely similar across different continents. Our findings imply a pervasive role of niche-based mechanisms in structuring local tree species richness, regardless of the regional species assemblages. This pantropical convergence in the richness-environment relationship poses a challenge for ecology to explain.
PY - 2026
UR - https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/46340/
DO - https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf465
KW - climate, ecology, environmental factors, forest ecology, forestry, modeling, rain forests, species richness, tree diversity, tree species, trees, tropical engineering, tropics
ER -Endnote (.ciw)
%T Analogous environments across the tropics have similar levels of tree species alpha diversity
%A Xiao, S.
%A Adams, J.M.
%A Li, S.
%A Slik, F.
%A Griffith, D.M.
%A Quaresma, A.
%A Sultana, A.
%A Rozak, A.H.
%A Muñoz, A.A.
%A Marshall, A.R.
%A Gabriel, A.
%A Dar, A.A.
%A Asyraf, A.
%A Narayanan, A.
%A Herault, B.
%A Joly, C.A.
%A Piotto, D.
%A Harris, D.J.
%A Drake, D.R.
%A Sheil, D.
%A Rocha, D.S.B.
%A de Oliveira, E.L.
%A Nurtjahya, E.
%A van den Berg, E.
%A Webb, E.L.
%A Ibrahim, F.H.
%A Saiter, F.Z.
%A Wittmann, F.
%A Ardila, F.M.
%A Durigan, G.
%A Shukla, G.
%A Ibarra-Manríquez, G.
%A Nagamasu, H.
%A Theilade, I.
%A Zo-Bi, I.C.
%A Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, I.
%A Rangel-Ch, J.O.
%A Grogan, J.
%A Dar, J.A.
%A Schöngart, J.
%A Herbohn, J.
%A Poulsen, J.R.
%A Williams, J.N.
%A Lovett, J.
%A De Alban, J.D.
%A Lozada, J.R.
%A Pinto, J.R.R.
%A Guevara-Andino, J.E.
%A Cristóbal-Azkarate, J.
%A Homeier, J.
%A Böhning-Gaese, K.
%A Hakeem, K.R.
%A Feeley, K.
%A Tomlinson, K.W.
%A Rasingam, L.
%A Oreste Demarchi, L.O.
%A Laumonier, Y.
%A Alves, L.F.
%A Montenegro, L.T.
%A Satdichanh, M.
%A Macía, M.J.
%A Tabarelli, M.
%A Suganuma, M.S.
%A Ríos Paredes, M.A.
%A Fernandez Piedade, M.T.
%A Schulze, M.
%A van de Bult, M.
%A Bastian, M.L.
%A Khan, M.L.
%A Hussain, M.S.
%A Kessler, M.
%A Lawes, M.J.
%A Munguia-Rosas, M.A.
%A Parthasarathy, N.
%A Seuaturian, N.
%A Kanda, N.B.
%A Jagadeesan, N.
%A Pitman, N.
%A Onrizal, O.
%A Vetaas, O.R.
%A Munishi, P.
%A Chhang, P.
%A da Conceição Bispo, P.D.C.
%A Zakaria, R.
%A Sukri, R.S.
%A Muthu, R.
%A Prasad, R.C.
%A Ramachandran, V.S.
%A Harrison, R.D.
%A Veridiano, R.K.
%A Steinmetz, R.
%A Chazdon, R.L.
%A Tumaneng, R.
%A Gonçalves Rolim, S.
%A Garkoti, S.C.
%A Báez, S.
%A Wich, S.
%A Mukul, S.A.
%A Joseph, S.
%A Vieira, S.A.
%D 2026
%U https://www.cifor-icraf.org/knowledge/publication/46340/
%R https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf465
%X Different regions of the tropics vary in overall tree species diversity, with the tropical Americas exhibiting strikingly higher regional tree species richness than Africa and Southeast Asia. We investigated whether these differences also occur at the local scale and whether the environmental conditions associated with tree species richness are consistent across tropical regions despite highly dissimilar species pools. A spatial random forest model was trained by using a network of 429 1-hectare plots across the tropics, together with 24 environmental variables, to predict plot-level tree α diversity. A combination of climatic, soil and topographical variables explained ∼86% of the variation in richness. Despite differences in regional species pools and the potentially disruptive effects of different geological, climatic and evolutionary histories, the relationship between environmental variables and local-scale tree species richness is closely similar across different continents. Our findings imply a pervasive role of niche-based mechanisms in structuring local tree species richness, regardless of the regional species assemblages. This pantropical convergence in the richness-environment relationship poses a challenge for ecology to explain.
%K climate
%K ecology
%K environmental factors
%K forest ecology
%K forestry
%K modeling
%K rain forests
%K species richness
%K tree diversity
%K tree species
%K trees
%K tropical engineering
%K tropics
Année de publication
2026
ISSN
2095-5138
Auteurs
Xiao, S.; Adams, J.M.; Li, S.; Slik, F.; Griffith, D.M.; Quaresma, A.; Sultana, A.; Rozak, A.H.; Muñoz, A.A.; Marshall, A.R.; Gabriel, A.; Dar, A.A.; Asyraf, A.; Narayanan, A.; Herault, B.; Joly, C.A.; Piotto, D.; Harris, D.J.; Drake, D.R.; Sheil, D.; Rocha, D.S.B.; de Oliveira, E.L.; Nurtjahya, E.; van den Berg, E.; Webb, E.L.; Ibrahim, F.H.; Saiter, F.Z.; Wittmann, F.; Ardila, F.M.; Durigan, G.; Shukla, G.; Ibarra-Manríquez, G.; Nagamasu, H.; Theilade, I.; Zo-Bi, I.C.; Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, I.; Rangel-Ch, J.O.; Grogan, J.; Dar, J.A.; Schöngart, J.; Herbohn, J.; Poulsen, J.R.; Williams, J.N.; Lovett, J.; De Alban, J.D.; Lozada, J.R.; Pinto, J.R.R.; Guevara-Andino, J.E.; Cristóbal-Azkarate, J.; Homeier, J.; Böhning-Gaese, K.; Hakeem, K.R.; Feeley, K.; Tomlinson, K.W.; Rasingam, L.; Oreste Demarchi, L.O.; Laumonier, Y.; Alves, L.F.; Montenegro, L.T.; Satdichanh, M.; Macía, M.J.; Tabarelli, M.; Suganuma, M.S.; Ríos Paredes, M.A.; Fernandez Piedade, M.T.; Schulze, M.; van de Bult, M.; Bastian, M.L.; Khan, M.L.; Hussain, M.S.; Kessler, M.; Lawes, M.J.; Munguia-Rosas, M.A.; Parthasarathy, N.; Seuaturian, N.; Kanda, N.B.; Jagadeesan, N.; Pitman, N.; Onrizal, O.; Vetaas, O.R.; Munishi, P.; Chhang, P.; da Conceição Bispo, P.D.C.; Zakaria, R.; Sukri, R.S.; Muthu, R.; Prasad, R.C.; Ramachandran, V.S.; Harrison, R.D.; Veridiano, R.K.; Steinmetz, R.; Chazdon, R.L.; Tumaneng, R.; Gonçalves Rolim, S.; Garkoti, S.C.; Báez, S.; Wich, S.; Mukul, S.A.; Joseph, S.; Vieira, S.A.
Langue
English
Mots clés
climate, ecology, environmental factors, forest ecology, forestry, modeling, rain forests, species richness, tree diversity, tree species, trees, tropical engineering, tropics
Source
National Science Review. 13(2): nwaf465
