Increased diversity by cushion plants enhances alpine community productivity and stability
Data files
Aug 13, 2025 version files 220.73 KB
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Bare_ground.xlsx
18.30 KB
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Cushion.xlsx
198.43 KB
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README.md
4 KB
Abstract
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.
Dataset DOI: 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.
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ID — A sequential number for each row, used for sorting during data analysis.
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Foundation.species — The scientific (Latin) name of the cushion plant species serving as the “foundation species” in the plot.
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New.number — The unique plot number for each cushion plant sampled.
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Size — The length of the long axis and short axis of the cushion plant canopy.
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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.
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Distance — The horizontal distance from the edge of the cushion plant canopy. Units: centimeters (cm).
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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.
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Beneficiary.species — The scientific (Latin) name of the plant species occurring within the specified area around the cushion plant.
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Biomass(g) — The total above-ground dry biomass of the given beneficiary species in that area. Units: grams (g).
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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.
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ID — A sequential number for each row, used for sorting during data analysis.
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Sample.ID — The unique plot number for each bare-ground sampling area. The prefix OG stands for Open Ground.
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Species — The scientific (Latin) name of the plant species found in the bare-ground plot.
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Biomass(g) — The total above-ground dry biomass of the species in the bare-ground plot. Units: grams (g).
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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.