Geographical distribution of dioecy and its ecological correlates based on fine-scaled species distribution data from a subtropical island
Journal
Ecological Research
Journal Volume
35
Journal Issue
1
Pages
170-181
Date Issued
2020
Author(s)
Abstract
Dioecy is a rather rare sexual expression system guarantees outcrossing to avoid the deleterious effects of inbreeding. The incidence of dioecy varied among local floras and suggested inclining to tropical and oceanic environments, but its eco-correlates received little research attention. In this article, we explored geographical patterns and variations in sexual expression systems of angiosperms in mountainous environments of Taiwan, a subtropical island in East Asia. A comprehensive geo-database of vegetation inventories and herbarium specimens were used to identify eco-correlates causing variations in the horizontal geographical extent and along a large elevational gradient of more than 3,500 m. We found the average incidence of dioecy in the flora of Taiwan to be 8.2%, but it exhibits geographical variations from islets in the Taiwan Strait to the Pacific Ocean. Detailed studies on the main island of Taiwan revealed that the incidence of dioecy varied among land cover types and elevational zones. An apparent two-step decreasing pattern of dioecy percentages with elevation was found, with the highest proportion in the lowlands (0–600 m; 23.96%), followed by middle elevations (600–2,700 m; 20.87%) and subalpine regions (2,700–3,900 m; with a range of 11.38–0%). We found that spatial variations of dioecy were associated with eco-correlates of land cover, elevation, woodiness, species richness, and mean annual temperature. Results of this study partially support Bawa's hypothesis of a higher incidence of dioecy on oceanic islands, and is consistent with Baker and Cox's observations of richer dioecious species on high-mountain islands in the tropics and subtropics. © 2019 The Authors. Ecological Research published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of The Ecological Society of Japan
Subjects
dioecy; elevational gradient; sexual expression system; subtropics; Taiwan
Other Subjects
database; dioecy; elevation; geographical distribution; herbarium; hypothesis testing; land cover; outcrossing; sexual selection; Taiwan; Magnoliophyta
Type
journal article