华东师范大学何芳良小组提出了竞争和促进对全球树木多样性的重要性。该项研究成果发表在2026年4月8日出版的《自然》上。

研究使用来自17个大型森林样地的数据，包括约270万棵树和5400多个物种，跨越南纬5°到北纬47°，该课题组量化了邻近树种之间负（竞争）和正（促进）相互作用相对重要性的纬度趋势，占3个生物因素和8个环境因素。该课题组研究了在零模型下，每个焦点物种个体周围的平均邻近物种多样性是否大于或小于预期。结果表明，大多数样地的种间相互作用为负。

在赤道附近，被低于或高于预期邻居数的物种所占的相对比例大致相等，但在高纬度地区，邻居数相对较多的物种所占比例下降，而邻居数相对较少的物种所占比例显著增加。这种纬向格局可部分归因于豆科植物丰度减少、非丛枝菌根关联以及高纬度地区冠层护理效应较弱，但受年平均温度的调节。这些发现揭示了以前未被认识到的促进性相互作用的相对下降和竞争性相互作用随纬度的增加，并表明气温上升可以增强促进效应，促进高纬度地区树木群落的多样性。

据悉，尽管竞争和促进都影响树木多样性，但它们的相对重要性和随纬度的变化仍然知之甚少。

附：英文原文

Title: The importance of competition and facilitation for global tree diversity

Author: Xu, Han, Detto, Matteo, Hogan, J. Aaron, Alonso, Alfonso, Birch, Joseph D., Bissiengou, Pulchrie, Chu, Chengjin, Davies, Stuart J., Fischer, Gunter A., Hau, Billy C. H., Kenfack, David, Li, Buhang, Lian, Juyu, Lin, Mingxian, Liu, Wande, Liu, Yu, Liu, Zhifa, Lutz, James A., Memiaghe, Herv Roland, Mi, Xiangcheng, Novotny, Vojtech, Ren, Haibao, Su, Jianrong, Thompson, Jill, Uriarte, Maria, Valencia, Renato, Yao, Tze Leong, Yap, Sandra L., Zhang, Yicen, Zimmerman, Jess K., Weiblen, George D., Li, Yide, Fang, Suqin, He, Fangliang

Issue&Volume: 2026-04-08

Abstract: Although competition and facilitation both influence tree diversity1,2,3,4,5, their relative importance and variation with latitude remain poorly understood. Using data from 17 large forest plots, including around 2.7 million trees and over 5,400 species spanning 5°S to 47°N, we quantified the latitudinal trends of the relative importance of negative (competitive) and positive (facilitative) interactions among neighbouring tree species, accounting for three biotic and eight environmental factors. We examined whether the average neighbourhood species diversity around individuals of each focal species was larger or smaller than expected under null models. The results show that negative interspecific interactions prevailed across most plots. Near the equator, the relative proportions of species surrounded by a lower or higher than expected number of neighbours were roughly equal, but at higher latitudes, the proportions of species with a relatively higher number of neighbours declined, and those with fewer neighbours increased significantly. This latitudinal pattern can be attributed in part to reduced abundance of legumes, non-arbuscular mycorrhizal associations, and the weaker canopy nursing effect towards higher latitudes, but it was mediated by mean annual temperature. These findings reveal a previously unrecognized relative decline in facilitative interactions and increase in competitive interactions with latitude and suggest that rising temperatures could enhance facilitative effects and promote tree community diversity at higher latitudes.

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-10349-2

Source: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10349-2