The Spatial Pattern of the Tertiary Relict Plant Tetracentron sinense Oliver and Its Influencing Factors

Abstract

Tertiary relict plants are of great scientific value in the study of flora evolution, angiosperm systems, and ancient origins. Paying attention to their spatial patterns can better reflect the change dynamics of the species to implement targeted protection countermeasures. In this study, we investigated the spatial patterns of Tetracentron sinense Oliver, a tertiary relict plant, and further studied the intra- and interspecific and environmental factors impacting the patterns. The results reveal that most of the individuals of T. sinense were distributed in the 1700–1800 m altitudinal belt, and they were highly aggregated at a small scale. The young trees showed a positive interaction with adult trees. The dominant species showed a positive interaction with T. sinense; the interaction gradually became non-significant or negative as the scale increased. The key abiotic factors affecting the distribution of T. sinense were altitude, litter depth, zinc, and calcium. These results highlight the intra- and interspecific interactions and environmental factors influencing the spatial pattern of T. sinense. Our results provide new insights into tertiary relict species’ spatial patterns and nearline factors. Moreover, these findings have relevant implications for conserving and managing tertiary relict plants in a constantly fragmented habitat.