Alpine Shrub Community Assembly Data from 35 Sites in Three-River-Source Reserve

35 sampling sites in the Tongtianhe Conservation Subregion of the Three-River-Source Reserve provide data on species composition, phylogenetic structure, functional traits, and environmental variables for alpine shrub communities. The dataset, authored by Min Li and last updated in May 2026, was collected via field surveys and analyzed using RLQ and STEPCAM methods. Results show shifts in phylogenetic and functional trait structures along environmental gradients, with varying dominance of assembly processes across elevations.

Use Cases

• Quantifying the relative contributions of dispersal limitation, environmental filtering, and limiting similarity to community assembly based on the described STEPCAM analysis.
• Examining coordinated shifts in plant trait composition along environmental gradients based on the RLQ analysis mentioned.
• Modeling the potential response of alpine shrub communities to future environmental change based on the inferred assembly mechanisms.

Strengths

• Data originates from 35 distinct sampling sites, providing spatial coverage across the study area.
• Includes multiple data dimensions: species composition, phylogenetic structure, functional traits, and environmental variables.
• Analysis employs established ecological methods (RLQ and STEPCAM) for inferring assembly processes.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The 35.4 KB file size suggests the dataset is very small, potentially limiting scope.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Field surveys across 35 sampling sites.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-13 04:29:55; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Tongtianhe Conservation Subregion, Three-River-Source Nature Reserve, Tibetan Plateau, China.