Latitudinal patterns of forest ecological integrity in northeastern
China can be explained by the metabolic theory of ecology
Abstract
Ecological integrity varies with latitude due to the influence of
climate and other factors. However, the relationship between ecological
integrity and latitude and the driving mechanisms behind it remain
poorly understood. Understand the driving mechanisms behind is of great
significance to biodiversity conservation and ecological sustainability.
In our study, we used an averaging approach and a threshold approach to
quantify ecological integrity at different spatial scales. We map
patterns of ecological integrity at different scales and their
relationship with latitude. We investigate the roles of environmental
temperature in shaping latitudinal patterns of forest ecological
integrity. The results reveal a significant negative correlation between
forest ecological integrity and increasing latitude at different spatial
scales. We find that forest ecological exponentially with environmental
temperature as predicted by the Metabolic theory of ecology (MTE),
although other factors can also have impact on forest ecological
integrity, such as topography, soil and human disturbance. Our study
quantified the ecological integrity of forests at different scales in
Northeast China and explored their latitudinal patterns. We find that
the latitudinal patterns of forest ecological integrity can be explained
by the metabolic theory of ecology. Ecological integrity is primarily
driven by climate and other factors can also have impact on forest
ecological integrity, such as topography, soil and human disturbance.
And more importantly, our study extends MTE theory from the individual
level to the ecosystem level, which is of great significance for forest
conservation, management and restoration of integrity in the future.