Elevation, aspect, and slope influence woody vegetation structure and composition but not species richness in a human-influenced landscape in northwestern Yunnan, China

Elevation-for-latitude substitution offers a tool for studying the influence of temperature and precipitation variability on vegetation structure composition. Understanding how elevation, aspect, slope patterns may help in predicting climate change influences human forest usage developing strategies ensuring sustained provision ecosystem services. However, most ecological studies have been carried out protected areas, leaving areas used by humans to lesser attention. Therefore, we asked impact human-influenced mountain. We measured woody size, richness, composition mountain with plots set systematically four cardinal directions at 100-m elevational intervals from peak, 1900 4200 m above sea level, Hengduan Mountains eastern Himalaya, southwestern China. quantified tree maximum height, basal area, aboveground biomass (AGB), shrub species changed slope. Based generalized linear models, AGB followed unimodal trend along gradients, height area peaking 3100 m, while was highest 3300 somewhat higher southern Basal increased degree. Neither nor richness influenced or According canonical correspondence analysis TWINSPAN classification, elevation north-south orientation were major factors influencing compositions, classified into five types communities. Our results indicated that similar forested as landscapes based literature. forests this are more intensively low middle elevations western slopes, where aridity restricts size AGB, is likely challenge traditional harvesting practices place pressure moving altitudes.