Abstract: The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem function is one of the hot spot in ecological research. The driving effect of plant diversity on forest productivity has been widely focused, but its underlying mechanisms are still controversial. We explored the impacts of species diversity and phylogenetic diversity on forest productivity at different spatial scales based on a 9 hm² forest dynamic monitoring plot of typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest in Liangshui National Nature Reserve, Heilongjiang Province, with the censuses data in 2005 and 2015, using linear regression and structural equation models. The results showed that species diversity and phylogenetic diversity were both positively correlated with productivity. The strength of species diversity on productivity gradually enhanced as spatial scales increased, while the effects of phylogenetic diversity on productivity showed opposite trend. On small scales, the effects of phylogenetic diversity on productivity was stronger than species diversity. Moreover, productivity was affected by abiotic factors. Soil factors were significantly positively correlated with productivity at different scales, which was gradually dominated as spatial scales increased. Our results indicated that evolutionary information should be considered in future ecosystem function studies, which might provide additional explanatory power for other diversity metrics. Meanwhile, the effects of spatial scales and abiotic factors should also be considered, which could provide a scientific basis for further understanding the mechanisms underlying the changes of forest productivity.

Key words: spatial scale, forest productivity, phylogenetic diversity, species diversity, structural equation modeling.