In order to evaluate the temporal changes in tree diversity of forest vegetation in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, the study collected tree diversity data from four main forest vegetation in the region through a quadrat survey including tropical rainforest (TRF), tropical coniferous forest (COF), tropical lower mountain evergreen broad-leaved forest (TEBF), tropical seasonal moist forest (TSMF). We extracted the distribution of four forest vegetation in the region in four periods of 1992, 2000, 2009, and 2016 in combination with remote sensing images, using simp son Shannon Wiener and scaling species diversity indexes compare to the differences of tree evenness of four forest vegetation and use the scaling ecological diversity index and grey correlation evaluation model to evaluate the temporal changes of forest tree diversity in the region in four periods. The results show that: (1) The proportion of forest area has a trend of decreasing first and then increasing, which is shown by the reduction from 65.5% in 1992 to 53.42% in 2000, to 52.49% in 2009, and then to 54.73% in 2016. However, the tropical rainforest shows a continuous decreasing trend. (2) There are obvious differences in the contributions of the four kinds of forest vegetation to tree diversity. The order of evenness is tropical rainforest > tropical mountain (low mountain) evergreen broad-leaved forest > warm coniferous forest > tropical seasonal humid forest, and the order of richness is tropical rainforest > tropical mountain (low mountain) evergreen broad-leaved forest > tropical seasonal humid forest > warm coniferous forest, The order of contribution to tree diversity in tropical rainforest > tropical mountain (low mountain) evergreen broad-leaved forest > tropical seasonal humid forest > warm tropical coniferous forest. (3) The tree diversity of tropical rainforests and tropical seasonal humid forests showed a continuous decreasing trend. The tree diversity of forest vegetation in Xishuangbanna in four periods was 1992 > 2009 > 2016 > 2000. The above results show that economic activities are an important factor affecting the biodivesity of Xishuangbanna, and the protection of tropical rainforest is of great significance to maintain the biodiversity of the region.

A topic of current interest in forestry science concerns the regeneration of degraded forests and areas. Within this topic, an important aspect refers to the time that different forests take to recover their original levels of diversity and other characteristics that are key to resume their functioning as ecosystems. The present work focuses on the premontane rainforests of the central Peruvian rainforest, in the Chanchamayo valley, Junín, between 1,000 and 1,500 masl. A total of 19 Gentry Transects of 2 × 500 m, including all woody plants ≥2.5 cm diameter at breast height were established in areas of mature forests, and forests of different ages after clear-cutting without burning. Five forest ages were considered, 5-10, 20, 30, 40 and ≥50 years. The alpha-diversity and composition of the tree flora under each of these conditions was compared and analyzed. It was observed that, from 40 years of age, Fisher’s alpha-diversity index becomes quite similar to that characterizing mature forests; from 30 years of age, the taxonomic composition by species reached a similarity of 69–73%, like those occurring in mature forests. The characteristic botanical families, genera and species at each of the ages were compared, specifying that as the age of the forest increases, there are fewer shared species with a high number of individuals. Early forests, up to 20 years of age, are characterized by the presence of Piperaceae; after 30 years of age, they are characterized by the Moraceae family.

Natural forests and abandoned agricultural lands are increasingly replaced by monospecific forest plantations that have poor capacity to support biodiversity and ecosystem services. Natural forests harbour plants belonging to different mycorrhiza types that differ in their microbiome and carbon and nutrient cycling properties. Here we describe the MycoPhylo field experiment that encompasses 116 woody plant species from three mycorrhiza types and 237 plots, with plant diversity and mycorrhiza type diversity ranging from one to four and one to three per plot, respectively. The MycoPhylo experiment enables us to test hypotheses about the plant species, species diversity, mycorrhiza type, and mycorrhiza type diversity effects and their phylogenetic context on soil microbial diversity and functioning and soil processes. Alongside with other experiments in the TreeDivNet consortium, MycoPhylo will contribute to our understanding of the tree diversity effects on soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across biomes, especially from the mycorrhiza type and phylogenetic conservatism perspectives.