Distribution Pattern of Woody Plants in a Mountain Forest Ecosystem Influenced by Topography and Monsoons
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper is aimed at identifying distribution mechanisms of woody plants in monsoon regions. The data include quadrat sampling within five plots and a host of sophisticated analyses.
The case study has a great ecological and conservational importance. It uses a very detailed dataset, and describe well the current scientific knowledge of this topic in the Discussion.
Line 60-62 This should be in Materials and Methods.
Line 96-98 Why this data are in Materials and Methods Section? These are results.
Author Response
Please see the attachmen
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear authors,
This manuscript constitutes an interesting and well performed study about distribution mechanism of woody plants in a mountain forest ecosystem influenced by topography and monsoons. The overall idea is interesting, and the methodology is well described. The manuscript, in general, is clear and well-structured. Discussion needs to be restructured and enriched.
Please see my suggestions that I hope will be helpful
Title: Maybe the word “mechanism” could be replaced by the word “pattern”
Lines 61-62 and 88-90. Please rephrase ”five 1 hm2 (100 m × 100 m) plots were randomly established on the south and north aspects, respectively, with a total of 10 hm2” to ”five 1 hm2 (100 m × 100 m) plots were randomly established on each aspect, the south and north respectively, with a total of 10 hm2”
Lines 207-208. Please add here relative references dealing with what you mention in this sentence.
Lines 212-215. Please add relative references
Lines 221-222. This sentence belongs to Results
Lines 229-230. Please add here relative references dealing with what you mention in this sentence.
Lines 233-234. Please add relative references dealing with what you mention in this sentence: “indicating that the community stability of the south aspect was higher than that of the north aspect”
Lines 237-238. Please add relative references for this conclusion: This result may indicate “that forest ecosystems on the north aspect of Funiu mountain are more vulnerable to environmental change than those on the south aspect”
Lines 239-242. This sentence belongs to Results
Tables 1 and 2 could be moved to a Supplementary file
Author Response
Please see the attachment
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
Round 2
Reviewer 2 Report
Dear authors,
I think that the revised version of this manuscript can be accepted for publication in Forests.