Tree Cover Improved the Species Diversity of Understory Spontaneous Herbs in a Small City
David Freudenberger
Round 1
Reviewer 1 Report
This paper reports an interesting case study in how urban trees supports a greater diversity of ground cover plant species and influences species interactions. This is a well presented paper that is based on the collection of a large data set (over 400 plots per treatment). Below are some minor issues that need to be addressed to improve clarity.
Line (l) 56 - define what is meant by small cities (e.g. less than 500,000 people or less than xx km2?)
l 88 - How were plots with and without trees defined and positioned. Were plots with trees underneath the canopy? How far away was a tree canopy for plots without trees? How were plot randomly positioned around the city?
l 150 - here and elsewhere, too many significant figures reported. Report only two numbers to the right of the decimal point, e.g 6.37 NOT 6.3678
L148 - Not clear what is meant by total diversity of habitats with and without trees compared to the total diversity reported in the previous paragraph
In the Conclusion section refer back to the 3 clear research questions stated in the Intro (starting Line 65) The text in the Conclusion provide clear answers to these questions.
Author Response
We sincerely thank your encouraging and insightful comments on this article. Please find my point-by-point response below in blue color. We sincerely hope that this revised manuscript has addressed all your comments and suggestions.
Comment : Line (l) 56 - define what is meant by small cities (e.g. less than 500,000 people or less than xx km2?)
Response: Thank you for pointing this out, we have added the relevant content as following (Line58-Line60):
“Although small cities cannot be understood in terms of population alone [18], it is generally accepted that small cities should be urban agglomerations with a population of no more than 500,000 [19].”
Comment: l 88 - How were plots with and without trees defined and positioned. Were plots with trees underneath the canopy? How far away was a tree canopy for plots without trees? How were plot randomly positioned around the city?
Response:Thank you for pointing these shortcomings, we have added the relevant content as following(Line92-Line95):
“Quadrats with tree cover were located underneath tree canopies, while the quadrats without tree cover were set in open fields at least 5 m away from tree canopies. All the quadrats were randomly positioned around the buildup area of Junlian city.”
Comment3:l 150 - here and elsewhere, too many significant figures reported. Report only two numbers to the right of the decimal point, e.g 6.37 NOT 6.3678
Response:Thank you very much, your suggestions have been followed.
Comment4:L148 - Not clear what is meant by total diversity of habitats with and without trees compared to the total diversity reported in the previous paragraph
Response:Thank you for pointing this out, we have amended the relevant statement as following (Line154-Line155):
“ In the habitats with and without tree cover, we recorded 177 species in 150 genera of 64 families and 172 species in 144 genera of 60 families, respectively. ”
Comment5:In the Conclusion section refer back to the 3 clear research questions stated in the Intro (starting Line 65) The text in the Conclusion provide clear answers to these questions.
Response:Thank you for your kindly suggestion, we have adjusted and supplemented the relevant statements in the conclusion .
For the question 1 stated in the Intro (Compared with habitats without tree cover, could habitats 65 with tree cover have a significantly higher species richness of spontaneous herbs?), we answered it in Line383 -Line386
“Although the overall species richness were similar in the habitats with and without tree cover, the average species richness per quadrat was significantly higher in the habitats with tree cover than that without tree cover”
For the question 2 stated in the Intro (How do spontaneous herbs in habitats with tree cover differ from those without tree cover in terms of life form, dispersal mode, and growth form?), we answered it in Line388 -Line390
“Compared with habitats without tree cover, habitats with tree cover were more favorable for the perennial, dwarf-growing, and animal-dispersed spontaneous plants. ”
For the question 3 stated in the Intro (Does tree cover increase the co-occurrence probability of spontaneous understory herbs?) , we answered it in Line390 -Line395
“Although tree cover increased the overall co-occurrence probability of understory spontaneous herbs, whether it could increase the probability of coexistence among paired-species depended on the functional trait type of the species. ”
Author Response File: 
Author Response.docx
Reviewer 2 Report
Line 32-33: replace ‘methods’ with ‘modes’
Line 38: add ‘S’ before ‘pontaneous’
Line 43: ‘a study found’ A study by who?
Line 149: ‘172 species in 144 genera of 60 families’ add ‘, respectively’ after ‘families’.
All single-digit numbers should be written in words.
Line 223: replace ‘thar’ with ‘than’
Line 226: replace ‘thar’ with ‘than’
Line 232: remove ‘that in’
You need to add a paragraph at the end of the discussion. The paragraph should focus on the management implications of the findings.
Author Response
We greatly appreciate your detailed and constructive review of this article. your suggestions have been followed. Please find my point-by-point response below in blue color.
Comment: Line 32-33: replace ‘methods’ with ‘modes’
Response:Thank you for pointing this out, we have corrected it(Line34).
Comment:Line 38: add ‘S’ before ‘pontaneous’
Response: Thank you very much, we have corrected it(Line39).
Comment:Line 43: ‘a study found’ A study by who?
Response: Thank you very much, we have phrased the sentence as following (Line44):
"Omar found that spontaneous plants varied greatly within urban tree bases according to tree trunk diameter, solar radiation, urban tree species, and other environmental factors"
Comment:Line 149: ‘172 species in 144 genera of 60 families’ add ‘, respectively’ after ‘families’.All single-digit numbers should be written in words.
Response: Thank you for pointing this out, we have added the word (Line155).
Comment:Line 223: replace ‘thar’ with ‘than’
Response:Thank you for pointing this out, we have corrected it(Line235).
Comment:Line 226: replace ‘thar’ with ‘than’
Response: Thank you for pointing this out, we have corrected it(Line239).
Comment:Line 232: remove ‘that in’
Response: Thank you for pointing this out, we have corrected it (Line244).
Comment:You need to add a paragraph at the end of the discussion. The paragraph should focus on the management implications of the findings.
Response: Thank you for the insight advice. we have added the relevant content as following(Line374-Line380):
Tree covered sites, while not conducive to a wide range of outdoor activities, create relatively stable microhabitats that help to increase spontaneous plant diversity, improve the potential for interspecific coexistence and facilitate the succession of spontaneous plant communities from annuals to perennials. For small cities with limited funds for green space management, increasing tree cover and reducing grass mowing will not only help save public funds, but also contribute to urban biodiversity conservation.
Author Response File: Author Response.docx
