Comparison of tree functional diversity as linked to animal abundance between sites
We have strong albeit indirect evidence that the above linkages between initial deadwood quality, termites and decomposition through time had cascading effects, via termites populations, to predator (pangolin) populations, respectively. The CWM of WES (PC1) of deadwood species collected from PT was -0.02±0.03 (range -0.289 to 0.190) (PC1), while that from TT was -0.035±0.04 (range -0.744 to 0.090) (Table 1); i.e., resource-acquisitive species were broadly more prevalent in PT and resource-conservative species more prevalent in TT. The higher mean WES value, and the higher functional diversity (i.e., abundance-weighted WES variance), corresponded with the higher termite abundance in PT than that in TT at the beginning of the experiment. After the wood samples (with overall range -3.99 to 4.65 along the WES) had been put in the plots, termite abundance showed an increasing trend in both sites, resulting in significantly higher values by approximately 250% after 18 months of incubation (Table 1). On the whole, the termite abundance in PT was about twice as high as that in TT (Table 1). In turn, in line with our expectations, pangolin mound density was significantly and four times higher in the experimental plots with deadwood samples added (thereby increasing termite abundance) compared to the control plots in PT (Table 1).