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Water quality drives the regional patterns of an algal metacommunity in interconnected lakes. Sci Rep 2021; 11:13601. [PMID: 34193969 PMCID: PMC8245656 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93178-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The metacommunity approach provides insights into how the biological communities are assembled along the environmental variations. The current study presents the importance of water quality on the metacommunity structure of algal communities in six river-connected lakes using long-term (8 years) monitoring datasets. Elements of metacommunity structure were analyzed to evaluate whether water quality structured the metacommunity across biogeographic regions in the riverine ecosystem. The algal community in all lakes was found to exhibit Clementsian or quasi-Clementsian structure properties such as significant turnover, grouped and species sorting indicating that the communities responded to the environmental gradient. Reciprocal averaging clearly classified the lakes into three clusters according to the geographical region in river flow (upstream, midstream, and downstream). The dispersal patterns of algal genera, including Aulacoseira, Cyclotella, Stephanodiscus, and Chlamydomonas across the regions also supported the spatial-based classification results. Although conductivity, chemical oxygen demand, and biological oxygen demand were found to be important variables (loading > |0.5|) of the entire algal community assembly, water temperature was a critical factor in water quality associated with community assembly in each geographical area. These results support the notion that the structure of algal communities is strongly associated with water quality, but the relative importance of variables in structuring algal communities differed by geological regions.
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Brasil LS, Vieira TB, Andrade AFA, Bastos RC, Montag LFDA, Juen L. The importance of common and the irrelevance of rare species for partition the variation of community matrix: implications for sampling and conservation. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19777. [PMID: 33188230 PMCID: PMC7666184 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-76833-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In community ecology, it is important to understand the distribution of communities along environmental and spatial gradients. However, it is common for the residuals of models investigating those relationships to be very high (> 50%). It is believed that species’ intrinsic characteristics such as rarity can contribute to large residuals. The objective of this study is to test the relationship among communities and environmental and spatial predictors by evaluating the relative contribution of common and rare species to the explanatory power of models. Our hypothesis is that the residual of partition the variation of community matrix (varpart) models will decrease as rare species get removed. We used several environmental variables and spatial filters as varpart model predictors of fish and Zygoptera (Insecta: Odonata) communities in 109 and 141 Amazonian streams, respectively. We built a repetition structure, in which we gradually removed common and rare species independently. After the repetitions and removal of species, our hypothesis was not corroborated. In all scenarios, removing up to 50% of rare species did not reduce model residuals. Common species are important and rare species are irrelevant for understanding the relationships among communities and environmental and spatial gradients using varpart. Therefore, our findings suggest that studies using varpart with single sampling events that do not detect rare species can efficiently assess general distributional patterns of communities along environmental and spatial gradients. However, when the objectives concern conservation of biodiversity and functional diversity, rare species must be carefully assessed by other complementary methods, since they are not well represented in varpart models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leandro Schlemmer Brasil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil. .,Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil.
| | - Thiago Bernardi Vieira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil
| | | | - Rafael Costa Bastos
- Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil
| | - Luciano Fogaça de Assis Montag
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil.,Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil
| | - Leandro Juen
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil.,Laboratório de Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Pará, Brasil
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3
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Nieto‐Lugilde D, Maguire KC, Blois JL, Williams JW, Fitzpatrick MC. Multiresponse algorithms for community‐level modelling: Review of theory, applications, and comparison to species distribution models. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Diego Nieto‐Lugilde
- Appalachian Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Frostburg MD USA
- Departamento de Botánica Ecología y Fisiología Vegetal Universidad de Córdoba Córdoba Spain
| | | | - Jessica L. Blois
- School of Natural Sciences University of California Merced CA USA
| | - John W. Williams
- Center for Climatic Research University of Wisconsin Madison WI USA
- Department of Geography University of Wisconsin Madison WI USA
| | - Matthew C. Fitzpatrick
- Appalachian Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Frostburg MD USA
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4
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Hill MJ, Biggs J, Thornhill I, Briers RA, Gledhill DG, White JC, Wood PJ, Hassall C. Urban ponds as an aquatic biodiversity resource in modified landscapes. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:986-999. [PMID: 27476680 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2016] [Revised: 06/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization is a global process contributing to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. Many studies have focused on the biological response of terrestrial taxa and habitats to urbanization. However, little is known regarding the consequences of urbanization on freshwater habitats, especially small lentic systems. In this study, we examined aquatic macro-invertebrate diversity (family and species level) and variation in community composition between 240 urban and 782 nonurban ponds distributed across the United Kingdom. Contrary to predictions, urban ponds supported similar numbers of invertebrate species and families compared to nonurban ponds. Similar gamma diversity was found between the two groups at both family and species taxonomic levels. The biological communities of urban ponds were markedly different to those of nonurban ponds, and the variability in urban pond community composition was greater than that in nonurban ponds, contrary to previous work showing homogenization of communities in urban areas. Positive spatial autocorrelation was recorded for urban and nonurban ponds at 0-50 km (distance between pond study sites) and negative spatial autocorrelation was observed at 100-150 km and was stronger in urban ponds in both cases. Ponds do not follow the same ecological patterns as terrestrial and lotic habitats (reduced taxonomic richness) in urban environments; in contrast, they support high taxonomic richness and contribute significantly to regional faunal diversity. Individual cities are complex structural mosaics which evolve over long periods of time and are managed in diverse ways. This facilitates the development of a wide range of environmental conditions and habitat niches in urban ponds which can promote greater heterogeneity between pond communities at larger scales. Ponds provide an opportunity for managers and environmental regulators to conserve and enhance freshwater biodiversity in urbanized landscapes whilst also facilitating key ecosystem services including storm water storage and water treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Hill
- Institute of Science and the Environment, University of Worcester, Worcester, WR2 6AJ, UK
| | - Jeremy Biggs
- Freshwater Habitats Trust, Bury Knowle House, Oxford, OX3 9HY, UK
| | | | - Robert A Briers
- School of Life, Sport and Social Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, EH11 4BN, UK
| | - David G Gledhill
- Ecosystems & Environment Research Centre, School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Peel Building, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
| | - James C White
- Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science, Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK
| | - Paul J Wood
- Centre for Hydrological and Ecosystem Science, Department of Geography, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, UK
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Van Looy K, Piffady J, Floury M. At what scale and extent environmental gradients and climatic changes influence stream invertebrate communities? THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 580:34-42. [PMID: 27939995 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Revised: 12/01/2016] [Accepted: 12/02/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
In a context of increasing landscape modifications and climatic changes, scale hierarchy becomes an ever more crucial issue to integrate in the analysis of drivers and stressors of biological communities, especially in river networks. To cope with this issue, we developed (i) spatial hierarchical models of functional diversity of stream invertebrate communities to assess the relative influence of local- vs. regional-scale factors in structuring community assembly, and (ii) analysis of metacommunity elements to determine the ecological processes behind the structuring. The spatial structuring of benthic invertebrate communities was investigated over 568 sites in South-eastern France. Community structure was mainly driven by the altitudinal gradient and spring flow variation at broad scales, with functional diversity gradually decreasing with elevation and being maximized at intermediate levels of flow variability. According to the 'elements of metacommunity structure' analysis, the prevailing influence of the altitudinal gradient was also supported by a Clementsian structuration of invertebrate communities. Conversely, the influence of observed climatic changes in temperature and rainfall was weak and observed only at fine scales. As a result, natural environmental filters were stronger drivers of the functional diversity of communities than human-induced stressors (e.g. water pollution and hydromorphological alterations). More broadly, our results suggest that management needs to embrace the possibilities of gathering high spatial and taxonomical resolution data when analysing and predicting flow variation and climate change effects in order to preserve and restore functionally diverse communities. Moreover, to develop environmental flow schemes or restoration and climate change adaptation strategies for freshwater communities, local and regional processes need to be addressed simultaneously; equally responsible as drivers of community diversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kris Van Looy
- Irstea, UR MALY, Milieux Aquatiques, Ecologie et Pollutions, 5 rue de la Doua, 69626 Villeurbanne, CS70077, France; Jülich Research Centre, Institute for Bio- and Geosciences IBG-3, Leo-Brandt-Straße, 52428 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Jérémy Piffady
- Irstea, UR MALY, Milieux Aquatiques, Ecologie et Pollutions, 5 rue de la Doua, 69626 Villeurbanne, CS70077, France.
| | - Mathieu Floury
- Irstea, UR MALY, Milieux Aquatiques, Ecologie et Pollutions, 5 rue de la Doua, 69626 Villeurbanne, CS70077, France.
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Heino J, Soininen J, Alahuhta J, Lappalainen J, Virtanen R. Metacommunity ecology meets biogeography: effects of geographical region, spatial dynamics and environmental filtering on community structure in aquatic organisms. Oecologia 2016; 183:121-137. [PMID: 27714463 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-016-3750-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Metacommunity patterns and underlying processes in aquatic organisms have typically been studied within a drainage basin. We examined variation in the composition of six freshwater organismal groups across various drainage basins in Finland. We first modelled spatial structures within each drainage basin using Moran eigenvector maps. Second, we partitioned variation in community structure among three groups of predictors using constrained ordination: (1) local environmental variables, (2) spatial variables, and (3) dummy variable drainage basin identity. Third, we examined turnover and nestedness components of multiple-site beta diversity, and tested the best fit patterns of our datasets using the "elements of metacommunity structure" analysis. Our results showed that basin identity and local environmental variables were significant predictors of community structure, whereas within-basin spatial effects were typically negligible. In half of the organismal groups (diatoms, bryophytes, zooplankton), basin identity was a slightly better predictor of community structure than local environmental variables, whereas the opposite was true for the remaining three organismal groups (insects, macrophytes, fish). Both pure basin and local environmental fractions were, however, significant after accounting for the effects of the other predictor variable sets. All organismal groups exhibited high levels of beta diversity, which was mostly attributable to the turnover component. Our results showed consistent Clementsian-type metacommunity structures, suggesting that subgroups of species responded similarly to environmental factors or drainage basin limits. We conclude that aquatic communities across large scales are mostly determined by environmental and basin effects, which leads to high beta diversity and prevalence of Clementsian community types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani Heino
- Natural Environment Centre, Biodiversity, Finnish Environment Institute, Paavo Havaksen Tie 3, P.O. Box 413, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 64, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Alahuhta
- Geography Research Unit, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.,Freshwater Centre, State of Surface Waters, Finnish Environment Institute, P.O. Box 413, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jyrki Lappalainen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 65, 00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Risto Virtanen
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, UFZ, Permoserstr. 15, 04318, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Ecology, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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7
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Wen Z, Quan Q, Du Y, Xia L, Ge D, Yang Q. Dispersal, niche, and isolation processes jointly explain species turnover patterns of nonvolant small mammals in a large mountainous region of China. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:946-60. [PMID: 26941938 PMCID: PMC4761768 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2015] [Accepted: 12/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that govern the spatial patterns of species turnover (beta diversity) has been one of the fundamental issues in biogeography. Species turnover is generally recognized as strong in mountainous regions, but the way in which different processes (dispersal, niche, and isolation) have shaped the spatial turnover patterns in mountainous regions remains largely unexplored. Here, we explore the directional and elevational patterns of species turnover for nonvolant small mammals in the Hengduan Mountains of southwest China and distinguish the relative roles of geographic distance, environmental distance, and geographic isolation on the patterns. The spatial turnover was assessed using the halving distance (km), which was the geographic distance that halved the similarity (Jaccard similarity) from its initial value. The halving distance was calculated for the linear, logarithmic, and exponential regression models between Jaccard similarity and geographic distance. We found that the east-west turnover is generally faster than the south-north turnover for high-latitudinal regions in the Hengduan Mountains and that this pattern corresponds to the geographic structure of the major mountain ranges and rivers that mainly extend in a south-north direction. There is an increasing trend of turnover toward the higher-elevation zones. Most of the variation in the Jaccard similarity could be explained by the pure effect of geographic distance and the joint effects of geographic distance, environmental distance, and average elevation difference. Our study indicates that dispersal, niche, and isolation processes are all important determinants of the spatial turnover patterns of nonvolant small mammals in the Hengduan Mountains. The spatial configuration of the landscape and geographic isolation can strongly influence the rate of species turnover in mountainous regions at multiple spatial scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhixin Wen
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences1 Beichen West RoadBeijing100101China
| | - Qing Quan
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences1 Beichen West RoadBeijing100101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesYuquan RoadBeijing100049China
| | - Yuanbao Du
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences1 Beichen West RoadBeijing100101China
- University of Chinese Academy of SciencesYuquan RoadBeijing100049China
| | - Lin Xia
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences1 Beichen West RoadBeijing100101China
| | - Deyan Ge
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences1 Beichen West RoadBeijing100101China
| | - Qisen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and EvolutionInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences1 Beichen West RoadBeijing100101China
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8
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Environmental filtering determines metacommunity structure in wetland microcrustaceans. Oecologia 2016; 181:193-205. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-015-3540-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2014] [Accepted: 12/25/2015] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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9
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Valanko S, Heino J, Westerbom M, Viitasalo M, Norkko A. Complex metacommunity structure for benthic invertebrates in a low-diversity coastal system. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:5203-5215. [PMID: 30151124 PMCID: PMC6102509 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2014] [Revised: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of studies in metacommunity ecology have focused on systems other than marine benthic ecosystems, thereby providing an impetus to broaden the focus of metacommunity research to comprise marine systems. These systems are more open than many other systems and may thus exhibit relatively less discrete patterns in community structure across space. Metacommunity structure of soft-sediment benthic invertebrates was examined using a fine-grained (285 sites) data set collected during one summer across a large spatial extent (1700 km2). We applied the elements of metacommunity structure (EMS) approach, allowing multiple hypothesis of variation in community structure to be tested. We demonstrated several patterns associated with environmental variation and associated processes that could simultaneously assemble species to occur at the sites. A quasi-Clementsian pattern was observed frequently, suggesting interdependent ecological relationships among species or similar response to an underlying environmental gradient across sites. A quasi-nested clumped species loss pattern was also observed, which suggests nested habitat specialization. Species richness declined with depth (from 0.5 to 44.8 m). We argue that sensitive species may survive in shallower water, which are more stable with regard to oxygen conditions and present greater habitat complexity, in contrast to deeper waters, which may experience periodic disturbance due to hypoxia. Future studies should better integrate disturbance in terms of temporal dynamics and dispersal rates in the EMS approach. We highlight that shallow water sites may act as sources of recruitment to deeper water sites that are relatively more prone to periodic disturbances due to hypoxia. However, these shallow sites are not currently monitored and should be better prioritized in future conservation strategies in marine systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Valanko
- International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES)DK‐1553Copenhagen VDenmark
- Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiFI‐10900HankoFinland
- BiodiversityNatural Environment CentreFinnish Environment Institute (SYKE)P.O. Box 413FI‐90014OuluFinland
| | - Jani Heino
- BiodiversityNatural Environment CentreFinnish Environment Institute (SYKE)P.O. Box 413FI‐90014OuluFinland
| | - Mats Westerbom
- Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiFI‐10900HankoFinland
- MetsähallitusNatural Heritage ServicesP.O. Box 94FI‐01301VantaaFinland
| | - Markku Viitasalo
- Marine Research CentreFinnish Environment Institute (SYKE)FI‐00251HelsinkiFinland
| | - Alf Norkko
- Tvärminne Zoological StationUniversity of HelsinkiFI‐10900HankoFinland
- Marine Research CentreFinnish Environment Institute (SYKE)FI‐00251HelsinkiFinland
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Tonkin JD, Sundermann A, Jähnig SC, Haase P. Environmental Controls on River Assemblages at the Regional Scale: An Application of the Elements of Metacommunity Structure Framework. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135450. [PMID: 26270550 PMCID: PMC4536219 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 07/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding factors that structure regional biodiversity is important for linking ecological and biogeographic processes. Our objective was to explore regional patterns in riverine benthic invertebrate assemblages in relation to their broad positioning along the river network and examine differences in composition, biodiversity (alpha and beta diversity), and environmental drivers. We up-scaled methods used to examine patterns in metacommunity structure (Elements of Metacommunity Structure framework) to examine faunal distribution patterns at the regional extent for 168 low-mountain stream invertebrate assemblages in central Germany. We then identified the most influential environmental factors using boosted regression trees. Faunal composition patterns were compartmentalised (Clementsian or quasi-Clementsian), with little difference from headwaters to large rivers, potentially reflecting the regional scale of the study, by crossing major catchment boundaries and incorporating different species pools. While idealised structures did not vary, environmental drivers of composition varied considerably between river sections and with alpha diversity. Prediction was substantially weaker, and the importance of space was greater, in large rivers compared to other sections suggesting a weakening in species sorting downstream. Further, there was a stronger transition in composition than for alpha diversity downstream. The stronger links with regional faunal composition than with richness further emphasises the importance of considering the alternative ways in which anthropogenic stressors are operating to affect biodiversity patterns. Our approach allowed bridging the gap between local (or metacommunity) and regional scales, providing key insights into drivers of regional biodiversity patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan D. Tonkin
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, D-63571 Gelnhausen, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Andrea Sundermann
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, D-63571 Gelnhausen, Germany
| | - Sonja C. Jähnig
- Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), Department of Ecosystem Research, 12587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter Haase
- Department of River Ecology and Conservation, Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt, D-63571 Gelnhausen, Germany
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Heino J, Soininen J, Alahuhta J, Lappalainen J, Virtanen R. A comparative analysis of metacommunity types in the freshwater realm. Ecol Evol 2015; 5:1525-37. [PMID: 25897391 PMCID: PMC4395181 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Most metacommunity studies have taken a direct mechanistic approach, aiming to model the effects of local and regional processes on local communities within a metacommunity. An alternative approach is to focus on emergent patterns at the metacommunity level through applying the elements of metacommunity structure (EMS; Oikos, 97, 2002, 237) analysis. The EMS approach has very rarely been applied in the context of a comparative analysis of metacommunity types of main microbial, plant, and animal groups. Furthermore, to our knowledge, no study has associated metacommunity types with their potential ecological correlates in the freshwater realm. We assembled data for 45 freshwater metacommunities, incorporating biologically highly disparate organismal groups (i.e., bacteria, algae, macrophytes, invertebrates, and fish). We first examined ecological correlates (e.g., matrix properties, beta diversity, and average characteristics of a metacommunity, including body size, trophic group, ecosystem type, life form, and dispersal mode) of the three elements of metacommunity structure (i.e., coherence, turnover, and boundary clumping). Second, based on those three elements, we determined which metacommunity types prevailed in freshwater systems and which ecological correlates best discriminated among the observed metacommunity types. We found that the three elements of metacommunity structure were not strongly related to the ecological correlates, except that turnover was positively related to beta diversity. We observed six metacommunity types. The most common were Clementsian and quasi-nested metacommunity types, whereas Random, quasi-Clementsian, Gleasonian, and quasi-Gleasonian types were less common. These six metacommunity types were best discriminated by beta diversity and the first axis of metacommunity ecological traits, ranging from metacommunities of producer organisms occurring in streams to those of large predatory organisms occurring in lakes. Our results showed that focusing on the emergent properties of multiple metacommunities provides information additional to that obtained in studies examining variation in local community structure within a metacommunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jani Heino
- Biodiversity, Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Environment Centre P.O. Box 413, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Janne Soininen
- Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki P.O. Box 64, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Janne Alahuhta
- Department of Geography, University of Oulu P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland ; Finnish Environment Institute, Freshwater Centre, State of Surface Waters P.O. Box 413, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Jyrki Lappalainen
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki P.O. Box 65, FI-00014, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Risto Virtanen
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Botanical Museum P.O. Box 3000, FI-90014, Oulu, Finland
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