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Ibalim S, Toko PS, Segar ST, Sagata K, Koane B, Miller SE, Novotny V, Janda M. Phylogenetic structure of moth communities (Geometridae, Lepidoptera) along a complete rainforest elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0308698. [PMID: 39133743 PMCID: PMC11318904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0308698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
We use community phylogenetics to elucidate the community assembly mechanisms for Geometridae moths (Lepidoptera) collected along a complete rainforest elevational gradient (200-3700 m a.s.l) on Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea. A constrained phylogeny based on COI barcodes for 604 species was used to analyse 1390 species x elevation occurrences at eight elevational sites separated by 500 m elevation increments. We obtained Nearest Relatedness Index (NRI), Nearest Taxon Index (NTI) and Standardised Effect Size of Faith's Phylogenetic Diversity (SES.PD) and regressed these on temperature, plant species richness and predator abundance as key abiotic and biotic predictors. We also quantified beta diversity in the moth communities between elevations using the Phylogenetic Sorensen index. Overall, geometrid communities exhibited phylogenetic clustering, suggesting environmental filters, particularly at higher elevations at and above 2200 m a.s.l and no evidence of overdispersion. NRI, NTI and SES.PD showed no consistent trends with elevation or the studied biotic and abiotic variables. Change in community structure was driven by turnover of phylogenetic beta-diversity, except for the highest 2700-3200 m elevations, which were characterised by nested subsets of lower elevation communities. Overall, the elevational signal of geometrid phylogeny was weak-moderate. Additional insect community phylogeny studies are needed to understand this pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sentiko Ibalim
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Pagi S. Toko
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Simon T. Segar
- Department of Crop and Environment Sciences, Harper Adams University, Newport, United Kingdom
| | - Katayo Sagata
- PNG Institute of Biological Research, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Bonny Koane
- New Guinea Binatang Research Centre, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Scott E. Miller
- Department of Entomology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, United States of America
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Janda
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
- Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores Unidad Morelia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, México
- Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Palacky University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
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Srinivasan U, Shanker K, Price TD. Ant impacts on global patterns of bird elevational diversity. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14497. [PMID: 39169636 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024]
Abstract
Using data on bird species elevational distributions from the world's mountain ranges, bird diets, and the distribution of the ant genus Oecophylla, we report that global patterns in bird elevational diversity show signals of competition with ants. Oecophylla is an abundant and effective predator of invertebrates, preying on the same species that invertivorous birds feed on. In mountain ranges with Oecophylla present in the foothills, the maximum species richness of invertivorous birds (but not other trophic guilds) occurs, on average, at 960 m, ca. 450 m higher than in mountain ranges without Oecophylla, resulting in a mid-elevation peak in bird species richness. Where Oecophylla is absent, bird species richness for all guilds generally show monotonic declines with increasing elevation. We argue that Oecophylla reduces prey density for invertivorous birds and that low prey abundance reduces invertivorous bird density, which in turn is correlated with lower bird species richness. These findngs suggest that competition between distantly related taxa can set range limits, leading to emergent diversity patterns over large scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umesh Srinivasan
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
| | - Kartik Shanker
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
- Dakshin Foundation, Bangalore, India
| | - Trevor D Price
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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3
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da Motta Portillo JT, Azevedo JAR, Barbo FE, Sawaya RJ. Opposite latitudinal gradients for species richness and phylogenetic diversity of endemic snakes in the Atlantic Forest. Curr Zool 2024; 70:522-530. [PMID: 39176063 PMCID: PMC11336678 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2024] Open
Abstract
The decrease in species richness toward higher latitudes is an expected biogeographical pattern. This pattern could be related to particular environmental constraints and the evolutionary history of clades. However, species richness does not fully represent the evolutionary history of the clades behind their distributions. Phylogenetic diversity better clarifies the role of historical factors in biogeographical patterns. We analyzed environmental and historical drivers related to latitudinal variation in species richness and phylogenetic diversity of Atlantic Forest endemic snakes. We implemented species distribution models, from voucher-based locality points, to map the snake ranges and diversity. We used generalized additive mixed models to evaluate the relationships among the diversity metrics and area, topographical roughness, and past climate change velocity since the Last Maximum Glacial in the Atlantic Forest latitudinal gradient. Contrary to the expected general pattern, species richness was higher toward higher latitudes, being positively related to past climatic stability. Species richness also increased with total area and higher topographical roughness. Phylogenetic diversity, on the other hand, showed opposite relationships related to the same factors. Phylogenetic diversity increased with lower climatic stability in lower latitudes. Thus, dimensions of diversity were affected in different ways by historical and environmental constraints in this unique and threatened biodiversity hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Thales da Motta Portillo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho,”Rua Cristóvão Colombo, 2265, São José do Rio Preto, São Paulo 15054-000, Brazil
| | - Josué Anderson Rêgo Azevedo
- Programa de Coleções Científicas Biológicas, Coordenação de Biodiversidade, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Avenida André Araújo, 2936, Manaus, Amazonas 69067-375, Brazil
- Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Box 461, Gothenburg, Västra Götaland SE-405 30, Sweden
| | - Fausto Erritto Barbo
- Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia de Minas Gerais, Rodovia Machado – Paraguaçu, km 3, Machado, Minas Gerais 37750-000, Brazil
| | - Ricardo J Sawaya
- Centro de Ciências Naturais e Humanas, Universidade Federal do ABC, Rua Arcturus, 03, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo 09606-070, Brazil
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Dellinger AS, Hamilton AM, Wessinger CA, Smith S. Opposing Patterns of Altitude-Driven Pollinator Turnover in the Tropical and Temperate Americas. Am Nat 2023; 202:152-165. [PMID: 37531276 PMCID: PMC7614872 DOI: 10.1086/725017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
AbstractAbiotic factors (e.g., temperature, precipitation) vary markedly along elevational gradients and differentially affect major groups of pollinators. Ectothermic bees, for example, are impeded in visiting flowers by cold and rainy conditions common at high elevations, while endothermic hummingbirds may continue foraging under such conditions. Despite the possibly far-reaching effects of the abiotic environment on plant-pollinator interactions, we know little about how these factors play out at broad ecogeographic scales. We address this knowledge gap by investigating how pollination systems vary across elevations in 26 plant clades from the Americas. Specifically, we explore Cruden's 1972 hypothesis that the harsh montane environment drives a turnover from insect to vertebrate pollination at higher elevations. We compared the elevational distribution and bioclimatic attributes for a total of 2,232 flowering plants and found that Cruden's hypothesis holds only in the tropics. Above 30°N and below 30°S, plants pollinated by vertebrates (mostly hummingbirds) tend to occur at lower elevations than those pollinated by insects. We hypothesize that this latitudinal transition is due to the distribution of moist, forested habitats favored by vertebrate pollinators, which are common at high elevations in the tropics but not in the temperate Americas.
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Maul K, Wei Y, Iskandar EAP, Chantanaorrapint S, Ho B, Quandt D, Kessler M. Liverworts show a globally consistent mid‐elevation richness peak. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9862. [PMID: 36969936 PMCID: PMC10034488 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of elevational gradients allows to draw conclusions on the factors and mechanisms determining patterns in species richness distribution. Several earlier studies investigated liverwort diversity on single or few elevational transects. However, a comprehensive survey of the elevational distribution patterns of liverwort richness and their underlying factors is lacking so far. This study's purpose was to fill this gap by compiling an extensive data set of liverwort elevational patterns encompassing a broad diversity of mountains and mountain ranges around the world. Using polynomial regression analyses, we found a prevalence of hump‐shaped richness patterns (19 of 25 gradients), where liverwort species richness peaked at mid‐elevation and decreased towards both ends of the gradient. Against our expectation and unlike in other plant groups, in liverworts, this pattern also applies to elevational gradients at mid‐latitudes in temperate climates. Indeed, relative elevation, calculated as the percentage of the elevational range potentially inhabited by liverworts, was the most powerful predictor for the distribution of liverwort species richness. We conclude from these results that the admixture of low‐ and high‐elevation liverwort floras, in combination with steep ecological gradients, leads to a mid‐elevation floristic turnover shaping elevational patterns of liverwort diversity. Our analyses further detected significant effects of climatic variables (temperature of the warmest month, potential evapotranspiration, and precipitation of the warmest month) in explaining elevational liverwort richness patterns. This indicates that montane liverwort diversity is restricted by high temperatures and subsequent low water availability especially towards lower elevations, which presumably will lead to serious effects by temperature shifts associated with global warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Maul
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of PlantsUniversity of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Yu‐Mei Wei
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of BotanyGuangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of SciencesGuilinChina
| | - Eka Aditya Putri Iskandar
- Understanding Evolution Research GroupNaturalis Biodiversity CentreLeidenThe Netherlands
- Institute of Biology Leiden, Faculty of ScienceLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Cibodas Botanic GardenNational Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN)BandungIndonesia
| | - Sahut Chantanaorrapint
- Division of Biological Sciences, Faculty of SciencePrince of Songkla UniversityHat YaiThailand
| | - Boon‐Chuan Ho
- Singapore Botanic GardensNational Parks BoardSingaporeRepublic of Singapore
| | - Dietmar Quandt
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of PlantsUniversity of BonnBonnGermany
| | - Michael Kessler
- Systematic and Evolutionary BotanyUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
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Ancco‐Valdivia FG, Calixto ES, López‐Tejeda E. Space‐for‐time substitution reveals a hump‐shaped distribution of dung beetles. Biotropica 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.13189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Geronimo Ancco‐Valdivia
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Eduardo Soares Calixto
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Entomologia, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras Universidade de São Paulo Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil
| | - Evaristo López‐Tejeda
- Museo de História Natural (MUSA) Universidad Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa, Área de Entomología Arequipa Peru
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Sonne J, Dalsgaard B, Borregaard MK, Kennedy J, Fjeldså J, Rahbek C. Biodiversity cradles and museums segregating within hotspots of endemism. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221102. [PMID: 35975440 PMCID: PMC9382217 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The immense concentrations of vertebrate species in tropical mountains remain a prominent but unexplained pattern in biogeography. A long-standing hypothesis suggests that montane biodiversity hotspots result from endemic species aggregating within ecologically stable localities. Here, the persistence of ancient lineages coincides with frequent speciation events, making such areas both 'cradles' (where new species arise) and 'museums' (where old species survive). Although this hypothesis refers to processes operating at the scale of valleys, it remains supported primarily by patterns generated from coarse-scale distribution data. Using high-resolution occurrence and phylogenetic data on Andean hummingbirds, we find that old and young endemic species are not spatially aggregated. The young endemic species tend to have non-overlapping distributions scattered along the Andean treeline, a long and narrow habitat where populations easily become fragmented. By contrast, the old endemic species have more aggregated distributions, but mainly within pockets of cloud forests at lower elevations than the young endemic species. These findings contradict the premise that biogeographical cradles and museums should overlap in valley systems where pockets of stable climate persist through periods of climate change. Instead, Andean biodiversity hotspots may derive from large-scale fluctuating climate complexity in conjunction with local-scale variability in available area and habitat connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jesper Sonne
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Bo Dalsgaard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Section for Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Globe Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael K. Borregaard
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Jonathan Kennedy
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
- Zoological Museum of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Jon Fjeldså
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Zoological Museum of the Natural History Museum of Denmark, Universitetsparken 15, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Carsten Rahbek
- Center for Global Mountain Biodiversity, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, GLOBE Institute, University of Copenhagen, Universitetsparken 15, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Ecology and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China
- Danish Institute for Advanced Study, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark
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8
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Qian H, Kessler M, Vetaas OR. Pteridophyte species richness in the central Himalaya is limited by cold climate extremes at high elevations and rainfall seasonality at low elevations. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8958. [PMID: 35646313 PMCID: PMC9130305 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 04/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
There is a consensus that climate factors strongly influence species richness along elevation gradients, but which factors are crucial and how they operate are still elusive. Here, we assess the relative importance of temperature‐related versus precipitation‐related variables and the relative importance of extreme climate versus climate seasonality in driving pteridophyte species richness. We used correlation and regression analyses to relate species richness of pteridophytes, and their two major groups (lycophytes, ferns), in fifty 100‐m vertical bands to climatic factors representing different aspects of climatic conditions (general climate, stressful climate, and climate seasonality). Variation partitioning analysis was used to determine the relative importance of each group of climatic factors on species richness. Across the entire elevational gradient, species richness had a parabolic response to mean annual temperature (adjusted R2 = .87−.91), and a linear response to annual precipitation (adjusted R2 = .82). Mean annual temperature and annual precipitation in the second‐order polynomial model together explained 96.3%−98.7% of the variation in species richness. The variation in species richness uniquely explained by minimum temperature of the coldest month was much greater than that uniquely explained by temperature seasonality, but the variation in species richness uniquely explained by precipitation during the driest month was much smaller than that uniquely explained by precipitation seasonality. Overall, extreme climate variables explained slightly more variation than did climate seasonality. Our study suggests that pteridophyte richness along the elevational gradient is largely driven by a combination of both temperature‐ and precipitation‐related parameters, although precipitation‐related variables play a slightly stronger role, and that extreme low temperature events (at high elevations) and seasonal precipitation variability (at low elevations) are the strongest determinants of pteridophyte species richness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Qian
- Research and Collections Center Illinois State Museum Springfield Illinois USA
| | - Michael Kessler
- Department of Systematic Botany University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Ole R. Vetaas
- Department of Geography University of Bergen Bergen Norway
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9
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Cham H, Malek S, Milow P, Song C. Developing an ecological visualization system for biodiversity data. ALL LIFE 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/26895293.2022.2066195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Hui Cham
- Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Sorayya Malek
- Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Pozi Milow
- Environmental Management, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Cheen Song
- Bioinformatics, Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Different Distribution Patterns of Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) and Bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) Along Altitudinal Gradients in Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (Italy). INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13030293. [PMID: 35323591 PMCID: PMC8950664 DOI: 10.3390/insects13030293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Simple Summary Hoverflies and bees play a key role in plant pollination. The increasing concern about pollinator reduction forces the planning of a sampling monitoring scheme to evaluate the change in the populations of these important insects. The present research provides baseline data about the distribution of hoverflies and bees in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (Northeastern Italy). The hoverfly community shows a unimodal distribution with peak at middle elevation, while bees display a linear reduction in richness and abundance with increasing altitude. Both hoverfly and bee β-diversity at high altitude is dominated by species turnover more than by nestedness. Abstract Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) and bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) are two key taxa for plant pollination. In the present research, the altitudinal distribution of these taxa was studied along two gradients (elevation range: 780–2130 m) in the Dolomiti Bellunesi National Park (Northeastern Italy). Pan traps were used as a sampling device to collect both hoverflies and bees. Other than altitude, the effect of landscape complexity and plant diversity were considered as potential predictors of hoverfly and bee richness and abundance along the two gradients. A total of 68 species of hoverflies and 67 of bees were collected during one sampling year, confirming the efficacy of pan traps as a sampling device to study these taxa. Altitude was the main variable affecting both hoverfly and bee distribution. The two taxa show different distribution patterns: hoverflies have a unimodal distribution (richness and abundance) with peak at middle altitude (1500 m), while bees have a monotonic decline (richness and abundance) with increasing altitude. Both hoverfly and bee populations change with the increasing altitude, but the change in hoverflies is more pronounced than in bees. Species turnover dominates the β-diversity both for hoverflies and bees; therefore, the hoverfly and bee communities at higher altitudes are not subsamples of species at lower altitude but are characterized by different species. This poses important conservation consequences. Some rare species, typical of an alpine habitat were recorded; the present research represents important baseline data to plan a monitoring scheme aimed at evaluating the effect of climate change on pollinators in these fragile habitats.
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Zhang S, Zang R, Sheil D. Rare and common species contribute disproportionately to the functional variation within tropical forests. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2022; 304:114332. [PMID: 34933270 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.114332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how functional traits and functional entities (FEs, i.e., unique combinations of functional traits) are distributed within plant communities can contribute to the understanding of vegetation properties and changes in species composition. We utilized investigation data on woody plants (including trees, shrubs and lianas) from 17 1-ha plots across six old-growth tropical forest types on Hainan island, China. Plant species were categorized as common (>1 individuals/ha) and rare species (≤1 individuals/ha) according to their abundance to determine how they contributed to different ecosystem functions. First, we assessed the differences in traits between common and rare species, and second, we examined functional redundancy, functional over-redundancy, and functional vulnerability for common and rare species of the forests. We found that both common species and rare species in each of the forest types were placed into just a few FEs, leading to functional over-redundancy and resulting in functional vulnerability. Rare species tended to have different trait values than those of common species, and were differently distributed among FEs, indicating different contributions to ecosystem functioning. Our results highlighted the disproportionate contribution of rare species in all of the studied forests. Rare species are more likely than common species to possess unique FEs, and thus, they have a disproportionately large contribution to community trait space. The loss of such species may impact the functioning, redundancy, and resilience of tropical forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuzi Zhang
- Hebei Academy of Forestry and Grassland Sciences, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050061, China; Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Nature Conservation, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China
| | - Runguo Zang
- Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Nature Conservation, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing 100091, China; Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210037, China.
| | - Douglas Sheil
- Forest Ecology and Forest Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, The Netherlands; Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), Situ Gede, Bogor Barat, Jawa Barat 16115, Indonesia
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12
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Qian LS, Shi HH, Ou XK, Sun H. Elevational patterns of functional diversity and trait of Delphinium (Ranunculaceae) in Hengduan Mountains, China. PLANT DIVERSITY 2022; 44:20-29. [PMID: 35281121 PMCID: PMC8897183 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2021] [Revised: 11/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Elevational patterns of trait occurrence and functional diversity provide an important perspective for understanding biodiversity. However, previous studies have mostly examined functional diversity at the community scale. Here, we examined large-scale patterns of trait occurrence and functional diversity in Delphinium along an elevational gradient from 1000 to 5700 m in the Hengduan Mountains, SW China. Elevational distribution and trait data of 102 Delphinium species were compiled to evaluate the patterns of interspecific traits, species richness, and functional diversity. We found that the distribution of species richness showed a unimodal curve that peaked between 3500 and 4000 m; functional diversity and traits showed different patterns along an elevational gradient. The functional diversity increased at a lower rate along an elevation gradient, whereas species richness continued to increase. Species with large ranges and non-endemic species were most affected by geometric constraints. Richness of species endemic to the Hengduan Mountains peaked at higher elevations, likely due to increased speciation and restricted dispersion under alpine conditions. We conclude that the middle elevation region is not only the functionally richest but also the most functionally stable region for Delphinium, which could be insurance against environmental change. Extreme conditions and strong environmental filters in an alpine environment may cause the convergence of species traits, which could relate to reducing nutrient trait investment and increasing reproductive trait investment. We conclude that large-scale studies are consistent with previous studies at the community scale. This may indicate that the relationship between functional diversity and species richness across different scales is the same.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Shen Qian
- School of Life Sciences, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Hong-Hua Shi
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Xiao-Kun Ou
- School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650091, China
| | - Hang Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
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13
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Liu X, Wang X, Bai M, Shaw JJ. Decrease in Carabid Beetles in Grasslands of Northwestern China: Further Evidence of Insect Biodiversity Loss. INSECTS 2021; 13:35. [PMID: 35055878 PMCID: PMC8777739 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Ground-dwelling beetles are important functional components in nutrient-poor grasslands of middle temperate steppe ecosystems in China. Here, we assessed the changes in ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) communities in the grasslands of northwestern China over 12 years to improve the management and conservation of beetles all over the world. The Generalized Additive Model (GAM) was applied to estimate the changes in carabid beetle communities in two regions: a desert steppe (Yanchi region), and a typical steppe and meadow steppe (Guyuan region). During the 12-year investigation, a total of 34 species were captured. We found that species abundance and richness per survey declined by 0.2 and 11.2%, respectively. Precipitation was the main factor affecting the distribution of carabid beetles. A distinct decline in carabid beetle species in the Yanchi region indicated that they may be threatened by less precipitation and loss of habitat, which could be due to climate change. Overall, species richness was stable in the Guyuan region. It is necessary to estimate and monitor the changes in carabid beetle communities in a temperate steppe of northern China and to protect them. Extensive desertification seriously threatens the distribution of carabid beetles. Future research should develop methods to protect carabid beetle communities in temperate steppes in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Liu
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
| | - Xinpu Wang
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
| | - Ming Bai
- School of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
| | - Josh Jenkins Shaw
- Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
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Njovu HK, Steffan-Dewenter I, Gebert F, Schellenberger Costa D, Kleyer M, Wagner T, Peters MK. Plant traits mediate the effects of climate on phytophagous beetle diversity on Mt. Kilimanjaro. Ecology 2021; 102:e03521. [PMID: 34449883 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Patterns of insect diversity along elevational gradients are well described in ecology. However, it remains little tested how variation in the quantity, quality, and diversity of food resources influence these patterns. Here we analyzed the direct and indirect effects of climate, food quantity (estimated by net primary productivity), quality (variation in the specific leaf area index, leaf nitrogen to phosphorus and leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio), and food diversity (diversity of leaf traits) on the species richness of phytophagous beetles along the broad elevation and land use gradients of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. We sampled beetles at 65 study sites located in both natural and anthropogenic habitats, ranging from 866 to 4,550 m asl. We used path analysis to unravel the direct and indirect effects of predictor variables on species richness. In total, 3,154 phytophagous beetles representing 19 families and 304 morphospecies were collected. We found that the species richness of phytophagous beetles was bimodally distributed along the elevation gradient with peaks at the lowest (˜866 m asl) and upper mid-elevations (˜3,200 m asl) and sharply declined at higher elevations. Path analysis revealed temperature- and climate-driven changes in primary productivity and leaf trait diversity to be the best predictors of changes in the species richness of phytophagous beetles. Species richness increased with increases in mean annual temperature, primary productivity, and with increases in the diversity of leaf traits of local ecosystems. Our study demonstrates that, apart from temperature, the quantity and diversity of food resources play a major role in shaping diversity gradients of phytophagous insects. Drivers of global change, leading to a change of leaf traits and causing reductions in plant diversity and productivity, may consequently reduce the diversity of herbivore assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry K Njovu
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Friederike Gebert
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - David Schellenberger Costa
- Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Dornburger Strasse 159, 07743, Jena, Germany.,Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany
| | - Michael Kleyer
- Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, University Oldenburg, Oldenburg, 26111, Germany
| | - Thomas Wagner
- Institute of Integrated Sciences - Biology - University Str. 1, University of Koblenz-Landau, Koblenz, 56070, Germany
| | - Marcell K Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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15
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The Modeling and Forecasting of Carabid Beetle Distribution in Northwestern China. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12020168. [PMID: 33669260 PMCID: PMC7920037 DOI: 10.3390/insects12020168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The relationship between species and environment are an important basis for the study of biodiversity. Most researchers have found the distribution of indicator insects such as carabid beetle at the local community scale; however, a few studies on the distribution of indicator insects in grassland in China. Here, we used Generalized Additive Models (GAM) to predict temperate steppe of northwestern China carabid beetle species richness distribution, and to determine the possible underlying causal factors. Predicted values of beetle richness ranged from 3 to 12. The diversity hotspots are located in the southwest, south and southeast of the study area which have moist environment, the carabid beetle is mainly influenced by temperature and precipitation. The results underline the importance of management and conservation strategies for grassland and also provides evidence for assessing beetle diversity in temperature steppe. Abstract Beetles are key insect species in global biodiversity and play a significant role in steppe ecosystems. In the temperate steppe of China, the increasing degeneration of the grasslands threatens beetle species and their habitat. Using Generalized Additive Models (GAMs), we aimed to predict and map beetle richness patterns within the temperate steppe of Ningxia (China). We tested 19 environmental predictors including climate, topography, soil moisture and space as well as vegetation. Climatic variables (temperature, precipitation, soil temperature) consistently appeared among the most important predictors for beetle groups modeled. GAM generated predictive cartography for the study area. Our models explained a significant percentage of the variation in carabid beetle richness (79.8%), carabid beetle richness distribution seems to be mainly influenced by temperature and precipitation. The results have important implications for management and conservation strategies and also provides evidence for assessing and making predictions of beetle diversity across the steppe.
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16
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Moses J, Fayle TM, Novotny V, Klimes P. Elevation and leaf litter interact in determining the structure of ant communities on a tropical mountain. Biotropica 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jimmy Moses
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Tom M. Fayle
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Institute for Tropical Biology and Conservation Universiti Malaysia Sabah Kota Kinabalu Malaysia
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Petr Klimes
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Entomology Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
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Chiu MC, Ao S, He F, Resh VH, Cai Q. Elevation shapes biodiversity patterns through metacommunity-structuring processes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140548. [PMID: 32758813 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Stochastic (e.g., via species dispersal and ecological drift) and deterministic (e.g., via environmental and biotic filtering) processes can produce diversity patterns related to changes in elevation. However, existing studies have not generally examined these processes within a compressive framework. Stream macroinvertebrates are an important and diverse component of freshwater environments in high-mountain systems. By considering metacommunity-structuring processes using Hierarchical Modelling of Species Communities (HMSC), we investigated changes in taxon richness of stream macroinvertebrates along elevational gradients in streams of the Cangshan mountain range in Southwest China. We found that increasing taxon richness along the elevation gradient until the optimum was reached could be modeled using the integrated actions of full structuring processes within the metacommunity modeling. Consistent increases in taxon-richness along the elevation gradient were able to be modeled considering environmental filtering alone. In addition, the importance of structuring processes on shaping communities decreased along spatial hierarchical-scales (from local habitat to mountain-aspect levels). These results suggest that stochastic and biotic-filtering processes can confound environmental filtering in shaping macroinvertebrate communities in high-mountain streams. A comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying elevational biodiversity patterns of riverine communities can be improved through quantitative frameworks (e.g., HMSC) linking metacommunity theory to the real-world systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Chih Chiu
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China
| | - Sicheng Ao
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fengzhi He
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China; Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vincent H Resh
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy & Management, University of California, Berkeley, USA
| | - Qinghua Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, China.
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Jins VJ, Panigrahi M, Jayapal R, Bishop TR. Elevational gradients of reptile richness in the southern Western Ghats of India: Evaluating spatial and bioclimatic drivers. Biotropica 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. J. Jins
- Department of Zoology Sikkim University Gangtok India
| | | | - Rajah Jayapal
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History Coimbatore India
| | - Tom R. Bishop
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences University of Liverpool Liverpool UK
- Department of Zoology and Entomology Centre for Invasion Biology University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
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Maul K, Wei YM, Nebel M, Luebert F, Ho BC, Quandt D, Kessler M. Different Predictors Shape the Diversity Patterns of Epiphytic and Non-epiphytic Liverworts in Montane Forests of Uganda. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:765. [PMID: 32670313 PMCID: PMC7327462 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
We studied the influence of regional and local variables on the liverwort diversity within natural forest vegetation of Uganda to contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms and processes determining species richness. To this end, we compared the species richness distribution patterns of epiphytic and non-epiphytic liverworts (Marchantiophytina) in 24 plots in the forests of four Ugandan national parks. We recorded a total of 119 species and subspecies from 18 families, including 16 new species records for the country. We used generalized linear models (GLMs) and the relative variable importance of regional and local climatic and environmental variables to assess their respective impact on the species diversity. We found that the richness patterns of total and epiphytic richness were largely driven by regional climatic factors related to temperature and water-availability. In contrast, species diversity of non-epiphytic and rare species was additionally strongly determined by local-scale microhabitat factors such as height of forest canopy and slope inclination, reflecting the availability of suitable microhabitats. We conclude that macroclimatic variables perform well in predicting epiphytic liverwort richness, whereas the adequate prediction of non-epiphytic richness requires site-specific variables. Also, we propose that richness of epiphytic liverworts will be impacted more directly by climate change than richness of non-epiphytic and rare species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karola Maul
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Yu-Mei Wei
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Plant Conservation and Restoration Ecology in Karst Terrain, Guangxi Institute of Botany, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guilin, China
| | - Martin Nebel
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Federico Luebert
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Departamento de Silvicultura y Conservatión de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Boon-Chuan Ho
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dietmar Quandt
- Nees Institute for Biodiversity of Plants, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Michael Kessler
- Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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20
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Alvarado F, Salomão RP, Hernandez-Rivera Á, de Araujo Lira AF. Different responses of dung beetle diversity and feeding guilds from natural and disturbed habitats across a subtropical elevational gradient. ACTA OECOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.actao.2020.103533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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21
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Lyu Y, Wang X, Luo J. Geographic patterns of insect diversity across China's nature reserves: The roles of niche conservatism and range overlapping. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3305-3317. [PMID: 32273988 PMCID: PMC7141035 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM Insects are the most species-rich clade in the world, but the broad-scale diversity pattern and the potential drivers have not been well documented for the clade as a whole. We aimed to examine the relative roles of contemporary and historical climate, niche conservatism, range overlapping, and other environmental factors on geographic patterns of species richness and phylogenetic structure, for insects across China. LOCATION China. METHODS We collected insect data from 184 nature reserves and examined geographic patterns of species richness and mean root distance (MRD, a metric of the evolutionary development of assemblages) for different biogeographic affinities (Palearctic, Oriental, and widespread species) and for clades originated during the warm and cold geohistorical periods ("warm clades" and "cold clades," respectively). We related richness and MRD to contemporary and historical climate, area, habitat heterogeneity, and human disturbance to evaluate their relative importance. RESULTS Total species richness revealed a hump-shaped latitudinal pattern, peaking between 30°~35°N. Richness patterns differed markedly among evolutionary groups: Oriental species richness decreased significantly with higher latitude but Palearctic species increased, while other groups again peaked between 30°~35°N. The range overlapping of different biogeographic groups in midlatitudes may be an important contributor to humped latitudinal richness patterns. MRD was positively related to latitude and increased more rapidly for "warm clades" than "cold clades." Historical climate factors (especially winter coldness) were among the strongest predictors for both richness and phylogenetic patterns, for each evolutionary group, suggesting the strong influence of niche conservatism. CONCLUSIONS The hump-shaped latitudinal pattern of insect richness in China is mainly shaped by niche conservatism and range overlapping, supplemented by habitat heterogeneity and contemporary climate. The role of niche conservatism and range overlapping may have been overlooked if only total species richness was analyzed, suggesting the importance of examining different evolutionary groups separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yueming Lyu
- College of ForestryBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Xiangping Wang
- College of ForestryBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
| | - Juchun Luo
- College of ForestryBeijing Forestry UniversityBeijingChina
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22
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Shee ZQ, Frodin DG, Cámara-Leret R, Pokorny L. Reconstructing the Complex Evolutionary History of the Papuasian Schefflera Radiation Through Herbariomics. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:258. [PMID: 32265950 PMCID: PMC7099051 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.00258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
With its large proportion of endemic taxa, complex geological past, and location at the confluence of the highly diverse Malesian and Australian floristic regions, Papuasia - the floristic region comprising the Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, and the Solomon Islands - represents an ideal natural experiment in plant biogeography. However, scattered knowledge of its flora and limited representation in herbaria have hindered our understanding of the drivers of its diversity. Focusing on the woody angiosperm genus Schefflera (Araliaceae), we ask whether its morphologically defined infrageneric groupings are monophyletic, when these lineages diverged, and where (within Papuasia or elsewhere) they diversified. To address these questions, we use a high-throughput sequencing approach (Hyb-Seq) which combines target capture (with an angiosperm-wide bait kit targeting 353 single-copy nuclear loci) and genome shotgun sequencing (which allows retrieval of regions in high-copy number, e.g., organellar DNA) of historical herbarium collections. To reconstruct the evolutionary history of the genus we reconstruct molecular phylogenies with Bayesian inference, maximum likelihood, and pseudo-coalescent approaches, and co-estimate divergence times and ancestral areas in a Bayesian framework. We find strong support for most infrageneric morphological groupings, as currently circumscribed, and we show the efficacy of the Angiosperms-353 probe kit in resolving both deep and shallow phylogenetic relationships. We infer a sequence of colonization to explain the present-day distribution of Schefflera in Papuasia: from the Sunda Shelf, Schefflera arrived to the Woodlark plate (present-day eastern New Guinea) in the late Oligocene (when most of New Guinea was submerged) and, subsequently (throughout the Miocene), it migrated westwards (to the Maoke and Bird's Head Plates and thereon) and further diversified, in agreement with previous reconstructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Qiang Shee
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
- Singapore Botanic Gardens, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Rodrigo Cámara-Leret
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Lisa Pokorny
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United Kingdom
- Centre for Plant Biotechnology and Genomics (CBGP UPM-INIA), Madrid, Spain
- Real Jardín Botánico (RJB-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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23
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Peters MK, Classen A, Müller J, Steffan-Dewenter I. Increasing the phylogenetic coverage for understanding broad-scale diversity gradients. Oecologia 2020; 192:629-639. [PMID: 32052181 PMCID: PMC7058593 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04615-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Despite decades of scientific effort, there is still no consensus on the determinants of broad-scale gradients of animal diversity. We argue that general drivers of diversity are unlikely to be found among the narrowly defined taxa which are typically analyzed in studies of broad-scale diversity gradients because ecological niches evolve largely conservatively. This causes constraints in the use of available niche space leading to systematic differences in diversity gradients among taxa. We instead advocate studies of phylogenetically diverse animal communities along broad environmental gradients. Such multi-taxa communities are less constrained in resource use and diversification and may be better targets for testing major classical hypotheses on diversity gradients. Besides increasing the spatial scale in analyses, expanding the phylogenetic coverage may be a second way to achieve higher levels of generality in studies of broad-scale diversity gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcell K Peters
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Alice Classen
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.,Bavarian Forest National Park, Freyunger Str. 2, 94481, Grafenau, Germany
| | - Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
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24
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Marathe A, Priyadarsanan DR, Krishnaswamy J, Shanker K. Spatial and climatic variables independently drive elevational gradients in ant species richness in the Eastern Himalaya. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0227628. [PMID: 31940414 PMCID: PMC6961925 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Elevational gradients are considered important for understanding causes behind gradients in species richness due to the large variation in climate and habitat within a small spatial extent. Geometric constraints are thought to interact with environmental variables and influence elevational patterns in species richness. However, the geographic setting of most mountain ranges, particularly continuity with low elevation areas may reduce the effect of geometric constraints at lower elevations. In the present study, we test the effects of climatic gradients and continuity with the low elevation plains of the eastern Himalayan mountain range on patterns of species richness. We studied species richness of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) on an elevational gradient between 600m and 2400m in the Eastern Himalaya–part of Himalaya biodiversity hotspot. Ants were sampled in nine elevational bands of 200m with four transects in each band using pitfall and Winkler traps. We used regression models to identify the most important environmental variables that predict species richness and used constrained null models to test the effects of contiguity between the mountain range and plains. We find a monotonic decline in species richness of ants with elevation. Temperature was a more important predictor of species richness than habitat complexity. Geometric constraints model weighted by temperature with a soft lower boundary and hard upper boundary best explained the species richness pattern. This suggests that a combination of climate and geometric constraints drive the elevational species richness patterns of ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aniruddha Marathe
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Srirampura, Bangalore, India
- Manipal University, Manipal, India
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Jagdish Krishnaswamy
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Srirampura, Bangalore, India
| | - Kartik Shanker
- Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), Srirampura, Bangalore, India
- Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India
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25
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Rana SK, Gross K, Price TD. Drivers of elevational richness peaks, evaluated for trees in the east Himalaya. Ecology 2019; 100:e02548. [PMID: 30601575 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Along elevational gradients, species richness often peaks at intermediate elevations and not the base. Here we refine and test eight hypotheses to evaluate causes of a richness peak in trees of the eastern Himalaya. In the field, we enumerated trees in 50 plots of size 0.1 ha each at eight zones along an elevational gradient and compared richness patterns with interpolation of elevational ranges of species from a thorough review of literature, including floras from the plains of India. The maximum number of species peaks at similar elevations in the two data sets (at 500 m in the field sampling and between 500 m and 1,000 m in range interpolation); concordance between the methods implies that statistical artefacts are unlikely to explain the peak in the data. We reject most hypotheses (e.g., area, speciation rate, mixing of distinct floras). We find support for a model in which climate (actual evapotranspiration [AET] or its correlates) sets both the number of species and each species optimum, coupled with a geometric constraint. We consider that AET declines with elevation, but an abrupt change in the association of AET with geographical distance into the plains means that the location of highest AET, at the base of the mountain, receives range overlaps from fewer species than the location just above the base. We formalize this explanation with a mathematical model to show how this can generate the observed low-elevation richness peak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh K Rana
- Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 248001, India
| | - Kevin Gross
- Biomathematics Program, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, 27695, USA
| | - Trevor D Price
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, 60637, USA
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26
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Xu Y, Liu X, Xie G, Qin J, Wu X, Ouyang S. Beta diversity and factors that drive land-snail patterns in Jiangxi Province, People’s Republic of China. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Jiangxi Province is a biodiversity hotspot in the People’s Republic of China and has abundant land-snail species (247). Beta diversity is a key concept for understanding the functioning of ecosystems, the conservation of biodiversity, and the management of ecosystems. Here, the pattern of beta diversity for land snails in Jiangxi Province was analyzed. The results showed that the spatial turnover component was the main contributor to beta diversity, indicating that additional conservation efforts must target an increase in the number of protected areas, which should be spread across each one of the areas, to maximize the protection of species diversity. The nestedness component of diversity was always low, but there was a marked difference between microsnails, in which zero values occurred in 41.3% of all cases, and macrosnails, in which zero values occurred in only 2.7% of cases. There was a difference in the pattern of beta diversity between the two. The principal coordinate analysis showed a clear pattern with four groups in Jiangxi Province. In addition, we found significant effects of precipitation and altitude on overall beta diversity. These results will provide important basic information for the conservation of biodiversity in land snails.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Xu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiongjun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Resources Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
| | - Guanglong Xie
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
| | - Jiajun Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
| | - Xiaoping Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
- Key Laboratory of Poyang Lake Environment and Resource Utilization, Ministry of Education, School of Resources Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
- School of Resource, Environment and Chemical Engineering, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
| | - Shan Ouyang
- School of Life Sciences, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330031, People’s Republic of China
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27
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Longino JT, Branstetter MG, Ward PS. Ant diversity patterns across tropical elevation gradients: effects of sampling method and subcommunity. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- John T. Longino
- Department of Biology The University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah 84112 USA
| | | | - Philip S. Ward
- Department of Entomology and Nematology University of California Davis California 95616 USA
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28
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Amori G, Boitani L, Milana G, Maiorano L, Luiselli L. Endemism and diversity in European montane mammals: macro-ecological patterns. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Mountains are important landforms with regard to both biodiversity and evolution of endemism. We analysed macro-ecological patterns of distribution and endemism of European montane (i.e. with at least 70% of their range inside mountain areas) mammals. The landscape of the study area was characterized by three environmental variables: land cover, land-use and elevation. For each species, we collected spatially explicit information on the extent of occurrence, level of endemicity, conservation status, habitat preferences, elevation range and all the available presence points. Montane species accounted for 25.5% of the total (N = 66), whereas lowland species (N = 193) accounted for 74.5% of the total European mammals. There was a significantly lower mean range in size of montane species compared to non-montane species. There was a negative correlation between the number of species and elevation, and a negative correlation between median elevation of the range of a given species and its extent of occurrence. The highest peak in the percentage of species present in each altitudinal band was observed at lower elevations in the lower altitude mountain chains. There was a significantly negative correlation between elevation and Simpson’s index of habitats, but species richness increased significantly with Simpson’s index of habitat diversity. A total of 122 species (40.7%) were European endemics, with the frequencies of endemic species not being different between montane areas and overall. A logistic regression model showed that, for a given species, being montane also enhanced the probability of being endemic to Europe. Montane species are especially concentrated in the Caucasus, along the Turkish coast of the Black Sea. The area of the various mountain chains did not influence either the number of montane species or the number of montane species that are strictly endemic to that mountain chain. A total of 45 endemic montane species were recorded for the study region, with only ten being of conservation concern according to IUCN criteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Amori
- CNR, Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems, viale dell’Università 32, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Boitani
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘Charles Darwin’, viale dell’Università 32, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Giuliano Milana
- CNR, Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems, viale dell’Università 32, Rome, Italy
| | - Luigi Maiorano
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology ‘Charles Darwin’, viale dell’Università 32, I-00185 Rome, Italy
| | - Luca Luiselli
- Department of Applied and Environmental Biology, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B., Port Harcourt, Nigeria
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29
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Exogenous application of methyl jasmonate to Ficus hahliana attracts predators of insects along an altitudinal gradient in Papua New Guinea. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1017/s0266467419000117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractIn many plants, the defence systems against herbivores are induced, and may be involved in recruiting the natural enemies of herbivores. We used methyl jasmonate, a well-known inducer of plant defence responses, to manipulate the chemistry of Ficus hahliana along a tropical altitudinal gradient in order to test its ability to attract the enemies of herbivores. We examined whether chemical signals from MeJA-treated trees (simulating leaf damage by herbivores) attracted insect enemies in the complex settings of a tropical forest; and how this ability changes with altitude, where the communities of predators differ naturally. We conducted the research at four study sites (200, 700, 1700 and 2700 m asl) of Mt Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea. Using dummy plasticine caterpillars to assess predation on herbivorous insect, we showed that, on average, inducing plant defences with jasmonic acid in this tropical forest increases predation twofold (i.e. caterpillars exposed on MeJA-sprayed trees were attacked twice as often as caterpillars exposed on control trees). The predation rate on control trees decreased with increasing altitude from 20.2% d−1 at 200 m asl to 4.7% d−1 at 2700 m asl. Predation on MeJA-treated trees peaked at 700 m (52.3% d−1) and decreased to 20.8% d−1 at 2700 m asl. Arthropod predators (i.e. ants and wasps) caused relatively more attacks in the lowlands (200–700 m asl), while birds became the dominant predators above 1700 m asl. The predation pressure from birds and arthropods corresponded with their relative abundances, but not with their species richness. Our study found a connection between chemically induced defence in plants and their attractivity to predators of herbivorous insect in the tropics.
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30
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Ogwu MC, Takahashi K, Dong K, Song HK, Moroenyane I, Waldman B, Adams JM. Fungal Elevational Rapoport pattern from a High Mountain in Japan. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6570. [PMID: 31024040 PMCID: PMC6484014 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43025-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2018] [Accepted: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known of how fungal distribution ranges vary with elevation. We studied fungal diversity and community composition from 740 to 2940 m above sea level on Mt. Norikura, Japan, sequencing the ITS2 region. There was a clear trend, repeated across each of the fungal phyla (Basidiomycota, Ascomycota, Zygomycota, Chytridomycota and Glomeromycota), and across the whole fungal community combined, towards an increased elevational range of higher elevation OTUs, conforming to the elevational Rapoport pattern. It appears that fungi from higher elevation environments are more generalized ecologically, at least in terms of climate-related gradients. These findings add to the picture from latitudinal studies of fungal ranges, which also suggest that the classic Rapoport Rule (broader ranges at higher latitudes) applies on a geographical scale. However, there was no mid-elevation maximum in diversity in any of the phyla studied, and different diversity trends for the different phyla, when different diversity indices were used. In terms of functional guilds, on Norikura there were trends towards increased saprotrophism (Zygomycota), symbiotrophism (Basidiomycota), symbiotrophism and saprotrophism (Ascomycota) and pathotrophism (Chytridiomycota) with elevation. The causes of each of these trends require further investigation from an ecological and evolutionary viewpoint.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Chidozie Ogwu
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Department of Plant Biology and Biotechnology, University of Benin, PMB 1154, Ugbowo, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
| | - Koichi Takahashi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Nagano, 390-8621, Japan
| | - Ke Dong
- Department of Life Sciences, Kyonggi University, Suwon, 443-760, Republic of Korea.
| | - Ho-Kyung Song
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea
| | - Itumeleng Moroenyane
- Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier, 531 Boulevard de Prairies, Laval, Quebec, H7V 1B7, Canada
| | - Bruce Waldman
- School of Biological Sciences, Seoul National University, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, 501 Life Sciences West, Stillwater, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
| | - Jonathan M Adams
- Division of Soils and Agrifood, School of Water, Energy and Environment, Building 52a, Cranfield University, Bedfordshire, MK43 0AL, United Kingdom.
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31
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Leach EC, Burwell CJ, Jones DN, Kitching RL. Modelling the responses of Australian subtropical rainforest birds to changes in environmental conditions along elevational gradients. AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elliot C. Leach
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; Griffith University; Nathan Qld 4111 Australia
| | - Chris J. Burwell
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; Griffith University; Nathan Qld 4111 Australia
- Biodiversity Program; Queensland Museum; South Brisbane Qld 4101 Australia
| | - Darryl N. Jones
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; Griffith University; Nathan Qld 4111 Australia
| | - Roger L. Kitching
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; Griffith University; Nathan Qld 4111 Australia
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32
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Abstract
Elevational diversity gradients are typically studied without considering the complex small-scale topography of large mountains, which generates habitats of strongly different environmental conditions within the same elevational zones. Here we analyzed the importance of small-scale topography for elevational diversity patterns of hyperdiverse tropical leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). We compared patterns of elevational diversity and species composition of beetles in two types of forests (on mountain ridges and in valleys) and analyzed whether differences in the rate of species turnover among forest habitats lead to shifts in patterns of elevational diversity when scaling up from the local study site to the elevational belt level. We sampled beetle assemblages at 36 sites in the Podocarpus National Park, Ecuador, which were equally distributed over two forest habitats and three elevational levels. DNA barcoding and Poisson tree processes modelling were used to delimitate putative species. On average, local leaf beetle diversity showed a clear hump-shaped pattern. However, only diversity in forests on mountain ridges peaked at mid-elevation, while beetle diversity in valleys was similarly high at low- and mid-elevation and only declined at highest elevations. A higher turnover of species assemblages at lower than at mid-elevations caused a shift from a hump-shaped diversity pattern found at the local level to a low-elevation plateau pattern (with similar species numbers at low and mid-elevation) at the elevational belt level. Our study reveals an important role of small-scale topography and spatial scale for the inference on gradients of elevational species diversity.
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33
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Orivel J, Klimes P, Novotny V, Leponce M. Resource use and food preferences in understory ant communities along a complete elevational gradient in Papua New Guinea. Biotropica 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/btp.12539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Orivel
- CNRS, UMR Ecologie des Forêts de Guyane; AgroParisTech, CIRAD, INRA; Université de Guyane; Université des Antilles; Campus Agronomique, BP316 97379 Kourou cedex France
| | - Petr Klimes
- Institute of Entomology Biology Centre; Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branisovska 31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- The New Binatang Research Center; Nagada Harbour, P.O. Box 604 Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Institute of Entomology Biology Centre; Czech Academy of Sciences and Faculty of Science; University of South Bohemia; Branisovska 31 370 05 Ceske Budejovice Czech Republic
- The New Binatang Research Center; Nagada Harbour, P.O. Box 604 Madang Papua New Guinea
| | - Maurice Leponce
- Biodiversity Monitoring & Assessment Unit; Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences; 29 rue Vautier 1000 Brussels Belgium
- Evolutionary Biology & Ecology; Université Libre de Bruxelles; CP 160/12, 50 av. F.D. Roosevelt 1050 Brussels Belgium
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34
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Soil nematodes show a mid-elevation diversity maximum and elevational zonation on Mt. Norikura, Japan. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3028. [PMID: 28596521 PMCID: PMC5465078 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03655-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about how nematode ecology differs across elevational gradients. We investigated the soil nematode community along a ~2,200 m elevational range on Mt. Norikura, Japan, by sequencing the 18S rRNA gene. As with many other groups of organisms, nematode diversity showed a high correlation with elevation, and a maximum in mid-elevations. While elevation itself, in the context of the mid domain effect, could predict the observed unimodal pattern of soil nematode communities along the elevational gradient, mean annual temperature and soil total nitrogen concentration were the best predictors of diversity. We also found nematode community composition showed strong elevational zonation, indicating that a high degree of ecological specialization that may exist in nematodes in relation to elevation-related environmental gradients and certain nematode OTUs had ranges extending across all elevations, and these generalized OTUs made up a greater proportion of the community at high elevations – such that high elevation nematode OTUs had broader elevational ranges on average, providing an example consistent to Rapoport’s elevational hypothesis. This study reveals the potential for using sequencing methods to investigate elevational gradients of small soil organisms, providing a method for rapid investigation of patterns without specialized knowledge in taxonomic identification.
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35
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Plowman NS, Hood ASC, Moses J, Redmond C, Novotny V, Klimes P, Fayle TM. Network reorganization and breakdown of an ant-plant protection mutualism with elevation. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:rspb.2016.2564. [PMID: 28298349 PMCID: PMC5360921 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Both the abiotic environment and the composition of animal and plant communities change with elevation. For mutualistic species, these changes are expected to result in altered partner availability, and shifts in context-dependent benefits for partners. To test these predictions, we assessed the network structure of terrestrial ant-plant mutualists and how the benefits to plants of ant inhabitation changed with elevation in tropical forest in Papua New Guinea. At higher elevations, ant-plants were rarer, species richness of both ants and plants decreased, and the average ant or plant species interacted with fewer partners. However, networks became increasingly connected and less specialized, more than could be accounted for by reductions in ant-plant abundance. On the most common ant-plant, ants recruited less and spent less time attacking a surrogate herbivore at higher elevations, and herbivory damage increased. These changes were driven by turnover of ant species rather than by within-species shifts in protective behaviour. We speculate that reduced partner availability at higher elevations results in less specialized networks, while lower temperatures mean that even for ant-inhabited plants, benefits are reduced. Under increased abiotic stress, mutualistic networks can break down, owing to a combination of lower population sizes, and a reduction in context-dependent mutualistic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nichola S Plowman
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic .,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Amelia S C Hood
- New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jimmy Moses
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea.,University of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
| | - Conor Redmond
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Vojtech Novotny
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Petr Klimes
- Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
| | - Tom M Fayle
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,Institute of Entomology, Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic.,New Guinea Binatang Research Center, Madang, Papua New Guinea
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36
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Predictors of elevational biodiversity gradients change from single taxa to the multi-taxa community level. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13736. [PMID: 28004657 PMCID: PMC5192166 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2016] [Accepted: 10/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The factors determining gradients of biodiversity are a fundamental yet unresolved topic in ecology. While diversity gradients have been analysed for numerous single taxa, progress towards general explanatory models has been hampered by limitations in the phylogenetic coverage of past studies. By parallel sampling of 25 major plant and animal taxa along a 3.7 km elevational gradient on Mt. Kilimanjaro, we quantify cross-taxon consensus in diversity gradients and evaluate predictors of diversity from single taxa to a multi-taxa community level. While single taxa show complex distribution patterns and respond to different environmental factors, scaling up diversity to the community level leads to an unambiguous support for temperature as the main predictor of species richness in both plants and animals. Our findings illuminate the influence of taxonomic coverage for models of diversity gradients and point to the importance of temperature for diversification and species coexistence in plant and animal communities. Explaining species richness patterns is a key question in ecology. Peters et al. sample diverse plant and animal groups across elevation on Mt. Kilimanjaro to show that, while disparate factors drive distributions of individual taxa, diversity overall decreases with elevation, mostly driven by effects of temperature.
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