Beta‐diversity in temperate and tropical forests reflects dissimilar mechanisms of community assembly

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 16(2), P. 151 - 157

Published: Nov. 1, 2012

Abstract Site‐to‐site variation in species composition (β‐diversity) generally increases from low‐ to high‐diversity regions. Although biogeographical differences community assembly mechanisms may explain this pattern, random sampling effects can create pattern through regional pools. Here, we compared between spatially extensive networks of temperate and tropical forest plots with highly divergent pools (46 vs. 607 species). After controlling for effects, β‐diversity woody plants was similar higher than expected by chance both forests, reflecting strong intraspecific aggregation. However, different appeared aggregation the two forests. In forest, reflected stronger environmental correlations, suggesting an important role species‐sorting (e.g. filtering) processes, whereas tropics, spatial more likely dispersal limitation. We suggest that relative importance contribute these striking gradients global biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Contrasting the relative importance of species sorting and dispersal limitation in shaping marine bacterial versus protist communities

The ISME Journal, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 12(2), P. 485 - 494

Published: Nov. 10, 2017

Language: Английский

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Ecological and Evolutionary Drivers of Geographic Variation in Species Diversity

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Journal Year: 2015, Volume and Issue: 46(1), P. 369 - 392

Published: Oct. 16, 2015

Recent studies have generated an explosion of phylogenetic and biogeographic data provided new tools to investigate the processes driving large-scale gradients in species diversity. Fossils plants animals demonstrate that tropical regions are source for almost all groups organisms, these composed a mixture ancient recently derived lineages. These findings consistent with hypothesis large extent environments during past 10–50 million years, together greater climatic stability, has promoted speciation reduced extinction rates. Energy availability appears only indirectly contribute global patterns diversity, especially considering how some marine diversity can be completely decoupled from temperature productivity gradients. Instead, climate stability time–integrated area determine baselines both terrestrial patterns. Biotic interactions likely augment diversification coexistence tropics.

Language: Английский

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Assessing the relative importance of neutral stochasticity in ecological communities

Oikos, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 123(12), P. 1420 - 1430

Published: Sept. 30, 2014

A central current debate in community ecology concerns the relative importance of deterministic versus stochastic processes underlying structure. However, concept stochasticity presents several profound philosophical, theoretical and empirical challenges, which we address here. The philosophical argument that nothing nature is truly can be met with following operational neutral ecology: change composition a (i.e. dynamics) neutrally to degree individual demographic events – birth, death, immigration, emigration cause such changes occur at random respect species identities. Empirical methods for identifying component dynamics or structure include null models multivariate statistics on observational species‐by‐site data (with without environmental trait data), experimental manipulations ‘stochastic’ colonization order densities frequencies competing species. We identify fundamental limitations each method its ability allow inferences about processes. Critical future needs greater precision articulating link between results ecological inferences, comprehensive assessment interpretation statistical analyses data, experiments focusing size natural variation order. Synthesis Community have often been described as being underlain by ‘neutral’ processes, but there great confusion what exactly this means. attempt provide conceptual clarity specifying precisely focal variable (e.g. distributions, composition, demography) considered other variables species' traits, environment) when using different methods. clarify drawn approaches, suggest avenues research better understand role ecology.

Language: Английский

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Conspecific Negative Density Dependence and Forest Diversity

Science, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 336(6083), P. 904 - 907

Published: May 17, 2012

Conspecific negative density-dependent establishment, in which local abundance negatively affects establishment of conspecific seedlings through host-specific enemies, can influence species diversity plant communities, but the generality this process is not well understood. We tested strength density dependence using United States Forest Service's Inventory and Analysis database containing 151 from more than 200,000 forest plots spanning 4,000,000 square kilometers. found that most experienced (CNDD), there was little effect heterospecific density. Additionally, abundant exhibited weaker CNDD rarer species, species-rich regions stronger species-poor regions. Collectively, our results provide evidence a pervasive mechanism driving across gradient boreal to subtropical forests.

Language: Английский

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Diversity and carbon storage across the tropical forest biome

Scientific Reports, Journal Year: 2017, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: Jan. 17, 2017

Abstract Tropical forests are global centres of biodiversity and carbon storage. Many tropical countries aspire to protect forest fulfil climate mitigation policy targets, but the conservation strategies needed achieve these two functions depend critically on tree diversity-carbon storage relationship. Assessing this relationship is challenging due scarcity inventories where stocks in aboveground biomass species identifications have been simultaneously robustly quantified. Here, we compile a unique pan-tropical dataset 360 plots located structurally intact old-growth closed-canopy forest, surveyed using standardised methods, allowing multi-scale evaluation relationships forests. Diversity-carbon among all at 1 ha scale across tropics absent, within continents either weak (Asia) or absent (Amazonia, Africa). A positive detectable plots, indicating that diversity effects may be dependent. The absence clear scales relevant planning means carbon-centred will inevitably miss many high ecosystems. As can any combination both require explicit consideration when optimising policies manage biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Intensive agriculture erodes β‐diversity at large scales

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2012, Volume and Issue: 15(9), P. 963 - 970

Published: June 21, 2012

Abstract Biodiversity is declining from unprecedented land conversions that replace diverse, low‐intensity agriculture with vast expanses under homogeneous, intensive production. Despite documented losses of species richness, consequences for β‐diversity, changes in community composition between sites, are largely unknown, especially the tropics. Using a 10‐year data set on Costa Rican birds, we find sustained β‐diversity across large scales par forest. In high‐intensity agriculture, low local (α) diversity inflated as statistical artefact. Therefore, at small spatial scales, appeared to retain β‐diversity. Unlike forest or systems, however, also homogenised vegetation structure over distances, thereby decoupling fundamental ecological pattern bird communities changing geographical distance. This ~40% decline turnover indicates significant scales. These findings point way towards multi‐functional agricultural systems maintain productivity while simultaneously conserving biodiversity.

Language: Английский

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Scale‐dependent effect sizes of ecological drivers on biodiversity: why standardised sampling is not enough

Ecology Letters, Journal Year: 2013, Volume and Issue: 16(s1), P. 17 - 26

Published: May 1, 2013

Abstract There is little consensus about how natural (e.g. productivity, disturbance) and anthropogenic invasive species, habitat destruction) ecological drivers influence biodiversity. Here, we show that when sampling standardised by area (species density) or individuals (rarefied species richness), the measured effect sizes depend critically on spatial grain extent of sampling, as well size pool. This compromises comparisons effects within studies using standard statistics, among meta‐analysis. To derive an unambiguous size, advocate need to be made a scale‐independent metric, such Hurlbert's Probability Interspecific Encounter. Analyses this metric can used disentangle relative changes in absolute abundances individuals, their intraspecific aggregations, driving differences biodiversity communities. related approaches are necessary achieve generality understanding responds will necessitate change way many ecologists collect analyse data.

Language: Английский

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What Are Species Pools and When Are They Important?

Annual Review of Ecology Evolution and Systematics, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 45(1), P. 45 - 67

Published: Sept. 24, 2014

A regional species pool comprises all available to colonize a focal site. The roots of the concept are imbedded in island biogeography theory, supply-side ecology, and early propagule addition experiments. allows ecologists examine large-scale effects—including geographic area, evolutionary age, immigration diversification—on diversity, composition, phylogenetic structure local communities. Both theory evidence show that influences greatest when communities not strongly predictably structured by interactions (e.g., under frequent disturbance or if many rare). Practical conceptual issues consider delineating pools include choosing an appropriate spatial scale, whether account for environmental filtering, within fixed area versus those whose ranges overlap with site, use databases data sources. Each issue is discussed context 63 studies using approach. We conclude has contributed greatly our understanding community dynamics bridging gap between large small scales. Future must compare characteristics across multiple regions more complete assembly.

Language: Английский

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Mistaking geography for biology: inferring processes from species distributions

Trends in Ecology & Evolution, Journal Year: 2014, Volume and Issue: 29(10), P. 572 - 580

Published: Aug. 26, 2014

Language: Английский

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