Local environmental variables are key drivers of ant taxonomic and functional beta-diversity in a Mediterranean dryland.

ABSTRACT: The decomposition of beta-diversity (?-diversity) into its replacement (?_repl) and richness (?_rich) components in combination with a taxonomic and functional approach, may help to identify processes driving community composition along environmental gradients. We aimed to understand which abiotic and spatial variables influence ant ?-diversity and identify which processes may drive ant ?-diversity patterns in Mediterranean drylands by measuring the percentage of variation in ant taxonomic and functional ?-diversity explained by local environmental, regional climatic and spatial variables. We found that taxonomic and functional replacement (?_repl) primarily drove patterns in overall ?-diversity (?_tot). Variation partitioning analysis showed that respectively 16.8%, 12.9% and 21.6% of taxonomic ?_tot, ?_repl and ?_rich variation were mainly explained by local environmental variables. Local environmental variables were also the main determinants of functional ?-diversity, explaining 20.4%, 17.9% and 23.2% of ?_tot, ?_repl and ?_rich variation, respectively. Findings suggest that niche-based processes drive changes in ant ?-diversity, as local environmental variables may act as environmental filters on species and trait composition. While we found that local environmental variables were important predictors of ant ?-diversity, further analysis should address the contribution of other mechanisms, e.g. competitive exclusion and resource partitioning, on ant ?-diversity.

SUBMITTER: Frasconi Wendt C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7840911 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature