Spatiotemporal patterns of anuran functional diversity in temperate montane forests.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sun ZJ
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8317188 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:High diversity in tropical compared to temperate regions has long intrigued ecologists, especially for highly speciose taxa like terrestrial arthropods in tropical rainforests. Previous studies showed that arthropod herbivores account for much tropical diversity, yet differences in the diversity of predatory arthropods between tropical and temperate systems have not been properly quantified. Here, we present the first standardized tropical-temperate forest quantification of spider diversities, a dominant and mega-diverse taxon of generalist predators. Spider assemblages were collected using a spatially replicated protocol including two standardized sampling methods (vegetation sweep netting and beating). Fieldwork took place between 2010 and 2015 in metropolitan (Brittany) and overseas (French Guiana) French territories. We found no significant difference in functional diversity based on hunting guilds between temperate and tropical forests, while species richness was 13-82 times higher in tropical versus temperate forests. Evenness was also higher, with tropical assemblages up to 55 times more even than assemblages in temperate forests. These differences in diversity far surpass previous estimates and exceed tropical-temperate ratios for herbivorous taxa.
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Project description: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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Project description:Many studies reported biotic change along a continental warming gradient. However, the temporal and spatial change of tree diversity and their sensitivity to climate warming might differ from region to region. Understanding of the variation among studies with regard to the magnitude of such biotic changes is minimal, especially in montane ecosystems. Our aim is to better understand changes in spatial heterogeneity and temporal dynamics of mountain tree communities under climate warming over the past four decades. In 2017, we resurveyed and recorded all tree species from 107 long-term monitoring plots that were first studied between 1974 and 1976. These plots were located in montane forests in the Giant Panda National Park (GPNP), China. Our results showed that spatial differences were found in tree species diversity changes response to mean annual temperature change over the past four decades. Tree species richness increased significantly under climate warming in Minshan (MS) and Xiaoxiangling (XXL) with higher warming rate than Qionglai (QLS) and Liangshan (LS). The trees species diversity in MS and XXL were more sensitive to climatic warming. MS and XXL should receive priority protection in the next conservation plan of the GPNP. The GPNP should avoid taking a "one-size-fits-all" approach for diversity conservation due to spatial heterogeneity in plant community dynamics.
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2017-01-10 | GSE92233 | GEO
Project description:The spatial distribution of species has long sparked interest among ecologists and biogeographers, increasingly so in studies of species responses to climate change. However, field studies on spatial patterns of distribution, useful to inform conservation actions at local scales, are still lacking for many regions, especially the tropics. We studied elevational trends and species-area relationships among anurans in wetland habitats within Volcanoes National Park (VNP) in Rwanda, part of the biodiverse Albertine Rift region. In VNP, wetlands are key sites for anuran reproduction, and anurans are likely threatened by wetland desiccation which has occurred for the last few decades. Between 2012 and 2017, we sampled anuran communities in ten VNP wetlands located along an elevational gradient of c. 600 m (from 2,546 to 3,188 m a.s.l.) and found at least eight species, including at least two Albertine Rift Endemics. We show that species richness, diversity, and abundance likely decline with a decrease in wetland size and with an increase in elevation, though additional sampling (e.g., at night) might be needed to derive definite conclusions. Larger wetlands at lower elevations contained most species and individuals, which indicates the potential threat of wetland size reduction (through desiccation) for anuran conservation. However, we also found that wetlands differed in species composition and that some species (e.g., Sclerophrys kisoloensis) were likely restricted in distribution to only a few of the smaller wetlands-suggesting that the conservation of each individual wetland should be prioritized, regardless of size. We propose that all wetlands in VNP require additional conservation measures, which should be based on knowledge gathered through long-term monitoring of anuran communities and research on drivers of wetland decline. Only such extended research will allow us to understand the response of anurans in VNP to threats such as climate change and wetland desiccation.
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Project description:Understanding the relative importance of the factors driving the patterns of biodiversity is a key research topic in community ecology and biogeography. However, the main drivers of plant species diversity in montane forests are still not clear. In addition, most existing studies make no distinction between direct and indirect effects of environmental factors and spatial constraints on plant biodiversity. Using data from 107 montane forest plots in Sichuan Giant Panda habitat, China, we quantified the direct and indirect effects of abiotic environmental factors, spatial constraints, and plant functional traits on plant community diversity. Our results showed significant correlations between abiotic environmental factors and trees (r = .10, p value = .001), shrubs (r = .19, p value = .001), or overall plant diversity (r = .18, p value = .001) in montane forests. Spatial constraints also showed significant correlations with trees and shrubs. However, no significant correlations were found between functional traits and plant community diversity. Moreover, the diversity (richness and abundance) of shrubs, trees, and plant communities was directly affected by precipitation, latitude, and altitude. Mean annual temperature (MAT) had no direct effect on the richness of tree and plant communities. Further, MAT and precipitation indirectly affected plant communities via the tree canopy. The results revealed a stronger direct effect on montane plant diversity than indirect effect, suggesting that single-species models may be adequate for forecasting the impacts of climate factors in these communities. The shifting of tree canopy coverage might be a potential indicator for trends of plant diversity under climate change.
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