Inferring community assembly mechanisms from functional and phylogenetic diversity: The relative contribution of environmental filtering decreases along a sand desertification gradient in a desert steppe community

Author(s):  
Xing Wang ◽  
Nai‐Ping Song ◽  
Xin‐Guo Yang ◽  
Lin Chen ◽  
Wen‐Jie Qu ◽  
...  
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nayara Mesquita Mota ◽  
Markus Gastauer ◽  
Juan Fernando Carrión ◽  
João Augusto Alves Meira-Neto

AbstractRoad networks cause disturbances that can alter the biodiversity and the functioning of the Caatinga ecosystems. We tested the hypotheses that (i) Caatinga vegetation near roads is less taxonomically, functionally and phylogenetically diverse, (ii) phylogenetically and functionally more clustered than vegetation further from roads, (iii) plant traits associated with herbivory deterrence are conserved within the phylogenetic lineages, and (iv) Caatinga vegetation near roads selects for disturbance-related traits. We sampled herbaceous and woody component of vegetation in four plots near roads and four plots further from roads to test these hypothesis. Sampled species were classified according to their resprouting capacity, nitrogen fixation, succulence/spines, urticancy/toxicity, lifeform, endozoochory, maximum height and maximum diameter, before we calculated the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of plant communities. Species richness, taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversities were lower in plots close to the roads, confirming roads as sources of disturbances. The phylogenetic structure of the Caatinga vegetation near roads was clustered, indicating environmental filtering by herbivory as the main pervasive disturbance in Caatinga ecosystems, since traits related to herbivory deterrence were conserved within phylogenetic lineages and were filtered in near roads. Thus, roads should be considered degradation conduits causing taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional impoverishment of Caatinga vegetation.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Anderson Dalmolin ◽  
Tiago Gomes dos Santos ◽  
Alexandro Marques Tozetti ◽  
Maria João Ramos Pereira

ABSTRACTWe evaluated seasonal variation in taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity and redundancy of tadpoles in 401 points of 10 ponds in southern Brazil. We predicted i) congruent patterns between all components of diversity and environmental descriptors; ii) stronger effects of environment in the diversity components in seasons when the water level in ponds is low; iii) diversity components to be influenced by distinct sets of environmental factors in different periods. Predictions were tested using Linear Mixed Models. We observed positive influence of water depth on taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity, as well as on functional redundancy during periods when the water level in ponds is high. Phylogenetic redundancy was not explained by any of the selected environmental variables. When the water level in ponds is low none of the environmental descriptors affects any of the diversity components. Environmental filtering seems to strongly influence tadpole community structure in temporary ponds, at least in periods when water depth gradients create a variety of micro-habitats allowing diverse sets of species to settle and co-occur. These species sets are then filtered according to their swimming and foraging abilities along the depth gradient, where intermediate depths should contain the greatest tadpole diversity.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rohit Chakravarty ◽  
Ram Mohan ◽  
Christian C. Voigt ◽  
Anand Krishnan ◽  
Viktoriia Radchuk

AbstractSpecies richness exhibits well-known patterns across elevational gradients in various taxa, but represents only one aspect of quantifying biodiversity patterns. Functional and phylogenetic diversity have received much less attention, particularly for vertebrate taxa. There is still a limited understanding of how functional, phylogenetic and taxonomic diversity change in concert across large gradients of elevation. Here, we focused on the Himalaya—representing the largest elevational gradients in the world—to investigate the patterns of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity in a bat assemblage. Combining field data on species occurrence, relative abundance, and functional traits with measures of phylogenetic diversity, we found that bat species richness and functional diversity declined at high elevation but phylogenetic diversity remained unchanged. At the lowest elevation, we observed low functional dispersion despite high species and functional richness, suggesting a niche packing mechanism. The decline in functional richness, dispersion, and divergence at the highest elevation is consistent with patterns observed due to environmental filtering. These patterns are driven by the absence of rhinolophid bats, four congeners with extreme trait values. Our data, some of the first on mammals from the Himalayan region, suggest that in bat assemblages with relatively high species diversity, phylogenetic diversity may not be a substitute to measure functional diversity.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginie Marques ◽  
Paul Castagné ◽  
Andréa Polanco Fernández ◽  
Giomar Helena Borrero‐Pérez ◽  
Régis Hocdé ◽  
...  

AoB Plants ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle R. Begley-Miller ◽  
Andrew L. Hipp ◽  
Bethany H. Brown ◽  
Marlene Hahn ◽  
Thomas P. Rooney

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