scholarly journals The geometry of the distance-decay of similarity in ecological communities

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Ladau ◽  
Jessica L. Green ◽  
Katherine S. Pollard
Keyword(s):  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Functional Form ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Geometric Probability ◽  
Distance Decay ◽  
Quadratic Model ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Tropical Vegetation ◽  
Effective Conservation ◽  
Distance Decay Of Similarity

AbstractUnderstanding beta-diversity has strong implications for evaluating the extent of biodiversity and formulating effective conservation policy. Here, we show that the distance-decay relationship, an important measure of beta-diversity, follows a universal form which we call the piecewise quadratic model. To derive the piecewise quadratic model, we develop a new conceptual framework which is based on geometric probability and several key insights about the roles of study design (e.g., plot dimensions and spatial distributions). We fit the piecewise quadratic model to six empirical distance-decay relationships, spanning a range of taxa and spatial scales, including surveys of tropical vegetation, mammals, and amphibians. We find that the model predicts the functional form of the relationships extremely well, with coefficients of determination in excess of 0.95. Moreover, the model predicts a phase transition at distance scales where sample plots are overlapping, which we confirm empirically. Our framework and model provide a fundamental, quantitative link between distance-decay relationships and the shapes of ranges of taxa.

scholarly journals The distance decay of similarity in ecological communities

Ecography ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janne Soininen ◽  
Robert McDonald ◽  
Helmut Hillebrand
Keyword(s):  
Distance Decay ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Distance Decay Of Similarity

Spatial scaling of beta diversity in the shallow-marine fossil record

Paleobiology ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Tom M. Womack ◽  
James S. Crampton ◽  
Michael J. Hannah
Keyword(s):  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Minimum Spanning Tree ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Spatial Scaling ◽  
Modern Biology ◽  
Shallow Marine

Abstract Beta diversity quantifies the spatial structuring of ecological communities and is a fundamental partition of biodiversity, central to understanding many macroecological phenomena in modern biology and paleobiology. Despite its common application in ecology, studies of beta diversity in the fossil record are relatively limited at regional spatial scales that are important for understanding macroevolutionary processes. The spatial scaling of beta diversity in the fossil record is poorly understood, but has significant implications due to temporal variation in the spatial distribution of fossil collections and the large spatiotemporal scales typically employed. Here we test the spatial scaling of several common measures of beta diversity using the Cenozoic shallow-marine molluscan fossil record of New Zealand and derive a spatially standardized time series of beta diversity. To measure spatial scaling, we use and compare grid-cell occupancy based on an equal-area grid and summed minimum spanning tree length, both based on reconstructed paleocoordinates of fossil collections. We find that beta diversity is spatially dependent at local to regional scales, regardless of the metric or spatial scaling utilized, and that spatial standardization significantly changes apparent temporal trends of beta diversity and, therefore, inferences about processes driving diversity change.

scholarly journals A general framework for the distance-decay of similarity in ecological communities

2008 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 904-917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hélène Morlon ◽  
George Chuyong ◽  
Richard Condit ◽  
Stephen Hubbell ◽  
David Kenfack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Framework ◽  
Distance Decay ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Distance Decay Of Similarity

scholarly journals Effects of primary productivity on beta diversity of ecological communities

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leticia Siman Bora ◽  
Juliana Wojciechowski ◽  
Jaqueline Dittrich ◽  
André Andrian Padial
Keyword(s):  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Scientometric Analysis ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Terrestrial Environments ◽  
Negative Relationships

Abstract Aim Several ecological factors are predicted to affect beta diversity - the dissimilarity of communities among localities or through time. Considering the effect of primary productivity, there is a divergence in the literature concerning if it is positive, negative or hump-shaped. This is relevant considering the discussion on the role of primary productivity on deterministic and stochastic processes shaping ecological communities. The main goal of this study was to review ecological literature to explore causes for variation in the predominant relationship between beta diversity and primary productivity. Methods We have performed a scientometric analysis following the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews and the articles search was made through the ISI Web of Science® database. Results The number of articles approaching the relationship between beta diversity and primary productivity is growing more than expected by the natural growth in published articles. From the 465 articles found, only 38 directly dealt with beta diversity-productivity relationship. From them, we extracted 76 relationships, most of them positive, in almost all factors analyzed. Even so, the proportion of negative studies was higher in aquatic environments. In the Afrotropic region, only negative relationships in terrestrial studies were found. There is a clear inclination towards studies regarding large spatial scales, terrestrial environments, with vertebrates and in the Neartic or Paleartic regions. In aquatic environments there was a clear dominance of studies using small-body organisms, contrasting with terrestrial studies that used more often vertebrates and plants. Conclusions There is an increasing interest in studies concerning this relationship. Positive relations can be explained by several ecological factors, and the more common negative relationships in aquatic environments can be explained by the fact that productivity can cause eutrophication. We also pointed out gaps in the knowledge, especially considering studies in small and medium spatial scales, groups beyond plants and vertebrates in terrestrial environments, and aquatic studies in Afrotropic and Indo – Malaya regions.

scholarly journals Unimodal Relationships of Understory Alpha and Beta Diversity along Chronosequence in Coppiced and Unmanaged Beech Forests

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sándor Bartha ◽  
Roberto Canullo ◽  
Stefano Chelli ◽  
Giandiego Campetella
Keyword(s):  
Beta Diversity ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Multiple Scales ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Alpha Diversity ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Diversity Indices ◽  
Alpha And Beta Diversity ◽  
Coppice Management

Patterns of diversity across spatial scales in forest successions are being overlooked, despite their importance for developing sustainable management practices. Here, we tested the recently proposed U-shaped biodiversity model of forest succession. A chronosequence of 11 stands spanning from 5 to 400 years since the last disturbance was used. Understory species presence was recorded along 200 m long transects of 20 × 20 cm quadrates. Alpha diversity (species richness, Shannon and Simpson diversity indices) and three types of beta diversity indices were assessed at multiple scales. Beta diversity was expressed by a) spatial compositional variability (number and diversity of species combinations), b) pairwise spatial turnover (between plots Sorensen, Jaccard, and Bray–Curtis dissimilarity), and c) spatial variability coefficients (CV% of alpha diversity measures). Our results supported the U-shaped model for both alpha and beta diversity. The strongest differences appeared between active and abandoned coppices. The maximum beta diversity emerged at characteristic scales of 2 m in young coppices and 10 m in later successional stages. We conclude that traditional coppice management maintains high structural diversity and heterogeneity in the understory. The similarly high beta diversities in active coppices and old-growth forests suggest the presence of microhabitats for specialist species of high conservation value.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document