Climatic history and dispersal ability explain the relative importance of turnover and nestedness components of beta diversity
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2012-02
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Resumo
Aim We tested whether the geographic variation in the proportion of beta diversity
attributed to nestedness or turnover components was explained by the effect of
past glaciation events. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that most of the beta
diversity in regions retaining ice until recent periods was due to nestedness. Additionally,
we tested whether the variation was influenced by thermal tolerance and
the dispersal ability of species.
Location This study analysed data from the New World.
Methods We used presence/absence data for amphibians, birds and mammals of
the New World. We calculated beta diversity among each 1° ¥ 1° cell and the
adjacent cells using the Sorensen dissimilarity index that expresses the total beta
diversity. Furthermore, we partitioned it into turnover and nestedness components.
The relative importance of the two latter components was expressed as the proportion
of total beta diversity explained by nestedness (bratio). We calculated the correlation
between bratio and the time each cell was free of ice since the last glaciation
(cell age). To control the effects of spatial autocorrelation, we calculated geographically
effective degrees of freedom.
Results The proportion of beta diversity attributed to nestedness was negatively
correlated with cell age. Moreover, this effect was stronger for amphibians than
mammals, and stronger for mammals than birds.
Main conclusions Our results are in accordance with the hypothesis that the
nestedness component of beta diversity is more important in areas affected by
glaciations until recent time. The beta diversity in high latitudes is the result of past
extinctions and recent recolonization, which result in higher levels of nestedness.
This process is more evident for vertebrates with lower dispersal ability and lower
temperature tolerance.
Descrição
v. 21, p. 191-197, 2012
Palavras-chave
Dispersal abilities, Glaciation, Latitudinal gradients, New world, Past climate change, Spatial autocorrelation, Spatial turnover, Temperature tolerance
Citação
DOBROVOLSKI, Ricardo; MELO, Adriano S.; CASSEMIRO, Fernanda A. S.; DINIZ FILHO, José Alexandre Felizola. Climatic history and dispersal ability explain the relative importance of turnover and nestedness components of beta diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography, v. 21, p. 191-197, 2012. Disponível em: <http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1466-8238.2011.00671.x/epdf>.