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.

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 Context-dependent colonization of terrestrial habitat ‘islands’ by a long-distance migrant bird

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1885) ◽  
pp. 20181490
Author(s):  
Robin C. Whytock ◽  
Elisa Fuentes-Montemayor ◽  
Kevin Watts ◽  
Nicholas A. Macgregor ◽  
Lefora Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Landscape Context ◽  
Aquatic Environments ◽  
Patch Quality ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Habitat Patches ◽  
Terrestrial Environments ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Migrant Bird

Landscape context can affect how individuals perceive patch quality during colonization. However, although context-dependent colonization has been observed in aquatic environments, it has rarely been studied in terrestrial environments or at large spatial scales. In this paper, we assessed how landscape context influenced colonization rates in a large-scale ( ca 7000 km 2 ) terrestrial system where colonizers (Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus ) are capable of rapid, long-distance movements. Bioacoustic recorders were used to detect first song dates (an indicator of colonization or re-colonization) and settlement in 23 naturally replicated habitat patches. We compared support for three competing hypotheses describing colonization patterns that depend on landscape context (‘redirection’, ‘landscape-selection’ and ‘relative patch size’) with two patch-level hypotheses (patch ‘quality’ and ‘heterospecific attraction’). First song was earlier when habitat availability in the landscape was low, supporting the ‘redirection’ hypothesis. Settlement probability was best predicted by patch ‘quality’ and was lower in woodlands with a dense understorey. Results suggest that colonization of habitat patches by male P. trochilus after spring migration is spatially hierarchical. First, initial colonization depends on landscape context, and settlement is then determined by fine-scale vegetation characteristics. More broadly, we suggest that patterns observed in fragmented aquatic environments (e.g. ‘redirection’) can, in some circumstances, be extended to large-scale terrestrial environments.

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 Soil Degradation and Socioeconomic Systems’ Complexity: Uncovering the Latent Nexus

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Filippo Gambella ◽  
Giovanni Quaranta ◽  
Nathan Morrow ◽  
Renata Vcelakova ◽  
Luca Salvati ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Resource ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ecological Factors ◽  
Resource Depletion ◽  
Local System ◽  
Local Systems ◽  
Complex Processes ◽  
Socioeconomic Dimension ◽  
External Signals

Understanding Soil Degradation Processes (SDPs) is a fundamental issue for humankind. Soil degradation involves complex processes that are influenced by a multifaceted ensemble of socioeconomic and ecological factors at vastly different spatial scales. Desertification risk (the ultimate outcome of soil degradation, seen as an irreversible process of natural resource destruction) and socioeconomic trends have been recently analyzed assuming “resilience thinking” as an appropriate interpretative paradigm. In a purely socioeconomic dimension, resilience is defined as the ability of a local system to react to external signals and to promote future development. This ability is intrinsically bonded with the socio-ecological dynamics characteristic of environmentally homogeneous districts. However, an evaluation of the relationship between SDPs and socioeconomic resilience in local systems is missing in mainstream literature. Our commentary formulates an exploratory framework for the assessment of soil degradation, intended as a dynamic process of natural resource depletion, and the level of socioeconomic resilience in local systems. Such a framework is intended to provide a suitable background to sustainability science and regional policies at the base of truly resilient local systems.

Primary Productivity in Aquatic Environments.

1967 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 861
Author(s):  
G. E. Fogg ◽  
C. R. Goldman
Keyword(s):  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Aquatic Environments

scholarly journals Large but decreasing effect of ozone on the European carbon sink

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (13) ◽  
pp. 4245-4269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca J. Oliver ◽  
Lina M. Mercado ◽  
Stephen Sitch ◽  
David Simpson ◽  
Belinda E. Medlyn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Primary Productivity ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Stomatal Closure ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Background Concentrations ◽  
Tropospheric O3 ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The capacity of the terrestrial biosphere to sequester carbon and mitigate climate change is governed by the ability of vegetation to remove emissions of CO2 through photosynthesis. Tropospheric O3, a globally abundant and potent greenhouse gas, is, however, known to damage plants, causing reductions in primary productivity. Despite emission control policies across Europe, background concentrations of tropospheric O3 have risen significantly over the last decades due to hemispheric-scale increases in O3 and its precursors. Therefore, plants are exposed to increasing background concentrations, at levels currently causing chronic damage. Studying the impact of O3 on European vegetation at the regional scale is important for gaining greater understanding of the impact of O3 on the land carbon sink at large spatial scales. In this work we take a regional approach and update the JULES land surface model using new measurements specifically for European vegetation. Given the importance of stomatal conductance in determining the flux of O3 into plants, we implement an alternative stomatal closure parameterisation and account for diurnal variations in O3 concentration in our simulations. We conduct our analysis specifically for the European region to quantify the impact of the interactive effects of tropospheric O3 and CO2 on gross primary productivity (GPP) and land carbon storage across Europe. A factorial set of model experiments showed that tropospheric O3 can suppress terrestrial carbon uptake across Europe over the period 1901 to 2050. By 2050, simulated GPP was reduced by 4 to 9 % due to plant O3 damage and land carbon storage was reduced by 3 to 7 %. The combined physiological effects of elevated future CO2 (acting to reduce stomatal opening) and reductions in O3 concentrations resulted in reduced O3 damage in the future. This alleviation of O3 damage by CO2-induced stomatal closure was around 1 to 2 % for both land carbon and GPP, depending on plant sensitivity to O3. Reduced land carbon storage resulted from diminished soil carbon stocks consistent with the reduction in GPP. Regional variations are identified with larger impacts shown for temperate Europe (GPP reduced by 10 to 20 %) compared to boreal regions (GPP reduced by 2 to 8 %). These results highlight that O3 damage needs to be considered when predicting GPP and land carbon, and that the effects of O3 on plant physiology need to be considered in regional land carbon cycle assessments.

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.

scholarly journals Long-term data reveal unimodal responses of ground beetle abundance to precipitation and land use but no changes in taxonomic and functional diversity

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Petr Zajicek ◽  
Ellen A. R. Welti ◽  
Nathan J. Baker ◽  
Kathrin Januschke ◽  
Oliver Brauner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Ground Beetle ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Ground Beetles ◽  
Community Change ◽  
Ecological Communities ◽  
Activity Density

AbstractWhile much of global biodiversity is undoubtedly under threat, the responses of ecological communities to changing climate, land use intensification, and long-term changes in both taxonomic and functional diversity over time, has still not been fully explored for many taxonomic groups, especially invertebrates. We compiled time series of ground beetles covering the past two decades from 40 sites located in five regions across Germany. We calculated site-based trends for 21 community metrics representing taxonomic and functional diversity of ground beetles, activity density (a proxy for abundance), and activity densities of functional groups. We assessed both overall and regional temporal trends and the influence of the global change drivers of temperature, precipitation, and land use on ground beetle communities. While we did not detect overall temporal changes in ground beetle taxonomic and functional diversity, taxonomic turnover changed within two regions, illustrating that community change at the local scale does not always correspond to patterns at broader spatial scales. Additionally, ground beetle activity density had a unimodal response to both annual precipitation and land use. Limited temporal change in ground beetle communities may indicate a shifting baseline, where community degradation was reached prior to the start of our observation in 1999. In addition, nonlinear responses of animal communities to environmental change present a challenge when quantifying temporal trends.

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