scholarly journals Aboveground and belowground arthropod communities experience different relative influences of stochastic and deterministic assembly processes following disturbance

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Ferrenberg ◽  
Alexander S. Martinez ◽  
Akasha M. Faist
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Relative Influence ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Arthropod Communities

Background. Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces. Methods. Using a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species) and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers) arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community) and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community) and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies diversity and assemblages. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models calculated from observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity) among samples. Results. Tree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the aboveground arthropod communities and vegetation and soil properties, but no significant association among belowground arthropod communities and environmental factors. Discussion. Our results suggest context-dependent influences of stochastic and deterministic community assembly processes across different fractions of a ground-dwelling arthropod community following a disturbance. This variation in assembly may be linked to contrasting ecological strategies and dispersal rates within above- and below-ground communities. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating concurrent influences of different processes in community assembly, and highlight the need to consider potential variation across different fractions of biotic communities when testing community ecology theory.

scholarly journals Aboveground and belowground arthropod communities experience different relative influences of stochastic and deterministic assembly processes following disturbance

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Ferrenberg ◽  
Alexander S. Martinez ◽  
Akasha M. Faist
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Relative Influence ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Arthropod Communities

Background. Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces. Methods. Using a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species) and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers) arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community) and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community) and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies diversity and assemblages. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models calculated from observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity) among samples. Results. Tree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the aboveground arthropod communities and vegetation and soil properties, but no significant association among belowground arthropod communities and environmental factors. Discussion. Our results suggest context-dependent influences of stochastic and deterministic community assembly processes across different fractions of a ground-dwelling arthropod community following a disturbance. This variation in assembly may be linked to contrasting ecological strategies and dispersal rates within above- and below-ground communities. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating concurrent influences of different processes in community assembly, and highlight the need to consider potential variation across different fractions of biotic communities when testing community ecology theory.

scholarly journals Aboveground and belowground arthropod communities experience different relative influences of stochastic and deterministic assembly processes following disturbance

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Ferrenberg ◽  
Alexander S. Martinez ◽  
Akasha M. Faist
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Relative Influence ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Arthropod Communities

Background. Understanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces. Methods. Using a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species) and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers) arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community) and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community) and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies diversity and assemblages. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models calculated from observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity) among samples. Results. Tree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the aboveground arthropod communities and vegetation and soil properties, but no significant association among belowground arthropod communities and environmental factors. Discussion. Our results suggest context-dependent influences of stochastic and deterministic community assembly processes across different fractions of a ground-dwelling arthropod community following a disturbance. This variation in assembly may be linked to contrasting ecological strategies and dispersal rates within above- and below-ground communities. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating concurrent influences of different processes in community assembly, and highlight the need to consider potential variation across different fractions of biotic communities when testing community ecology theory.

scholarly journals Aboveground and belowground arthropods experience different relative influences of stochastic versus deterministic community assembly processes following disturbance

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott Ferrenberg ◽  
Alexander S. Martinez ◽  
Akasha M. Faist
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Relative Influence ◽  
Subalpine Forest ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
Deterministic Processes

BackgroundUnderstanding patterns of biodiversity is a longstanding challenge in ecology. Similar to other biotic groups, arthropod community structure can be shaped by deterministic and stochastic processes, with limited understanding of what moderates the relative influence of these processes. Disturbances have been noted to alter the relative influence of deterministic and stochastic processes on community assembly in various study systems, implicating ecological disturbances as a potential moderator of these forces.MethodsUsing a disturbance gradient along a 5-year chronosequence of insect-induced tree mortality in a subalpine forest of the southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado, USA, we examined changes in community structure and relative influences of deterministic and stochastic processes in the assembly of aboveground (surface and litter-active species) and belowground (species active in organic and mineral soil layers) arthropod communities. Arthropods were sampled for all years of the chronosequence via pitfall traps (aboveground community) and modified Winkler funnels (belowground community) and sorted to morphospecies. Community structure of both communities were assessed via comparisons of morphospecies abundance, diversity, and composition. Assembly processes were inferred from a mixture of linear models and matrix correlations testing for community associations with environmental properties, and from null-deviation models comparing observed vs. expected levels of species turnover (Beta diversity) among samples.ResultsTree mortality altered community structure in both aboveground and belowground arthropod communities, but null models suggested that aboveground communities experienced greater relative influences of deterministic processes, while the relative influence of stochastic processes increased for belowground communities. Additionally, Mantel tests and linear regression models revealed significant associations between the aboveground arthropod communities and vegetation and soil properties, but no significant association among belowground arthropod communities and environmental factors.DiscussionOur results suggest context-dependent influences of stochastic and deterministic community assembly processes across different fractions of a spatially co-occurring ground-dwelling arthropod community following disturbance. This variation in assembly may be linked to contrasting ecological strategies and dispersal rates within above- and below-ground communities. Our findings add to a growing body of evidence indicating concurrent influences of stochastic and deterministic processes in community assembly, and highlight the need to consider potential variation across different fractions of biotic communities when testing community ecology theory and considering conservation strategies.

scholarly journals Ground-Dwelling Arthropod Community Responses to Recent and Repeated Wildfires in Conifer Forests of Northern New Mexico, USA

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 667
Author(s):  
Scott Ferrenberg ◽  
Philipp Wickey ◽  
Jonathan D. Coop
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Conifer Forests ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
Exposed Rock ◽  
Understory Communities

The increasing frequency and severity of wildfires in semi-arid conifer forests as a result of global change pressures has raised concern over potential impacts on biodiversity. Ground-dwelling arthropod communities represent a substantial portion of diversity in conifer forests, and could be particularly impacted by wildfires. In addition to direct mortality, wildfires can affect ground-dwelling arthropods by altering understory characteristics and associated deterministic community assembly processes (e.g., environmental sorting). Alternatively, disturbances have been reported to increase the importance of stochastic community assembly processes (e.g., probabilistic dispersal and colonization rates). Utilizing pitfall traps to capture ground-dwelling arthropods within forest stands that were burned by one or two wildfires since 1996 in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico, United States (USA), we examined the potential influences of deterministic versus stochastic processes on the assembly of these diverse understory communities. Based on family-level and genera-level arthropod identifications, we found that the multivariate community structures differed among the four fire groups surveyed, and were significantly influenced by the quantities of duff, litter, and coarse woody debris, in addition to tree basal area and graminoid cover. Taxon diversity was positively related to duff quantities, while taxon turnover was positively linked to exposed-rock cover and the number of logs on the ground. Despite the significant effects of these understory properties on the arthropod community structure, a combination of null modeling and metacommunity analysis revealed that both deterministic and stochastic processes shape the ground-dwelling arthropod communities in this system. However, the relative influence of these processes as a function of time since the wildfires or the number of recent wildfires was not generalizable across the fire groups. Given that different assembly processes shaped arthropod communities among locations that had experienced similar disturbances over time, increased efforts to understand the processes governing arthropod community assembly following disturbance is required in this wildfire-prone landscape.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic turnover during subtropical forest succession across environmental and phylogenetic scales

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Purschke ◽  
Stefan G. Michalski ◽  
Helge Bruelheide ◽  
Walter Durka
Keyword(s):  
Community Structure ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Deterministic Model ◽  
Species Turnover ◽  
Subtropical Forest ◽  
List Type ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Patterns ◽  
Species Sorting ◽  
Phylogenetic Community Structure ◽  
Successional Stages

SummaryAlthough spatial and temporal patterns of phylogenetic community structure during succession are inherently interlinked and assembly processes vary with environmental and phylogenetic scale, successional studies of community assembly have yet to integrate spatial and temporal components of community structure, while accounting for scaling issues. To gain insight into the processes that generate biodiversity after disturbance, we combine analyses of spatial and temporal phylogenetic turnover across phylogenetic scales, accounting for covariation with environmental differences.We compared phylogenetic turnover, at the species-and individual-level, within and between five successional stages, representing woody plant communities in a subtropical forest chronosequence. We decomposed turnover at different phylogenetic depths and assessed its covariation with between-plot abiotic differences.Phylogenetic turnover between stages was low relative to species turnover and was not explained by abiotic differences. However, within the late successional stages, there was high presence/absence-based turnover (clustering) that occurred deep in the phylogeny and covaried with environmental differentiation.Our results support a deterministic model of community assembly where (i) phylogenetic composition is constrained through successional time, but (ii) towards late succession, species sorting into preferred habitats according to niche traits that are conserved deep in phylogeny, becomes increasingly important.

scholarly journals The capacity of wastewater treatment plants drives bacterial community structure and its assembly

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Young Kyung Kim ◽  
Keunje Yoo ◽  
Min Sung Kim ◽  
Il Han ◽  
Minjoo Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Wastewater Treatment ◽  
Community Structure ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
Activated Sludge ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Bacterial Communities ◽  
Wastewater Treatment Plants ◽  
High Capacity ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Rrna Gene

Abstract Bacterial communities in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) affect plant functionality through their role in the removal of pollutants from wastewater. Bacterial communities vary extensively based on plant operating conditions and influent characteristics. The capacity of WWTPs can also affect the bacterial community via variations in the organic or nutrient composition of the influent. Despite the importance considering capacity, the characteristics that control bacterial community assembly are largely unknown. In this study, we discovered that bacterial communities in WWTPs in Korea and Vietnam, which differ remarkably in capacity, exhibit unique structures and interactions that are governed mainly by the capacity of WWTPs. Bacterial communities were analysed using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and exhibited clear differences between the two regions, with these differences being most pronounced in activated sludge. We found that capacity contributed the most to bacterial interactions and community structure, whereas other factors had less impact. Co-occurrence network analysis showed that microorganisms from high-capacity WWTPs are more interrelated than those from low-capacity WWTPs, which corresponds to the tighter clustering of bacterial communities in Korea. These results will contribute to the understanding of bacterial community assembly in activated sludge processing.

scholarly journals Beavers, Bugs and Chemistry: A Mammalian Herbivore Changes Chemistry Composition and Arthropod Communities in Foundation Tree Species

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 877
Author(s):  
Rachel M. Durben ◽  
Faith M. Walker ◽  
Liza Holeski ◽  
Arthur R. Keith ◽  
Zsuzsi Kovacs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Castor Canadensis ◽  
Habitat Type ◽  
Food Preferences ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Juvenile Growth ◽  
Arthropod Community ◽  
Riparian Ecosystems ◽  
Arthropod Communities ◽  
The Impact

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis Kuhl) and cottonwoods (Populus spp.) are foundation species, the interactions of which define a much larger community and affect a threatened riparian habitat type. Few studies have tested the effect of these interactions on plant chemistry and a diverse arthropod community. We experimentally examined the impact of beaver foraging on riparian communities by first investigating beaver food preferences for one cottonwood species, Fremont cottonwood (P. fremontii S. Watson), compared to other locally available woody species. We next examined the impact of beaver foraging on twig chemistry and arthropod communities in paired samples of felled and unfelled cottonwood species in northern Arizona (P. fremontii) and southwestern Colorado (narrowleaf cottonwood, P. angustifolia James, and Eastern cottonwood, P. deltoides W. Bartram ex Marshall). Four major patterns emerged: (1) In a cafeteria experiment, beavers chose P. fremontii six times more often than other woody native and exotic species. (2) With two cottonwood species, we found that the nitrogen and salicortin concentrations were up to 45% greater and lignin concentration 14% lower in the juvenile resprout growth of felled trees than the juvenile growth on unfelled trees (six of seven analyses were significant for P. fremontii and four of six were significant for P. angustifolia). (3) With two cottonwood species, arthropod community composition on juvenile branches differed significantly between felled and unfelled trees, with up to 38% greater species richness, 114% greater relative abundance and 1282% greater species diversity on felled trees (six of seven analyses with P. fremontii and four of six analyses with P. angustifolia were significant). The above findings indicate that the highest arthropod diversity is achieved in the heterogenous stands of mixed felled and unfelled trees than in stands of cottonwoods, where beavers are not present. These results also indicate that beaver herbivory changes the chemical composition in 10 out of 13 chemical traits in the juvenile growth of two of the three cottonwood species to potentially allow better defense against future beaver herbivory. (4) With P. deltoides, only one of five analyses in chemistry was significant, and none of the four arthropod community analyses were significant, suggesting that this species and its arthropod community responds differently to beaver. Potential reasons for these differences are unknown. Overall, our findings suggest that in addition to their impact on riparian vegetation, other mammals, birds, and aquatic organisms, beavers also may define the arthropod communities of two of three foundation tree species in these riparian ecosystems.

scholarly journals Phylogenetic and Functional Traits Verify the Combined Effect of Deterministic and Stochastic Processes in the Community Assembly of Temperate Forests along an Elevational Gradient

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 591
Author(s):  
Wensong Zhou ◽  
Yuxin Zhang ◽  
Shuang Zhang ◽  
Basil N. Yakimov ◽  
Keming Ma
Keyword(s):  
Stochastic Processes ◽  
Functional Traits ◽  
Community Assembly ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Elevational Gradient ◽  
Combined Effect ◽  
Abiotic Environment ◽  
Spatial Factors ◽  
Assembly Mechanism ◽  
Deterministic Processes

Explaining community assembly mechanisms along elevational gradients dominated by deterministic processes or stochastic processes is a pressing challenge. Many studies suggest that phylogenetic and functional diversity are significant indicators of the process. In this study, we analyzed the structure and beta diversity of phylogenetic and functional traits along an elevational gradient and discussed the effects of environmental and spatial factors. We found that the phylogenetic and functional traits showed inconsistent changes, and their variations were closely related to the abiotic environment. The results suggested that the community assembly of woody plants was obviously affected by the combined effect of deterministic processes and the stochastic hypothesis (primarily by the latter). Phylogenetic and functional traits had a certain relationship but changed according to different rules. These results enhance our understanding of the assembly mechanism of forest communities by considering both phylogenetic and functional traits.

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