Disentangling the multiple drivers of tadpole metacommunity structure in different ecoregions and multiple spatial scales

We evaluated the relative importance of environmental and spatial variables in structuring tadpole metacommunities at three hierarchical spatial scales in two ecoregions of the Atlantic Forest. Tadpole communities were generally more spatially structured at larger spatial scales. Environmental filte...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Pelinson, Rodolfo Mei [UNESP], Rossa-Feres, Denise de Cerqueira [UNESP], Garey, Michel Varajão
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2022
País:Brasil
Institución:Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)
Repositorio:Repositório Institucional da UNESP
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.unesp.br:11449/242225
Acceso en línea:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10750-022-04967-w
http://hdl.handle.net/11449/242225
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Atlantic forest
Clementsian structure
Dispersal
Elements of metacommunity structure
Environmental filtering
Variation partitioning
Descripción
Sumario:We evaluated the relative importance of environmental and spatial variables in structuring tadpole metacommunities at three hierarchical spatial scales in two ecoregions of the Atlantic Forest. Tadpole communities were generally more spatially structured at larger spatial scales. Environmental filtering processes seemed to be equally important at both large and small scales, however, spatially structured environmental variables were more important at larger scales, whereas non-spatially structured ones were more important at smaller scales. The importance of local environmental filters was also greater in the ecoregion that exhibits harsher environmental conditions, such as higher intensity of land-use patterns and dryer climate. This may indicate a greater role for stochastic assembly processes in more benign environments. Species co-occurrence patterns at the larger spatial scale mostly indicated biogeographical differences between the two ecoregions in a Clementsian structure, exhibiting two clear groups of species composition. Co-occurrence patterns at the smallest spatial scale were coherent only when strong environment gradients such as canopy cover were present. However, at the intermediate spatial scale the metacommunities became consistently non-coherent suggesting that species may be responding to processes acting at different spatial scales.