Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs
<p>The processes underlying species’ dominance patterns and community composition are insufficiently investigated for springs, yet these systems, which are believed to be very stable environments, represent an important interface between aquatic and terrestrial habitats contributing significan...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2014-09-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers of Biogeography |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/23f3j24r |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850193158569197568 |
|---|---|
| author | Andreas H. Schweiger Carl Beierkuhnlein |
| author_facet | Andreas H. Schweiger Carl Beierkuhnlein |
| author_sort | Andreas H. Schweiger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The processes underlying species’ dominance patterns and community composition are insufficiently investigated for springs, yet these systems, which are believed to be very stable environments, represent an important interface between aquatic and terrestrial habitats contributing significantly to local and regional diversity. We studied the dominance patterns and plant community composition of 238 springs in Central Europe. According to the conventional ecological belief we hypothesized (1) a positive relationship between local abundance and regional distribution of spring plant species, as well as between species commonness and species’ realized breadth and (2) the occurrence of oligarchic species similar to other stable environments like tropical forests. Based on previous studies on this springs, we furthermore hypothesized (3) that water pH—essentially a proxy for nutrient availability—is the major driver of spatial compositional dissimilarity, i.e. beta-diversity. We tested these three hypotheses by using species commonness estimates, realized niche space and generalized dissimilarity modelling based on hydrochemistry. In line with conventional wisdom, we report a positive relationship between local abundance, species commonness and regional distribution for the majority of the species. In contradiction to other systems, we found both specialist and generalist species to be locally dominant and regionally widespread, thus common, while species with intermediate niche breadth showed the lowest commonness values. However, we detected three oligarchic species, exceeding all other species in local abundance and regional distribution, which did not follow these relationships. Both dominance relations (oligarchy) and community composition were mainly driven by water temperature and concentration of elements related to acidity regime (Al, Cd, Ca and Mg), although much of the variation in both remained unexplained. Thus, further research should focus on biotic interactions, which are likely to be important drivers of plant community composition in springs.</p><p> </p> |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-df9b579e376b46e788c7bc8fe77ff99c |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1948-6596 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2014-09-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers of Biogeography |
| spelling | doaj-art-df9b579e376b46e788c7bc8fe77ff99c2025-08-20T02:14:20ZengPensoft PublishersFrontiers of Biogeography1948-65962014-09-0163ark:13030/qt23f3j24rWater temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springsAndreas H. Schweiger0Carl Beierkuhnlein1University of BayreuthUniversity of Bayreuth<p>The processes underlying species’ dominance patterns and community composition are insufficiently investigated for springs, yet these systems, which are believed to be very stable environments, represent an important interface between aquatic and terrestrial habitats contributing significantly to local and regional diversity. We studied the dominance patterns and plant community composition of 238 springs in Central Europe. According to the conventional ecological belief we hypothesized (1) a positive relationship between local abundance and regional distribution of spring plant species, as well as between species commonness and species’ realized breadth and (2) the occurrence of oligarchic species similar to other stable environments like tropical forests. Based on previous studies on this springs, we furthermore hypothesized (3) that water pH—essentially a proxy for nutrient availability—is the major driver of spatial compositional dissimilarity, i.e. beta-diversity. We tested these three hypotheses by using species commonness estimates, realized niche space and generalized dissimilarity modelling based on hydrochemistry. In line with conventional wisdom, we report a positive relationship between local abundance, species commonness and regional distribution for the majority of the species. In contradiction to other systems, we found both specialist and generalist species to be locally dominant and regionally widespread, thus common, while species with intermediate niche breadth showed the lowest commonness values. However, we detected three oligarchic species, exceeding all other species in local abundance and regional distribution, which did not follow these relationships. Both dominance relations (oligarchy) and community composition were mainly driven by water temperature and concentration of elements related to acidity regime (Al, Cd, Ca and Mg), although much of the variation in both remained unexplained. Thus, further research should focus on biotic interactions, which are likely to be important drivers of plant community composition in springs.</p><p> </p>http://escholarship.org/uc/item/23f3j24rbeta-diversity, community composition, generalized dissimilarity modelling, helocrenic forest springs, hierarchical variation partitioning, niche space hyper volume, realized niche breadth, species commonness |
| spellingShingle | Andreas H. Schweiger Carl Beierkuhnlein Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs Frontiers of Biogeography beta-diversity, community composition, generalized dissimilarity modelling, helocrenic forest springs, hierarchical variation partitioning, niche space hyper volume, realized niche breadth, species commonness |
| title | Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs |
| title_full | Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs |
| title_fullStr | Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs |
| title_short | Water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta-diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs |
| title_sort | water temperature and acidity regime shape dominance and beta diversity patterns in the plant communities of springs |
| topic | beta-diversity, community composition, generalized dissimilarity modelling, helocrenic forest springs, hierarchical variation partitioning, niche space hyper volume, realized niche breadth, species commonness |
| url | http://escholarship.org/uc/item/23f3j24r |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreashschweiger watertemperatureandacidityregimeshapedominanceandbetadiversitypatternsintheplantcommunitiesofsprings AT carlbeierkuhnlein watertemperatureandacidityregimeshapedominanceandbetadiversitypatternsintheplantcommunitiesofsprings |