Altitudinal effects on habitat selection of dung beetles (Scarabaeoidea: Aphodiidae) in the northern Iberian peninsula

Menéndez, Rosa; Gutiérrez, David Díaz

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0587.1996.tb01259.x

Cited by 26 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…owing to the influence of the previously Holarctic and High Plain elements. This agrees with findings for different mountain regions in Europe where dung beetle richness and abundance, especially in open habitats, are not negatively correlated with altitude (Menéndez and Gutiérrez 1996, Romero‐Alcaraz and Ávila 2000). In temperate climates, such as the upper part of the Cofre de Perote, Scarabaeinae are restricted to or dominate open environments.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

From forest to pasture: an evaluation of the influence of environment and biogeography on the structure of beetle (Scarabaeinae) assemblages along three altitudinal gradients in the Neotropical region

Escobar¹,

Halffter²,

Arellano³

2007

Ecography

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The objective of this study is to evaluate the effect of environmental (associated with the expansion of cattle ranching) and biogeographical factors on the diversity of dung beetle (Scarabaeinae) assemblages along three altitudinal gradients in the Neotropical region. One gradient is located in the Mexican Transition Zone, on the Cofre de Perote mountain, the other two are in the northern Andes (the Chiles Volcano and the Río Cusiana Basin). For the three gradients, the number of species decreased as altitude increased. On the Cofre de Perote, regardless of altitude, the number of species and of individuals was similar in both forest and pasture, while species composition was different between habitats. On this mountain, species turnover in pastures was characterized by the addition of new species as altitude increased. In the northern Andes, species diversity was always greater in the forest than in the pasture, and species turnover between habitats was notably influenced by species loss with increasing altitude. As such the pasture fauna of the northern Andes was an impoverished derivative of the fauna present in the forests at the same altitude characterized by species of Neotropical affinity with a limited capacity for colonizing open, sunnier habitats. The opposite occurs in the areas used by cattle on the Cofre de Perote. This habitat has its own fauna, which is mainly comprised of Holarctic and Afrotropical species adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions of areas lacking arboreal vegetation. These results suggest that the impact on beetle communities caused by human activities can differ depending on the geographic position of each mountain and, particularly, the biogeographical history of the species assemblage that lives there.A decrease in species richness and changes in the composition of the flora and fauna with increasing altitude have frequently been described in the literature (Huston 1994). However, it is not possible to describe a general relationship between changes in diversity and increasing altitude (Rahbek 1995), because the ecological factors (current environmental conditions, e.g. land use) and biogeographical factors differ in their relative effect depending on the mountain system being studied (Brown 2001). This is emphasized by the fact that we still do not understand how these factors vary and interact as altitude changes. For this reason comparative studies using the same taxonomic group along altitudinal gradients on different mountains (such as this one), and those that use several taxonomic groups along the same altitudinal gradient of the same mountain are very useful for explaining this co-variation (Lomolino 2001).Studying the altitudinal variation in dung beetle assemblages on different mountains around the world, Lobo and Halffter (2000) proposed two different biological and interrelated processes to explain the conformation of the biota on mountains, the patterns of species richness and variations in composition: horizontal colonization by elements originating fro...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

From forest to pasture: an evaluation of the influence of environment and biogeography on the structure of beetle (Scarabaeinae) assemblages along three altitudinal gradients in the Neotropical region

Escobar¹,

Halffter²,

Arellano³

2007

Ecography

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“…Beetles may be an important prey both in restocked and pre‐thicket stands due to the abundance of saproxylic beetles (e.g. Cerambycidae) emerging from cut stumps (Hedgren ), and in grazed grass‐heath, which supports dung‐feeding beetles (Aphodiinae; Menéndez & Gutiérrez ), although abundant deer populations (Wäber & Dolman ) also support dung‐feeding beetles in forest habitats (Stewart ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Home‐range size and habitat use of European Nightjars Caprimulgus europaeus nesting in a complex plantation‐forest landscape

Sharps

Henderson

Armour‐Chelu

et al. 2015

Ibis

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In Europe, the consequences of commercial plantation management for birds of conservation concern are poorly understood. The European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus is a species of conservation concern across Europe due to population depletion through habitat loss. Pine plantation-forest is now a key Nightjar nesting habitat, particularly in northwestern Europe, and increased understanding of foraging habitat selection is required. We radiotracked 31 Nightjars in an extensive (185-km 2 ) complex conifer plantation landscape in 2009 and 2010. Home-range 95% kernels for females, paired males and unpaired males were an order of magnitude larger than song territories of paired males, emphasizing the importance of habitats beyond the song territory. Nightjars travelled a mean maximum distance of 747 m from the territory centre each night. Homerange placement relative to landscape composition was examined by compositional analysis. Pre-closure canopy forest (aged 5-10 years) was selected at all scales (MCP, 95% and 50% kernels), with newly planted forest (aged 0-4 years) also selected within 50% kernels. For telemetry fixes relative to habitat composition within 2 km of their territory centre, individuals again selected pre-closure and newly planted forest, and also grazed grass heath. Open ungrazed habitat was not selected, with implications for open habitat planning for biodiversity conservation within public-owned forests. Despite the Nightjars' selection for younger growth, moth biomass was greater in older forest stands, suggesting that foraging site selection reflects ease of prey capture rather than prey abundance. Within large plantation-forest landscapes, a variety of growth stages is important for this species and our results suggest that grazing of open habitats within and adjacent to forest will additionally benefit the European Nightjar.

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“…Changes in latitudinal, altitudinal and bathymetric distribution caused by global warming have been increasingly documented across terrestrial and aquatic taxa (e.g., Southward et al ., ; Menendez & Gutierrez, ; Parmesan & Yohe, ; Root et al ., ; Perry et al ., ). In general, understanding the mechanistic basis of sublethal and lethal thermal tolerance (e.g., Pörtner, ; Helmuth et al ., ) allows the prediction of species responses under future warming scenarios, and scaling up predictions to assemblages and ecosystems (Bernardo et al ., ; Somero, , ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integrating metabolic performance, thermal tolerance, and plasticity enables for more accurate predictions on species vulnerability to acute and chronic effects of global warming

Magozzi

Calosi

2014

Global Change Biology

151

110

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Predicting species vulnerability to global warming requires a comprehensive, mechanistic understanding of sublethal and lethal thermal tolerances. To date, however, most studies investigating species physiological responses to increasing temperature have focused on the underlying physiological traits of either acute or chronic tolerance in isolation. Here we propose an integrative, synthetic approach including the investigation of multiple physiological traits (metabolic performance and thermal tolerance), and their plasticity, to provide more accurate and balanced predictions on species and assemblage vulnerability to both acute and chronic effects of global warming. We applied this approach to more accurately elucidate relative species vulnerability to warming within an assemblage of six caridean prawns occurring in the same geographic, hence macroclimatic, region, but living in different thermal habitats. Prawns were exposed to four incubation temperatures (10, 15, 20 and 25 °C) for 7 days, their metabolic rates and upper thermal limits were measured, and plasticity was calculated according to the concept of Reaction Norms, as well as Q10 for metabolism. Compared to species occupying narrower/more stable thermal niches, species inhabiting broader/more variable thermal environments (including the invasive Palaemon macrodactylus) are likely to be less vulnerable to extreme acute thermal events as a result of their higher upper thermal limits. Nevertheless, they may be at greater risk from chronic exposure to warming due to the greater metabolic costs they incur. Indeed, a trade-off between acute and chronic tolerance was apparent in the assemblage investigated. However, the invasive species P. macrodactylus represents an exception to this pattern, showing elevated thermal limits and plasticity of these limits, as well as a high metabolic control. In general, integrating multiple proxies for species physiological acute and chronic responses to increasing temperature helps providing more accurate predictions on species vulnerability to warming.

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Altitudinal effects on habitat selection of dung beetles (Scarabaeoidea: Aphodiidae) in the northern Iberian peninsula

Cited by 26 publications

References 20 publications

From forest to pasture: an evaluation of the influence of environment and biogeography on the structure of beetle (Scarabaeinae) assemblages along three altitudinal gradients in the Neotropical region

From forest to pasture: an evaluation of the influence of environment and biogeography on the structure of beetle (Scarabaeinae) assemblages along three altitudinal gradients in the Neotropical region

Home‐range size and habitat use of European Nightjars Caprimulgus europaeus nesting in a complex plantation‐forest landscape

Integrating metabolic performance, thermal tolerance, and plasticity enables for more accurate predictions on species vulnerability to acute and chronic effects of global warming

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