Benthic habitats do show a significant latitudinal diversity gradient: A comment on Kinlock et al. (2018)

Abstract

The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) has been investigated for decades, with hundreds of studies focusing on different organisms, regions and habitat types. Meta‐analysis may be considered, therefore, a useful tool to explore the generality and limitations of this remarkable macroecological pattern. The first meta‐analysis exploring variations in the LDG, published by Hillebrand in 2004, revealed that the latitudinal decline in species richness seems to be indeed a general phenomenon. However, Kinlock et al. (2018, Global Ecology and Biogeography, 27, 125–141) revisited recently the challenge of synthesizing individual LDGs and indicated that the phenomenon is not ubiquitous among habitats of the marine realm. More precisely, they indicated that the phenomenon is non‐significant in the benthic habitat. Here, we suggest that the marine habitat categories used by them (i.e., benthic, coral reefs, coastal, open ocean) are not independent and that reclassifying the studies significantly alters one of their main results. By assigning the studies into benthic and pelagic categories, and additionally into coastal or oceanic zones, we show that non‐ambiguous, evolutionarily meaningful marine habitats display a significant latitudinal decline in species richness.

Departing from an ideal: An asymmetric, bimodal and non‐Equatorial latitudinal gradient of marine diversity in Western Atlantic burrowing shrimps (Decapoda: Axiidea and Gebiidea)

“…In fact, the effect size of the strength of the LDG (i.e. Fisher's transformation of the correlation between species richness and absolute latitude) was −1.17, stronger than the mean effect size estimated for other marine datasets (Hillebrand, 2004a(Hillebrand, , 2004bKinlock et al, 2018;Menegotto et al, 2019;Rivadeneira & Poore, 2020).…”

“…In fact, the effect size of the strength of the LDG (i.e. Fisher's transformation of the correlation between species richness and absolute latitude) was −1.17, stronger than the mean effect size estimated for other marine datasets (Hillebrand, 2004a, 2004b; Kinlock et al., 2018; Menegotto et al, 2019; Rivadeneira & Poore, 2020). Further comparative studies are needed in order to make firmer conclusions regarding the generality of the departures from the idealized LDG.…”

“…The latitudinal gradient of species diversity (LDG), posing that species richness increases from the poles towards the tropics, is perhaps the most investigated pattern in biogeography and macroecology (Hillebrand, 2004a;Pianka, 1966;Willig et al, 2003). Marine organisms are no exception to this generality, as demonstrated by several meta-analyses (Hillebrand, 2004b;Kinlock et al, 2018;Menegotto et al, 2019). In recent years, however, the 'idealized LDG' in marine systems (i.e.…”

Quality of meta‐analyses in freshwater ecology: A systematic review

“…Providing the dataset used is crucial for cumulative meta‐analysis (Leimu & Koricheva, 2004) and to explore the same dataset using different moderators (e.g. Menegotto et al., 2019).…”

Soft-bottom macrozoobenthos in semi-enclosed coastal systems of Morocco: A latitudinal and biogeographic analysis

“…More precisely, they indicated that the phenomenon is non-significant in the benthic habitat. However, Menegotto et al (2019), in their comment on Kinlock et al (2018), suggest that the marine habitat categories used by them (i.e., J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f benthic, coral reefs, coastal, open ocean) are not independent and that reclassifying the studies significantly alters one of their main results. By assigning the studies into benthic and pelagic categories, and additionally into coastal or oceanic zones, they show that non-ambiguous, evolutionarily meaningful marine habitats display a significant latitudinal decline in species richness.…”