Broad-scale spatial patterns of canopy cover and pond morphology affect the structure of a Neotropical amphibian metacommunity

Provete, Diogo B.; Gonçalves‐Souza, Thiago; Garey, Michel Varajão; Martins, Itamar Alves; Rossa‐Feres, Denise de Cerqueira

doi:10.1101/001255

Cited by 4 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 46 publications

(62 reference statements)

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“…The opposite was found in vernal pools with active dispersers having significantly higher β diversity levels, a pattern seen previously (Soininen et al 2007a). Second, habitat choice of active dispersers (colonization or oviposition) may also generate higher levels of β diversity when competitors, predators, or other habitat characteristics are considered (e.g., Blaustein et al 2004, Resetarits 2005, Provete et al 2014. Since most of the active dispersers were also predators, this is the likely explanation for active dispersers exhibiting higher β diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-driven habitat size determines the latitudinal diversity gradient in temporary ponds

Kneitel

2015

Ecology

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The latitudinal diversity gradient (LDG) has been one of the most documented patterns in ecology, typically showing decreasing species diversity with increasing latitude. Studies of these patterns also used different spatial scales and dispersal traits to better understand the underpinning ecological factors. Seasonal freshwater ecosystems are less studied and may exhibit different patterns because they are more sensitive to climatic variation, which result in an inundation-desiccation cycle. In California, precipitation increases and temperature decreases with increasing latitude and thus the LDG pattern may be associated with this climatic gradient. Using collected data and United States Fish and Wildlife Service reports across seven degrees of latitude, analysis of California vernal pool invertebrate community (total richness and richness of passive and active dispersers) was conducted using correlations (Spearman rank and partial). Alpha diversity (total and passive dispersers) increased and beta diversity (passive dispersers) decreased with increasing latitude. Vernal pool surface area was correlated with active disperser alpha and passive disperser beta diversity. This suggests that climate-driven habitat size influences alpha and beta diversity patterns depending on dispersal ability. Active dispersers and predators exhibited higher beta diversity than passive dispersers and prey, respectively. Species composition differed among counties and some of these differences were correlated with pool depth and temperature. These results suggest that seasonal habitats will have diversity patterns strongly associated with local scale characteristics (habitat size and hydroperiod) determined by climate variation along the latitudinal gradient. Understanding these diversity patterns along the gradient will also contribute to management and restoration of these ecosystems with high endemism and diversity.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate-driven habitat size determines the latitudinal diversity gradient in temporary ponds

Kneitel

2015

Ecology

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“…Additional evidence for the stochasticity hypothesis comes from the absence of association between anuran communities and pond surface area and depth (our surrogates for pond contraction). Pond area and depth are important factors influencing both anuran species richness and composition (Indermaur et al ., ; Prado & Rossa‐Feres, ), which may support the idea of niche‐based processes (Provete et al ., ). Notwithstanding this, the spatial context and connectivity among ponds should tend to negate an area effect because an increase in connectivity may mean that the size of the waterbody become less crucial to the maintenance of the anuran metacommunity (Werner et al ., ,b).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The associations between anuran species composition and richness with local environmental heterogeneity, such as aquatic vegetation structure, are well known (Richter‐Boix, Llorente & Montori, ; Werner et al ., ; Silva, Candeira & Rossa‐Feres, ). Aquatic plants at the water surface provide a great variety of microhabitats, which might underlie the presence, richness and diversity of both larval and adult amphibians (Urban, ; Silva, Candeira & Rossa‐Feres, ; Prado & Rossa‐Feres, ,b; Provete et al ., ). The vertical structure of aquatic vegetation may also account for increased richness and diversity of anurans (Silva, Candeira & Rossa‐Feres, ; Prado & Rossa‐Feres, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The absence of spatial autocorrelation was probably not related to the size of our study area ( c. 50 km 2 ). Spatial signals in community composition of Neotropical adult ( c. 24 km², Rojas‐Ahumada, Landeiro & Menin, ; c. 50 km 2 , Landeiro, Waldez & Menin, ) and larval anurans (11 km², Provete et al ., ) have been detected in studies having spatial extents that were smaller or the same size as ours. The absence of spatial patterns in anuran pond metacommunities can be interpreted as an indicator of low dispersal limitation (Richter‐Boix, Llorente & Montori, ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They use freshwater habitats to reproduce and different species may be exposed to different local environmental and spatial factors in both tadpole and adult life stages (De Bie et al ., ; Landeiro, Waldez & Menin, ; Melo et al ., ; Provete et al ., ). The greatest variation in amphibian community composition has been explained by environmental variables (Urban, ; Richter‐Boix, Llorente & Montori, ; Keller et al ., ; Prado & Rossa‐Feres, ), which sometimes can be spatially structured (Parris, ; Provete et al ., ). Water depth, surface area, hydroperiod and aquatic vegetation have been reported to strongly influence patterns of anuran composition and richness (Urban, ; Richter‐Boix, Llorente & Montori, ; Werner et al ., ,b; Keller et al ., ; Indermaur et al ., ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evidence of stochasticity driving anuran metacommunity structure in the Pantanal wetlands

et al. 2015

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Summary The association of species distribution and abundance patterns with environmental and spatial variables is often used to identify signatures of niche‐based and spatial processes in metacommunity structures. If there is no association, however, then stochastic processes may be interpreted as a possible factor driving community assembly. We sampled 20 ponds and more than 5800 adult individual anurans in one of the world's largest Neotropical wetland systems, where an annual and unimodal flood pulse is the most important force operating in the landscape. We aimed to determine the relative importance of environmental abiotic factors (pond physical, chemical and morphometric variables) and geographic distance in structuring the metacommunity of aquatic‐breeding anurans during the end of the dry season. We predicted that species composition would be strongly associated with environmental variables (niche‐based processes) and species richness would be positively related to habitat heterogeneity. Moreover, we expected that massive dispersal, promoted by the preceding flood season, would result in low evidence of spatial processes in the metacommunity structure of anurans. Contrary to our prediction, we found minimal association between anuran composition and environmental gradients. Nonetheless, as expected, we found a positive relationship between species richness and environmental heterogeneity, and no spatial signal. Our results suggest that the annual floods increase the probability that species disperse massively and colonise ponds in an unpredictable way. This may be interpreted as a case where stochastic processes are probably the main force structuring the anuran metacommunity in seasonally flooded systems.

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Taxonomic and functional anuran beta diversity of a subtropical metacommunity respond differentially to environmental and spatial predictors

Dalmolin

Tozetti

Pereira

2019

Preprint

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The relative contributions of environmental and spatial predictors in the patterns of taxonomic and functional anuran beta diversity were examined in 33 ponds of a metacommunity along the coast of south Brazil. Anurans exhibit limited dispersion ability and have physiological and behavioural characteristics that narrow their relationships with both environmental and spatial predictors. So, we expected that neutral processes and, in particular, niche-based processes could have similar influence on the taxonomic and functional beta diversity patterns. Variation partitioning and distance-based methods (db-RDA) were conducted with presence/absence and abundance data to examine taxonomic and functional facets and components (total, turnover and nestedness-resultant) in relation to environmental and spatial predictors.Processes determining metacommunity structure were similar between the components of beta diversity but differed among taxonomic and functional diversity.While taxonomic beta diversity was further accounted by environmental predictors, functional beta diversity responded more strongly to spatial predictors. These patterns were more evident when assessed through abundance data. These opposing patternswere contrary to what we had predicted, suggesting that while there is a taxonomic turnover mediated by environmental filters, the spatial distance promotes the trait dissimilarity between sites. Our results reinforce the idea that studies aiming to evaluate the patterns of structure in metacommunities should include different facets of diversity so that better interpretations can be achieved. Material and Methods Ethics statementCollection permits were provided by Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio) (authorization 55409). Field studies did not involve endangered or protected species. We restricted manipulation of animals in the field to minimal as we sampled just specimes restricted in the collection units (see the section 2.3). Specimens collected were identified, measured and immediately released after these procedures in the same pond where they were sampled. All sampling procedures were reviewed and specifically approved as part of obtaining the field permits by ICMBio (see above). Study AreaThis study was done in Lagoa do Peixe National Park (PNLP; 31°02_-31°48_S; 50°77_-51°15_W; figure 1), the only Ramsar site in southern Brazil [43]. With a length of 64 km and an average width of 6 km, the PNLP comprises over 34,000 hectares of protected wetlands, integrating the Coastal Plain of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, one of the regions of southern Brazil with higher concentration of wetlands [44].The climate is subtropical humid, and temperatures range between 13 °C and 24 °C with annual average of 17.5 °C. The mean annual precipitation varies between 1200 and 1500 mm [45].

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Broad-scale spatial patterns of canopy cover and pond morphology affect the structure of a Neotropical amphibian metacommunity

Cited by 4 publications

References 46 publications

Climate-driven habitat size determines the latitudinal diversity gradient in temporary ponds

Climate-driven habitat size determines the latitudinal diversity gradient in temporary ponds

Evidence of stochasticity driving anuran metacommunity structure in the Pantanal wetlands

Taxonomic and functional anuran beta diversity of a subtropical metacommunity respond differentially to environmental and spatial predictors

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