Community assembly across Subarctic landscapes: exploring patterns of diversity

Pablo de La Peña Aguilera

doi:10.54612/a.457ae5racn

Community assembly across Subarctic landscapes: exploring patterns of diversity

Bidragets översatta titel: Organismsamhällen i subarktiska landskap: en utforskning av mångfaldens mönster

Pablo de La Peña Aguilera

Institutionen för ekologi

Publikation: Avhandling › Doktorsavhandling

14 Nedladdningar

Sammanfattning

I den här avhandlingen fördjupar jag mig i de mekanismer som formar organismsamhällen, med ett specifikt fokus på hur lokala miljöförhållanden och begränsningar i arternas spridningsförmåga påverkar den lokala artrikedomen och artsammansättningen. Specifikt utforskar jag rumsliga mönster i växternas, svamparnas och leddjurens mångfald över två subarktiska landskap, i olika rumsliga omfattningar. Först karakteriserar jag likheten i miljöförhållandena mellan de två studieområdena och kvantifierar mönster i alfa-, beta- och gammadiversitet bland växter, svampar och leddjur. Sedan relaterar jag dessa mönster till variation i mikroklimat, i produktivitet och i de olika artgruppernas spridningsförmåga. Speciellt undersöker jag inverkan av mikroklimat på arternas antal och utbredning, och hur olika artgrupper påverkas av miljön. Jag undersöker mönster i leddjurens alfa- och betadiversitet över produktivitetsgradienter i lokal, landskaps- och regional skala. Slutligen bedömer jag hur mycket samhällen av olika organismgrupper skiljer sig mellan olika delar av landskapet. De två subarktiska regionerna uppvisar liknande förhållanden i fråga om mikroklimat och produktivitet. Inom de båda regionerna minskar artrikedomen med höjden över havet och ökar med markens temperatur och fuktighet. Leddjurens artrikedom tilltar med tilltagande produktivitet i olika skalor, men växternas artrikedom är vagt kopplad till leddjurens artrikedom. Högre artrikedom på lägre höjder återspeglar arternas ekologiska nischer: En majoritet av arterna är generalister i förhållande till produktivitet, och förekommer därmed över hela produktivitetsgradienten. En minoritet av arterna förekommer uteslutande på lokaler med antingen låg eller hög produktivitet – med fler arter i den senare gruppen. Högre artrikedom i högproduktiva områden återspeglar sig inte i större olikhet i lokalsamhällenas sammansättning. Artgrupper med högre spridningsförmåga uppvisar större artomsättning över landskapet än arter med lägre spridningsförmåga. Mina resultat belyser hur abiotiska faktorer, energitillförsel och spridningsförmåga formar samhällen av växter, svampar och leddjur över subarktiska landskap i samspel mellan olika faktorer.

Bidragets översatta titel	Organismsamhällen i subarktiska landskap: en utforskning av mångfaldens mönster
Originalspråk	Engelska
Kvalifikation	Doktor i filosofi
Förlag	Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
Tryckta ISBN	978-91-8046-336-2
Elektroniska ISBN	978-91-8046-337-9
DOI	https://doi.org/10.54612/a.457ae5racn
Status	Publicerad - 2024

Nyckelord

Community assembly
Subarctic
dispersal
environmental filtering

SLU-serie

Acta Universitatis Agriculturae Sueciae

Åtkomst av dokument

10.54612/a.457ae5racn

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title = "Community assembly across Subarctic landscapes: exploring patterns of diversity",

abstract = "This thesis delves into the mechanisms driving community assembly, focusing on the impacts of environmental filtering and dispersal limitation on species richness and composition. I explore diversity patterns in vascular plants, soil fungi, and arthropods across two subarctic landscapes and at different spatial scales. As a background, I characterize the similarity in conditions between the two study areas and quantify patterns of alpha, beta and gamma diversity among the target taxa. I then relate these patterns to variation in microclimate, in productivity, and in the dispersal capacity of each taxon. In particular, I examine the influence of microclimatic conditions on species richness and abundance of arthropods and plants, and the similarity in taxon-specific responses to similar drivers. To test for an association between productivity and diversity, I examine alpha and beta diversity patterns of arthropods across productivity gradients at the local, landscape and regional scales, and test for scaledependencies in the patterns observed. Finally, I assess how community dissimilarity varies among taxa across the landscape. Across the two subarctic regions, I found highly similar microclimatic conditions and productivity gradients. In both regions, species richness generally decreases with elevation and increases with soil temperature and moisture. The increase in arthropod richness along productivity gradients is consistent across scales, but plant richness shows weak relationships with arthropod richness. Higher species richness at lower elevations is attributable to species niche shapes, with a majority of {\textquotedblleft}productivitygeneralist{\textquotedblright} species covering the entire productivity gradient, and a minority of {\textquotedblleft}productivityspecialist{\textquotedblright} species occurring exclusively at either low- or high-productivity sites {\textendash} with the latter group being more specious. Higher species richness in high-productive areas did not translate into any greater dissimilarity in community composition. Moreover, highly dispersive species exhibit greater species turnover across the landscape compared to poorly dispersive species. Overall, my findings shed light on how abiotic factors, energy inputs, and dispersal capacity shape communities of plants, fungi and arthropods across subarctic landscapes, highlighting the complex interplay of factors in shaping community assembly.",

keywords = "Community assembly, Subarctic, dispersal, environmental filtering, Community assembly, Subarctic, dispersal, environmental filtering",

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AB - This thesis delves into the mechanisms driving community assembly, focusing on the impacts of environmental filtering and dispersal limitation on species richness and composition. I explore diversity patterns in vascular plants, soil fungi, and arthropods across two subarctic landscapes and at different spatial scales. As a background, I characterize the similarity in conditions between the two study areas and quantify patterns of alpha, beta and gamma diversity among the target taxa. I then relate these patterns to variation in microclimate, in productivity, and in the dispersal capacity of each taxon. In particular, I examine the influence of microclimatic conditions on species richness and abundance of arthropods and plants, and the similarity in taxon-specific responses to similar drivers. To test for an association between productivity and diversity, I examine alpha and beta diversity patterns of arthropods across productivity gradients at the local, landscape and regional scales, and test for scaledependencies in the patterns observed. Finally, I assess how community dissimilarity varies among taxa across the landscape. Across the two subarctic regions, I found highly similar microclimatic conditions and productivity gradients. In both regions, species richness generally decreases with elevation and increases with soil temperature and moisture. The increase in arthropod richness along productivity gradients is consistent across scales, but plant richness shows weak relationships with arthropod richness. Higher species richness at lower elevations is attributable to species niche shapes, with a majority of “productivitygeneralist” species covering the entire productivity gradient, and a minority of “productivityspecialist” species occurring exclusively at either low- or high-productivity sites – with the latter group being more specious. Higher species richness in high-productive areas did not translate into any greater dissimilarity in community composition. Moreover, highly dispersive species exhibit greater species turnover across the landscape compared to poorly dispersive species. Overall, my findings shed light on how abiotic factors, energy inputs, and dispersal capacity shape communities of plants, fungi and arthropods across subarctic landscapes, highlighting the complex interplay of factors in shaping community assembly.

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