Diversity of European habitat types is correlated with geography more than climate and human pressure.

Autor: Cervellini M; BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy., Di Musciano M; BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy.; Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences University of L'Aquila L'Aquila Italy., Zannini P; BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy., Fattorini S; Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences University of L'Aquila L'Aquila Italy., Jiménez-Alfaro B; Research Unit of Biodiversity (CSIC/UO/PA) University of Oviedo Mieres Spain., Agrillo E; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) Rome Italy., Attorre F; Department of Environmental Biology Sapienza University of Rome Roma Italy., Angelini P; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) Rome Italy., Beierkuhnlein C; Biogeography, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Geographical Institute Bayreuth (GIB) University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany., Casella L; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) Rome Italy., Field R; School of Geography University of Nottingham Nottingham UK., Fischer JC; Biogeography, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Geographical Institute Bayreuth (GIB) University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany.; School of Earth Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK., Genovesi P; Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA) Rome Italy., Hoffmann S; Biogeography, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), Geographical Institute Bayreuth (GIB) University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany., Irl SDH; Biogeography and Biodiversity Lab, Institute of Physical Geography Goethe-University Frankfurt Germany., Nascimbene J; BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy., Rocchini D; BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy.; Department of Spatial Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Praha Czech Republic., Steinbauer M; Sport Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) & Department of Sport Science University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany., Vetaas OR; Department of Geography University of Bergen Bergen Norway., Chiarucci A; BIOME Lab, Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences, Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna Bologna Italy.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Ecology and evolution [Ecol Evol] 2021 Dec 07; Vol. 11 (24), pp. 18111-18124. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Dec 07 (Print Publication: 2021).
DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8409
Abstrakt: Habitat richness, that is, the diversity of ecosystem types, is a complex, spatially explicit aspect of biodiversity, which is affected by bioclimatic, geographic, and anthropogenic variables. The distribution of habitat types is a key component for understanding broad-scale biodiversity and for developing conservation strategies. We used data on the distribution of European Union (EU) habitats to answer the following questions: (i) how do bioclimatic, geographic, and anthropogenic variables affect habitat richness? (ii) Which of those factors is the most important? (iii) How do interactions among these variables influence habitat richness and which combinations produce the strongest interactions? The distribution maps of 222 terrestrial habitat types as defined by the Natura 2000 network were used to calculate habitat richness for the 10 km × 10 km EU grid map. We then investigated how environmental variables affect habitat richness, using generalized linear models, generalized additive models, and boosted regression trees. The main factors associated with habitat richness were geographic variables, with negative relationships observed for both latitude and longitude, and a positive relationship for terrain ruggedness. Bioclimatic variables played a secondary role, with habitat richness increasing slightly with annual mean temperature and overall annual precipitation. We also found an interaction between anthropogenic variables, with the combination of increased landscape fragmentation and increased population density strongly decreasing habitat richness. This is the first attempt to disentangle spatial patterns of habitat richness at the continental scale, as a key tool for protecting biodiversity. The number of European habitats is related to geography more than climate and human pressure, reflecting a major component of biogeographical patterns similar to the drivers observed at the species level. The interaction between anthropogenic variables highlights the need for coordinated, continental-scale management plans for biodiversity conservation.
Competing Interests: No conflict of interest.
(© 2021 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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