Contrasting patterns of lichen functional diversity and species richness across an elevation gradient
| Autor: | Marc W. Cadotte, Jörg Müller, Markus Blaschke, Silke Werth, Christoph Heibl, Thomas Langbehn, Johannes Bradtka, Claus Bässler, Burkhard Beudert |
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| Rok vydání: | 2015 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
geography geography.geographical_feature_category Ecology 010604 marine biology & hydrobiology Elevation Climate change 15. Life on land Biology 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences 13. Climate action Temperate climate Alpha diversity Species richness Lichen human activities Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Mountain range Diversity (business) |
| Zdroj: | Ecography. 39:689-698 |
| ISSN: | 0906-7590 |
| Popis: | Major environmental gradients co-vary with elevation and have been a longstanding natural tool allowing ecologists to study global diversity patterns at smaller scales, and to make predictions about the consequences of climate change. These analyses have traditionally studied taxonomic diversity, but new functional diversity approaches may provide a deeper understanding of the ecological mechanisms driving species assembly. We examined lichen taxonomic and functional diversity patterns on 195 plots (200 m²) together with forest structure along an elevational gradient of 1000 m in a temperate low mountain range (Bohemian Forest, Germany). Along this elevation gradient temperature decreased and precipitation increased, two macroclimatic variables critical for lichens. Elevation was more important than forest structure in driving taxonomic and functional diversity. While species richness increased with elevation, functional diversity decreased and revealed that community patterns shift with elevation from random to clustered, reflecting selection for key shared traits. Higher elevations favored species with a complex growth form (which takes advantage of high moisture) and asexual reproductive mode (facilitating establishment under low temperature conditions). Our analysis highlights the need to examine alternative forms of diversity and opens the avenue for community predictions about climate change. For a regional scenario with increasing temperature and decreasing availability of moisture, we expect a loss of specialized species with a complex growth form and those with vegetative organs at higher elevations in low mountain ranges in Europe. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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