Abstract
Although the important contribution of β-diversity to regional (γ) diversity is increasingly recognised, our understanding of how the spatial scaling of β-diversity differs among taxonomic groups is still limited, especially in dynamic lotic ecosystems. In this study, we assessed the difference in the partitioning of diversity at nested spatial scales, from reach to catchment, among riparian birds, fish and benthic macroinvertebrates in Mediterranean river systems. Fish and macroinvertebrates showed similar scaling patterns, with β-diversity always larger than expected by a random distribution of individuals at all spatial scales (among reaches, rivers and catchments), and local (α) diversity always lower than expected. Conversely, β-diversity of riparian birds appeared larger than expected only at the largest scale (among catchments), while local diversity did not differ from random expectation. For birds, however, results partly depended on the weighting of abundant and rare species. Although the relative contribution of β to γ-diversity did not differ substantially among groups (with multiplicative β representing five to six distinct communities), its deviation from random expectations showed marked differences indicating that functionally different groups exhibit distinct spatial patterns. This study is among the first to investigate scaling patterns in β-diversity across taxonomic groups with different ecological requirements and dispersal ability, and provides a holistic picture of riverine biodiversity. From a conservation perspective, the results suggest that, in these river systems, flexible conservation strategies are required in order to protect multiple taxonomic groups.
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Acknowledgments
This study was partly supported by the Provincia di Roma. SL was supported by an individual fellowship from the sDiv, the Synthesis Centre of iDiv (German Centre of Integrative Biodiversity Research). We also thank Alberto Sorace and Yog Sothoth for support during bird surveys and Joseph Veech for valuable comments. We thank Chris Robinson for language editing. Constructive comments from two anonymous reviewers are sincerely acknowledged.
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Larsen, S., Scalici, M. & Tancioni, L. Scale dependent biodiversity patterns in Mediterranean river catchments: a multi taxa approach. Aquat Sci 77, 455–463 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-014-0390-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00027-014-0390-3