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The effects of habitat connectivity and regional heterogeneity on artificial pond metacommunities

  • Community ecology - Original Paper
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Abstract

Habitat connectivity and regional heterogeneity represent two factors likely to affect biodiversity across different spatial scales. We performed a 3 × 2 factorial design experiment to investigate the effects of connectivity, heterogeneity, and their interaction on artificial pond communities of freshwater invertebrates at the local (α), among-community (β), and regional (γ) scales. Despite expectations that the effects of connectivity would depend on levels of regional heterogeneity, no significant interactions were found for any diversity index investigated at any spatial scale. While observed responses of biodiversity to connectivity and heterogeneity depended to some extent on the diversity index and spatial partitioning formula used, the general pattern shows that these factors largely act at the β scale, as opposed to the α or γ scales. We conclude that the major role of connectivity in aquatic invertebrate communities is to act as a homogenizing force with relatively little effect on diversity at the α or γ levels. Conversely, heterogeneity acts as a force maintaining differences between communities.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by an Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant to SEA, and MTP was supported by an NSERC CGS-M award and PGS-M extension. Logistical support was provided by the Queen’s University Biological Station. Invaluable field assistance for this project was provided by Janine Lee, Steve Hawrylyshyn, Frank Phelan, Floyd Conor, Niki Willie, Megan MacLennan, Alexandra Howard, Catherine Gieystzor, Angela Strecker, Justin Shead, Hannah Kent, Colin MacLeod, Becky Torrance, and Wes Pedruski. The manuscript was greatly improved by helpful comments from Angela Strecker, Stephen Declerk, Zoë Lindo, Jonathan Shurin, three anonymous reviewers, and Jonathan Whiteley.

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  1. Michael T. Pedruski

    Present address: Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3A 1B1, Canada

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Michael T. Pedruski & Shelley E. Arnott

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  1. Michael T. Pedruski
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  2. Shelley E. Arnott
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Correspondence to Michael T. Pedruski.

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Communicated by Jonathan Shurin.

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Pedruski, M.T., Arnott, S.E. The effects of habitat connectivity and regional heterogeneity on artificial pond metacommunities. Oecologia 166, 221–228 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1814-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-010-1814-y

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