Werner Ulrich1, Santiago Soliveres2, Fernando T Maestre2, Nicholas J Gotelli3, José L Quero2,4, Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo2,5, Matthew A Bowker6, David J Eldridge7, Victoria Ochoa2, Beatriz Gozalo2, Enrique Valencia2, Miguel Berdugo2, Cristina Escolar2, Miguel García-Gómez2,8, Adrián Escudero2, Aníbal Prina9, Graciela Alfonso9, Tulio Arredondo10, Donaldo Bran11, Omar Cabrera12, Alex Cea13, Mohamed Chaieb14, Jorge Contreras15, Mchich Derak16, Carlos I Espinosa12, Adriana Florentino17, Juan Gaitán11, Victoria García Muro18, Wahida Ghiloufi14, Susana Gómez-González17, Julio R Gutiérrez11,19,20, Rosa M Hernández21, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald10, Mohammad Jankju22, Rebecca L Mau23, Frederic Mendes Hughes24, Maria Miriti25, Jorge Monerris26, Muchai Muchane27, Kamal Naseri22, Eduardo Pucheta28, David A Ramírez-Collantes29, Eran Raveh30, Roberto L Romão31, Cristian Torres-Díaz17, James Val7, José Pablo Veiga32, Deli Wang33, Xia Yuan33, Eli Zaady30. 1. Chair of Ecology and Biogeography Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Lwowska1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland. 2. Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain. 3. Department of Biology University of Vermont Burlington, VT 05405 USA. 4. Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes. Universidad de Córdoba. Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, 1 planta. Campus de Rabanales. Ctra N-IV km 396. C.P. 14071, Córdoba, Spain. 5. Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera kilómetro 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain. 6. School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, AZ 86011, Flagstaff, USA. 7. School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. 8. Departamento de Ingeniería y Morfología del Terreno, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle Profesor Aranguren S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain. 9. Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Casilla de Correo 300, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina. 10. Division de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICYT). 11. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental San Carlos de Bariloche, Casilla de Correo 277 (8400), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina. 12. Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Marcelino Champagnat, Loja, Ecuador. 13. Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 599. 14. UR Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sfax. Route de Sokra, km 3.5, Boîte Postale 802, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia. 15. Departamento de Suelos; Universidad Centroccidental Lizandro Alvarado, Barquisimeto, estado Lara, Venezuela. 16. Direction Régionale des Eaux et Forêts et de la Lutte Contre la Désertification du Rif, Avenue Mohamed 5, Boîte Postale 722, 93000 Tétouan, Morocco. 17. Instituto de Edafología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Campus UCV-Maracay, ZP 2101, estado Aragua, Venezuela. 18. IANIGLA, CCT Mendoza, CONICET A. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque General San Martín, Mendoza, Argentina. CP.: M5502IRA. 19. Laboratorio de Genómica y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile. 20. Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile. 21. Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Biogeoquímica, Centro de Agroecología Tropical, Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez, Apdo 47925, Caracas, Venezuela. 22. Department of Range and Watershed Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran. 23. Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA. 24. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brasil. 25. Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. 26. Université du Québec à Montréal Pavillon des sciences biologiques Département des sciences biologiques 141 Président-Kennedy Montréal, Québec H2X 3Y5, Canada. 27. Zoology Department of the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya. 28. Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina. 29. Production Systems and the Environment Sub-Program, International Potato Center. Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru. 30. Department of Natural Resources and Agronomy, Agriculture Research Organization, Ministry of Agriculture, Gilat Research Center, Mobile Post Negev 85280, Israel. 31. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Avenida Transnordestina Sin Número, Bairro Novo Horizonte, Feira de Santana, 44036-900, Brasil. 32. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de CCNN (CSIC), Madrid, Spain. 33. Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory for Vegetation Ecology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China.
Abstract
AIM: Geographic, climatic, and soil factors are major drivers of plant beta diversity, but their importance for dryland plant communities is poorly known. This study aims to: i) characterize patterns of beta diversity in global drylands, ii) detect common environmental drivers of beta diversity, and iii) test for thresholds in environmental conditions driving potential shifts in plant species composition. LOCATION: 224 sites in diverse dryland plant communities from 22 geographical regions in six continents. METHODS: Beta diversity was quantified with four complementary measures: the percentage of singletons (species occurring at only one site), Whittake's beta diversity (β(W)), a directional beta diversity metric based on the correlation in species occurrences among spatially contiguous sites (β(R2)), and a multivariate abundance-based metric (β(MV)). We used linear modelling to quantify the relationships between these metrics of beta diversity and geographic, climatic, and soil variables. RESULTS: Soil fertility and variability in temperature and rainfall, and to a lesser extent latitude, were the most important environmental predictors of beta diversity. Metrics related to species identity (percentage of singletons and β(W)) were most sensitive to soil fertility, whereas those metrics related to environmental gradients and abundance ((β(R2)) and β(MV)) were more associated with climate variability. Interactions among soil variables, climatic factors, and plant cover were not important determinants of beta diversity. Sites receiving less than 178 mm of annual rainfall differed sharply in species composition from more mesic sites (> 200 mm). MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Soil fertility and variability in temperature and rainfall are the most important environmental predictors of variation in plant beta diversity in global drylands. Our results suggest that those sites annually receiving ~ 178 mm of rainfall will be especially sensitive to future climate changes. These findings may help to define appropriate conservation strategies for mitigating effects of climate change on dryland vegetation.
AIM: Geographic, climatic, and soil factors are major drivers of plant beta diversity, but their importance for dryland plant communities is poorly known. This study aims to: i) characterize patterns of beta diversity in global drylands, ii) detect common environmental drivers of beta diversity, and iii) test for thresholds in environmental conditions driving potential shifts in plant species composition. LOCATION: 224 sites in diverse dryland plant communities from 22 geographical regions in six continents. METHODS: Beta diversity was quantified with four complementary measures: the percentage of singletons (species occurring at only one site), Whittake's beta diversity (β(W)), a directional beta diversity metric based on the correlation in species occurrences among spatially contiguous sites (β(R2)), and a multivariate abundance-based metric (β(MV)). We used linear modelling to quantify the relationships between these metrics of beta diversity and geographic, climatic, and soil variables. RESULTS: Soil fertility and variability in temperature and rainfall, and to a lesser extent latitude, were the most important environmental predictors of beta diversity. Metrics related to species identity (percentage of singletons and β(W)) were most sensitive to soil fertility, whereas those metrics related to environmental gradients and abundance ((β(R2)) and β(MV)) were more associated with climate variability. Interactions among soil variables, climatic factors, and plant cover were not important determinants of beta diversity. Sites receiving less than 178 mm of annual rainfall differed sharply in species composition from more mesic sites (> 200 mm). MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Soil fertility and variability in temperature and rainfall are the most important environmental predictors of variation in plant beta diversity in global drylands. Our results suggest that those sites annually receiving ~ 178 mm of rainfall will be especially sensitive to future climate changes. These findings may help to define appropriate conservation strategies for mitigating effects of climate change on dryland vegetation.
Authors: Nathan J B Kraft; Liza S Comita; Jonathan M Chase; Nathan J Sanders; Nathan G Swenson; Thomas O Crist; James C Stegen; Mark Vellend; Brad Boyle; Marti J Anderson; Howard V Cornell; Kendi F Davies; Amy L Freestone; Brian D Inouye; Susan P Harrison; Jonathan A Myers Journal: Science Date: 2011-09-23 Impact factor: 47.728
Authors: Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo; Fernando T Maestre; Antonio Gallardo; Matthew A Bowker; Matthew D Wallenstein; Jose Luis Quero; Victoria Ochoa; Beatriz Gozalo; Miguel García-Gómez; Santiago Soliveres; Pablo García-Palacios; Miguel Berdugo; Enrique Valencia; Cristina Escolar; Tulio Arredondo; Claudia Barraza-Zepeda; Donaldo Bran; José Antonio Carreira; Mohamed Chaieb; Abel A Conceição; Mchich Derak; David J Eldridge; Adrián Escudero; Carlos I Espinosa; Juan Gaitán; M Gabriel Gatica; Susana Gómez-González; Elizabeth Guzman; Julio R Gutiérrez; Adriana Florentino; Estela Hepper; Rosa M Hernández; Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald; Mohammad Jankju; Jushan Liu; Rebecca L Mau; Maria Miriti; Jorge Monerris; Kamal Naseri; Zouhaier Noumi; Vicente Polo; Aníbal Prina; Eduardo Pucheta; Elizabeth Ramírez; David A Ramírez-Collantes; Roberto Romão; Matthew Tighe; Duilio Torres; Cristian Torres-Díaz; Eugene D Ungar; James Val; Wanyoike Wamiti; Deli Wang; Eli Zaady Journal: Nature Date: 2013-10-31 Impact factor: 49.962
Authors: Fernando T Maestre; Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo; Thomas C Jeffries; David J Eldridge; Victoria Ochoa; Beatriz Gozalo; José Luis Quero; Miguel García-Gómez; Antonio Gallardo; Werner Ulrich; Matthew A Bowker; Tulio Arredondo; Claudia Barraza-Zepeda; Donaldo Bran; Adriana Florentino; Juan Gaitán; Julio R Gutiérrez; Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald; Mohammad Jankju; Rebecca L Mau; Maria Miriti; Kamal Naseri; Abelardo Ospina; Ilan Stavi; Deli Wang; Natasha N Woods; Xia Yuan; Eli Zaady; Brajesh K Singh Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2015-12-08 Impact factor: 11.205
Authors: Santiago Soliveres; Fernando T Maestre; Werner Ulrich; Peter Manning; Steffen Boch; Matthew A Bowker; Daniel Prati; Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo; José L Quero; Ingo Schöning; Antonio Gallardo; Wolfgang Weisser; Jörg Müller; Stephanie A Socher; Miguel García-Gómez; Victoria Ochoa; Ernst-Detlef Schulze; Markus Fischer; Eric Allan Journal: Ecol Lett Date: 2015-06-01 Impact factor: 9.492
Authors: Gaëtane Le Provost; Jan Thiele; Catrin Westphal; Caterina Penone; Eric Allan; Margot Neyret; Fons van der Plas; Manfred Ayasse; Richard D Bardgett; Klaus Birkhofer; Steffen Boch; Michael Bonkowski; Francois Buscot; Heike Feldhaar; Rachel Gaulton; Kezia Goldmann; Martin M Gossner; Valentin H Klaus; Till Kleinebecker; Jochen Krauss; Swen Renner; Pascal Scherreiks; Johannes Sikorski; Dennis Baulechner; Nico Blüthgen; Ralph Bolliger; Carmen Börschig; Verena Busch; Melanie Chisté; Anna Maria Fiore-Donno; Markus Fischer; Hartmut Arndt; Norbert Hoelzel; Katharina John; Kirsten Jung; Markus Lange; Carlo Marzini; Jörg Overmann; Esther Paŝalić; David J Perović; Daniel Prati; Deborah Schäfer; Ingo Schöning; Marion Schrumpf; Ilja Sonnemann; Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter; Marco Tschapka; Manfred Türke; Juliane Vogt; Katja Wehner; Christiane Weiner; Wolfgang Weisser; Konstans Wells; Michael Werner; Volkmar Wolters; Tesfaye Wubet; Susanne Wurst; Andrey S Zaitsev; Peter Manning Journal: Nat Commun Date: 2021-06-24 Impact factor: 14.919
Authors: Denise de Oliveira Scoaris; Frederic Mendes Hughes; Milton Adolfo Silveira; Jay Daniel Evans; Jeffery Stuart Pettis; Esther Margarida Alves Ferreira Bastos; Carlos Augusto Rosa Journal: Braz J Microbiol Date: 2021-07-15 Impact factor: 2.214