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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

The taxonomic distinctness of macroinvertebrate communities of Atlantic Forest streams cannot be predicted by landscape and climate variables, but traditional biodiversity indices can

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Author(s):
Roque, F. O. [1] ; Guimaraes, E. A. [2] ; Ribeiro, M. C. [3] ; Escarpinati, S. C. [2] ; Suriano, M. T. [4] ; Siqueira, T. [5]
Total Authors: 6
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, UFMS, Ctr Ciencias Biol & Saude, BR-79804970 Campo Grande, MS - Brazil
[2] Fundacao Univ Fed Grande Dourados, Programa Posgrad Entomol & Conservacao Biodivers, BR-70804970 Dourados, MS - Brazil
[3] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Lab Ecol Espacial & Conservacao, Dept Ecol, Program Posgrad Ecol & Biodiversidade, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
[4] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Lab Entomol Aquat, BR-14040901 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil
[5] Univ Estadual Paulista, UNESP, Lab Anal & Sintese Biodiversidade, Dept Ecol, Program Pos Grad Ecol & Biodiversidade, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 5
Document type: Journal article
Source: Brazilian Journal of Biology; v. 74, n. 4, p. 991-999, NOV 2014.
Web of Science Citations: 5
Abstract

Predicting how anthropogenic activities may influence the various components of biodiversity is essential for finding ways to reduce diversity loss. This challenge involves: a) understanding how environmental factors influence diversity across different spatial scales, and b) developing ways to measure these relationships in a way that is fast, economical, and easy to communicate. In this study, we investigate whether landscape and bioclimatic variables could explain variation in biodiversity indices in macroinvertebrate communities from 39 Atlantic Forest streams. In addition to traditional diversity measures, i.e., species richness, abundance and Shannon index, we used a taxonomic distinctness index that measures the degree of phylogenetic relationship among taxa. The amount of variation in the diversity measures that was explained by environmental and spatial variables was estimated using variation partitioning based on multiple regression. Our study demonstrates that taxonomic distinctness does not respond in the same way as the traditional used in biodiversity studies. We found no evidence that taxonomic distinctness responds predictably to variation in landscape metrics, indicating the need for the incorporation of predictors at multiple scales in this type of study. The lack of congruence between taxonomic distinctness and other indices and its low predictability may be related to the fact that this measure expresses long-term evolutionary adaptation to ecosystem conditions, while the other traditional biodiversity metrics respond to short-term environmental changes. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/50424-1 - Scaling biodiversity in tropical and boreal streams: implications for diversity mapping and environmental assessment (ScaleBio)
Grantee:Tadeu de Siqueira Barros
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants