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Catchment scale deforestation increases the uniqueness of subtropical stream communities
Fabiana Schneck1, Luis M Bini2, Adriano S Melo3
1Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande-FURG, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil. fabiana.schneck@gmail.com.
Oecologia
|July 14, 2022
Summary
Deforestation in subtropical Brazil creates unique stream communities. Local and species contributions to beta diversity are influenced by land use, with unique species found across diverse environments.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biodiversity Science
- Environmental Science
Background:
- Beta diversity encompasses local (LCBD) and species (SCBD) contributions.
- Predicting LCBD and SCBD from environmental and species-specific factors remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate drivers of LCBD and SCBD in stream benthic diatoms and insects.
- Analyze the influence of land use intensification on aquatic community composition and diversity.
Main Methods:
- Studied stream benthic diatoms and insects across a land use gradient in southeast Brazil.
- Assessed LCBD and SCBD in relation to forest cover, environmental uniqueness, and land use uniqueness.
- Examined the role of species traits and taxonomic relatedness in explaining SCBD.
Main Results:
- LCBD for both diatoms and insects decreased with forest cover.
- Insect LCBD increased with environmental and land use uniqueness.
- Species traits and taxonomic relatedness partially explained SCBD.
- Diatom SCBD correlated positively with forest cover, while insect SCBD showed an inverse relationship.
Conclusions:
- Deforestation generates novel and unique communities in subtropical streams.
- Species contributing most to beta diversity can be found in both pristine and altered habitats.
- Land use intensification significantly shapes aquatic biodiversity patterns.
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