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Beetle mania: Understanding pond aquatic beetles diversity patterns through a multiple-facet approach
Nicolás Martínez-Román1, Luis B Epele1,2, Luz M Manzo1
1Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CONICET-UNPSJB), Roca 780, Esquel, Chubut, Argentina.
Heliyon
|October 9, 2023
Summary
Climate significantly influences aquatic beetle diversity in Patagonia. Warmer areas support higher species richness and phylogenetic diversity, while extreme temperatures foster unique assemblages, highlighting the need for multi-faceted conservation strategies.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Biodiversity Science
- Conservation Biology
Background:
- Ecological studies often focus on taxonomic richness, potentially overlooking other crucial biodiversity facets.
- Assessing biotic-environment relationships requires a comprehensive understanding of multiple diversity dimensions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate environmental drivers of four aquatic Coleoptera biodiversity facets (richness, functional diversity, phylogenetic diversity, and local beta diversity) in Patagonian ponds.
- To identify ponds with high values across all diversity facets for conservation prioritization.
Main Methods:
- Generalized Additive Models (GAM) were used to analyze relationships between environmental variables (local and climatic) and biodiversity facets.
- Data were collected from 93 regionally sampled Patagonian ponds.
Main Results:
- Climatic drivers were key predictors, showing linear and nonlinear responses across diversity facets.
- Warmer regions correlated with higher species richness (SD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD).
- Higher local contribution to beta diversity (LCBD) was observed in colder sites and areas with greater precipitation variability, indicating unique assemblages adapted to extreme conditions.
Conclusions:
- Patagonian aquatic beetles appear ancestrally adapted to arid conditions.
- A multi-faceted approach is essential for understanding spatial biodiversity patterns and identifying priority conservation areas.
- Conservation value should be assigned based on a composite index of multiple diversity facets.
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