Multi-scale beta-diversity patterns in testate amoeba communities: species turnover and nestedness along a...

Area of Science:

• Spatial ecology
• Soil microbiology
• Biodiversity research

Background:

• Species diversity and spatial scale are central to ecological understanding.
• Latitudinal gradients are key drivers of biodiversity distribution.
• Soil organism diversity patterns, particularly beta-diversity, are understudied compared to aboveground and marine systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the scale-dependence of beta-diversity in soil testate amoeba assemblages.
• To examine the influence of latitudinal gradients on soil microbial diversity patterns.
• To understand the factors structuring soil communities across different spatial scales.

Main Methods:

• Hierarchical sampling of 111 soil samples across the West Siberian Plain.
• Multi-scale partitioning of beta-diversity for testate amoeba communities.
• Analysis of diversity components (turnover and nestedness) along latitudinal gradients.

Main Results:

• Among-ecosystem beta-diversity was the primary driver of variation in testate amoeba assemblages.
• Rare species significantly contributed to beta-diversity at all scales, especially in northern regions.
• Beta-diversity patterns differed with latitude: turnover dominated southern regions, while nestedness prevailed at the among-ecosystem scale in northern regions.

Conclusions:

• A negative latitudinal gradient exists for among-ecosystem beta-diversity in terrestrial testate amoeba communities.
• Northern soil microbial communities are spatially homogeneous, influenced by historical factors at larger scales.
• Southern soil communities exhibit higher turnover, driven by recent vegetation and environmental heterogeneity across scales.