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Gálvez Á, Peres-Neto PR, Castillo-Escrivà A, Bonilla F, Camacho A, García-Roger EM, Iepure S, Miralles J, Monrós JS, Olmo C, Picazo A, Rojo C, Rueda J, Sasa M, Segura M, Armengol X, Mesquita-Joanes F. Spatial versus spatio-temporal approaches for studying metacommunities: a multi-taxon analysis in Mediterranean and tropical temporary ponds. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232768. [PMID: 38565154 PMCID: PMC10987233 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Prior research on metacommunities has largely focused on snapshot surveys, often overlooking temporal dynamics. In this study, our aim was to compare the insights obtained from metacommunity analyses based on a spatial approach repeated over time, with a spatio-temporal approach that consolidates all data into a single model. We empirically assessed the influence of temporal variation in the environment and spatial connectivity on the structure of metacommunities in tropical and Mediterranean temporary ponds. Employing a standardized methodology across both regions, we surveyed multiple freshwater taxa in three time periods within the same hydrological year from multiple temporary ponds in each region. To evaluate how environmental, spatial and temporal influences vary between the two approaches, we used nonlinear variation partitioning analyses based on generalized additive models. Overall, this study underscores the importance of adopting spatio-temporal analytics to better understand the processes shaping metacommunities. While the spatial approach suggested that environmental factors had a greater influence, our spatio-temporal analysis revealed that spatial connectivity was the primary driver influencing metacommunity structure in both regions. Temporal effects were equally important as environmental effects, suggesting a significant role of ecological succession in metacommunity structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Gálvez
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Andreu Castillo-Escrivà
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fabián Bonilla
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 13, Costa Rica
| | - Antonio Camacho
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Eduardo M. García-Roger
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Sanda Iepure
- Department of Taxonomy and Ecology, University of Babes—Bolyia, Cluj Napoca, Romania
- Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Javier Miralles
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan S. Monrós
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carla Olmo
- Centro GEMA—Genómica, Ecología & Medio Ambiente, Universidad Mayor, Santiago, Chile
- GRECO, Institute of Aquatic Ecology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Antonio Picazo
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carmen Rojo
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Juan Rueda
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mahmood Sasa
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, 13, Costa Rica
- Museo de Zoología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Mati Segura
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Xavier Armengol
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
| | - Francesc Mesquita-Joanes
- Cavanilles Institute for Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Paterna, Valencia, Spain
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Gálvez Á, Peres-Neto PR, Castillo-Escrivà A, Bonilla F, Camacho A, García-Roger EM, Iepure S, Miralles-Lorenzo J, Monrós JS, Olmo C, Picazo A, Rojo C, Rueda J, Sahuquillo M, Sasa M, Segura M, Armengol X, Mesquita-Joanes F. Inconsistent response of taxonomic groups to space and environment in mediterranean and tropical pond metacommunities. Ecology 2023; 104:e3835. [PMID: 36199222 PMCID: PMC10078490 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The metacommunity concept provides a theoretical framework that aims at explaining organism distributions by a combination of environmental filtering, dispersal, and drift. However, few works have attempted a multitaxon approach and even fewer have compared two distant biogeographical regions using the same methodology. We tested the expectation that temperate (mediterranean-climate) pond metacommunities would be more influenced by environmental and spatial processes than tropical ones, because of stronger environmental gradients and a greater isolation of waterbodies. However, the pattern should be different among groups of organisms depending on their dispersal abilities. We surveyed 30 tropical and 32 mediterranean temporary ponds from Costa Rica and Spain, respectively, and obtained data on 49 environmental variables. We characterized the biological communities of bacteria and archaea (from the water column and the sediments), phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic invertebrates, amphibians and birds, and estimated the relative role of space and environment on metacommunity organization for each group and region, by means of variation partitioning using generalized additive models. Purely environmental effects were important in both tropical and mediterranean ponds, but stronger in the latter, probably due to their larger limnological heterogeneity. Spatially correlated environment and pure spatial effects were greater in the tropics, related to higher climatic heterogeneity and dispersal processes (e.g., restriction, surplus) acting at different scales. The variability between taxonomic groups in the contribution of spatial and environmental factors to metacommunity variation was very wide, but higher in active, compared with passive, dispersers. Higher environmental effects were observed in mediterranean passive dispersers, and higher spatial effects in tropical passive dispersers. The unexplained variation was larger in the tropical setting, suggesting a higher role for stochastic processes, unmeasured environmental factors, or biotic interactions in the tropics, although this difference affected some actively dispersing groups (insects and birds) more than passive dispersers. These results, despite our limitations in comparing only two regions, provide support, for a wide variety of aquatic organisms, for the classic view of stronger abiotic niche constraints in temperate areas compared with the tropics. The heterogeneous response of taxonomic groups between regions also points to a stronger influence of regional context than organism adaptations on metacommunity organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángel Gálvez
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | | | - Andreu Castillo-Escrivà
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Fabián Bonilla
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica
| | - Antonio Camacho
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Eduardo M García-Roger
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Sanda Iepure
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain.,Emil Racovitza Institute of Speleology, Cluj Napoca, Romania
| | - Javier Miralles-Lorenzo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Juan S Monrós
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Carla Olmo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Antonio Picazo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Carmen Rojo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Juan Rueda
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - María Sahuquillo
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain.,Subdirecció General del Medi Natural, Generalitat Valenciana, València, Spain
| | - Mahmood Sasa
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Facultad de Microbiología, Universidad de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica.,Museo de Zoología, Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Pedro, Costa Rica
| | - Mati Segura
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Xavier Armengol
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
| | - Francesc Mesquita-Joanes
- Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of València, Paterna, Spain
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Haddad CF, Lopes CM, Becker CG, da Silva FR, Lyra ML. From genes to ecosystems: a synthesis of amphibian biodiversity research in Brazil. BIOTA NEOTROPICA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/1676-0611-bn-2022-1375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Here, we summarize examples of significant advances in amphibian research supported by the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), focusing on recent discoveries in the fields of community ecology, habitat change, infection diseases, and multipurpose DNA sequencing. We demonstrated that FAPESP has been fundamental not only by directly funding research projects and scholarships, but also through its science training policy, fostering international collaborations with world-class research institutions, improving and consolidating new lines of research that often depended on a synergetic combination of different knowledge and complex tools. We emphasized that future studies will continue to focus on basic questions, such as description of new species, as well as taxonomic and systematic corrections. Furthermore, we also expect that there will be a strong integration among different disciplines using novel bioinformatics tools and modeling approaches, such as machine learning. These new approaches will be critical to further develop our understanding of foundational questions of amphibian life-history trait variation, disease transmission, community assembly, biogeography, and population forecasts under different global change scenarios such as agricultural expansion, agrochemical use, habitat loss, and climate change.
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