Drivers of Insect Community Change along the Margins of Mountain Streams in Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal).

ABSTRACT: Mountain ecosystems are important biodiversity hotspots and valuable natural laboratories to study community assembly processes. Here, we analyze the diversity patterns of butterflies and odonates in a mountainous area of high conservation value-Serra da Estrela Natural Park (Portugal)-and we assess the drivers of community change for each of the two insect groups. The butterflies and odonates were sampled along 150 m transects near the margins of three mountain streams, at three elevation levels (500, 1000, and 1500 m). We found no significant differences in odonate species richness between elevations, but marginal differences (p = 0.058) were found for butterflies due to the lower number of species at high altitudes. Both insect groups showed significant differences in beta divers

SUBMITTER: Ceia-Hasse A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10058670 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature