Dataset Information

Unravelling large-scale patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry rivers.

ABSTRACT: More than half of the world's rivers dry up periodically, but our understanding of the biological communities in dry riverbeds remains limited. Specifically, the roles of dispersal, environmental filtering and biotic interactions in driving biodiversity in dry rivers are poorly understood. Here, we conduct a large-scale coordinated survey of patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry riverbeds. We focus on eight major taxa, including microorganisms, invertebrates and plants: Algae, Archaea, Bacteria, Fungi, Protozoa, Arthropods, Nematodes and Streptophyta. We use environmental DNA metabarcoding to assess biodiversity in dry sediments collected over a 1-year period from 84 non-perennial rivers across 19 countries on four continents. Both direct factors, such as nutrient and carbon availability, and indirect factors such as climate influence the local biodiversity of most taxa. Limited resource availability and prolonged dry phases favor oligotrophic microbial taxa. Co-variation among taxa, particularly Bacteria, Fungi, Algae and Protozoa, explain more spatial variation in community composition than dispersal or environmental gradients. This finding suggests that biotic interactions or unmeasured ecological and evolutionary factors may strongly influence communities during dry phases, altering biodiversity responses to global changes.

SUBMITTER: Foulquier A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11341732 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Unravelling large-scale patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry rivers.

Foulquier Arnaud A Datry Thibault T Corti Roland R von Schiller Daniel D Tockner Klement K Stubbington Rachel R Gessner Mark O MO Boyer Frédéric F Ohlmann Marc M Thuiller Wilfried W Rioux Delphine D Miquel Christian C Albariño Ricardo R Allen Daniel C DC Altermatt Florian F Arce Maria Isabel MI Arnon Shai S Banas Damien D Banegas-Medina Andy A Beller Erin E Blanchette Melanie L ML Blessing Joanna J Boëchat Iola Gonçalves IG Boersma Kate K Bogan Michael M Bonada Núria N Bond Nick N Brintrup Katherine K Bruder Andreas A Burrows Ryan R Cancellario Tommaso T Canhoto Cristina C Carlson Stephanie S Cid Núria N Cornut Julien J Danger Michael M de Freitas Terra Bianca B De Girolamo Anna Maria AM Del Campo Rubén R Díaz Villanueva Verónica V Dyer Fiona F Elosegi Arturo A Febria Catherine C Figueroa Jara Ricardo R Four Brian B Gafny Sarig S Gómez Rosa R Gómez-Gener Lluís L Guareschi Simone S Gücker Björn B Hwan Jason J Jones J Iwan JI Kubheka Patrick S PS Laini Alex A Langhans Simone Daniela SD Launay Bertrand B Le Goff Guillaume G Leigh Catherine C Little Chelsea C Lorenz Stefan S Marshall Jonathan J Martin Sanz Eduardo J EJ McIntosh Angus A Mendoza-Lera Clara C Meyer Elisabeth I EI Miliša Marko M Mlambo Musa C MC Morais Manuela M Moya Nabor N Negus Peter P Niyogi Dev D Pagán Iluminada I Papatheodoulou Athina A Pappagallo Giuseppe G Pardo Isabel I Pařil Petr P Pauls Steffen U SU Polášek Marek M Rodríguez-Lozano Pablo P Rolls Robert J RJ Sánchez-Montoya Maria Mar MM Savić Ana A Shumilova Oleksandra O Sridhar Kandikere R KR Steward Alisha A Taleb Amina A Uzan Avi A Valladares Yefrin Y Vander Vorste Ross R Waltham Nathan J NJ Zak Dominik H DH Zoppini Annamaria A

Nature communications 20240822 1

More than half of the world's rivers dry up periodically, but our understanding of the biological communities in dry riverbeds remains limited. Specifically, the roles of dispersal, environmental filtering and biotic interactions in driving biodiversity in dry rivers are poorly understood. Here, we conduct a large-scale coordinated survey of patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry riverbeds. We focus on eight major taxa, including microorganisms, invertebrates and plants: Algae, Archaea, Bac ...[more]

PMID: 39174521

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Project description:Many macroecological patterns of biodiversity, including the relationship between latitude and species richness, are well-described. Data collected in a repeatable, standardized manner can advance the discipline beyond the description of patterns and be used to elucidate underlying mechanisms. Using standardized field methods and a hyper-diverse focal taxon, viz. Coleoptera, we aim to (1) describe large-scale latitudinal patterns of taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, and assemblage structure across northern Canada, and (2) determine which climatic, spatial, and habitat variables best explain these patterns. We collected terrestrial beetles at twelve locations in the three northernmost ecoclimatic zones in North America: north boreal, subarctic, and high arctic (51-81°N, 60-138°W). After identifying beetles and assigning them to a functional group, we assessed latitudinal trends for multiple diversity indices using linear regression and visualized spatial patterns of assemblage structure with multivariate ordinations. We used path analysis to test causal hypotheses for species and functional group richness, and we used a permutational approach to assess relationships between assemblage structure and 20 possible climatic and environmental mechanisms. More than 9,000 beetles were collected, representing 464 species and 18 functional groups. Species and functional diversity have significant negative relationships with latitude, which are likely explained by the mediating effects of temperature, precipitation, and plant height. Assemblages within the same ecoclimatic zone are similar, and there is a significant relationship between assemblage structure and latitude. Species and functional assemblage structure are significantly correlated with many of the same climatic factors, particularly temperature maxima and minima. At a large spatial extent, the diversity and assemblage structure of northern beetles show strong latitudinal gradients due to the mediating effects of climate, particularly temperature. Northern arthropod assemblages present significant opportunities for biodiversity research and conservation efforts, and their sensitivity to climate make them ideal targets for long-term terrestrial diversity monitoring.

Dataset Information

Unravelling large-scale patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry rivers.

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Unravelling large-scale patterns and drivers of biodiversity in dry rivers.

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