Spatial and temporal variations of aridity shape dung beetle assemblages towards the Sahara desert.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Assemblage responses to environmental gradients are key to understand the general principles behind the assembly and functioning of communities. The spatially and temporally uneven distribution of water availability in drylands creates strong aridity gradients. While the effects of spatial variations of aridity are relatively well known, the influence of the highly-unpredictable seasonal and inter-annual precipitations on dryland communities has been seldom addressed.

Aims

Here, we study the seasonal and inter-annual responses of dung beetle (Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae) communities to the variations of water availability along a semiarid region of the Mediterranean.

Methods

We surveyed a 400 km linear transect along a strong aridity gradient from the Mediterr

SUBMITTER: deCastro-Arrazola I 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6151256 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature