Local- versus broad-scale environmental drivers of continental β-diversity patterns in subterranean spider communities across Europe.

ABSTRACT: Macroecologists seek to identify drivers of community turnover (β-diversity) through broad spatial scales. However, the influence of local habitat features in driving broad-scale β-diversity patterns remains largely untested, owing to the objective challenges of associating local-scale variables to continental-framed datasets. We examined the relative contribution of local- versus broad-scale drivers of continental β-diversity patterns, using a uniquely suited dataset of cave-dwelling spider communities across Europe (35-70° latitude). Generalized dissimilarity modelling showed that geographical distance, mean annual temperature and size of the karst area in which caves occurred drove most of β-diversity, with differential contributions of each factor according

SUBMITTER: Mammola S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6842848 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature