Species richness and beta diversity patterns of multiple taxa along an elevational gradient in pastured grasslands in the European Alps.

ABSTRACT: To understand how diversity is distributed in space is a fundamental aim for optimizing future species and community conservation. We examined in parallel species richness and beta diversity components of nine taxonomic groups along a finite space, represented by pastured grasslands along an elevational gradient. Beta diversity, which is assumed to bridge local alpha diversity to regional gamma diversity was partitioned into the two components turnover and nestedness and analyzed at two levels: from the lowest elevation to all other elevations, and between neighboring elevations. Species richness of vascular plants, butterflies, beetles, spiders and earthworms showed a hump-shaped relationship with increasing elevation, while it decreased linearly for grasshoppers and ants, but increased f

SUBMITTER: Fontana V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7385172 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature