Habitat-islands in the coastal Atacama Desert: loss of functional redundancy, but not of functional diversity, with decreased precipitation.

ABSTRACT:

Background and aims

Aridity is increasing in many regions of the world, but microclimatic conditions may buffer plant communities from the direct effects of decreased precipitation, creating habitat islands. However, reduced precipitation can also impact these communities indirectly by decreasing the suitability of the surrounding habitat, thus limiting incoming propagules and increasing the chances of population decline and species loss. We test whether decreased precipitation results in loss of species and functional diversity within habitat islands, evaluating in particular whether declines in species diversity and abundance are less likely to result in loss of functional diversity if species/individual loss is stochastic (i.e. independent of species/individual traits) and commu

SUBMITTER: Stotz GC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8052923 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature