Odonate Diversity Patterns in Italy Disclose Intricate Colonization Pathways.

ABSTRACT: As a natural bridge between Europe and Africa, Italy occupies a prominent position to understand the biogeography of Europe. The influence of climatic, spatial, and historical factors on current patterns of species richness and turnover (i.e., inter-regional biogeographical differences) has been analyzed for 88 species occurring in 17 Italian natural regions. Use of multimodel inference showed that odonate richness decreased southwards in response to decreasing rainfall, as expected for animals that depend on freshwater for their development. Use of Mantel tests indicated that patterns of inter-regional similarities were influenced by both climate and geographical distances. These patterns, as highlighted using Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling, indicate a role for historical factors. Bi

SUBMITTER: Fattorini S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9220287 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature