Anthropogenic modification disrupts species co-occurrence in stream invertebrates

© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Bibliographische Detailangaben
Veröffentlicht in:Global change biology. - 1999. - 20(2014), 1 vom: 16. Jan., Seite 51-60
1. Verfasser: Larsen, Stefano (VerfasserIn)
Weitere Verfasser: Ormerod, Steve J
Format: Online-Aufsatz
Sprache:English
Veröffentlicht: 2014
Zugriff auf das übergeordnete Werk:Global change biology
Schlagworte:Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Assembly rules disturbance land-use sediment deposition spatial scale species traits
Beschreibung
Zusammenfassung:© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The question of whether species co-occurrence is random or deterministic has received considerable attention, but little is known about how anthropogenic disturbance mediates the outcomes. By combining experiments, field surveys and analysis against null models, we tested the hypothesis that anthropogenic habitat modification disrupts species co-occurrence in stream invertebrates across spatial scales. Whereas communities in unmodified conditions were structured deterministically with significant species segregation, catchment-scale conversion to agriculture and sediment deposition at the patch- or micro-habitat scale apparently randomized species co-occurrences. This shift from non-random to random was mostly independent of species richness, abundance and spatial scale. Data on community-wide life-history traits (body size, dispersal ability and predatory habits) and beta-diversity indicated that anthropogenic modification disrupted community assembly by affecting biotic interactions and, to a lesser extent, altering habitat heterogeneity. These data illustrate that the balance between predictable and stochastic patterns in communities can reflect anthropogenic modifications that not only transcend scales but also change the relative forces that determine species coexistence. Research into the effects of habitat modification as a key to understanding global change should extend beyond species richness and composition to include species co-occurrence, species interactions and any functional consequences
Beschreibung:Date Completed 21.08.2014
Date Revised 10.12.2013
published: Print-Electronic
Citation Status MEDLINE
ISSN:1365-2486
DOI:10.1111/gcb.12355