On the importance of habitat continuity for delimiting biogeographic regions and shaping richness gradients
On the importance of habitat continuity for delimiting biogeographic regions and shaping richness gradients
The formation and maintenance of biogeographic regions and the latitudinal gradient of species richness are thought to be influenced, in part, by the spatial distribution of physical habitat (habitat continuity). But the importance of habitat continuity in relation to other variables for shaping richness gradients and delimiting biogeographic regions has not been well established. Here, we show that habitat continuity is a top predictor of biogeographic structure and the richness gradient of eastern Pacific rocky shore gastropods (spanning c. 23 000 km, from 43°S to 48°N). Rocky shore habitat continuity is generally low within tropical/subtropical regions (compared to extratropical regions), but particularly at biogeographic boundaries where steep richness gradients occur. Regions of high rocky shore habitat continuity are located towards the centres of biogeographic regions where species turnover tends to be relatively low. Our study highlights the importance of habitat continuity to help explain patterns and processes shaping the biogeographic organisation of species.
664-673
Fenberg, Phillip
c73918cd-98cc-41e6-a18c-bf0de4f1ace8
Rivadeneira, Marcelo M.
68afee2d-6288-4fbc-be7f-305c190a79c6
April 2019
Fenberg, Phillip
c73918cd-98cc-41e6-a18c-bf0de4f1ace8
Rivadeneira, Marcelo M.
68afee2d-6288-4fbc-be7f-305c190a79c6
Fenberg, Phillip and Rivadeneira, Marcelo M.
(2019)
On the importance of habitat continuity for delimiting biogeographic regions and shaping richness gradients.
Ecology Letters, 22 (4), .
(doi:10.1111/ele.13228).
Abstract
The formation and maintenance of biogeographic regions and the latitudinal gradient of species richness are thought to be influenced, in part, by the spatial distribution of physical habitat (habitat continuity). But the importance of habitat continuity in relation to other variables for shaping richness gradients and delimiting biogeographic regions has not been well established. Here, we show that habitat continuity is a top predictor of biogeographic structure and the richness gradient of eastern Pacific rocky shore gastropods (spanning c. 23 000 km, from 43°S to 48°N). Rocky shore habitat continuity is generally low within tropical/subtropical regions (compared to extratropical regions), but particularly at biogeographic boundaries where steep richness gradients occur. Regions of high rocky shore habitat continuity are located towards the centres of biogeographic regions where species turnover tends to be relatively low. Our study highlights the importance of habitat continuity to help explain patterns and processes shaping the biogeographic organisation of species.
Text
Fenberg Rivadeneira ELE
- Accepted Manuscript
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Accepted/In Press date: 29 December 2018
e-pub ahead of print date: 7 February 2019
Published date: April 2019
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 427995
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/427995
ISSN: 1461-023X
PURE UUID: 779dd9a5-e154-48bf-9090-f5f61f1c96ec
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Date deposited: 06 Feb 2019 17:30
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 07:33
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Author:
Marcelo M. Rivadeneira
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