Influence of microclimate and species interactions on the composition of plant and invertebrate communities in alpine northern Norway
Influence of microclimate and species interactions on the composition of plant and invertebrate communities in alpine northern Norway
We assessed the effects of both biotic processes and abiotic factors on the community composition of vascular plant species and invertebrates at a site in northern Norway. Plant species were assigned to functional (woody versus herbaceous) and biogeographic (boreal versus alpine) groups. Invertebrate species were classified as either herbivore or predator. When species interactions and effects of the abiotic environment were partitioned, boreal species appeared to influence the distribution of alpine species and woody species the distribution of herbaceous species. Analysis of partial correlations indicated that facilitation was the dominant mode of interaction between the two pairs of plant groups. Among abiotic factors, the thermal environment probably influenced all components of the plant and invertebrate communities, except for predatory invertebrates, and wind appeared important in determining the composition of woody and alpine components of the plant community but not the herbaceous component. The composition of the boreal component of the plant community apparently influenced the composition of all invertebrate communities, except for predatory invertebrates. The composition of the woody component of the plant community influenced the composition of both herbivore and predator communities. The alpine plant-community composition influenced predatory invertebrate community composition. Woody plant community composition influenced the composition of both herbivore and predator communities. Our analytic approach, based on two kinds of structural equation models (d-separation and pathanalysis), provides a useful method for identifying the biotic as well as abiotic factors that influence community structure.
arctic, boreal, competition, d-separation, invertebrate communities, microtopography, Norway, microclimate, path analysis, plant communitiesPlant functional typesRadiationTundraInvertebrate guilds
266-282
Rae, D.A.
d831241e-fcda-4e87-bb41-2b1fd107615f
Armbruster, W.S.
67445cf6-5c80-474c-9336-6ddc26fcaf1b
Edwards, M.E.
4b6a3389-f3a4-4933-b8fd-acdfef72200e
Svengård-Barre, M.
9879bc9a-6842-471c-98da-8560a8f8bbd5
May 2006
Rae, D.A.
d831241e-fcda-4e87-bb41-2b1fd107615f
Armbruster, W.S.
67445cf6-5c80-474c-9336-6ddc26fcaf1b
Edwards, M.E.
4b6a3389-f3a4-4933-b8fd-acdfef72200e
Svengård-Barre, M.
9879bc9a-6842-471c-98da-8560a8f8bbd5
Rae, D.A., Armbruster, W.S., Edwards, M.E. and Svengård-Barre, M.
(2006)
Influence of microclimate and species interactions on the composition of plant and invertebrate communities in alpine northern Norway.
Acta Oecologica, 29 (3), .
(doi:10.1016/j.actao.2005.11.007).
Abstract
We assessed the effects of both biotic processes and abiotic factors on the community composition of vascular plant species and invertebrates at a site in northern Norway. Plant species were assigned to functional (woody versus herbaceous) and biogeographic (boreal versus alpine) groups. Invertebrate species were classified as either herbivore or predator. When species interactions and effects of the abiotic environment were partitioned, boreal species appeared to influence the distribution of alpine species and woody species the distribution of herbaceous species. Analysis of partial correlations indicated that facilitation was the dominant mode of interaction between the two pairs of plant groups. Among abiotic factors, the thermal environment probably influenced all components of the plant and invertebrate communities, except for predatory invertebrates, and wind appeared important in determining the composition of woody and alpine components of the plant community but not the herbaceous component. The composition of the boreal component of the plant community apparently influenced the composition of all invertebrate communities, except for predatory invertebrates. The composition of the woody component of the plant community influenced the composition of both herbivore and predator communities. The alpine plant-community composition influenced predatory invertebrate community composition. Woody plant community composition influenced the composition of both herbivore and predator communities. Our analytic approach, based on two kinds of structural equation models (d-separation and pathanalysis), provides a useful method for identifying the biotic as well as abiotic factors that influence community structure.
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More information
Submitted date: 9 March 2005
Published date: May 2006
Keywords:
arctic, boreal, competition, d-separation, invertebrate communities, microtopography, Norway, microclimate, path analysis, plant communitiesPlant functional typesRadiationTundraInvertebrate guilds
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 55277
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/55277
ISSN: 1146-609X
PURE UUID: c13fe38b-a607-40f5-9866-8d6e0c8efcf6
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Date deposited: 01 Aug 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:27
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Author:
D.A. Rae
Author:
W.S. Armbruster
Author:
M. Svengård-Barre
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