Partitioning taxon, phylogenetic and functional beta diversity into replacement and richness difference components. (4th December 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cardoso, Pedro; Rigal, François; Carvalho, José C.; Fortelius, Mikael; Borges, Paulo A. V.; Podani, Janos; Schmera, Denes; Veech, Joseph
• Is Part Of: Journal of biogeography. Volume 41:Number 4(2014:Apr.)
• Page Start: 749
• Page End: 761
• Publication Date: 2013-12-04
• Subjects: Biogeography -- Periodicals; 578.09
• DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12239
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-0270

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jbi12239-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="jbi12239-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To propose a unified framework for quantifying taxon (Tβ), phylogenetic (Pβ) and functional (Fβ) beta diversity via pairwise comparisons of communities, which allows these types of beta diversity to be partitioned into ecologically meaningful additive components.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12239-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Location</title> <p>Global, with case studies in Europe and the Azores archipelago.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12239-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Using trees as a common representation for taxon, phylogenetic and functional diversity, we partition total beta diversity (β<sub>total</sub>) into its replacement (turnover, β<sub>repl</sub>) and richness difference (β<sub>rich</sub>) components according to which part of a global tree was shared by or unique to communities that were being compared. We demonstrate the application of this framework using artificial and empirical examples (mammals in Europe and epigean arthropods in the Azores).</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12239-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Our empirical examples show that comparing Pβ and Fβ with the most commonly used Tβ revealed previously hidden patterns of beta diversity. More importantly, we demonstrate that partitioning Pβ<sub>total</sub> and Fβ<sub>total</sub> into their respective β<sub>repl</sub> and β<sub>rich</sub> components facilitates the detection of more complex patterns than using the overall coefficients alone, further elucidating the different forces operating in community assembly.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12239-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Main conclusions</title> <p>The methods presented here allow the integration and full comparison of Tβ, Pβ and Fβ. They provide a tool for effectively disentangling the replacement (turnover) and richness difference components of the different biodiversity facets within the same methodological framework.</p> </sec> </abstract>